In a surprising move,Star Warshas given one of Darth Vader’s Inquisitors a unique new Force power.The Inquisitorshave been a staple of Disney’sStar Warssince the beginning, pushed into the spotlight in the animated seriesStar Wars Rebels. Essentially, the Inquisitors are dark side Force users ordered to hunt down any surviving Jedi in the wake of Order 66.Tragically, many Inquisitors were former Jedi themselves, who either fell to the dark side of their own accord or were tortured into bending their knees to the Empire and Darth Vader.
One such Inquisitor was Seventh Sister, introduced inStar Wars Rebels. The most interesting thing about her wouldn’t be revealed until years later, however. In the recently publishedStar Warsreference bookStar Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxyby Dan Brooks, Megan Crouse, Amy Richau, Amy Ratcliffe, Brandon Wainerdi, Dan Zehr, and Kelly Knox, Seventh Sister has been given one very peculiar new Force power:“a Force ability that enables her to deliver painful scratches to foes.”
Star Wars: All 43 Light & Dark Side Force Powers In Canon
Over the decades, the Star Wars franchise has introduced countless Force powers - light, dark, and balance. Here’s your guide to the canon abilities.
How Does Seventh Sister’s Unique Force Power Work In Star Wars?
Given the inherently violent nature of this power, it’s undoubtedly a dark side ability, but the book doesn’t truly explain how it works. Though it would be simple enough to dismiss this power as more of a psychological ability, akin to the Jedi Mind Trick or the dark side Mind Probe – perhaps she merely makes her opponents feel as though they’ve been scratched deeply – the description, while brief, is very specific. Somehow, Seventh Sister manipulates the Force into directly interacting with and altering a person’s body, a feat rarely seen inStar Warscanon.
Seventh Sister was killed inStar Wars Rebelsseason 2 by Maul on the planet Malachor.
Other physically distanced Force powers, like the Force push, pull, and jump, don’t necessarily draw blood – they move the intended target’s body, and the damage caused depends on how far they’re thrown and where and how they land. It’s why both the Jedi and the Sith are, to an extent, reliant on lightsabers when fighting opponents – it’s hard to genuinely hurt or even kill anyone when you can’t draw blood using the Force. Seventh Sister seemingly can, however. How deep can these scratches be? How much blood can she drain? If anything,this feels more like a power that should be wielded by theDathomirian Nightsistersrather than an Inquisitor.
Our Take On Seventh Sister’s Bizarre Force Power
The Force Choke, of course, is a classic dark side ability, and certainly one deadly enough on its own. Even that ability, however, relies on the Force essentially exerting external physical pressure on the intended target, much the same way the Force push does. The skin doesn’t break, the victim doesn’t bleed. The wind is knocked out of them instead. Force Lightning is another physically taxing dark side ability, but again, that ability involves channeling the Force into a concentrated point of attack. It affects soft tissue, much like Seventh Sister’s scratches presumably do, but it can be defended against.
If this power is truly canonical, it could change our understanding of the Force and the dark side.
How can anyone defend themselves against being scratched by an invisible Force?If this power is truly canonical, it could change our understanding of the Force and the dark side. What are the limits? How close does she need to be to hurt someone? Why is she, seemingly, the only person in the franchise able to wield this strange ability? Surely, given the scope and mysterious nature of the Force, there are plenty of abilities we still don’t know about. Does this ability make sense within the franchise, though? It’s hard to say without more context and evidence inStar Wars.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
