Star Wars has finally explained the three types of Jedi and Sith artifacts. The Force is a powerful ally and in using it, a Jedi or Sith can accomplish tremendous feats. Some of those have been shown on screen, with Luke Skywalker projecting himself across the galaxy in order to confront his nephew Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Other powers have only been demonstrated in other mediums, perhaps too impressive to be realized even with modern film budgets.
But there are also artifacts that are strong in the Force, imbued with power by Jedi or Sith alike. These objects have often been powerful and dangerous, with Sith masks imbuing those who wear them with a dark rage, or Jedi or Sith Holocrons training a new generation of Force-users. They have also been incredibly mysterious as few Star Wars tie-ins have actually shown how these objects are formed.
Claudia Gray's novel The High Republic: Into The Dark finally shines some light on Force artifacts. At one point, the Jedi attempt to destroy a number of statues they believe are imbued with the dark side of the Force. Jedi always love to make any exercise like this a teaching moment, and so one named Reath winds up presenting a fascinating lecture to his fellow Jedi.
"The Jedi elders have identified three main kinds of Force artifacts," he said to the assembled group in the comm area. "There are artifacts that contain certain memories or even personalities of past Force users. There are artifacts that enhance a Jedi's ability to use the Force. And then there are artifacts that hinder or confound that ability - Force dampeners, you could call them."
It's only a brief comment, but it is extremely helpful in terms of understanding how the various artifacts already seen in Star Wars truly operate. The first category has been the most notable, ranging from the dark side masks imbued with the rage of their Sith wearers, to the Holocrons used to pass on knowledge from one generation to another. The second presumably includes lightsabers, which a Jedi can bond with in order to feel the Force, it also likely includes the Sith and Jedi Wayfinders seen in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Recent books have revealed Wayfinding is a Force power in and of itself, so presumably, Wayfinders help point a Force-sensitive being toward a specific destination.
But the third category is most interesting, simply because it has not yet been seen - either in canon or in the old Expanded Universe. Their existence is logical; if some artifacts can strengthen the Force, it makes sense that others can weaken it. What's more, the very fact Reath mentions them suggests the Jedi have encountered several of them in the past. This opens up intriguing possibilities for Star Wars, for such artifacts could be used by ordinary men and women to threaten even the most powerful Force-users.
https://ift.tt/39P7tx7
February 05, 2021 at 06:01AM
