The Force

[Roshim Talsung]

Okay, we've all heard it a million times. Blah blah blah "...the balance of the Force". But, what does it actually mean?


When the dark side is on top, does that mean that dark-side powers are more potent? Or what.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Though one side may seem more potent/powerful at times, I don't think that's ever the case. When it comes to the force, it's more about who's wielding it, and in what way. A Sith lord takes on a Jedi padawan, we all know who's gonna win. And even then, if the padwan knows his stuff, he might be able to give the Sith a run for his money. It's not about power, but the use of that power.

 

[Veino Garn]

Based on the movies as far as I can tell, the Force is balanced when there are no powerful Dark Side users messing things up, as shown how balance was restored when Vader abandoned the Sith to rejoin the Light and Palpatine died. Based on some comments Lucas made somewhere about how the Dark Side was a corruption of the natural order of the Force and that to restore balance would be to remove the Dark Side.

 

[Garza]

[member="Roshim Talsung"],
Think of a flower. That is the light side of the force. For it to grow it's considered balanced because it continues to grow as it does. Now, look at the weeds that are growing around the flower. The weeds are the dark side. The weeds choke up and ruin the natural balance of the flower. Now lets say a gardner can either let the weeds grow (Dark side force user) or can cut the weeds and bring balance to the force within himself/herself/whatever (light sided force users)

 

[Ludolf Vaas]

Nobody knows for sure because the prophecy was never properly explained in the movies.

But it seems to me that "bringing balance to the Force" is just a nice way of saying "kill all the Dark-Siders."

Jedi newspeak, if you will.

 

[Ellie Mors]

Ironically the prophecy of the Jedi, the balance brought to the force was when there was only a single force user remaining.

 

[Preliat Mantis]

something ruined by the EU

 

[Mrrew]

Technically Vader did bring balance to the force. THere were only two Sith. (Darksiders). He (if you only go by the movies) killed all but two Jedi (lightsiders). Meaning there were two of each. Balance.

Anikan did exactly what the prophecy said he would.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

According to the Jedi, the Force seems to be "in balance" when the Sith aren't a thing. I'd wager the Sith think the exact same thing in reverse, so the term is probably pretty loaded from either tradition's standpoint. However, as the Force itself seems to be a disinterested element of nature, rather than a political being with an agenda, one can assume that it naturally moves towards self-balance. It's probably "in balance" most of the time, and the Forcies just like to believe that their side is the only balanced one.

As for the effects, that's much easier to figure out. In the Imperial and Legacy eras, where the Dark Side held a much stronger grip on the galaxy than it normally did, crime and malice in general flourished. Selfishness became the common currency, and class inequality was brought into sharp focus. In more "balanced" times, there was still crime, and people still performed heinous acts, but never on such scale. It's difficult to tell what happens when the galaxy is imbalanced towards the light, as stories are written with conflict, and the Light Side hates conflict. We don't have a lot of stories in peaceful times.

 

[Roshim Talsung]

Well, I read the Darth Plageus novel, and both he and Darth Sidious channeled their power to tip the scale, in favor of the dark side. Then, because of this, the Force sought 'self-balance', by creating Anikan. He was supposed to set right what they had disrupted.

Which, in my view, Anikan fulfilled the prophecy by killing Sidious.

But I agree with [member="Fabula Cavataio"] the Jedi aren't seeking true balance. Naturally, they want the Light Side to be on top.

 

[Corey's OOC]

"Balance to the Force" is Jedi propaganda to destroy the emotional and feeling side of the Force that they so claim as the 'Dark Side'.

TL;DR: Jedi are lame.

 

[Trenchcoat Man]

"Balance of the Force" is achieved at the end of each Creation-Destruction-Rebirth cycle. Like in Tarot cards, the starting point is also the ending point, ensuring it runs in perpetuity.

It is the cosmic Celestial engine which powers the Universe.

 

[Roshim Talsung]

[member="Marek Starchaser"]

The Jedi aren't for being emotionless. They feel anger, fear, sadness. The Jedi way is to not act on those feelings, because they tend to cloud judgment. When has anyone done anything in anger and gotten anything good out of it?

We don't -- and can't -- destroy the dark side of the Force, because they are both one power. One entity. Positive and negative. The only thing that can be destroyed is people so corrupted by the dark side that they cause pain and suffering to everyone around them. Someone's gotta fight for the people who can't fight for themselves.


Cops are lame too, until they save your life.

 

[Corey's OOC]

I never said cops are lame.

Just if the Jedi would be honest about the fact that they are warriors and the symbol of their order is a tool of death delivery. Sith and Dark Jedi are honest. Jedi... lie. They don't operate as best they could. They could tap into such a huge reserve of power and defeat the dark side, eradicate it from the galaxy.

Granted, the Sith could, but still don't. I should start to fix that. Just wipe all record of the Jedi from the galaxy and ultimately crash large starships into any cells of Jedi teaching...

But that's just my opinion.

Down with Warrior monks! *pickets*

 

[Roshim Talsung]

[member="Marek Starchaser"]

Ever think that the Jedi like lightsabers because it actually stops blaster bolts?

Plus, it's a bad idea for someone who tries to keep the peace to go up to a bank robber, without a weapon, and says "You're doing a crime, come with me." The Jedi do not force themselves on people or worlds, or their beleifs on other people. On the planets where they locate themselves, they have been asked to be there by the people.

You can't have peace without being able to stop power-hungry evil people. And those people usually have weapons and an army.

I don't see why people hate on the Jedi. They try to make the galaxy a better place, for realz.

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

[member="Roshim Talsung"]

Different philosophies are why people hate Jedi and others love them. I understand you; many others don't. It's all about a person's view on these things and how they have been developed by the environment, just like with most other stuff in the world.

 

[Roshim Talsung]

[member="Ellya"]

I know! But people tend to think of the literal things, without thinking about the meaning behind it. The first lightsaber could only be used by channeling the dark side. So, when the first arguments and fights broke out, those that chose to follow the light side had to make a weapon equal to those sabers; they didn't have anything then that couldn't be cut with a lightsaber. So, they made the prototypes of the our modern ones.

When your enemy evolves, so must you. It is a law of survival.

 

[Corey's OOC]

I just prefer the Sith way of doing things.

"You're a criminal, eat a blast of lightning until your heart stops beating."

Because it shows the criminals not to do it again. Or you die.

 

[Mak Manto]

Without expanding too much on the Legends content (I still love the term Expanded Universe), the Dark Side and the Light Side are integral aspects of the Star Wars universe, neither side stronger nor better. It's how it always was and how it always will be, for dark and light are just aspects of everything in life.

The Force, in the end, is merely energy, energy that is able to be harnessed by one for good or for ill.

Now, as it was expounded upon by others in this thread, the Sith are other users of the Dark Side are a different story. They use the Force for their purposes, be it for power, greed, fear, anger, etc. They corrupt others and the balance that is set in the universe tips to one side, which is why the Jedi are there to stop them, to extinguish them.

This is, as I see it, is why the Jedi know they can destroy the Dark Side. Not the dark aspects of the universe, for that will always be there, but the Dark Side that those use for their own reasons, that breaks the balance.

 

[Ellie Mors]

I don't see why people hate on the Jedi. They try to make the galaxy a better place, for realz.

Because we are evil and thus "making the galaxy a better place" is counter-productive to us. Well, making it a better place to the standards of Jedi/Republic ideals. Truly if you wanted a better place you would not introduce the ideals of any organization - including the force and those without the force. Empress Teta prior to the arrival of Naga Sadow was perhaps the best example of "a better place" from all my readings of star wars - admittedly I've only read about 10 or so books that draw from various points in time, but based on movies and some of the video games I've played/seen Empress Teta prior to Republic involvement or the existence of the Sith Empire outside of Sith Space was the best time, ever, for the people of Koros Major(Empress Teta).