Question about force strangling

Would force strangling leave an outward mark such as a bruise? I was wondering this as I'm writing an AU about Padme surviving instead of dieing after giving birth to Luke and Leia. There are two thoughts I have about it... the strangulation might not leave a bruise if the force user (in this case Anakin/Darth Vader) just squeezed the windpipe without squeezing the flesh itself and the blood vessels. I mean, the bruises from regular strangulation... enclosing one's fingers around someone's throat... comes from crushing/damaging the capillaries, not just crushing the windpipe itself. But if the force user wasn't discriminate in the use of the power, they'd go for the whole throat, not just the inner windpipe. I could make a case for the bruises or no bruises. I was just wondering what everyone else thought about that.

 

If the person is a good Force user, I don't think there'd be any bruising.

I always imagined that the Force user simply commanded his victim not be able to breathe anymore. Sort of like mind control, I guess? I'd guess that the specific technique would vary depending on who's using it.

 

Hm.. if it were a mind control sort of thing, there would not be the action of the force user of bringing their hand up in a strangling motion like Darth Vader did both when he strangled Padme and much later when he strangled the Rebel Captain near the beginning of episode 4.

 

I believe the technical explanation has something to do with using the Force to constrict the windpipe.

 

Yes, that is what I thought... and that wouldn't necessarily leave a bruise on the flesh, even if the windpipe itself was bruised/crushed.

 

In my mind it would depend the force user. I always imagined that differences would come from the mind of the user. Men and women think differently and so I would think humans and alien species. These subtle differences would affect how a force user thinks and uses the force. A man might force choke using brute strength in effect crushing the victims throat with the force, this could lead to bruising since you are crushing blood vessels and cutting off the flow of oxygen to the body this could cause outward signs of strangling. A woman might be more subtle and use the force to pinch off the airways in which case you may only have burst blood vessels in the eyes or other internal signs visible during autopsy. This doesn't have to be a gender distinction I was just using that to point out the subtle differences in each individuals mind and how that can affect the way they interpret and use the force.

 

Good point, Thorn. It may also be not only male/female, human/alien, but the state of mind. In ROTS, Anakin/Vader is enraged, so he may be more likely to crush the whole throat. However, in ANH, Vader is just annoyed at the Rebel captain so he is more likely to do the later.

 

I would disagree there. Actions help provide focus, and that's never a bad thing. I can think of many reasons why you would still do the choking motion, one of which is the visual effect that allows the audience to see what's going on.

As for the actual question, I think it depends on how good the Force use is, the circumstances, and such. A highly skilled assassin could probably Force choke someone without leaving any signs, whereas Anakin in his rage might.

Also, you should remember that you're writing AU (Alternate Universe), which is always a good counter argument to claims of inaccuracy. "It's not wrong, it's AU!"

 

That is true, plus Jedi make hand motions even when using regular mind tricks, despite the fact that those hand motions don't represent anything and the mind tricks are usually related to more abstract concepts than just "I'm choking you". I can see points in favor of either interpretation, but given Anakin's state of mind, I do think he would have been more likely just to use brute force (no pun intended).

 

LOL i love puns, Mayla, intended or not.

Thanks for your insight, moosemousse.

 

The Force-choke could also freeze the cells and muscles of the throat to kill the person. That would choke them without leaving a bruise.

I (IMO) think that Anakin (who was Darth Vader at full strength then) did more than just choke Padme. He froze out or killed her midichlorines, or crushed her life-force or her connection to the Force, as well. The only reason why she survived as long as she did was because she was still going on the life-force of the babies and she died after they were delivered. After he was burned and reconstructed, he was never so strong that he could do that again.

 

My impression is that use of the Force is largely intuitive, so Force-strangling would be exactly like ordinary strangling unless the Force user made a conscious effort to do it otherwise.

It all depends on what you want to tell the readers, really. For example -


Although she didn't want to, she couldn't help but see the marks Anakin had left on her throat each time she used a mirror. They were fading, like all the other bruises she had acquired in her adventures. This seemed . . . wrong. Anakin's betrayal had left scars on her heart that would take a lifetime to heal, if at all.


Obi-Wan frowned as he went over the medical report for what seemed to be the hundredth time. Aside from asyphication, there was little to indicate Anakin had attacked Padme. There were no bruises on her throat. There was no tissue damage to her windpipe. It was as if he had stopped the flow of air to her lungs, and that alone. I don't remember him having this much control when he was still a Jedi, he thought. And if he has such control when enraged, then perhaps I have lost him to the Dark Side.