Star Wars: Women of the Light and Dark Side of the Force
In Star Wars™, there is an energy that surrounds all beings, connecting them to the universe and to one another. It is called the Force. And within the Force are two opposing sides: the light and the dark. Jedi™ most often wield the light side, while the Sith™ have fallen to the dark side.
Below, let’s meet women from Star Wars who have used either — or both — sides of the Force in a galaxy far, far away.
Ahsoka Tano – Light Side
The Togruta™ Ahsoka Tano™ joins the Jedi Order as a youngling, displaced and orphaned because of the galaxy’s unending wars. While she is headstrong and impulsive, she is also compassionate and extremely capable. However, she later becomes a victim of a scapegoating plot that involves bombing a Jedi Temple.
The Jedi investigate the case analytically, while only Ahsoka’s friends use their emotional ties to her to figure out the truth. Although her name is eventually cleared, Ahsoka can no longer accept the Jedi way of life. She leaves the Order. But she still continues to use the light side of the Force, even when she utters her famous line “I am no Jedi” in Star Wars: Rebels™.
Asajj Ventress – Dark Side
Born on Dathomir™, Asajj Ventress™ is a ruthless Sith Apprentice who pursues Jedi Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi™, and Anakin Skywalker™ throughout Star Wars: The Clone Wars™. She is Count Dooku’s™ apprentice who carries out many missions on his and the Emperor’s behalf.
Asajj Ventress comes across as completely cold and uncaring. Her only pleasures in life seem to be harming and outsmarting others. Combined with her upbringing as a Nightsister™, this combination of apathy and magical aptitude makes her extremely dangerous — just the way she wants to be.
Rey – Light Side
The protagonist of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Rey™ is a powerful light side user who very quickly comes into her powers. Because she is the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine™, she sometimes struggles with the pull to darkness. Despite visions of her dark side self, Rey’s moral alignment and sense of justice ultimately remain with the light … for the most part.
Balancing abilities such as Force lightning with Force healing, Rey shows that her powers lie somewhere in the middle of light and dark. This is demonstrated in The Rise of Skywalker™ when Rey wields a yellow lightsaber. A new color of kyber crystal™ implies a new age and era of the Jedi way.
Trilla Suduri / Second Sister – Dark Side
Trilla Suduri™ from the video game Jedi: Fallen Order™ is an Inquisitor™, or a Jedi killer. All Inquisitors are light side Force users who have been captured and tortured, physically and mentally, turning them into agents of the dark side. Inquisitors are fittingly created on the planet Mustafar™ under Darth Vader’s™ supervision, as he is a man experienced with what it takes in order to corrupt a Jedi.
The Second Sister™ is a brilliant strategist and sadistic hunter. She plays games with her prey, finding enjoyment in manipulating and inflicting smaller injuries that hurt more over time. Because of this, she is a prized Inquisitor. However, Jedi Padawan™ Cal Kestis™ defeats and sways her back toward the light, helping her to reconcile with her former Master Junda™. This reconciliation is unfortunately brief as Darth Vader subsequently executes Trilla for her failure to follow the Sith Lord’s orders.
Leia Organa – Light Side
Leia Organa™ has been Force-sensitive all her life. However, she only becomes aware of it much later when her brother Luke Skywalker™ reveals that the Force is strong in his family. Despite this important plot twist, we never see Leia Organa use a lightsaber or any other Force-related powers in the original Star Wars trilogy.
Later, The Last Jedi™ and The Rise of Skywalker give us glimpses into Leia’s abilities. In The Last Jedi, Leia is ejected from a spacecraft but uses the Force to bring herself safely back to the ship. In The Rise of Skywalker, a flashback to Luke and Leia’s post-Return of the Jedi™ days shows the twins sparring with lightsabers. While Leia ultimately decides not to train as a Jedi, as she is needed elsewhere, her skills are indeed confirmed as canon.
Barriss Offee – Dark Side
Barriss Offee™ is a Padawan learner and friend to Ahsoka Tano. She prefers studying ancient Jedi texts to fighting, and while she is good with a lightsaber, she is for the most part disinterested in combat. This is because she’s becoming disillusioned with the Jedi. The ancient tomes tell of peacekeepers, yet she sees none in the galaxy.
Thus Barriss turns to the dark side. She believes the Jedi have lost their way. She declares that the Jedi are the villains in the war, and attacks the Jedi Temple. Then she frames Ahsoka for the assault. Ultimately Barriss Offee is caught and brought to trial. She repeats her newfound opinions with confidence and is imprisoned for those dark side beliefs.
Luminara Unduli – Light Side
Jedi Master Luminara Unduli™ is known as the Jedi Commander to have destroyed the most droid factories during the Clone Wars. In accordance with the Mirialan™ tradition, she took a Mirialan apprentice: Barriss Offee. Unduli and Offee appear together during the Battle of Geonosis™, one of the first major conflicts of the intergalactic war.
Famously, Luminara also almost defeats Asajj Ventress. Most Jedi struggle to hold their own against the vicious dark side disciple, but Luminara is almost able to subdue Ventress. Sadly, despite her strength, Luminara Unduli is murdered during the Order 66 execution alongside her fellow Force users — light and dark side alike.
Who are your favorite Force users from the light and dark side? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!