New Star Wars book radically changes the rules of the Force
In 1999, George Lucas forever rewrote the rules of the Force by introducing the concept of midi-chlorians inThe Phantom Menace. Since then, other filmmakers have taken liberties with the rules of the Force, be it Leia using the Force to fly through space in The Last Jedi, or Sabine showing that humans can Force-sensitives are able to use and manipulate it through their openness and patience in the film Ahsoka.
But now a new Star Wars book unexpectedly reimagines the Force, breaking new ground for the nearly 50-year-old franchise.
Star Wars Visions: Tsukumo is a new manga written and illustrated by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi and published by Viz Media. Set after the events of Order 66, the story follows a surviving Jedi Knight named Nagi Tsukumo, who, after being poisoned and on the run, tries to help two rogue droids find the coordinates of the legendary Droid Paradise.
In the manga, Tsukumo crosses paths with JK-00P, a droid who knows the history of the Jedi, in order to better prepare to hunt them on behalf of the Empire. However, JK-00P begins to question the morality of the Empire's actions, which leads to a conversation with Tsukumo about the rules of the Force, namely that droids cannot wield it.
JK-00P initially rejects the idea that droids can use the Force, but Tsukumo seems to believe it, possibly because he senses the droid's sentience and emotions. Later in the story, Tsukumo's correctness is proven when JK-00P uses the Force to pull Tsukumo's lightsaber towards him and subsequently use it against the stormtroopers.
Interestingly, Nagi Tsukumo's name comes from the Japanese concept of tsukumogami, which refers to everyday objects or tools gaining a soul and becoming sentient.In the manga, JK-00P does exactly this and in turn gains the ability to use the Force.
Although the stories in theStar Wars Visionsseries are not strictly canon, the new manga raises some interesting questions that challenge established ideas about the Force. As Ben Kenobi once stated, the Force flows through all living things. So if a droid is alive in the sense that it has thoughts, emotions and self-awareness, then theoretically does the Force flow through droids?
While we wait for possible answers to this question, Star Wars Visions returns next month with a new series, Star Wars Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi, which picks up the story of the beloved short film "The Ninth Jedi" from VisionsVolume 1 and its continuation from VisionsVolume 3. The new series will premiere on August 5 on Disney+.