Summary
One dramatic moment in Disney’s recentStar Warsera secretly confirms the true nature of the dark side. The Force has always been presented as something of a mystery, greater than either the Jedi or the Sith fully understand, meaning both the oldStar WarsExpanded Universeand modern canon have explored it a great deal. The key to understanding the Force naturally lies in its light and dark sides.
In the original and prequelStar Warstrilogies, the dark side of the Force is portrayed as an unnatural and corrupt perversion of the Force’s natural state – nicknamed the “good side” in the films and the “light side” in many Legends-era properties.Balance is simply the Forceuntainted by the dark side.Most modern canon properties portray the Force differently, suggesting both light and dark are natural, with balance sometimes seen as another aspect. Despite this, one key scene has recently confirmed the traditional view.
Star Wars Can’t Make Gray Jedi Canon (Because It Misunderstands Balance)
Gray Jedi are a popular concept outside of the original six Star Wars films, but they shouldn’t be made canon because they misunderstand balance.
Kyber Crystals Need To Be Bled To Be Turned To The Dark Side
In the Legends continuity, there is a wide variety of Force-imbued crystals that can power a lightsaber, including natural crystals and crystals synthesized using the Force (or the dark side) and machinery. The modern canon reimagined lightsaber crystals, with natural Kyber crystals being the only reliable power source for lightsabers. Moreover,Kyber crystals must bond with a Force user, a process that changes them from a neutral clear color to a specific hue, typically blue or green but sometimes becoming a rarer color like purple or yellow.
Kyber crystals do not bond with dark side users, so they must endure a process called “bleeding,” which corrupts them with the dark sideandturns the lightsaber red. This process has appeared in modernStar Warscanon comics, video games, and, more recently, in a live-action Disney+ TV series. In the season 1 finale ofThe Acolyte, Osha corrupts the Kyber crystal of Jedi Master Sol, turning it red and forcing it to bond with her via the dark side.
Sith Kyber Crystals Prove The Dark Side Isn’t Natural… Even In The Disney Era
Despite the modernStar Warscanon’s reimagining and rewriting of the Force,the new lore surrounding Kyber crystals closely adheres to the Force’s original depiction. Kyber crystals naturally bond with Force users like Jedi, but dark side users, like Sith Lords and Knights of Ren, must force a bond through the unnatural energy of the dark side. For better or worse, this relatively new element ofStar Warslore is not entirely compatible with the modern timeline, but excellently illustrates the Force as it was depicted in George Lucas’s main saga films.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
