Star Wars: The Last Jedi — What is the balance of the Force?

Before Star Wars: The Last Jedi, let’s look at what the Force is.

The first trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi left fans reeling. In a telling voice-over, Luke asked Rey what she sensed. Her response was intriguing; she spoke of light, of darkness, and finally of a balance. As Rey described her sense from the Force, the camera showed images that seemed to be associated with each of the three. For the light, we saw Leia and the Resistance. For the darkness, a damaged mask. And for the balance, a collection of old books that seemed to be the Journal of the Whills.

But what is the balance of the Force? And what could it mean for The Last Jedi?

Introducing the concept of balance

We were introduced to the concept of “balance” in the Prequel Trilogies. The Jedi believed in an ancient prophecy that there would be a Chosen One, who would bring balance to the Force. The term was never explained. By the end of the Prequels, Yoda was even suggesting it might have been misinterpreted in the first place.

The only explanation George Lucas ever gave was out-of-universe, speaking to Time Magazine in 2002.

"“I wanted to have this mythological footing because I was basing the films on the idea that the Force has two sides, the good side, the evil side, and they both need to be there. Most religions are built on that, whether it’s called yin and yang, God and the devil—everything is built on the push-pull tension created by two sides of the equation. Right from the very beginning, that was the key issue in ‘Star Wars.'”"

It seems, then, that for Lucas the “balance” requires the light and the darkness to coexist. They will remain opposed to one another (after all, he points to God and the devil as an example), but they will still exist side-by-side. For some unknown reason, the Jedi believed balance was achieved when the light was in dominance. Thus they thought the destiny of the Chosen One was to destroy the Sith. But that was an assumption, an interpretation of this mysterious prophecy, rather than a fact.

Lucas revisited this idea during the Clone Wars animated series, particularly in the episode “Overlords.” There, Anakin and Obi-Wan were taken to the world of Mordis, a planet where powerful Force-sensitive beings were held in check. The dying Father of Mordis believed that the Chosen One’s role was to live in his place, holding his (dark) Son and (light) Daughter in perfect balance. It was clearly intended as an analogy for the Chosen One’s role in the galaxy, but was never explored further.

A recent definition

Lucas’s definition is out-of-universe, and we have no way of knowing whether or not Lucasfilm will abide by it. What we do know though, is that recent Star Wars novels have touched upon the subject. Disney relaunched the Star Wars books and comics shortly after purchasing Lucasfilm in 2012. Now, all published novels are considered equally canon to the films. They’re overseen by the Lucasfilm Story Group, who carefully monitor the canon. And they frequently give us a sense of the franchise’s direction.

Greg Rucka’s Guardians of the Whills revealed that the Guardians, introduced in Rogue One, were focused on the idea of balance. Chapter 11 included a key quote, ascribed to an “Ascendant of Mau” (a member of an unknown Force-cult). It makes fascinating reading:

"“The moment between breathsIs the balance of the Force.Between life and death,Rest and action,Serenity and passion,Hope and despair.”"

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This is the first time we’ve ever seen a definition of balance in the Star Wars canon. It suggests that a single person can live a balanced life, but that neither Jedi nor Sith can truly be balanced. After all, the Jedi Code believes in serenity but not in passion. The Sith, of course, believe the opposite. They view serenity and peace as lies, and claim that through passion they gain strength.

Now, it’s worth stressing that the book quotes this uncritically. It doesn’t tell us we have to assume the Ascendants of Mau are right in their interpretation. Still, given it’s the first definition we’ve seen and it’s been published in the build-up to The Last Jedi, we can safely assume it’s an important clue.

How could this play out in ‘The Last Jedi’?

All of that leaves us faced with an intriguing question: how will the idea of “balance” work out in the Sequel Trilogy? The most recent TV spots for The Last Jedi have teased that Rey herself will sense the balance, and be called by it. She isn’t called to the light, or the darkness, but to what lies between the two.

If the TV spots are to be believed, then Luke will fear this. He’s already lost Kylo Ren to the dark side, and he fears the same will happen to Rey. After all, he senses that same power within her, and he even suspects she may be the Chosen One. What if Rey fell to the dark side? What if he lost another of the most powerful Force-users to the darkness?

At the same time, the first trailer suggests that Rey and Luke will find guidance in the ruins of the first Jedi Temple on Ahch-To. The trailer aligns the word “balance” with a glimpse of a mysterious book, which fans strongly suspect is the Journal of the Whills. Given the Disciples of the Whills believe so prominently in balance, it’s likely the idea crops up a lot in the fabled Journal. It’s even possible that the prophecy of the Chosen One itself originates with the Journal of the Whills.

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Whatever the truth may be, it’s clear the balance of the Force will be an important concept in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. We’re about to delve into the mythology of the Force in a way we haven’t seen on the big screen since The Empire Strikes Back. It’s a thrilling time to be a Star Wars fan!