Forum:CT:Sides of the Force

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The result of the debate was adopt light/dark side as the standard style. - Sikon [Talk] 15:03, 5 Oct 2005 (UTC)

From Star Wars talk:Manual of Style

Articles use both "Dark Side of the Force" and "dark side of the Force". Are we treating "Dark Side" as a proper noun, or not? --SparqMan 22:25, 11 May 2005 (UTC)

• I think we should go with it being a proper noun, that's just the way I've always seen it. Shadowtrooper 02:24, 12 May 2005 (UTC)
  • This is rather interesting. Notice that never in the films something like "light side" or "bright side" is mentioned? This strongly suggests that "Dark Side" is a proper noun, while its opposite is a lexical gap! So in effect, you have to say "light side of the Force", "dark side of the Force" or "Dark Side", but never "Light Side". --Gen.d 12:46, 26 May 2005 (UTC)
    • I disagree, Gen.d, but that's not what I'm here to say: I've brought this up on [[Star Wars talk:Community Portal#Sides of the Force]], but no one is responding—just like what happened here. – Aidje _talk 20:35, 5 Aug 2005 (UTC)

From [[Star Wars Talk:Community Portal]]

We need to decide once and for all how we're going to capitalize these—is it Dark Side/Light Side, Dark side/Light side, or dark side/light side (or perhaps even dark Side/light Side :-P). I don't know if we should have a vote, or if we should discuss the matter and then have someone make an executive decision. Either way, we can certainly begin by talking. For some reason, I don't want to start this by stating my opinion, although I have consistently followed a certain method of capitalization. – Aidje _talk 05:00, 2 Aug 2005 (UTC)

• Well, my opinion is "Dark side of the Force". A vote should be held, with the winner being added to the Manual of Style. --Imp 20:48, 5 Aug 2005 (UTC)
• dark side of the Force. To me, the Force seems to be the equivalent of God in the SW universe. God it typically capitalized, so the Force should be capitalized. But I don't really think of the dark side as a proper noun, so I don't think it should be capitalized. Or, to take the religious connotations out, I think it's the same as saying the right side of the Ford Mustang. The dark side and the light side are just a "certain point[s] of view" for the same thing. The thing (the Force) is what's the proper noun, not the view. WhiteBoy 01:50, 6 Aug 2005 (UTC)
• Well, in KOTORs, the developers seem to be not entirely consistent themselves: they use both "light/dark side" and "Light/Dark Side", but the first form seems more common. - Sikon 05:03, 6 Aug 2005 (UTC)
• I've thought it should be 'Dark Side/Light Side', as if it were a proper noun. Now, after reading WhiteBoy's explanation of his reasoning, I can't quite put my finger on why I thought this. Perhaps I should go to bed and try again later. – Aidje _talk 07:13, 9 Aug 2005 (UTC)
  • Is there a consistent usage in the source material we should follow, perhaps? jSarek 09:24, 9 Aug 2005 (UTC)
    • I had always though that source material was pretty consistenly "Dark Side", but I've done a bit of looking around and "dark side" seems more common. – Aidje _talk 17:14, 9 Aug 2005 (UTC)

Vote

Well, here is the vote, as User:Imperialles suggested. - Sikon 15:29, 9 Aug 2005 (UTC)

Please state your opinion by signing "Support" or "Oppose" under either of these options. An explanation would be preferrable.

the Dark Side/the Light Side

1. Support. Its the GFFA equivalent of God, and should be classified a noun as such.Durnar 17:01, 12 Aug 2005 (UTC)
2. Support. This is the way I've usually seen it and considering how its a part of Jedi religion, you would capitalize it as if it was deitic. -- Riffsyphon1024 17:59, 12 Aug 2005 (UTC)
3. Support. Saying "dark side" or "light side" is like saying "jedi knights" or "dark jedi" when it should be Jedi Knights and Dark Jedi. Cmdr. J. Nebulax 23:50, 4 Oct 2005 (UTC)

the Dark side/the Light side

the dark side/the light side

1. Support. I finally decided to do some research, and all but one item of Star Wars literature I encountered has handled them this way. Examples (from several publishers) include:
   1. Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays, pp. 35, 180, and 222 (that is, one example from all three OT scripts)
   2. [[Star Wars: A New Hope novelization]] p. 80 (Del Rey; though the novel also uses "the force," so it's capitalization may be suspect)
   3. The Star Wars Encyclopedia p. 105 (Del Rey; uses both "light side" and "dark side")
   4. [[Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Second Edition]] p. 165 (Del Rey; also uses both "light side" and "dark side")
   5. I, Jedi p. 464 (Bantam Spectra)
   6. Dark Tide: Ruin p. 287 (Del Rey)
   7. Dark Forces: Jedi Knight p. 83 (Dark Horse Comics)
   8. The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook, p. 52 (West End Games)
   9. Star Wars Gamer 5 p. 44 (Wizards of the Coast)
   10. "You Cannot Hide Forever," a card from the Star Wars Customizable Card Game (Decipher)
   11. "The Dark Forces Saga, Part 1" (See This Article) (Wizards of the Coast)
   12. Databank entry on Darth Vader (StarWars.com)

   The exception - X-Wing: The Official Strategy Guide uses "Dark Side," e.g. on page 306. jSarek 09:24, 13 Aug 2005 (UTC)

   • Oh gee.... -- Riffsyphon1024 02:09, 14 Aug 2005 (UTC)
2. Support. Research wins. I'll add that Rogue Planet also uses this capitalization. Kudos to jSarek for all that research. – Aidje _talk 15:54, 19 Aug 2005 (UTC)
3. Support. That's the official way. I prefer the "Dark Side/Light Side" option, but this is an encyclopedia, not a site with fans' opinions. I don't think it should even be a matter of voting since "dark side" is everywhere in the E.U.. --Master Starkeiller 18:20, 29 Sep 2005 (UTC)
4. Support. I personally thing DS/LS looks better, but ds/ls seems more official, so that is what we must adhere to., IMO. :) --beeurd 20:53, 2 Oct 2005 (UTC)
5. Support. I also think it looks better capitalized, but canonicity overrules aesthetic pleasantness. MarcK 01:30, 5 Oct 2005 (UTC)