As a wise man once said:
“The Jedi and the Sith are similar in almost every way.”
The Jedi and Sith are two groups who employ the mystical powers of the Force, using either the Light or the Dark sides. Bringing order and chaos upon the galaxy, many normal beings came to love and hate both groups. Many longed for the day when the two most powerful groups died off and went to whatever afterlife existed for them. But is there an afterlife for the Jedi and Sith?
Become One With the Force
If there is an afterlife, it is more than likely one that most people wouldn’t understand. Jedi who use the phrase “become one with the Force,” are those who have learned to accept the inevitability of death. To be a Jedi is to serve those in need, those who are defenseless, making selfishness void in their vocabulary. When telling Master Yoda about his disturbing dreams, Anakin Skywalker feared death, not for himself, but for his wife. Master Yoda responded by simply stating that “death is a natural part of life.”
So, to become one with the Force, a Jedi has to accept his fate, let go of selfishness, and humbly serve until death.
Death Is a Weakness
The Sith, on the other hand, only care about gaining power over those who are beneath them. They would consider death an unfortunate end to their plans.
Having the mind of someone like Darth Sidious, who exploited Anakin Skywalker in his quest for immortality, serving others wouldn’t matter if all a Sith thought about was saving themselves. Death is more likely something feared by the Sith who would see death as a weakness, and only something that happened to those without power. Whether the Sith know of some punishing afterlife for them in death or the uncertainty of life after death is a big mystery.
The Mysteries of the Netherworld
To truly understand the Netherworld mysteries of the Force, it is important to understand the nature of the Force, which is more than just Light and Dark. To the Jedi, focusing on the here and now of the Living Force is important. But some Jedi, like Qui-Gon Jinn, and Yoda, know of the Cosmic Force.
Fueled by the Living Force, and vice-versa, the Cosmic Force is responsible for futuristic visions, and the ability to return to the material world as Force ghosts.
Few discover the secret of becoming a Force ghost. Only Jedi, like Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker, discover the secret, and each are students of the Light side. Sith would not have been able to discover the power of true immortality because of their selfishness and exploitation of the Force. During their duel on the Death Star, Obi-Wan told Vader:
“If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”
Sith like Sidious are so concerned about power in the material world, but could never understand that true power was possible even in death.
Jedi and Sith Afterlife
So is there an afterlife for the Sith and Jedi? Yes, and no. Life is possible after death in the material world, but outside of the material, there is no life, there is only the Force. When Jedi and Sith die, their Midi-chlorians feed the Living Force, making it possible for life to continue in the material world. For the Jedi, this would be a natural way of life. The Sith, however, would balk at this idea, fearing death even more. For the Force to sustain or create life, the Midi-chlorians have to be there. Without the Midi-chlorians, life wouldn’t exist.
Just as the Dark side can’t exist without the Light, living beings cannot survive without the Midi-chlorians that are relinquished by the dead. The question is, where and when do the Midi-chlorians come into being? Perhaps a Big Bang-like occurrence caused Midi-chlorians to appear residing in select people. Then, once those people died, the Midi-chlorians moved on to the next person, or to the Midi-chlorians’ place of origin.
In conclusion, something happens to Jedi and Sith when they die, but there is no afterlife as normal beings of the galaxy probably think of it. The mysteries of the Force involve Light and Dark, life and death coming together to create order and chaos in the galaxy.
Got a thirst for Jedi and Sith lore? Find out more about the secret history of the Sith and the Jedi code.