SPECULATION Rebels S03 will take our understanding of the force to a new level

If you haven’t already, check out this interesting interview from Dash Star with Freddie Prinze Jr.

Short Version (there’s also a full length version of that interview available.)

There is a part about the force in it that got me intrigued quite a bit! “Deep stuff” if you will.

For one part, in the latest trailer we meet the Bendu, described as a neutral force being in the middle between light and dark, Jedi and Sith.
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Bendu teaches to Kanan in part is that a lot of that we come in contact with is empty, it’s simply the force. It’s what we bring to the relationship that is reflected back on us. If we bring fear, if we bring anger – that’s what’s going to be returned to us. That’s the middle, right?


That’s like, what is it, the old EU Praxeum, where they use like – Kyle Katarn use Force Lightning but he never did it though anger therefor it was just – it was a force power but it wasn’t, you know, it didn’t have to come from anger. So it’s like “I use force lightning for good”.


It’s a different representation of it. So a lot of these epic creatures and things that you will see, you know, they are all the force. And they are not good or bad so they simply reflect what these other people fighting the fight, bring to the table. And that is a huge part of season 3 that I hope people dig what I’m telling you because this is like deep stuff… the representation that you get is next level.
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So the living and the cosmic force are basically neutral and react just to a wielder, reflecting his/her inner dark or light.

Do the Jedi and Sith make up their own force reality in a certain way?

What does this say about individuals that have both the light and the dark side in them by a large degree, such as Kylo Ren?

Will/can grey Jedi become canon?

At least it explains the mirror effect and Yoda’s teaching in the “magic tree” on Dagobah in ESB. And Luke’s force chocking the Gamorreans when entering Jabbas palace in ROJ.

Back in the old days, most sources (not the movies!, see above) placed force powers in one of the camps. Neutral ground was hard to find.

I wonder what the story group will have in stock force-wise in the future, and what is originally based on GL’s ideas.

Edit:
OK Guys, shame on me - I realized to late that this topic was already started in the General Rebels Talk thread. Mea Culpa!

https://thecantina.starwarsnewsnet.com/index.php?threads/general-rebels-talk.478/page-63

Maybe the impact on the force still justifies a separate one for discussing that specific topic.

 

That was great man! Peeling some skins from the force-mystery onion, especially the enigmatic Sith (when it comes to available canon material)! I like that very mucho!

Thousands of years old Sith weapons of mass destruction and cross-guard lightsabers, Ralph McQuarrie designs re-used, Malachor, and so on… that stuff gets me excited.

I also like how Jedha in R1 will contribute to the overall picture.

GL’s emphasis on the ying & yang duality of light and dark are quite prominent throughout his SW works. On the other hand, I was always wondering why Luks was using that force choke in RoTJ if it was only associated with the dark side. Although at that moment, it was the right method to keep the escalation level low with the Gamorrean Guards. Force pushes and other methods might have brought forward more violence (ok, take out mind control).

With the Bendu, the neutral aspect will manifest and being set I would say. And I enjoy that approach, as it gives so much more possibilities and facets for that galaxy far far away.

If I remember the CW Mortis story arc correct, the Father was the balancing aspect between light and dark (“A family in balance. Day with night. Destruction, replaced by creation."). Could he considered to be neural in the force? Then Lucas would have paved the ground for more to come.

Also, the five Priestesses from the CW lost missions arc as manifestations of the living & cosmic force could possibly be considered to be neutral force-wielders/spirits.

If the story group will pile up on the mythology of the force, it will be interesting if they unearth GL old concept (and refine it) of the shamans of the ancient order of the Whills, standing above and beyond the Jedi and Sith orders. Watching and observing from afar while a familiar looking R2 astromech unit dictates them the story of the Skywalker Family and all events of galactic history that happened around them during their time period, to be written down in the Journal of the Whills, 100 years after Endor and 70 years after TFA.

 

Man, I wish I could give you the "Great Post" sticker 5 times! So much input, so much to think about ...

 

Buddy, you got me with the “Bridger” picture right there!
(Yesterday evening I was sitting in a pizzeria reading your post on my mobile, waiting for the take-away, thus the short answer back then)

On the sideline, R1 adds now a real accessible place for worship the force for the common folk with Jedha, and inventing a caste of Warrior Monks. I wonder if some of the EU aspects of the Dai Bendu went into them.

Also with TFA some new aspects came up on the horizon – The Church of the Force and a being like Snoke, not Sith nor Jedi. And using an apprentice that combines both dark and light aspects in him. I guess both “classic” orders would have tried to exorcise the opposite side each.

I liked the Nightsisters witch magick as a new way to explore the force a lot. I understood from Talzin "I am not a natural Force wielder like the Jedi or Sith. I use dark magick to achieve power". The cult of the Nightsisters don’t really delve into the force to use it, but create rituals and artifacts around to manipulate it, not unlike voodoo. Thus, the teachings of the Sith would have granted Talzin much more power and direct access to the force then her inherit magic did. The powers of the Nightsisters where quite different but very cool and intriguing the whole way.

But female Sith will rock! The Story group and also the design department already tested the concept them multiple times since the beginning of the PT, e.g. the Sith Witch for TPM before Maul were Talzin was based on, Palpatines apprentice in AoTC that was replaced by Dooku and later was used for Ventress. I wonder when/if the Twi’lek Sith drawn for TFA and replaced by Kylo will show up somewhere.

TPM


AoTC


TFA

 

Ah, the first Jedi temple and Anh’Cho! And the neutral force user Maz! I completely forgot those in my list of added value from the new sequel trilogy for the force mythology!

 

"Maybe even Buddhism"?

When you say ”monks” you hopefully do not refer to Christian (medieval) monks?! “Sōhei“ and “Yamabushi” monks would make for a better reference.

The force itself was designed by GL as a nondenominational religious concept, "distill[ed from] the essence of all religions", premised on the existence of God and distinct ideas of good and evil. Lucas said there is a choice between good and bad, and "the world works better if you're on the good side". So both Christian and Buddhist beliefs have influenced the force concept.

The works of George Lucas is strongly influenced by Japanese cinema. The first script for Star Wars borrows heavily from Akira Kurosawa’s story in “The Hidden Fortress”. Also his “The Seven Samurai”, “Sanjuro” and “Yojimbo” make a reoccurring appearance throughout Star Wars history. The story group just builds on these foundations that GL made in the first place.

For example, the strict geometric designed imperial symbol is based on the concept of the classic Samurai family crests, a “kamon”.


And when we speak about Jedi’s, it gets even a bit more defined:

First of all, the name “Jedi” was derived by George from the words “Jidai Geki”, a period drama, samurai-era soap opera on Japanese TV Lucas enjoyed during his stay in Japan during the late 1960s.

The code of the Jedi (and partially the Knights of the Sith as they were called it the first scripts), was based on the bushido, the way of the Samurai. Also the spiritualistic elements of the Force have heavy leanings towards its teachings. The Jedi clothes & hairstyles, the fact they wielded swords and broadly acted in a similar peacekeeping manner across the galaxy are all based on the Samurai.

Samurai Kimono design for Jedi / ANH (Obi-Wan)



ANH helmet concept for a Knight of the Sith inspired by Samurai armor


And it does not stop withy the OT.

Original PT concept art for all Jedi during the republic period, inspired by Lukes RoTJ outfit and again based on Samurai/Yamabushi style clothes and hair styles



Samurai kimono/hair dress legacy in the TFA concept art


And I'm not even talking about the Zatoichi/Kanan connection (yet)


Edit: Early on, it was considered that Obi-Wan Kenobi should have been played by the guy below, Toshiro Mifune. (He plays the samurai general Rokurota Makabe in the Hidden Fortress) How “exotic” none-western style can it get?

 

Hello Kyber,

welcome to the Cantina! Great that you joined the discussion, especially with such a great post.

Enjoy your stay!

 

In the interview of US Today with Tom Baker, he stated that the Bendu will be an inexplicable life force, greater than the dark and the light side.

For those who haven’t seen it yet: The clip for the upcoming season 3 provides a scene between the Kanan and the Bendu.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mup7aH5LK_Y

What do you think, will these scene happen in something like a dream vision for Kanan like when being knighted by the Jedi temple guard, or will he visit a real place?

Does anybody think this owl-like creature on the shoulder of the Bendu is the exact same as the one guiding Ashoka to the afterlife, or just the of same species? These creatures seem to be mythological and somehow linked to the force.