Dark side
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The dark side of the Force is a prominent concept in the Star Wars universe. It is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, and is consistently mentioned in all subsequent Star Wars fiction.

The dark side is portrayed as a part of the Force, the mystical power used by the Jedi. In the first three films, it is used to represent the general concept of evil. In the prequel films, however, it is specified that, while the dark side can overtake anybody, it is used especially by the Sith, the Jedi's ancient enemies.

As explained by several characters, people who use the dark side draw power from raw emotions, both negative and positive. Where the light side is associated with creation and life, the dark side is associated with death and destruction.

Depiction

Original trilogy

The dark side is first mentioned in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope as Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi is explaining the Force to Luke Skywalker. When speaking of his former pupil, Darth Vader, Kenobi says "Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force." (Unbeknownst to Luke, Vader is in fact his father, the former Anakin Skywalker.)

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back elaborates on the dark side's power: Yoda tells Luke that fear and anger will pull him to the dark side, and that is no turning back from a dark path; Vader, meanwhile, entreats Luke to "know the power of the dark side" and become his apprentice.

In Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Luke comes perilously close to succumbing to the dark side as Emperor Palpatine (himself a Sith Lord) plays on his fear for his friends to release his anger, kill Vader, and take his place as Palpatine's Sith apprentice. At the last minute, however, Luke controls himself and renounces the dark side. Moments later, Vader kills Palpatine, dying in the attempt.

Prequel trilogy

The prequel films explain that the Jedi see all strong emotion ? both positive and negative ? as a path to the dark side. In Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Yoda explains to a young Anakin Skywalker that his fear for his mother, Shmi, could lead him to the dark side; he says "Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate leads to suffering."

In Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, a teenaged Anakin Skywalker begins to feel the pull of the dark side when he falls in love with Padmé Amidala; the Jedi Code forbids such strong emotional attachment as "the shadow of greed". His emotional conflict worsens when his mother is killed by Tusken Raiders, and he slaughters the entire tribe in a blind rage.

In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine manipulates Anakin's fear that Padmé, by now his secret wife, will die in childbirth to persuade him into becoming his Sith apprentice. Palpatine first tempts Anakin by challenging the dogmatic view of the world he had learned in the Jedi Temple ("'Good' is a point of view.") When Palpatine promises that the dark side can prevent death, Anakin helps the Sith Lord massacre the Jedi and destroy the Galactic Republic, but in the novelization, it is revealed by Qui-Gonn Jinn to be "a power achieved by ambition, not greed". Palpatine's revelation to Vader that Padmé had died as a result of his anger (and while thinking that "they won't be a lie, not really")completes the former Jedi's journey to the dark side.

Revenge of the Sith

A millennium[citation needed] before the establishment of the Galactic Empire, the Sith disappeared from the knowledge of the galaxy until the Battle of Naboo, where the Sith apprentice Darth Maul killed Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. It was because of this rule that Darth Maul's master, Darth Sidious, was able to worm his way into a position of great influence and power, thereby ultimately overthrowing the Republic to create the Galactic Empire.

Nature of the dark side

The Jedi Order disagreed so strongly with the purpose of the Dark Side of the Force that they abolished anything possibly related to the dark side. However, many jedi (such as Kyle Katarn or Jolee Bindo) have been able to use the dark side without turning to it. These jedi are considered "Grey Jedi" After the Ruusan Reformation, the order placed many limitations on Jedi to protect order members from temptation from the Dark Side influences. The Jedi Order forbade members romantic attachments, relationships with their families, and any type of action based on anger. These limits presumed that deep personal attachments with loved ones also motivated one to use the power of the Force selfishly for protection of those loved ones. Anakin Skywalker, for a large part, fell to the dark side because Chancellor Palpatine's knowledge of his secret marriage to Padmé Amidala provided the Chancellor a vulnerable opening to encourage Anakin to pursue that fearful motivation.

Strength of the dark side

Dark Jedi and Sith were capable of furthering their abilities more quickly than Jedi, and there came a belief that the dark side was more powerful than the light. It is only easier to use, but the lure of power convinced many (like Anakin Skywalker) to succumb to it.