The Star Wars universe is bound together by the Force. The mystical energy field is created by all living things and its power can be used by those who are Force-sensitive enough to harness it.
In the beginning, there were the Jedi, an order of benevolent space monks who sought to use the Force to help bring peace to the galaxy.
Several Jedi Knights turned their backs on the ways of the Jedi and created the Sith, who were basically the anti-Jedi and stood for all the things they didn't.
The Sith drew their power from the dark side of the Force and became obsessed with gaining power by any means necessary.
Decades of sequels, prequels, TV shows and Legends stories have expanded on the Star Wars universe in countless ways and explored the world in greater depth.
When the two factions are directly compared, they throw up some interesting similarities and differences.
Here are the 10 Things Jedi Can Do That Sith Can't (And 10 Things Sith Can Do That Jedi Can't).
20. Jedi - Cure diseases
As the whole Jedi thing is about respecting the living Force and attunement with nature, it makes sense that the Jedi have a few tricks up their long sleeves when it comes to healing.
According to the Power of the Jedi Sourcebook, Jedi can heal beyond physical wounds and mental afflictions.
With Cure Disease, they can do just that and destroy a disease affecting living organisms.
While the Sourcebook is a supplement for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, many consider the game's texts to be the blueprint for the Expanded Universe.
It's also contributed elements to the new Disney canon, so we're going to count it.
Crucially, in order to be able to cure disease, players had to have no more than 1 Dark Side Point, meaning that you had to be a goody two-shoes in order to use it.
19. Sith - Use Force Lightning
There aren't many dark side powers as iconic as Force Lightning. First seen erupting from the fingertips of Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi, this power enables the to shock, torture and even destroy their targets with high voltage energy.
As it's purely an offensive power designed to hurt, many Jedi believed it to be an inherently evil ability and banned its use.
In Legends, however, there are a few Jedi who used it, including Kyle Katarn and Galen Marek aka Starkiller. Outside of video games, there are also documented uses by Jedi, including Jacen and Jaina Solo and Luke Skywalker himself.
So why's it on a list of things that Jedi can't do? Well, because of the House of Mouse. In the new Disney canon, Force lightning is used exclusively by dark side Force s.
Unfortunately, this means that any previous light side uses are considered non-canonical.
18. Jedi - Use Electric Judgement
Although this falls under the same non-canon umbrella as light side Force Lightning uses, this was the Expanded Universe's answer to “nicer” Force Lightning before Disney stepped in.
Electric Judgment, also known as Emerald Lightning, was an uncommon light side power used by Jedi like Plo Koon and Jacen Solo that would incapacitate rather than hurt others.
The story goes that Plo Koon is sent on a mission to capture a criminal named Dreed Pommel. Koon confronts Pommel, but the criminal has taken a young girl hostage after destroying her family.
Koon suddenly unleashes a bunch of lightning at Pommel, knocking him out cold. Plo reports back to the Council about the incident and notes that he didn't feel any anger or fear during his outburst.
The Council allow him to develop the technique and Electric Judgement was born.
17. Sith - Feed off the dark side
When you're a Sith, it pays to be as evil as possible. You can feed off the hatred, fear and negative emotions of others and make yourself more powerful and deepen your connection with the dark side.
This ability is mostly covered in The Old Republic era of stories.
The Sith Emperor, Lord Vitiate, has an especially notable exhibition of this power. When he was a young boy, he started showing signs of being strong with the Force.
As neither of his parents were force-sensitive, his father accused his mother of being unfaithful.
This turned out to be true and she its infidelity with the Sith Lord that rules their planet.
His father flies into a rage at the news and the young Vitiate (then known as Tenebrae) feeds off the anger, reaches out with the Force and embraces the dark side, destroying him with a single thought.
16. Jedi - Use Force Light
The dark side can manifest itself in many different forms, so the Jedi have to be ready for practically anything.
Powerful darksiders can use the Force to create illusions and projections and use them to corrupt entire populations. Luckily, the Jedi have an answer for this.
Highly skilled Jedi Masters like female whatever-Yoda-is Yaddle and Nomi Sunrider can summon pure light side energy and use it to purge the dark side from places, spirits and even people.
Force Light can also be used in battle.
A Jedi can fire blasts of light side energy at an opponent, weakening their connection to the dark side, giving them a huge advantage.
For a more extreme use of the power, we need look no further than bearded dinosaur-like Jedi Master Thon, who cleansed the planet of Ambria and trapped the dark spirits beneath a lake with it.
15. Sith - Force Scream
This power isn't like the usual powers granted when you commit yourself to the dark side of the Force.
Force Scream can't be summoned at will and is more of an involuntary cry of anger and/or grief.
If a Sith is being whooped by a Jedi in battle, they can let out a scream of rage and frustration that reverberates through the Force itself, creating powerful, destructive shock waves.
The ability has been seen numerous times in various media. The most infamous usage has to go to that moment at the end of Revenge of the Sith, in which the newly-suited Darth Vader learns of Pe's ing.
He breaks his chains and lets out a “Noooo!” which shakes the entire medical lab and damages many of the droids and equipment.
14. Jedi - Unleash a Force bellow
Whilst the Force Scream is a dark side exclusive, that doesn't mean that the Jedi are missing out on much. In their corner, they have Force bellow, a similar technique with one important difference -it can be summoned at will.
Ilthorian Jedi (the ones that look like Hammerhead sharks) are the most famous proponents of this technique, using their multiple throats to create a powerful Force bellow capable of destroying obstacles and enemies.
In the Genndy Tartakovsky Clone Wars series, Jedi Roron Corrob was especially good at this, combining his species' natural ability with his knowledge of the Force.
In the series, he's shown to be able to create a huge sonic wave capable of taking out scores of battle droids and bringing an entire corridor down on General Grievous' head.
13. Sith - Use the Force to trigger insanity
The mind trick is a classic staple in the Jedi's arsenal. It's a powerful technique, but its uses are limited by the Jedi Code.
The Sith have no concerns and have delved far deeper into it and used it to their own nefarious ends. The Sith have a history of controlling minds, sometimes many at a time.
They developed Force fear, a technique that would instil panic in their victims.
Force fear was occasionally used by Jedi for benevolent purposes in the Legends stories, but most stayed away from the moral gray area altogether.
Nastier versions of Force fear emerged, namely Force horror and Force insanity, where a darksider could cause break the minds of multiple victims at a time, sending them into mania and derangement.
12. Jedi - Rapidly grow and control plants
This may not seem like the most impressive power at first. Or at all, and you'd be right.
It has to be said that the ability to control and affect plant growth may not be at the top of anyone's awesome Jedi power list, but that doesn't mean it can't be useful.
Jedi Master Shaak Ti used this in her fight with Starkiller in The Force Unleashed game, controlling a Saarlaac to try and grab Vader's apprentice with its tentacles.
The Jedi Master known as the Dark Woman even managed to restrain the great Darth Vader using the power in their fight in comic book story Extinction (albeit not for very long).
As the ability requires a connection with nature and the living Force, it's considered a light side power.
11. Sith - Have relationships
Whilst not a Force power, this is something the Sith can indulge in that the Jedi can't. We all saw the prequels, we know how it works.
Relationships were forbidden by the Jedi Code.
To be part of the Jedi Order, you have to forgo any personal relationships so as to not breed attachment..
As the Code of the Sith is an inversion of the Jedi Code, nothing is off the table. It's not that relationship are encouraged or anything, but the Sith could engage in relationships if they so wished.
In the Old Republic timeline, there are several Sith who are married and have children.
Even Darth Malgus had a Twi'lek wife named Eleena Daru. Just do us a favor and don't look up what happened to her if you don't know. It's pretty grim.
