Many people often admire the absolute "good" of the Jedi and decry the absolute "evil" of the Sith. Many declare an allegiance to a particular side of the Force, and declare themselves a Jedi or Sith.

But the universe is rarely so black and white. Contrary to some teachings, there is no indelible line between the Light and Dark sides of the Force, no absolute boundary that when crossed places you on a particular side of the Force forever.

In life, everyone has two sets of values: the official ones and those which they truly believe. Are the values you declare to have the same as the ones you really hold dear? Perhaps.......and perhaps not.

I once believed myself to adhere to the Light Side and the Jedi, but when I looked deeply at what I truly believed, I realized I had more in common with the Sith. And as I explored Sith philosophy and teachings, I fell further under their sway.

But, did I truly believe what the Sith taught?

The Force may contain both a Light and Dark side, but they are both part of the same entity, and exist only with each other. To some degree, we all have pieces of the Light and Dark side in us.

Even looking back into history, many of the greatest Sith began as Jedi, and some of them redeemed themselves back to Jedi. That's balance.

The balance of the Force is a reflection of the balance within ourselves. If we don't embrace that balance and delude ourselves, we will destroy ourselves and those around us.

Someone who fails to embrace that sometimes violence is the answer and lives must be taken will eventually collapse under the weight of those pressures and fall to the "easy path" of the Sith.

Someone who fully embraces the Dark side but uses it for evil purposes will become a twisted creature that hates himself and will strike out at others out of pain and misery and a desire to extend that and mar the universe with the pain he feels.

Nothing is black and white. The Force is grey. The Force is unified Light and Darkness.

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What follows is a simple test to determine your true adherence.

1) The Jedi Council asks you to betray a friend. Do you?
a) Do as they say
b) Warn your friend, then plot against the council
c) Refuse and accept the consequences.

2) Why do you study the Force?
a) For knowledge
b) For personal power
c) To help others

3) In war, is it most key to:
a) minimize casualties
b) Eliminate your enemy's ability to make war
c) make it as short as possible


4) You realize your best friend is a Sith Lord. Do you?
a) Incapacitate him so that he can be brought before the Council
b) Strike him down - he's too great a threat
c) Tell him to leave Coruscant and never return

5) Your above actions fail and you are forced to duel your friend. You gain the advantage, what do you do?
a) Knock his saber away without harming him, and then knock him out
b) Finish him - he's too dangerous and might try to kill you again
c) Cut off his saber hand and bring him alive to be tried

6) You are in a war and are assaulting the last enemy city. All attempts at offering a surrender have failed, and you must attack. Do you:
a) Assault the city and lose thousands of men
b) Bomb the city to the ground and take no casualties
c) Infiltrate the city, assassinate the leaders and try and force a peace

7) There is a Corellian terrorist with a bomb inside a hospital. If it goes off, it will take out many city blocks. All negotiation has failed. Do you:
c) Attempt to use the Force to disarm the bomb -though it may blow up
b) Bomb the hospital, at least the surrounding areas will be saved
a) Sneak in and try killing him but risk blowing it all

8) The Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance has asked you to help the government by disobeying an order from the Jedi Council. Do you:
a) Decline, and then report it to the council
b) Accept
c) Decline, but tell no one.


The Force is not so clear cut after all......

SCORING: Figure out the number of times you chose each letter. Then rank your letter choices from greatest to least.

Mostly A's, followed by C then B: LIGHT SIDE JEDI (Yoda)

A true adherent of the Light Side, unwaveringly loyal to the Force and the Order. However, the Living Force and other concepts can be beyond your reach.

Mostly B's, followed by C then A: SITH LORD (Darth Sidious)

You will do what must be done, for yourself and for what you believe.

Mostly C's, followed by A then B: MAVERICK JEDI (Qui-Gon Jinn)

You adhere to the Light Side, but make your own path. You are in touch with the Force and the world around you, and often see things with greater depth than others.

Mostly A's, followed by B then C: CONFLICTED JEDI (Jacen Solo)

You are on the Light Side, yet many aspects of you are Sith-like, especially when it comes to dealing with enemies. You are susceptible to turning.

Mostly B's, followed by A then C: FALLEN JEDI (Anakin Skywalker)

You are a Darksider, yet there is conflict in you as many of your beliefs still follow Jedi ways. Susceptible to redemption to the Light, or further darkness: a crossroads.

Mostly C's, followed by B then A: GRAY JEDI (Roan Fel)

You are not evil, but your loyalties lie in the mortal world, to a government or an organization or yourself before they lie with the Force. You largely are good, but will resort to ruthless measures to defend yourself and that which you defend.


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I answered honestly and fully, and according to the test I am a Maverick Jedi. By understanding what a Sith really is, I have come to understand what a Jedi really is.

It's about sacrifice, and helping those in need. It's in the methods one uses to achieve those ends that darkness can take you. But if you don't lose sight of them, it is possible to return...........