See also: Jedi

The Force is a mystical energy used by the Jedi and other Force Sensitive individuals to perform supernatural feats such as seeing the future, moving objects with their thoughts or even mind control.

Various religious groups held different beliefs about the Force. Some Jedi believe the there is a Light Side and a Dark Side to the force, with the light side being the natural state of the Force and the Dark Side being disturbances caused by negative actions and emotions. Other groups such as the Twi'lek held that the Force was related to Kika'Lekki, the Twi'lek primary deity, while the Sith hold different beliefs entirely. Even among the Jedi there are different philosophies on the nature of the force. Three prominent philosophies are the Universal Force, Unifying Force, and the Living Force.

There is no scientific explanation for the existence of the Force and the Jedi are not keen to subject themselves and their abilities to rigorous scientific testing, significantly hindering the development of such understanding. The existence of the Force itself is however beyond doubt.

The universal force is one of the three prominent philosophies on the force. It divides the force into two parts: the light side and the dark side.

The Dark Side of the Force believed by the Jedi to be a corrupted state of the force, and encompasses anger, rage, hatred, fear, aggression and passion. Such emotions seem to increase the strength and abilities of a user of the dark side, providing a path towards personal power and the destruction or control of all opposition. In the philosophy of the universal force, it is generally accepted that use of the dark side of the Force is extremely addictive. The dark side is opposed by the Light Side.

The Light Side of the Force believed by the Jedi to be the natural state of the force, and encompasses honesty, compassion, mercy, self-sacrifice and other positive emotions. Followers of the light side strife to live in harmony with the world around them, acting out of wisdom and logic rather than anger and hasty judgment. In order to achieve harmony with the light side of the Force, its practitioners often meditate to clear themselves of emotion; particularly negative emotions such as aggression, fear, anger, and hatred, since these were thought to bring on acceptance of the dark side. The light side is opposed by the Dark Side.

The unifying force is one of the prominent philosophies on the force.

The concept of the Unifying Force is that the Force is a single entity and has neither a light nor a dark side. The Unifying Force is viewed as a deity that neither had sides nor chooses them, treating all beings equally. Followers of the Unifying Force always keep their eyes open for future possibilities. In the end, it results in them trying to fulfill a destiny rather than focusing on here and now, as the Living Force supporter would do. Visions of the future are of particular significance to Unifying Force supporters.

The Living Force is thought to be present in most living beings, surrounding and penetrating them, thus making all living things connected by it.

The Jedi believing in the Living Force rely on their instincts and are attuned to other living beings around them. They are mindful of the future and the possible consequences of their actions, but remain focused on the present. Proponents of the Living Force view espouse a philosophy of “living in the moment,” rely heavily on their instincts and concentrated more on sensitivity to living things, rather than fulfilling destiny, which is one of the main tenets of the Unifying Force philosophy.