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Warning: This infobox has missing parameters: purpose and unrecognized parameters: notable practitioners, era
- "How does one defend against such power?"
"A wise master does not reveal all his secrets at once. In due time, my apprentice." - ―Savage Opress and Darth Tyranus, after electrocuting Opress with a barrage of Force lightning
Force lightning was a Force power utilized by Dark Side Force Users, the Sith most prominently among them.[6] The technique involved a discharge of electrical energy from the practitioner's hands[1] resulting in electrocution and even disfigurement if the target was hit with it.[7] Chain lightning was a variant in which the burst of lightning delivered would first hit a single target and then spread to those around them.[8]
Targets could deflect the discharge using a lightsaber. Some powerful Force-users were also capable of absorbing it using only the Force,[2] but only for a short while, and at the price of immense effort.[9] Gungan personal energy shields were also capable of repelling Force lightning.[10]
Non-Sith were also known to use this ability. Mother Talzin used Force lightning that was powerful enough to block Darth Sidious' lightning.[11] Snoke was also able to use this ability, as demonstrated when he swiftly struck Kylo Ren down when the latter made a threatening move, though his use of the ability varied greatly from previous practitioners, as he projected electrical energy against the floor, causing it to bounce upward and knock his apprentice off his feet. [3]
In some cases, the lightning intensity was so high that the victim's skeletal system started glowing and could be seen through his or her skin—as demonstrated with Mace Windu[7]—or even through heavy armor.[1]
Behind the scenes
Sidious blasts Luke Skywalker with lightning in Ralph McQuarrie artwork seen in The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight
Force lightning first appeared in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, the final film of the original Star Wars trilogy. In the Expanded Universe, now re-branded as Star Wars Legends, Force lightning had a number of useful variants and could be summoned even by Jedi. These uses, however, are no longer considered canon and in canon media only practitioners of the dark side of the Force have been observed using the skill.
Appearances
Non-canon appearances
- Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
- Star Wars Epic Yarns: Return of the Jedi
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Return of the Kyber Saber"- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Trouble on Tibalt"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Pit and the Pinnacle"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Flight of the Arrowhead"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Return of the Return of the Jedi"
- LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales — "Crisis on Coruscant" (In flashback(s))
- LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales — "Gambit on Geonosis" (In flashback(s))
- LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Sources
- Sith in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- LEGO Classic Star Wars (Set: 75093 Death Star Final Duel)
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
- Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded
- Star Wars: Destiny Two-Player Game
- Force Lightning in the Databank (backup link)
- Sith in the Databank (backup link)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi
- ↑ 4.0 4.1
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Altar of Mortis"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Massacre"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Sith in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
- ↑ Star Wars Battlefront II
- ↑ Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded
- ↑ Poll: Which Star Wars Weapon Would You Use? on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir, Part Four
