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 | What Exactly Knocked the Force Out of Balance In the First Place? |
As seems to be the growing pattern, I can never keep my responses to other people's blogs down to under 750 characters...so, go read The Dark Moose's entry on this subject here, then come on back...
I guess my point of view on the nature of balance in the PT is this:
Since the Force affects and is affected by all living things, then it's not even just the Force-sensitives that have an impact on it's balance. The growing corruption of the Republic, arguably having begun before Sidious started working his machinations, and the complacency of the Jedi within this spreading corruption, in my humble opinion, is what brings the Force out of balance.
If you look at Yoda's comments in the novel version of ROTS, he claims to have failed in more than just his duel with Sidious:
"My failure, this was. Failed the Jedi, I did."
He spoke to the Force.
And the Force answered him. Do not blame yourself, my old friend.
As it sometimes had these past thirteen years, when the Force spoke to him, it spoke in the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn,
"Too old I was," Yoda said. "Too rigid. Too arrogant to see that the old way is not the only way. These Jedi, 1 trained to become the Jedi who had trained me, long centuries ago-but those ancient Jedi, of a different time they were. Changed, has the galaxy. Changed, the Order did not-because let it change, I did not."
Yoda is saying here that he was so focused on re-fighting the previous Sith war (and no, this is not an original comment, but for the life of me, I can't remember where I first read it...), that he was unable or unwilling to adapt to the times. The Sith, however, in their lust for greater power, constantly evolved, adapted, and eventually understood the modern world so well that they were able to orchestrate their elaborate, decades-long plan for obtaining total control over everything by manipulating both the Senate and the Jedi.
Having said all of this, it's my take that the imbalance in the Force came not necessarily from the Sith's rise to power, but rather from the bloated nature of the Republic, and the Jedi allowing their role in galactic affairs to stagnate.
I'm very interested to hear if anyone has anything to say on this, so please comment away!
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http://blogs.starwars.com/prisoner2k/3 |
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Kenobi-fan
The Jundland Wastes Journal
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date Posted: Feb 16, 2006 8:51 AM
I view balance of the Force, like we view our atmosphere. It's powerful and vital to all of us: people, plants, water, etc. It's the engine that drives life on this planet. It doesn't care if there are political coups, corporate malfeasance, or even general pessimism among it's inhabitants. The air is there for all regardless of personal belief or conviction. Having said that, if someone or some group were to tamper with the atmosphere, via pollution or some other unnatural occurrence, placing all life (good and bad) in jeopardy, we appear to see a 'reaction' within it and from it - causing all of us to rethink our actions - hopefully. The Force obviously has more of a 'persona' than our atmosphere but I think the analogy is apt.
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The Dark Moose
Moose Poodoo
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date Posted: Feb 16, 2006 9:49 AM
Thanks for the mention on my blog. I think what you're talking about here:
it's my take that the imbalance in the Force came not necessarily from the Sith's rise to power, but rather from the bloated nature of the Republic, and the Jedi allowing their role in galactic affairs to stagnate
..is a cause and effect thing - the corruption of the Republic and the complacency of the Jedi make it possible for the Sith to rise to power. It's the presence of the Sith that cause the Force to be out of Balance. I agree there is a corellation, but to me it's more like the Jedi inadvertantly helped to create the "perfect storm" to allow the return of the Sith, and inbalance. I believe the Jedi are more an indirect cause than direct.
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On_a_Dewback_With_no _Name
The footprints of a Dewback
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date Posted: Feb 16, 2006 10:50 AM
Yes the balance of the Force was wobbly before the Sith's return (due to the Jedi's inability to adapt), but it was Palp who caused it to finally go completely off kilter.
I have my own theory about the origins of Palps and Anakin but I can't seem to get Hyperspace to blog about it.
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prisoner2k
Musings of a Recovering Star Wars Addict
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date Posted: Feb 16, 2006 11:01 AM
Mr. Moose,
Good points. If the factors I discussed caused the proverbial tree to rot from within, then the Sith were able to slither into the cavity and take over.
I wonder, though, since the prophecy had been around prior to the Jedi's awareness of the Sith's reemergence, if something else must have been occurring out in the open enough for the prophets to feel compelled to write about it.
I really love having a forum like this to gab about these "issues" with people who get it!
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jedi-Ruwurkuu001
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date Posted: Feb 16, 2006 11:02 AM
the jedi did adapt. Not in yoda's time but the New Jedi Order, alot of rules changed love wasnt forbbiden or attachments. One of my favorite changes was that they had a bigger variety of lightsaber colors. Later they changed to a more Unifying Force.
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prisoner2k
Musings of a Recovering Star Wars Addict
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date Posted: Feb 16, 2006 11:07 AM
Ah, I see. I only got about halfway through the first NJO novel and stopped. For whatever reason, I found myself not all that interested in the ongoing adventures of the OT characters, following the events of the Thrawn Trilogy. I got much more into the PT-era novels, since they, more than anything else, gave much-needed depth to the PT films' characters.
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Kataar
Read, Write, Watch, Enjoy!
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date Posted: Feb 16, 2006 11:29 AM
That was indeed part of the problem, that the Jedi did not evolve. For that matter, the Jedi were almost omnipresent in the Force, with very little evil. To me that's always been the issue of balance and the prophecy: too much good and not enough evil was out of balance, too many purists used the Force, not enough gray area for better balance. The Force sort of pushed back and said "we need to balance, and balance requires evil getting some stage time." Once evil had been around long enough, thanks to Anakin/Vader, when he and Palpatine died, all that was left was this young man who, within him, already was somewhat balanced (which we see in later EU novels as well, and I"m not just talking about when he serves the ressurected emperor.)
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jedivnsnator
The Trash Compactor
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date Posted: Feb 16, 2006 11:35 AM
Later they changed to a more Unifying Force.
Maybe, but that view is ever-changing for the Jedi these days. By the end of the Dark Nest series, things are very different for the NJO, and Luke clearly understands that his "Unifying Force" isn't what he thought it was...
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jkthunder
Seven Pieces
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date Posted: Feb 16, 2006 11:44 AM
here's a thought - the sith are like a disease slowly incubating in the body of the force. the jedi are the body's natural immune system that tries to supress the disease, yet the disease becomes resistant to the antibodies. the chosen one is the immunization shot - the cure, and the chosen ones off spring are the continuing reaction cure takes to wipe out the disease. remember that the immunization requires that the disease be present to be effective.
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jkthunder
Seven Pieces
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date Posted: Feb 16, 2006 11:48 AM
add your yoda, the jedi and the republic theory to that and it is another layer within the larger story of the body of the force's journey to overcome the disease. the natural immune system failed to overcome a powerful disease that mastecated - sure it could have been due to negligence - a lack of preventative medicine. so in this case, not only is the Force the body, but its the doctor as well.
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jkthunder
Seven Pieces
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date Posted: Feb 16, 2006 11:53 AM
wonder, though, since the prophecy had been around prior to the Jedi's awareness of the Sith's reemergence, if something else must have been occurring out in the open enough for the prophets to feel compelled to write about it.
the prophecy is indeed mysterious as to when it came about. my take is that since (as the EU goes), the sith had been lying relatively dormant since the days of darth bane - they were still stirring in the underground. maybe it was plagueis who dredged it up, or maybe it had been an invisible disease with no symptoms since the sith supposedly were made extinct. i think the prophecy developed well before sidious' time ("prophecy" just implies "old" or "ancient" to me)
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jkthunder
Seven Pieces
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date Posted: Feb 16, 2006 11:58 AM
theres another more subtle layer of balance within the force that we see through the NJO. while there is still the outward battle between dark and light, there is a more internal struggle that arises between the living and unifying force. this is a different balance than light v. dark where the balance is found when dark is kept at bay. with unifying v. living force, the balance is to find both sides equal. its the metaphor for the inner struggle. too much of one becomes ignorant of the other.
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Darth Kevinmhk
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date Posted: Feb 16, 2006 9:15 PM
Labyrinth of Evil has Yoda explained that the dark side is always there,
just suddenly stronger and closer to the surface, almost ready to reveal themselves.
I would say it is a cycle of life, just like birth and death.
And because ROTS novel stated that 3 years of warfare further pollute
the Force, i believe before the PT, the corruption of the Senate, slavery
in the Rim worlds, all the criminal activities, and many other bad things
pollute the Force, giving the dark side power, and in turn giving the Sith
power.
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jedi-Ruwurkuu001
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date Posted: Feb 16, 2006 9:40 PM
does anybody know what happened to the Yuuzhan Vong and why the Galactic Alliance doesnt change back to the republic?
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jedimasterscooter99
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date Posted: Feb 17, 2006 9:30 AM
during the ROTS yoda explains that his stubberness and inore the senate to find its curpuction that has taken place. he was closed minded until luke came to him for training (in ESB) he open his mind. 
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jedimasterscooter99
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date Posted: Feb 17, 2006 9:33 AM
to find his spot in the force and allow him to understand the way of the force and the course it was taking.
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