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- "There is no Death, there is the Force"
- ―The Jedi Code
The immortal Force Priestess Serenity
Immortality was the state of living eternally, being deathless.[2] The goal of many sentient beings throughout galactic history, the state of immortality was attainable by few.[1]
Such individuals were calm and centered; at peace and existing in the present—in tune with the Living Force. Only through this, known as the light side of the Force,[3] were individuals able to let go of their physical body, becoming one with the Force and manifesting their consciousness in order to commune with the living after death through the Cosmic Force.[4]
Individuals fearful of their own end may turn to seek immortality, drawn to become obsessive for eternal life in their lust for power.[1] Such individuals who were naturally highly attuned to the Force through high quantities of midi-chlorians in their blood—which formed a symbiote with their host as the microscopic life forms spoke the will of the Force[5]—were consumed by indulging in emotions such as fear and hate in their attempts for immortality;[6] forcefully tapping into the Force[1] through their own[7]—and in certain cases, others'—midi-chlorians.[8] Known as becoming chained to the dark side of the Force, all who took this path, many a Sith, perished as a result of attempting to amalgamating and hoarding power for immortality.[1]
However, phantoms of these dark side menaces existed. These spectres of the past haunted lost, lifeless lands, such as the tombs of Korriban.[3][9] Preserved in physical objects, such as the Muur Talisman and Rakata mind prisons, vengeful spirits seeped out of their cages, always attempting to latch themselves onto a living body, hoping to take control of other life forms and accumulate power without end.[10][9]
The dichotomy between the light and dark was a significant recurrence in galactic history.
With such constant looming threats against all of life,[10][2] the Jedi, servants of the Force in the galaxy, sought to bring balance; maintaining and restoring harmony among the Living Force.[5] Through great sacrifice, balance was achievable, and with peace and purpose, one could retain their consciousness after death and also achieve immortality to continue giving to the living.[1][11]
Although threats of power-hungry individuals recurred,[12] it was through the teachings of the immortal that newer generations learnt, grew, and overthrow their darkness;[13][14][15] there was a cyclical nature between the dichotomy of light and dark.[12][1]
History[]
- The Gorach species was thought to have a biological immortal lifespan, living for thousands of years, and only dying through violent means.[16] Similarly, the Diathim and Maelibus races were believed to be immortal.
- The Force-wielder known as Abeloth, as well as her "family" were immortal, only facing death when killed, and her family could only be killed by the Dagger of Mortis.
- Orgus Din became an immortal Force ghost after his death at the hands of Darth Angral.
- Set Harth cheated death by using Essence Transfer on clone bodies, and thus lived for at least a thousand years.[17]
- The Imprisoned One attempted to secure his own immortality by use of the Force and nanotechnology but was branded a heretic by the Rakata and imprisoned in a Rakata mind prison before he could do so.
- Karness Muur, with the help of Sorzus Syn, created the Muur Talisman and upon his death transferred his consciousness into it, allowing his spirit and mind to survive until its final destruction, four thousand years later.[18]
- Darth Andeddu created the Transfer essence ability which essentially was a form of immortality.[19] He was able to return to life in 137 ABY when he drained his servant's spirit back into his corpse.[20]
- Emperor Vitiate was a Sith Lord who successfully gained near immortality by draining the life force of an entire planet, later attempting to drain all life in the galaxy, which would give him true immortality. After killing the planet Ziost, he focused all his attention on his second life as the "Immortal Emperor," Valkorion of Zakuul. When he was killed in a battle against his son, he left his body and entered The Outlander. When the Outlander was frozen in carbonite, Valkorion spoke to them, claiming that he had finally reached true immortality by shedding his body, and living as a Force entity.
- Lord Scourge gained immortality as the right hand servant of Emperor Vitiate. However, this promotion came with a heavy price: although feeling excruciating pain at first he would eventually become numb and stop feeling anything at all.[21]
- Celeste Morne became the wielder of the Muur Talisman to contain its power. While initially placed in stasis, upon awakening she tapped its power and in the process learned to use it to the extent that she remained unaged for over a hundred and forty years.[22][23]
- Darth Sion achieved the ability to rise from near-fatal injuries through sheer hatred. However, it left him a broken shell of accumulated injuries and wounds.[9]
- Darth Drear thought to cheat death by infecting himself with the Sickness and then feasting on the heart of a Jedi, having the midi-chlorians stabilize his condition. This method failed, but only because Drear could not find a victim strong enough in the Force.[24]
- Darth Zash sought to avoid death by using several artifacts created by Tulak Hord that when used in a unique ritual could allow one's essence to travel to another vessel. She looked for an apprentice who'd be able to find the artifacts and then take over their body. Although successful, her essence was instead transferred into a Dashade's body named Khem Val which she shared with him.[25]
- Darth Bane attempted to transfer his spirit into another vessel because of the increasingly decrepit condition of his body, which had been physically drained after years of harnessing the power of the dark side of the Force. Although he originally groomed Darth Zannah as his heir, Bane came to believe that she was ultimately unworthy to take up the Dark Lord's mantle. Thus, he sought to preserve his life in order to train a new apprentice. His plot ultimately failed when Zannah confronted and killed her Master in combat.[19]
- Darth Tenebrous achieved a form of immortality that backfired horribly on him. By converting his consciousness into a new kind of midi-chlorians known as maxi-chlorians, he was seemingly forced to live his final moments for all eternity in an infinite time loop, unless his maxi-chlorians ever died.[26]
- Darth Plagueis discovered immortality through Midi-chlorian manipulation. Nevertheless, he was unable to prevent his own death in 32 BBY.[27]
- Obi-Wan Kenobi suspected that his fellow Jedi Master Fay would have lived forever if she hadn't sacrificed herself to help him on Queyta.[28]
- Qui-Gon Jinn learned to manifest as a Force ghost after death, thus allowing him to retain his consciousness in the Force.[29] Several other Jedi also achieved the same ability, most notably Obi-Wan Kenobi,[13] Yoda and the redeemed Anakin Skywalker.[15] Some Sith employed similar techniques with varying levels of success.[30]
- Darth Sidious intended to rule the galaxy for eternity after he rediscovered the lost Force technique known as transfer essence.[30][31] Using himself as a genetic template, Sidious secretly commissioned a batch of accelerated clones. Each clone was intended to serve as a temporary vessel for the Dark Lord's soul. As each shell became less stable due to his dark side energy, Sidious would simply transfer himself into another clone.[30] This process was repeated several times until the death of his last clone on Onderon.[32]
- Darth Simi kept herself alive for thousands of years by sacrificing young Jedi to the dark side of the Force.[33]
- Dr. Cornelius Evazan invented a successful reanimation serum.[34]
- Darth Krayt managed to survive on borrowed time by preserving his body in a stasis chamber for decades. The side effects resulted in a gradual deterioration of his health, however.[35] But through a near-death experience,[23] Krayt discovered[36] the two powerful techniques of transfer essence and dark transfer; a dark side ability that could heal virtually any injury,[37] and thus enabled him to survive even death itself. His final death was achieved when the Jedi Cade Skywalker launched Krayt's body into Coruscant's sun.[36]
Appearances[]
Sources[]
- Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force
- Star Wars Art: Visions
- Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side
- Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide: Updated and Expanded
- The Essential Reader's Companion
- Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Star Wars: The Old Republic: Shadow of Revan
- ↑ 3.0 3.1
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Sacrifice"
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Voices"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
- ↑
Star Wars: The Old Republic — Jedi Knight Mission: "An Unthinkable Alliance" on the Emperor's Fortress
- ↑ Darth Plagueis
- ↑ Red Harvest
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Dark Times 12
- ↑ Heir to the Empire
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
- ↑
"Hunting the Gorach" — Star Wars Insider 133
- ↑ Ultimate Adversaries
- ↑ Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil
- ↑ Legacy (2006) 27
- ↑ The Old Republic: Revan
- ↑ Dark Times 12
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Legacy (2006) 31
- ↑ Red Harvest
- ↑ Star Wars: The Old Republic
- ↑ "The Tenebrous Way" — Star Wars Insider 130
- ↑ Darth Plagueis
- ↑ Republic 53
- ↑ Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (novel)
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force
- ↑ Star Wars: Dark Empire
- ↑ Star Wars: Empire's End
- ↑ Star Wars Art: Visions
- ↑ Galaxy of Fear: City of the Dead
- ↑ Legacy (2006) 15
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 Legacy—War 6
- ↑ Legacy Era Campaign Guide
