Summary

• Force powers in Star Wars canon often appear unexpectedly, adding new dimensions to character abilities and interactions.
• New Force abilities like teleportation and healing have surprised fans, adding unpredictability to the storytelling.
• The introduction of unique powers like astral projection and Force stasis have added depth to the Star Wars universe.

Throughout the years, Star Wars has introduced a variety of different Force powers, though some of them have seemed to appear without any indication that they initially ever existed. Some have popped up with little to no prompting, while others had very little build up before making their initial appearance. These Force powers come from all over the Star Wars canon, appearing in movies, television series, comics, and even novels.

With so many otherworldly non-canon Force powers introduced in Star Wars Legends, they can often make the canon ones seem dull by comparison. Series like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic delivered a variety of never-before seen Force powers in order to flesh out the abilities of their game world and offer variety in combat. However, there were few lore reasons to do so. These Force abilities follow in these footsteps, showing up in canon out of nowhere.

10 The Force Dyad Introduced Force Teleportation

The Last Jedi Threw Many Curveballs

When the sequel trilogy first introduced the concept of a Force Dyad, a term that describes the inexplicable connection between Kylo Ren and Rey in the Force, a variety of different powers came with it. Not only were the two of them able to speak over long distances, but they could interact as well. This functionally allowed the two to teleport to each other’s location, despite the fact that there might be lightyears between them.

First seen in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, this teleportation power truly appeared with no indication that it could even be possible. One moment, Rey is by herself on Ahch-To after meeting Luke Skywalker, and the next she is staring directly at Kylo Ren, who was at the time with the First Order on their ship. There is no build up to this, coming as a surprise to both the characters in the movie and the viewer as well.

9 Force Healing Was A Surprise In The Rise Of Skywalker

There Was Only Buildup In The Final Movie

Although Force healing is a concept that had previously been explored in Extended Universe content, when it was first officially introduced into canon in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, it came out of left-field. In the final movie of the sequel trilogy, Rey gains another Force ability seemingly out of thin air. She had never been shown healing someone in the Force in any of the previous movies, and so when she heals the wounds of a creature called a vexis in the tunnels beneath Pasaana, it was not something viewers expected.

This is not, however, the first time that Force healing was used in canon. This ability was previously used in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, season 3, episode 16, “The Altar of Mortis,” in which Anakin Skywalker uses this ability in order to drain the remaining life force from an entity known as The Daughter and use it to bring Ahsoka Tano back to life. This use of the Force was not only shocking, but it also opened the door for Ben Solo to revive Rey at the end of The Rise of Skywalker.

Grogu also Force heals Greef Karga in
The Mandalorian
season 1, episode 7 “Chapter 7: The Reckoning,” which premiered the day before
The Rise of Skywalker
.

8 Astral Projection Was An Ability Used By Luke Skywalker

And It Ended Up Causing His Death

Another ability introduced into canon in The Last Jedi, astral projection, allows its user to project an image of themselves over long distances, in some cases even over entire lightyears. Whereas Force teleportation allows for the entire body to be present in another location, astral projection only presents the image of the person using this ability. Any attempts to touch or make contact with the projection simply go right through it, as if they were not even there.

This ability is known for the sheer amount of energy and concentration needed in order to fully use it. In fact, the cost is so high that when Luke Skywalker used this ability to distract Kylo Ren from his attack on Crait, the effort ended up killing him. Not only did this serve to show how powerful the bond between Kylo Ren and Rey was, but it also introduced a new last resort in the Jedi’s toolkit.

7 The Emperor’s Dark Aura Appears In Battlefront II

It Gave Him Powers Never Shown In The Films

There are many different abilities that Darth Sidious shows off throughout the Star Wars timeline, but none so obscure as the dark aura described in Star Wars Battlefront II. Here, Darth Sidious would fill the air with his dark side emotions and Force energy. Not only would this dark aura slow down the surrounding enemies, but it would also damage them as well. Notably, this was another form of the Force lightning Darth Sidious is so well known for using.

Because the mechanics and abilities within Battlefront II are considered to be canon, this is another addition to the list of powers that the Sith Emperor has that, while making plenty of sense, can come as a shock to those who have not played the game. There is no sign of it in the movies, making its existence as little more than a game mechanic something interesting to think about. Despite the fact this ability is never seen directly in the movies, knowledge of it only adds to the frightening lore surrounding Darth Sidious.

6 Skywalking Was An Ability Used By The Chiss

The Force Was Not Common Among The Chiss

The Chiss are an alien race not often seen in Star Wars, with Grand Admiral Thrawn being the most well known Chiss character. However, even though there are not many Chiss characters, it has been confirmed that there are Force-sensitive Chiss, though this is rare. These Force-sensitive Chiss are often used for an ability known as Skywalking, in which they use the Force to navigate ships through the dangerous conditions surrounding their home planet in the Unknown Regions.

This ability is more fully explained in the novel Thrawn: Alliances, which elaborates that younglings are typically the ones chosen to be these Skywalking navigators. They were almost always female, and would typically lose this navigational ability after growing to a certain age. Playing such a key role in the Chiss Ascendency, without these sky-walkers, the Chiss would never be able to leave their home planet of Csilla.

5 Force Listening Was Introduced In Ahsoka

Jacen Syndulla Was Shown To Be Force Sensitive

In Ahsoka episode 5, another Extended Universe Force ability was brought into Star Wars canon in the form of Force listening. This power is gained when one is well attuned to the Force, allowing them to hear things happening on different planes. In Ahsoka, it is this ability that shows that Jacen Syndulla, child of General Hera Syndulla and the Jedi Kanan Jarrus, is actually Force sensitive like his father once was.

It is through this ability that he helps the others to find Ahsoka, who had fallen into the water on the planet Seatos. He hears her despite the fact that she is only speaking in the World Between Worlds, and this allows him to assist the others in finding her body. The ability to hear her conversation with Anakin Skywalker in the World Between Worlds was an interesting way to reveal that he is also Force sensitive, promising interesting things to come for his character down the line.

4 Kylo Ren Used Force Stasis In The Force Awakens

But It Was Originally Shown In The Clone Wars

When Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens on the planet Jakku, there is plenty of action beginning to unfold. Stormtroopers flood the planet’s surface, blasters are firing, and notably, Kylo Ren uses the Force to stop a blaster bolt in midair. He uses an ability known as Force stasis, which allows the user to freeze an object or even a person in place using the Force.

Previously, this ability had been used in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, season 1, episode 8, “Ambush” by Master Yoda. In this episode, he uses the Force to freeze Asajj Ventress in place before she has the opportunity to kill anyone. Kylo Ren’s use of the ability marks the first time it was used in film, kicking off the sequel trilogy with a powerful display of what was to many a new Force technique.

3 The High Republic Era Introduced The Jedi Meld

Avar Kriss Used This To Unite The Jedi

Also known as the Song of the Force, the Jedi Meld was an ability used in the High Republic Era that allowed Jedi to connect their minds together using the Force. It is an advanced form of telepathy, allowing Jedi to communicate quicker than if they had simply spoken to each other. This also allowed Jedi to speak over long distances, communicating their thoughts and opinions along with their emotions.

Avar Kriss was best known for using this ability, seeing each Jedi and their thoughts as a different song within the Force. In fact, Avar Kriss was so skilled at using this ability that at one point she managed to connect the minds of every Jedi in the Hetzal System after the Great Hyperspace Disaster. This allowed her, along with the other Jedi, to save the Hetzal System from what would have been its inevitable destruction.

2 Psychometry Has Been Used By Few Jedi

Cal Kestis And Quinlan Vos Have Both Used This Ability

Originally used by Quinlan Vos in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, season 3, episode 9, “Hunt for Ziro,” psychometry refers to the rare ability of a Jedi to experience the past of an object and those who have previously interacted with it simply by touching it. These flashes of the past are also known as Force echoes, as they echo the memories the object once experienced. This ability was rare among the Jedi, as one needed to be born with the ability to perform psychometry in order to see these Force echoes.

Other Jedi such as Ahsoka Tano and Cal Kestis were also capable of performing psychometry through the Force. In the video games Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor, this is a core game mechanic used throughout the series. The use of this obscure ability that at that time had only been seen once in The Clone Wars was a powerful choice, one that tied the player more closely to Cal Kestis as a character and made him feel more unique.

1 The Emperor’s Force Lightning Was The Original Surprise Power

Its First Appearance In Return Of The Jedi Was Shocking

Before Return of the Jedi was released, there was still plenty of mystery surrounding the character of the Emperor. Now that Darth Vader had been revealed to be the father of Luke Skywalker, how did the Emperor fit into the mix? What had he done in order to pull Darth Vader over to the dark side? Was he really the villain behind it all?

After the movie’s release, Darth Sidious shocked viewers with his signature Force lightning ability. Not only was it a unique Force power, but at the time it was one that didn’t seem like something that could come from the Force. This ability changed Star Wars forever, opening up the gateway to odd and unfamiliar Force abilities to come down the line years later.