Star Wars: Can Droids Be Force-Sensitive Jedi or Sith?

One of the things that we know about the Star Wars world is that the main characters are almost always sensitive to the Force and can wield it as powerful and heroic Jedi. Of course, we know that Star Wars is more than just about the Jedi and their eternal enemy, the Sith. That’s because there are also other characters, including droids, who can contribute to the story’s overall plot. But can droids actually be Force-sensitive Jedi or Sith?

The Force flows through Midi-chlorians

Throughout the grander and greater storyline of Star Wars, the most influential entity has always been the Force because this is the cosmic energy that binds everything in the universe and is basically the entity that governs everything that’s happening everywhere.

So, in a sense, the Force is similar to a godlike being but is actually an energy field that always exists everywhere. And it has always been described as a singular object with a will of its own.

While the Force may be a cosmic entity, its power can be wielded by those who are sensitive to it. That is how the Jedi can use the power of the Force as they can speak to it and use its power to perform a lot of seemingly supernatural feats, including moving things with their mind and having the ability to see the future. The Force is so strong that it can even influence people’s minds when a Jedi or a Sith uses it.

However, the power of the Force doesn’t reside within the body of a Force-sensitive individual. Instead, it flows through beings called Midi-chlorians, which are intelligent life forms that exist within the bodies of different people and organisms all over the universe. Through the Midi-chlorians, people can use the Force because these intelligent life forms can communicate with the Force in a way that other beings are not capable of.

There is a symbiotic relationship between Midi-chlorians and their hosts because these organisms reside within the bodies of different beings and are the ones that allow them to connect with the Force and use its power.

Basically, the Force spoke through the Midi-chlorians, allowing beings strong in the Force to use its power. The higher the Midi-chlorian count is, the higher the potential of a person when it comes to the Force. As such, Anakin Skywalker, who was born with the highest Midi-chlorian count in history, had the highest potential in the Force and was supposed to be the strongest Force wielder if he had been allowed to reach his full potential.

Qui-Gon Jinn summarized the nature of the Force and their relationship with Midi-chlorians when a young Anakin Skywalker asked him what Midi-chlorians are. He told Anakin this:

“Without the Midi-chlorians, life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force. They continually speak to us, telling us the will of the Force. When you learn to quiet your mind, you’ll hear them speaking to you.”

In that regard, it is by communicating with the Midi-chlorians that those with high Force sensitivities can use the power of the Force. Without Midi-chlorians, the Jedi, the Sith, or those who use the Force won’t be able to use this cosmic energy. And that is why Midi-chlorians are the most important pieces when it comes to a person who can use the power of the Force.

Only biological beings have Midi-chlorians

As mentioned, those who can use the power of the Force can do so by communicating with the Midi-chlorians in their bodies because these microscopic organisms are the ones who communicate with the Force. But the most important aspect to note here is that Midi-chlorians exist in all forms of life in the universe, which is restricted to living beings.

Of course, we know that the world of Star Wars has a lot of different intelligent beings, including biological and cybernetic. The droids in Star Wars are artificial beings created using technology and mechanical parts. And the droids, while slaves to their programming, are actually so intelligent that some of them are basically sentient in terms of the way that their minds work.

To that end, droids have become so important in the storyline of Star Wars as they are capable of independent thought in many different situations. We’ve seen the likes of C-3PO, R2-D2, and Huyang acting independently and having the capacity to function in a way that’s similar to how other life forms function. In that regard, droids have contributed to the success of Star Wars heroes, and everyone knows that droids should never be underestimated.

While droids may be very capable beings and are somewhat sentient, the thing is that droids are still cybernetic and are made of artificial parts. That means that Midi-chlorians don’t reside within them. Midi-chlorians are only capable of residing within the cells of living beings, and this means that artificial beings made out of metal and other artificial or cybernetic parts don’t have Midi-chlorians.

This was seen in the fact that Anakin Skywalker’s potential in the Force became weaker when Obi-Wan Kenobi defeated him on Mustafar. Anakin lost all his limbs and was burned to a near-death state. As such, his body was damaged beyond repair, meaning he lost a good part of his biological structure.

So, after cybernetic prosthetics replaced his limbs and he was forced to survive through a life-support suit, Darth Vader no longer had the overwhelming potential he once had before losing to Obi-Wan. He was still incredibly powerful but no longer fated to become the strongest Force user of all time.

Of course, because droids are made of artificial parts, there is no way for them to be able to use Force as the Midi-chlorians only reside within the bodies of living biological organisms. This means that while droids have been indispensable allies to Star Wars heroes, they still have their limitations. And such limitations include their inability to use the power of the Force to become Jedi or Sith.

The only possible way that a droid could use the Force was if there was someone smart and ingenious enough to invent a mechanism that would allow them to use the power of the Force through the Midi-chlorians. Aside from that, it is unlikely that we would ever see a droid Jedi or Sith.

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