So that’s it. The Skywalker Saga has finally come to an end. At least it has for 20 years or so until there's more money to be made from another trilogy!
One of the big problems people had with the last three episodic films was new force powers introduced seemingly out of nowhere in order to advance the story. But truthfully, that is nothing new to the Star Wars universe. We have had random Jedi skills introduced not only in the sequel and prequel trilogy but in the OG triple features as well! So join us now as we take a look at ten force abilities that came out of nowhere. For this list, we will be concentration on the live-action movie and TV show narrative. Spoilers ahoy!
Update on May 4th, 2020 by Richard Keller: In the four-plus decades of the Skywalker Saga, fans saw Luke, Rey, Kylo, and other Jedis display amazing feats through the Force. While many of them are listed here, there are others still to be addressed. Here are a few more force powers that came out of nowhere.
De-Aging In Astral Projection Form
At the end of the original Return of the Jedi, Luke sees astral projections of the three most important people in his life. The first two are Obi-Wan and Yoda. The third is an image of his father, the former Darth Vader, in his Jedi robes.
However, in the second digitally remastered version of Jedi, the astral projection of Anakin Skywalker resembles the version played by Hayden Christensen. This means Jedis can de-age using the Force. This begs the question: why weren't Obi-Wan and Yoda shown as their younger selves?
Force Sensitivity
This was seen in the first trilogy when Obi-Wan felt the destruction of the Alderaan and Leia heard Luke's please for help in Empire Strike Back. However, it was never given a name.
Now, we know certain people who aren't Jedis have something called Force sensitivity. While they don't have the full powers granted by the Force, they can sense when something happens within their environment. Hence, the reason Finn could tell when Rey was injured. It was also the reason Leia felt Han's death at the hand of her son.
Near Invulnerability
In the climactic battle of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan cuts off Anakin's limbs in an effort to stop his further fall into the Dark Side. He leaves him to die in a volcanic cave filled with lava and toxic fumes.
Even though Obi-Wan's lightsaber immediately cauterized Anakin's amputations, the shock and poor environment should have killed him. Yet, Anakin's near invulnerability allows him to survive long enough for Palpatine to rescue him and place him in the life-saving Darth Vader armor.
Force Stealth
Between Revenge of the Sith and the original trilogy, both Obi-Wan and Yoda successfully go into hiding from Vader and Palpatine. How did they do this? it's a power called Force Stealth.
It manifests itself in different ways. For instance, Darth Sidious hid his Dark Side from the Jedi Council for years. Both Obi-Wan and Yoda "hid" themselves within the Force to become unnoticed. In the end, Force Stealth was invented to reveal why Jedi and Sith can hide from each other.
Instinctive Astrogation
With instinctive astrogation, those who use the Force can find the safest route without a navigation computer. However, this seems to have expanded to other forms of outer space travel. The most well-known of these was Luke's bombing run through the Death Star's canyons in the first movie.
Luke displays this again in Return of the Jedi when he switches to manual piloting to get to Dagobah. It even makes an appearance in Force Awakens, when Finn and Rey escape in the Falcon. It certainly helps when their GPS can't get a proper signal.
Death Plummet Survival
When Luke chose to jump rather than join his father's side in the bowels of Cloud City back in Empire Strikes Back, we thought his survival was one of fluke and chance, but now we know better. It seems force users have the ability to survive such pitfalls, as we discovered in The Clone Wars, Rebels and Solo with the reappearance of Darth Maul, and in Rise Of Skywalker with the Palpatine comeback tour.
The only person to die from such a fate in the narrative of the movies is non-force user Han Solo. True, he was stabbed by Kylo Rens saber, but Maul survived being cut in HALF and The Emperor was quite clearly obliterated! Twice! Talk about his survival not being “natural.”
Force Dash
An ability that was maybe found in a Star Wars video game first, but we didn’t witness such speed from a Jedi onscreen until the opening action sequence of Phantom Menace, where Qui Gon and Obi-Wan make like Sonic the Hedgehog in order to avoid the droidekas on the trade federation ship.
The weird thing is we never saw anyone use this power again, at least not in the same Looney Tunes style, which is strange as there were many opportunities where it could have come in handy, especially escaping order 66!
Force Transport
Ever since Obi-Wan told Luke to trust his feelings and use the force at the battle of Yarvin, we knew force users had an ability to communicate in a way far more efficient than texting. This is used throughout the movies, to the point that when we get to the sequel trilogy it’s as clear as a Skype call.
What may have taken it too far is when this ability actually managed to create a method of transport through the fabric of time and space like an intergalactic dumb waiter. A few drops of rain is one thing, but Kylo physically grabbing Rey’s necklace inThe Rise Of Skywalker? Makes you kinda wish Vader tweaked Luke’s nose during their end back and forth in Empire.
Force Projection
One of the big complaints about Last Jedi is that we never really got to see Luke Skywalker in his full Jedi master glory until the last act. Luke arrives on Crait to face his ex-pupil Kylo Ren. After being stabbed by Ren’s lightsaber, it is revealed that Luke has sent a force projection of himself that he had been controlling from Ahch-To all along!
This new power was met with cheers on opening night, as Skywalker’s story was not over yet…only to be met with groans a few moments later when Luke just died anyway, making the whole thing kind of pointless.
Force Freeze
We are introduced to the Force Freeze in the opening scene of The Force Awakens. Although this is a power that came out of nowhere, and could have come in handy multiple times during the saga prior (literally anytime someone shot a blaster) no one seems to mind because, quite frankly, it does look a bit cool.
We also see Kylo freeze himself from being blast back by the Millennium Falcon’s afterburners whilst it escapes in The Rise Of Skywalker. Again, it does look a bit cool.
Force Levitation
When we are introduced to Rey in The Rise Of Skywalker, she is deep in her Jedi training meditating, elevating rocks and…herself. One could make the argument that she wasn’t levitating herself, but the mat she was sat on.
That’s fine, but if that were the case maybe Jedi’s should carry a plank of wood around with them so they can make like Marty McFly and hoverboard about should they need too.
Force Healing
Again, another device used in games to fill your life bar back up, but it wasn’t until Rise Of Skywalker when Rey delivered a fatal blow to Kylo Ren did we see the force heal in the movies, closing his deadly wounds in the style of Mr. Miyagi.
In all fairness, we were introduced to this power before. A week before, when Baby Yoda did it in the Mandolorian.
Force Lightning
We had heard about the full power of the Darkside before Return Of The Jedi, but when we are introduced to Emperor Palpatine all we see is a meek old man in a hood.
The mystery is what helped build the character, and in the final chapter of the original trilogy, we finally see the Darkside of the force unleashed, as Palpatine gives Luke a good zapping for denying his evil proposals. At the time it was shocking (pun intended) and scary. Nowadays, it is just straight-up legendary.
Force Ghosts Interacting With The Material World
It was always presumed that force ghosts were just that, ghosts, unable to physically get involved with the world of the living. Maybe Obi-Wan just popped a squat when he sat on the log next to Luke in Return Of The Jedi so he didn’t feel like a school teacher standing up. But when Yoda blew up the Jedi texts in Last Jedi with lightning, and Luke literally grabs his lightsaber in The Rise Of Skywalker, what's stopping them from actually helping our heroes?
What're keeping all those Jedi voices in the climactic scene of The Rise Of Skywalker from materializing and taking turns to slap Palpatine in the face? A gang of force ghosts kicking an old man when he is down on the ground may not have been poetic viewing to end the saga, but it would be logical.
Telekinesis
Ask someone to do an impression of a Jedi, and they will more than likely outstretch there hand and whistle “The Force” theme whilst trying to make something move. Arguably the most iconic of all Star Wars powers, we never actually see it until Luke is hanging in the Wampa cave in Empire Strikes Back, trying to reach his saber. What’s weird is he didn’t mention this to the gang when he was rescued, sat in the Hoth base medical bay. “Guy’s you won’t believe it! I can move things with my mind!”
Up until then, we were under the impression the extent of a Jedi’s powers was mind trickery and focus. The addition of telekinesis turned them from mystical warriors to full-on space wizards, and the saga was better off for it.