Is Ahsoka‘s Dave Filoni attempting to define the Force with a Unified Force Theory?
Every Star Wars project has attempted to define the Force, but it’s led to more confusion among the fanbase over the real definition. The Original Trilogy gives a vague but simple definition. Obi-Wan tells Luke Skywalker, “ is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.” For many years, fans used this definition to understand the Force, but the prequel trilogy changed everything.
In Episode I: The Phantom Menace, George Lucas introduced the concept of midi-chlorians, microorganisms found in the blood of all living things. The amount of midi-chlorians is directly related to a person’s ability to wield the Force. The more midi-chlorians a person has, the more talent they possess to become a Jedi. In Qui-Gon’s words, “Without the midi-chlorians, life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge about the Force. They continually speak to us, telling us the will of the Force. When you learn to quiet your mind, you’ll hear them speaking to you.” Even though this is a scientific definition, it only offended the fanbase further and did nothing but create more confusion about what the Force is.
The Sequel Trilogy creators had their take on what the Force is, but Dave Filoni may be the one trying to put it all together. Filoni has tackled the subject in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, with the latter taking the deepest dive into the force and its origins in the universe. Episodes exploring the Whills, the Gods of Mortis, and characters such as Bendu are just a few examples of how Filoni tries to explain the origins of the Force and how it applies to all living things in the Star Wars universe. Is it something that only the Jedi can access, something that gives them their powers, or is the Force a very real thing that anyone can tap into?
With Ahsoka, Filoni is trying to explain the Force by combining all previous Star Wars definitions of it into one theory. Ahsoka makes the Force something that’s present throughout the Star Wars universe, residing in all living things. Talent, or perhaps the amount of midi-chlorians in someone’s blood, definitely helps a person wield the Force. By this definition, someone like Sabine probably has a very low midi-chlorian count compared to Ahsoka. However, Sabine and anyone who’s ready to dedicate themselves to training has hope of harnessing the Force to some extent.
The Force doesn’t need to be limited to only those who are born with a high midi-chlorian count, however, this doesn’t mean that anyone who wants can easily wield it. Training is the most important factor here. Even someone as talented as Grogu isn’t born knowing how to force lift a Mudhorn, but if they’re given proper training, they’ll end up becoming powerful Force users. For everyone else, like Sabine, training is the only thing that can make them successful. Filoni’s theory makes wielding the Force similar to performing real-world activities such as becoming a professional athlete or musician. Some are born to sing and some are born to play a certain sport, for everyone else, hard work and dedication are required to reach an advanced skill level, otherwise, you’ll be good, but not great. The real question now is, will Sabine become one of the greatest Force users in Star Wars or just an average one?
Ahsoka is streaming on Disney+. Stay up to date on all things Star Wars here at Dork Side of the Force.