Summary

• The Potentium, a new approach to the Force, was introduced in the Star Wars Expanded Universe but was quickly abandoned, disappointing many fans.
• The Potentium clashed with George Lucas' explanation of the Force, which emphasized the existence of a light and dark side that needed to be balanced.
• Elements of the Potentium can still be seen in recent Star Wars content, such as the Prime Jedi mural in The Last Jedi and the Bendu in Star Wars Rebels, suggesting that the franchise is still influenced by this alternate view.

The Star Wars franchise nearly redefined the Force forever over two decades ago, but this new approach was quickly abandoned. Had Lucasfilm committed to this alternate view of the Force, there would have been countless directions for Star Wars and many exciting stories to be told. At the same time, many fans would have rejected the idea, believing Star Wars had abandoned a fundamental aspect of the Force.

While Star Wars didn't redefine the Force, the influence of this new approach still affects the franchise today. Star Wars fans have always debated "balance" in the Force, and the movies and TV shows continue exploring different concepts. The Star Wars movies have an opportunity to confirm, deny, or acknowledge what the franchise tried to set up 21 years ago, redefining the Force all over again.

Matt Stover's Traitor Introduced The Potentium, A New Approach To The Force

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order - Traitor by Matthew Stover saw Jedi Knight Jacen Solo imprisoned by the Yuuzhan Vong, where a mysterious woman called Vergere introduced him to a philosophy known as the Potentium. The Jedi Order firmly believed there was an external light and dark side to the Force, but Vergere gradually convinced Jacen that light and dark were internal concepts. She was adamant that there was no literal light or dark side and that a person's actions determined whether the Force was good or bad. Jacen embraced this as the Unifying Force and temporarily convinced Luke Skywalker to allow his students to explore the concept.

Why Lucasfilm Backed Out Of The Potentium

However, the Star Wars Expanded Universe abandoned the Potentium as quickly as it had been introduced, returning to the classic view of the Force in the trilogy that followed The New Jedi Order series. Many readers were disappointed that Star Wars had introduced a fascinating new view of the Force, only to get cold feet and return to the same old formula. Even so, it likely made sense from Lucasfilm's point of view, as the Potentium was too different from how the movies portrayed the Force. Audiences who watched the films and then read the books would be confused when the Force no longer operated in light and dark.

As intriguing as the Potentium is, the truth is that it radically clashes with George Lucas' explanation of the Force. Lucas acknowledged the existence of a light and dark side that needed to be kept in balance, but he still believed that the light was the better path to follow. The movies also make clear that while living beings create and influence the Force, the Force can affect people in return. A Jedi Order that falsely believes there is no dark side would succumb to its influence, and giving into selfishness throws the Force out of balance more than embracing the light.

The Potentium Heresy Still Impacts Star Wars Today

The Prime Jedi mural on Ahch-To in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Luke describing balance as "powerful light, powerful darkness" are very Potentium-like. Star Wars Rebels season 3 also explored this version of balance by introducing the Bendu, implying that Star Wars could be succumbing to the Potentium heresy. Even so, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker returned to a focus on Jedi upholding the light, and Kanan rejected Bendu's view on staying neutral because he believed in helping others. While ignoring the existence of the dark side is dangerous, a similar philosophy could work in Star Wars canon.

In Star Wars Legends' "Dawn of the Jedi" era, the ancient Je'Daii Order embraced balance between the light and dark side. Unlike the Potentium, this view acknowledged the existence of a literal light and dark side, but the Je'Daii believed it was dangerous to delve too deeply into either. They recognized that light and dark exist in all things, so leaning too much to either side would destroy the sacred balance. Lucas would probably disagree with this perspective, but it would still be fascinating if James Mangold's Dawn of the Jedi movie explored it, allowing Star Wars to reject the Potentium once and for all.