Force Stasis

Force Stasis was a telekinetic Force power used to restrain and immobilize people or objects.

Description

Force Stasis^[4] was an ability of the Force to forcibly restrain and immobilize people or to halt objects headed in a Force-user's direction. The ability allowed its users to cancel out the motion of a target, not only reducing its speed but even suspending it in place. The effect could at times be temporary, allowing the target to regain its motion, but could also be so powerful that, unlike normal applications of telekinesis, continuous conscious effort and physical gestures were not always necessary to maintain it. Additionally, the most skilled or powerful users could even exert this paralyzing grip on non-material objects, such as blaster bolts.^[1]

History

Republic Era

Master Yoda holds back Asajj Ventress's strike against King Katuunko.

During the Night of Sorrow^[5] in 382 BBY,^[6] the Wookiee Jukkyuk, a bodyguard for Mother Elecia Zeveron, was stirred into a frenzy by Guide Marda Ro, who convinced the Wookiee to battle with the Jedi Order so she could get through to Zeveron. Rushing through the tunnels, Jukkyuk soon encountered and fired upon three Jedi, Padawan Matthea Cathley, Jedi Knight Azlin Rell, and fellow Knight Oliviah Zeveron. Zeveron responded to the attack with an act of Force Stasis: with a simple raise of her hand, Zeveron stopped the incoming blaster bolt in its tracks and then pushed it back towards Jukkyuk, who fell to his own blast but survived.^[5]

Twin sisters Verosha and Mae-ho Aniseya used Force Stasis on a Brendoki flutterby on the planet Brendok^[7] in 148 BBY.^[8] Yoda used the power to freeze Asajj Ventress in place as she tried to kill King Katuunko^[2] in 22 BBY.^[6]

Imperial Era

Darth Vader used this ability, while attacking the Jedi outpost Brighthome, to momentarily contain and slow down the process of a grenade exploding long enough for him to get away from it.^[9]

Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis, who was proficient with Force Stasis, used it to slow the movements of a group of clone troopers after they fatally wounded his master Jaro Tapal during the activation of Order 66. Five years later, Cal used Force Stasis to suspend the Scrapper Guild worker Prauf in mid-air, saving him from a fatal fall. In his subsequent mission to rebuild the Jedi Order, Kestis used Stasis to traverse landscapes by temporarily slowing down fast-moving platforms. He also used it in battle to slow the movements of his opponents and to slow enemy blaster shots.^[10]

New Republic/First Order Era

Ezra Bridger uses Force Stasis during his fight with Shin Hati.

Around 9 ABY, the Bokken Jedi Ezra Bridger would use this ability to freeze a lightsaber strike from the mercenary Shin Hati during their brief fight on Peridea.^[11]

During the attack on Tuanul, Kylo Ren utilized this ability to hold off a blaster bolt headed in his direction (while simultaneously freezing the person holding the blaster, Poe Dameron, in place) long enough for his stormtroopers to bring his would-be killer to talk to him, and then released it after aiming it out of the way and retreating from the area full of people. Later, during the Battle of Takodana, Ren utilized this ability to capture Rey, shortly before forcing her to fall unconscious.^[1]

Rey uses Force Stasis to block Kylo Ren's lightsaber strike.

In 35 ABY, during the Mission to Kef Bir, Rey and Kylo Ren had a duel on the ruins of the second Death Star. During the fight, both of them used Force Stasis to block each other's lightsaber strikes, with each combatant holding back the other's blade before it could make contact with them. Later, during the Battle of Exegol, the barely alive Darth Sidious used this ability to subdue Rey and the redeemed Ben Solo, leaving them powerless as he drained the Dyad's life force to rejuvenate and restore himself to his former strength, comparable to his at the time of his triumph on Coruscant and his defeat over Endor.^[12]