The Jedi Order were the champions of the light side of the Force throughout A New Hope. Nowadays, “these aren’t the droids you’re looking for” is one of the most recognizable lines in the pop culture zeitgeist thanks to the Jedi mind trick.
The Force and the abilities it grants have greatly evolved over the last forty-five years. In fact, even Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, this technique’s range and potential can be stretched far.
The Jedi Mind Trick Is Surprisingly Aggressive & Dominant
Depending on the ’s intentions and the degree to which they exert their influence, the Jedi mind trick can actually be a dangerous dark side weapon. It can certainly be stronger than the Skywalker Saga ever showed, even at its extremes used by The Clone Wars once presented a t mind trick, probing Cad Bane nearly to the point of breaking his mind. Such a possible outcome makes it feel more like a dark side ability.
It would be very on-brand for the Jedi Order to employ a technique more attuned to the dark, especially during the Skywalker Saga, as there is much they misunderstood about the dark side. Certainly, if used with malintent, the Jedi mind trick can be assertive and damaging, all from a simple phrase and gesture. In some cases, if a Jedi is so strong, they needn’t even speak a word. They could just wave their hand, and their victim could be at their beck and call. That borders on mind control, which is definitely more in the wheelhouse of the Sith dark side s than the Jedi.
The Jedi Mind Trick Has Been A Gateway To Darker Powers
If taken to its next stage of evolution, mind touch becomes something more sinister, like the mind probe. This is best exemplified by two of the best dark side s, Kylo Ren and Maul. Throughout their respective arcs, they favored the mind probe to pry into their victims’ minds and steal whatever information they want. While some have resisted a Jedi mind trick, such as Jabba the Hutt, a mind probe was another story. It would take extreme concentration and a particular affinity with the Force to prevent oneself from giving up every secret.
It might be a favorite in a Jedi’s arsenal of tactics, but it can easily mark their descent to darkness. In Rebels season 3, episode 1, “Steps into Shadow,” Ezra Bridger used the technique on an Imperial AT-ST pilot, forcing them to fire on their comrades and then walk off a bridge to their death. It was a surprisingly grim sequence, showcasing the technique’s dark potential. Like most techniques throughout Star Wars, the mind trick finds itself in an ambiguously complex situation, balancing on a precipice with only the practitioner’s intentions guiding whether it falls on the light side or the dark side of the Force.
