Mind Trick

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

George Lucas created the Force concept in Star Wars (1977) to address character development and awaken spirituality without endorsing a specific religion. He distilled it from the essence of all religions, premised on good and evil. In early drafts, the power was called the "Force of Others," with light and dark sides known as Ashla and Bogan respectively. The second draft mentioned Ashla 10 times and Bogan 31 times, linking them to a Kyber Crystal that could intensify their powers. By the fourth draft (January 1, 1976), Lucas trimmed this to "the Force" with a single reference to its seductive "dark side." Qui-Gon Jinn later explained in The Phantom Menace (1999) that microscopic lifeforms called midi-chlorians exist inside all living cells, allowing characters to feel and use the Force. A high enough count is required for sensitivity.

In Their Own Story

In the rough draft of Revenge of the Sith (2005), Palpatine claimed he used the power of the Force to will the midichlorians to start cell divisions that created Anakin Skywalker, though this line was removed. In Star Wars Rebels, the character Bendu, named in homage to a term Lucas originally associated with the Jedi, does not align with the normal dark-or-light duality. Filoni noted that every Star Wars movie introduces new Force powers to meet story needs; Pablo Hidalgo gave his blessing for Rian Johnson to introduce a new power in The Last Jedi (2017) if it stretched into new territory without breaking the idea of what the Force can do. Obi-Wan Kenobi described the Force as an energy field created by all living things, while Qui-Gon Jinn identified midi-chlorians as the connection to this energy.

Reader's Guide

Force-sensitive characters connect to the Force through rigorous self-discipline, training, and mindfulness. The Living Force is the energy generated by all living things, which is fed into the Cosmic Force via midi-chlorians. Jedi seek to "become one with the Force," while the Sith try to bend its abilities toward selfish desires. In 1981, Lucas compared using the Force to yoga, suggesting any character could use its power, though Dave Filoni later clarified in 2015 that all characters are "Force intuitive" to some degree. However, the most potent users have a high midi-chlorian count providing natural affinity and undertake intense training. The ability to wield powers like telekinesis or extrasensory perception depends on this sensitivity and discipline.

Did You Know?

• The first draft of Star Wars referred to the power as the "Force of Others" and included a blessing: "May the Force of Others be with you all."
• In the second draft, the light side was called Ashla (mentioned 10 times) and the dark side Bogan (mentioned 31 times).
• George Lucas based the concept of midi-chlorians on symbiogenesis, calling them a "loose depiction" of mitochondria.
• Lucas finished the fourth draft on January 1, 1976, reducing the explanation of the Force to just 28 words.
• Producer Gary Kurtz told Lucas he was unhappy with drafts connecting the Force to the Kyber Crystal.