Vader's Long Distance Force Choke

In ESB, Vader force-chokes Admiral Ozzel to death after he brings the fleet out of hyperspace too close to Hoth. Yet he does this while merely looking at him on a screen/projection/hologram thing. It can be assumed that Ozzel was at least somewhat far away from Vader (it was a pretty big ship).

This is the first "long distance" force choke we see in all six movies.

Can Vader kill people who are significantly far away from him?
Does he have to be looking at them in some way (hologram or other such means of media)?
What is his range?
Can anyone else do this, or is this the last remaining force abilitly solely owned by Anakin/Vader as the chosen one that seperates him from all other force-users?

 

anyone???

 

Doesn't seem all that special, he's not super powerful, and more than yoda was supposed to be for lifting an x-wing

..the physical world doesn't matter, only the force

 

so in theory you could kill people on the other side of the galaxy if you can use the force? Why would Vader bother shooting down the x-wings in ANH? why not choke them all from his comfy oxygen chamber?

And does that mean the putting up your fingers while doing the force choke is just for show, since it apparently doesnt matter.

i think this is a bigger item than people realize.

 

I always felt the hand gestures (aside from being a theatrical method to demonstrate something's happening) were mainly for mental focus aid and not a necessary part of the act.

We don't really know how far away Vader's chamber was from the bridge. I would say Vader's range is extended in such a situation because:

a) he's sitting and resting, not having to focus on anything but the strangling (which explains why he doesn't do that to the X-Wing pilots as he has to focus on flying as well).

b) he's familiar with the layout of the Executor, so he knows exactly where Ozzel's standing when he views him.

c) he's familiar with Ozzel's presence, so that may also help if he actually needs to 'reach out and touch him' with the Force in order to choke him.


In my humble opinion, his range is probably very dependent on the situation and there isn't a cut'n'dry STAT to indicate how far away someone can influence another through the Force (yes, I despise the love of 'power levels' too).

 

so in theory you could kill people on the other side of the galaxy if you can use the force? Why would Vader bother shooting down the x-wings in ANH? why not choke them all from his comfy oxygen chamber?

I think that vader has to know where they are in relation to him. It was his ship,a fter all, so im sure he knew it. He may be able to reach blindly into teh galaxy and choke someone, but i dont think he can say, "Now..... there's palpatine, lets give hom a good choking." when palp is on courescaunt and he is off on some mission in the outer rim.

 

I'm thinking Vader has to be in a conscious state of mind, and that he must have to see the person in order to do it. Otherwise, he could merely dream of killing someone and it would happen. I don't know, maybe they have to be in the same physical location too. Even though the ship was huge, he was able to use the force because he was in the vicinity. They were both on the Executor right? I'm not sure. It just doesn't seem likely that Vader could choke someone clear across the galaxy for some reason.

I don't think that holding up the fingers is just for show (although it is probably for show for us movie-goers). Many of those strong in the force use hand gestures to do something. Yoda holds out his arm to retrieve the x-wing (ESB). Yoda pushing aside falling debris (AOTC). Obi-Wan waving the fingers to do a jedi mind trick. Even pushing someone/something with the force requires the appropriate hand movement, whether they're Sith or Jedi.

 

I've always took things like seeing them, or hand gestures were just tricks that gave Jedi or Sith something to focus on. Not to mention it gives us a clue as to what's going on as well.

So basically... he should have ducked off camera and he would have survived

 

On a side note...

I know I play too many video games, but the last time I was watching the scene in ROTJ when Luke enters Jabba's palace and chokes out the Gammorean guards I started thinking...


"Force Choke is a Darkside power!"


A double whammy Star Wars Nerd and Star Wars Video Game nerd...please throw me down the nearest energy shaft or shoot me with a "turbolaser"...

 

But notice that Vader doesnt use any hand motions when he starts force throwing things at Luke in ESB. I think the hand movements are used to focus on an particular object. You dont want your force push knocking everyone down just a couple of people.