Force Choke

Force choke, a variant of and at times synonymous with Force grip, was a dark side Force power used to choke or strangle a victim, often with a grip-like gesture. This telekinetic technique was fueled by dark emotions such as fear, anger, and hatred, and was frequently employed by the Sith and other dark side users, though some Jedi or light side users also used it. The power could restrict blood circulation or airflow, lift victims off the ground by their necks, or even break a victim's neck by twisting, bending, or crushing it. While generally used at close range, it could in rare instances be applied at greater distances if the target was seen through a viewscreen, or even without direct line of sight.

Quick Facts

Type

Dark Side Force Power

Primary effect

Suffocation; Lifting via Throat Constriction

Resource cost

High (Requires significant emotional intensity)

Defensive counter

Force Push
Telekinetic Deflection
or breaking the user's concentration

Notable practitioners

Darth Vader
Emperor Palpatine
Darth Sidious

Risk level

Severe (Can cause immediate death if sustained)

Lore & Background

The Force is a ubiquitous power where characters refer to it as an energy maintaining cosmic balance. Force-sensitive individuals, such as Jedi and Sith, connect to this energy through rigorous self-discipline and training. The text explains that heroes like the Jedi seek to "become one with the Force," matching their wills with its own for beneficial goals, while villains attempt to bend these abilities toward selfish and destructive desires. This distinction is known as the light side versus the dark side.

Reader's Guide

Force-sensitive characters can access abilities like telekinesis and clairvoyance. It specifies that midi-chlorians, introduced in The Phantom Menace (1999), are microscopic creatures connecting characters to the Force, with a high count necessary for sensitivity. Qui-Gon Jinn describes the Living Force as energy generated by all living things, fed into the Cosmic Force through these organisms.

Did You Know?

George Lucas created the Force concept to address character and plot developments in Star Wars (1977).
The first draft of Star Wars referenced "the Force of Others" before the term was shortened to just "the Force" in the fourth draft.
In 1981, Lucas compared using the Force to yoga, suggesting any character could potentially use its power.