From the overwhelming lightning vortex of force tempest to the vaporizing blast of the lightning bomb, Force lightning was one of the most versatile powers in all of Star Wars. As well as having different colours as we discussed in last week's video, force lightning could be directed and manipulated in a myriad of different ways. In today's video, we will discuss all the known force lightning variants including force maelstrom, force tempest, force grenade as well as a whole host of other variants from legends, many of which are from the Force Unleashed games. And be sure to let me know which one is your favourite and which ones you would like to see expanded upon in canon down in the comments section.
First off, we will start with the most common form of this ability, Sith lightning. Usually coloured blue or purple, this ability produced a direct torrent of force lightning towards the target. Like all forms of force lightning, it drew upon the siths hatred and desire to inflict pain upon their victim. Although it looked just like regular electrical energy, force lightning was infused with dark side energy that could quickly corrupt the flesh of a living being, as we saw in the revenge of the sith.
While this form of force lightning was devastating, it was easily defended against. Depending on how powerful the user was, it could usually be absorbed or deflected by a lightsaber. Some powerful force users such as grandmaster Yoda could even use an ability known as Tutaminis to absorb and redirect force lightning without the need for a lightsaber.
This, however, was not the case for the next, lesser-known variation of force lightning known as Sith barrage. Rather than travelling through the ait like regular force lightning, it would instead be summoned from the ground through the victim's body, making it incredibly hard to defend against.
There was also another similar version of force lightning used by Vader in the Masters of Teras Kesai video game. AS we discussed in more depth in this recent video, Darth Vader was unable to generate force lightning within his own body as he would have fried his cybernetics. However, this did not mean that he couldn’t use the ability at all. Vader was able to generate a burst of lightning energy above an opponent, catching them completely off guard. However, this was only ever seen used in this PS1 game and we can assume it wasn't very powerful as it was not channelled and amplified through force-sensitive flesh like other variations of force lightning.
Next up we have force shock, an ability usually used by Sith apprentices. Force shock was an ability that allowed the user to summon an energy spark that tracked and damaged the nearest enemy. The shock could be thrown at an opponent to stun and damage them and could even follow them for a few seconds.
A more powerful version of force shock was the sith seeker ability. Used only by Starkliller, many consider it to be a variation of force push. Using Force push, the user would strike the target, propelling them through the air. After that, the user summoned a massive ball of Force lightning. The force user would then let the lightning expand until it was no longer under their control. They'd then fire the Force lightning ball at the target. The lightning ball would be attracted towards the target which upon impact would explode with a huge burst of electrical and kinetic energy, damaging all nearby opponents.
Not all variations of force lightning were used for attack. The lightning shield was one of the most difficult force lightning abilities to master, requiring a huge amount of concentration and skill in the dark side. Its effects could reach beyond the immediate space around the user, shocking enemies from a distance, while also having the potential to reduce the amount of damage sustained by the user and in some cases, redirect an opponent's force lightning back at them. However, most cool of all was its ability to embue the users lightsaber with force lightning. This super charged the wielder's lightsaber, allowing for a much more powerful and energised blade.
Force lightning is also an extremely useful ability for combating multiple opponents at once, with several variations specialised for this purpose. Force Storm was one such power. The user would direct their palm upward, creating an explosion of electrical energy directed at all opponents within the vicinity. An ability used to great effect by Darth Revan. Another was Force Tempest. This ability allowed the user to project force lightning from all of their limbs which would encircle their body in a whirlwind, damaging multiple opponents.
#sith #forcelightning #starkiller #forceunleashed #starwars