How come the Light Side lacks offensive powers?

The Dark Side offers all these destructive and powerful powers like Force Lightning, Force Choke, etc. How come the light Side doesn't have any offensive powers? I mean, powers that won't kill but could counter some of the dark sides powers. All the Light Side offers is some telekinesis type abilities( but even the Sith use those abilities).

If a Sith and a Jedi dropped their sabers, decided to fight each other using only the Force, the Sith have a giant advantage. They got lightning and all sorts of killer powers. I don't see how a Jedi could hold up too long or even beat a Sith in a Force duel with so little abilities.

 

You mean defensive powers?

This is pretty much why the Jedi use lightsabers at all: to avoid using the Sith to attack and kill. That's...not what the Force likes to do.

 

To quote Yoda,

"A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack."

 

So in other words, without a saber, a Jedi is screwed against a Sith.

It's a shame the light Side doesn't have like an anti Force lightning. Instead of a lightning stream that kills and inflicts pain, a lightning stream that causes the opponent to feel weak and knocks them out.

The defensive powers are cool. But I just don't see how it could defeat a Sith.

 

You'd be surprised.

 

That's....still a dark side power. Like a super Force Lightning. I'm talking about an offensive power that does the opposite effect that a Dark Side power would. Like knock an opponent out conscious instead of killing them.

 

Like this?

 

I think part of it is that the Sith are intended to be stronger when fighting with the Force. They have no code of honor to follow, they can attack, maim, and kill with the Force while the Jedi are restricted to fighting a defensive battle. It's the basis of the difference between them, really.

 

The lightside doesn't have offensive powers because that those kind of destructive, damaging skills are too evil to be used, hence why only darksiders use them. Occasionlly, there are exceptions where lightsiders can use stuff like Force lightning, but... they're very close to the darkside.

Anyway, simple telekinesis goes a long way. A Jedi without a lightsaber is still a Jedi. Heck, Luke won in RotF after tossing away his lightsaber. Well, it sorta counts as Luke's victory, since Palpatine was dead, even if Luke wasn't actually the one to throw him down that reactor shaft, but that's the general idea.

Lightsabers are usually how Jedi and Sith clash, but pure Force skill is also pretty important. Look at Obi-wan's and Anakin's duel on Mustafar, though they were crossing swords most of the time, other Force skills like telekinesis, all that extra jumping and agility the Force gives, and the environment (of molten lava) also played big parts in that duel. And Yoda's and Sidious' duel ended with a Force lightning struggle, not lightsabers. Although that's kind of an exception, but the most powerful Sith are usually too much for most Jedi to handle.

Although one's own Force power probably has something to do with why Sith can't just choke every Jedi they meet. Then again, it would be a bit too convenient for the bad guy if a Sith could just start choking everyone within a few meters.

 

It's apparently not...

An offensive power that does the opposite affect of a dark side power? Like...a power that cancels out another one? Like...a defensive power? The Jedi have tons of those.

 

^I know about their defensive powers. They just don't have a special defensive power that can neutralize an opponent.

This is how it's like. You know in Harry Potter, the deatheaters have the death spell and all these harmful magics and the wizards have these special powers to fire at them to knock them out. Well imagine the death eaters have their deadly powers and spells and the only ability the wizards can pull off is a special invisible shield to block some of the harmful spells. Effective yes, but win a battle. Not really.

Pretty much, the Jedi only chance of beating a Sith is with a saber. In a Force duel, it appears the Sith have the advantage and could easily wipe the floor with a Jedi.

 

Well...I mean all I can do is really point you to Yoda's duels...the reason Jedi use lightsabers is to avoid having to use the Force to kill. The reason the Jedi's enemies use lightsabers is because they can't touch the Jedi with the Force.

 

Harry Potter isn't really a good comparison to Star Wars, especially in combat. Star Wars has that whole mystical lightside/darkside (which is being debated in another recent thread, I think). With Harry Potter, most spells aren't inherently fatal or super-dangerous, with the exception of the Unforgivable Curses, which are why they're called the Unforgivables. The rest are stunners, leg tanglers, etc. Spells are more like tools, or weapons, in that the intent doesn't really matter, so most spells can be flung about without costing anyone their soul. In Star Wars, intent is a lot more important, and when there's evil intent, the person is leaning towards the darkside. I'm not saying evil intent is enough to fall, as evil actions would probably start the fall, but the person would still have to choose to fall, going back to intent.

Anyway, a Jedi's Force skill can probably easily equal a Sith. The Sith might have a lot more flashy tricks, but its not like a duel is over as soon as someone loses their lightsaber. There are always other options. Pure Force power, or anything else that's lying around. As Obi-wan put it originally, a lightsaber is an elegant tool, far more than a crude blaster, and for Force-users, a very versatile melee weapon. And there's always a simple knock to the head to neutralize someone. Its not like Jedi need a fancy Force power to knock someone unconscious. A blaster on stun would work just as well. Though for a Jedi lightsabers are the primary tool, its not like its unheard of for NJO Knights to be lugging around blaster cannons in certain situations.

 

Tell that to Obi-Wan as he's getting hurled across the room by Dooku.

 

Well, usually they can't.

Dooku was able to break through Obi-Wan's defence in that instance.

 

Isn't there some quote by yoda that says the dark side is not stronger but only appears more seductive?


And, the jedi using the force to throw people into trees and deflect blaster bolts or bring roofs down on people is offensive enough with the intended effects I would think.

 

Precisely. Really, my point was there's a reason we don't often see "Force duels." They don't work.

Yes, but that requires a mature understanding of power.

 

It's "quicker, easier". For there to be some concrete meaning to this, it must connote an advantage on some level.

 

Yeah, and that advantage is that it's "quicker, easier." It gives you lots of power without any hard work and none of the responsibility involved in controlling yourself. It lets you hurt people and get money and solve your problems.

So does, in a manner of speaking, buying a gun.

 

I thought there was an insider article that stated Plo Koon was just using darkside force lightening and was mistaken when he called it a new light side power?

 

I'd love it if that was true...

...I'd also love it if it was written off as game mechanics and removed from canon.

 

I always viewed Yoda's quote as meaning that while the darkside gives power quickly, the user tends to end up really messed up. Sure, some people delight in evil (Palpatine, Exar Kun), but they all had bad ends. Using the lightside to grow stronger may be a slower process, but it generally leads to better mental health and overall happiness. Doesn't guarantee a better life, but still. For instance, Vader was miserable a good deal of the time. Sure, he could find glory in his imposing power, plotting to overthrow Palpatine, but generally, he lost his beloved wife, he was alone, and he's in a constant power struggle with his Master. Although I'm partially influenced by the first Dark Times arc (which I just finished reading through).

 

In the end, following the light is more fulfilling.

You know what else is seductive and solves your problems easily and quickly? Heroin.

 

Many jedi have defeated Sith and other opponents without lightsabers. Yoda aborbed Doooku's force lightning and threw Siduious's force lighting back at him. Luke threw green bolts of energy at Yuuzhan Vong in the Unifying Force.

I think you greatly underestimate the skills of a jedi without a lightsaber.

 

I think there's also a misunderstanding of what the Jedi are all about...