The true meaning of balance in the Force is a frequently-debated topic in Star Wars, and one perspective is expressed by the Star Wars Rebels character Bendu decades before Luke Skywalker repeats similar sentiments in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Bendu introduces himself as “the one in the middle,” existing between the dark side and what many consider to be the “light side” of the Force. This popular interpretation of the Force contrasts with how its depicted in the original and prequel trilogies but is echoed in The Last Jedi by a Luke Skywalker who’s lost his way.
Of the many interpretations of the Force, there are two particularly popular views. The one expressed in the original trilogy, prequel trilogy, and numerous canon and Legends properties is that there is no “light side,” but rather the Force (which represents balance and nature) and its dark side (which represents the unnatural and the corrupt and thus intrinsically creates imbalance). Another interpretation, demonstrated by the sequel trilogy and other canon and Legends material, depicts a light side and a dark side, with both sides having flaws and benefits, making balance a point between the two.
Bendu’s beliefs regarding the Force and his actions in Rebels, however, make a strong case against the argument that there is a light side and that balance exists between it and the dark side. Bendu, a mysterious and powerful Force-using being from Rebels season 3, is an ally to Kanan and Ezra at first, but his actions ultimately benefit the dark side the most. Bendu refuses to help Kanan and the Rebellion in their conflict with the Empire, becoming a chaotic third party and vowing to destroy the Jedi after being called a coward by Kanan. Thirty years later, Luke Skywalker, brought to despair by the corruption of Ben Solo, similarly vows to make the Jedi die with him, allowing the First Order to succeed while preaching similar views on balance to Bendu when tutoring Rey. If Luke and Bendu are any indications, their views on balance and the Jedi are neither correct nor what the galaxy needs.
A key issue with Rebels' Bendu and Luke’s interpretations of the Force is that they imply that there are drawbacks to the “light side” and benefits to the dark side. The Star Wars franchise writ large depicts the dark side as always turning a being into the most destructive and harmful version of themselves. Furthermore, the “light side” isn’t restrictive and emotionally unhealthy, these are simply flaws of the prequel-era Jedi Order, which are absent in different eras of their history (the High Republic-era Jedi in canon and Luke’s New Jedi Order in Legends).
Bendu and Luke each seek the Jedi Order’s destruction for different reasons, each harming the ordinary beings of the galaxy. Bendu refuses to help fight the Empire and becomes furious when Kanan calls him a coward, resulting in the Rebels and Imperials being killed, harming the war effort of the former, who is the only major threat to the Empire at the time. Luke Skywalker mistakenly believes that the Jedi worsened the state of the galaxy, cutting himself off from the Force and allowing the First Order to murder countless innocents, despite being the only person in the galaxy at the time who could stop both Kylo Ren and Snoke.
Bendu and Luke Skywalker prove that not only is balance not somewhere between “light” and dark, but also that the Jedi and other altruistic groups are necessary to defend the people of the galaxy. Those who follow the dark side will always pose a threat to the galaxy and balance in the Force, so doing nothing, as Bendu and Luke did, allows them to succeed. Bendu was wrong in Star Wars Rebels as was Luke 30 years later in the Star Wars sequels.
