Star Wars’ future is bright, with a slew of TV shows and movies on the schedule for years going forward. But as it stands now, there are a lot of questions looming: What’s Thrawn up to? How will Ahsoka get home? Is The Mandalorian even about The Mandalorian anymore?
But one question is bigger than all the rest: what is Baylan Skoll, the Force-using mercenary in Ahsoka, planning? The answer may lie in a little-known aspect of the Force that aligns with his beliefs — and a massive Legends war.
In the current Star Wars canon, there are two sides to the Force: the Cosmic Force, which binds all of space and time together, and the Living Force, the Force that surrounds all beings in the Universe.
Different Jedi can be an expert in different parts of the Force. Qui-Gon Jinn, for example, was an expert in the Living Force, as he often reminded his student Obi-Wan to be mindful of his connection to what’s around him.
Lost Legends is an Inverse series about the forgotten lore of our favorite stories.
But within the non-canon Legends lore, there were actually two other elements of the Force: the Unifying Force and the Physical Force. Physical Force was pretty straightforward, focusing on the material uses of the Force. But the Unifying Force is far more interesting: it centered around one-ness, and this extended to the division of Force users. Proponents of the Unifying Force don’t believe in Light and Dark sides of the Force, at least not literally.
One of the biggest believers in the Unifying Force in canon was Emperor Palpatine himself, who believed the Force was just a means to an end. Later, this practice of the Force was taught to Han and Leia’s son Jacen (not to be confused with Jacen Syndulla), who used it to fuel his turn to the Sith. This led Luke to a total rejection of the practice.
He may not be as evil as Palpatine or Jacen (aka Darth Caedus,) but Baylan Skoll seems like he too is a follower of the Unifying Force. He rejects the labels of the Dark and Light side and speaks of creating a “new beginning” through the neighboring galaxy of Peridea. Maybe his quest is to revitalize the Unifying Force through the World Between Worlds and tear down the duality of the Force that is so pervasive in the New Republic era.
While a oneness with the Force sounds like a great goal, this practice is not without its downsides. The Unifying Force emphasized the future and destiny, meaning those who follow it often get so caught up in goals and quests they forget to live in the moment and be mindful. This may be Baylan’s downfall, his mysterious plan forcing him to chase something and lose grasp on being present in the universe.
We may not know how a possible Season 2 of Ahsoka will continue Baylan’s story, and the tragic loss of Ray Stevenson makes Baylan’s future even more questionable. But whether its used to describe his in-between identity or as an explanation for why his journey came to a sudden end, a new element of the Force is the perfect addition.
