Dark side of the Force

The dark side of the Force, also known as Bogan, regarded as the dark side of the Unity by the Sorcerers of Tund, and called the shadow by the Knights of Ren, was one of two aspects of the Force. To tap into the power of the dark side was to indulge in raw emotions such as passion, anger, vengeance, and hatred. The dark side was greed, the fear of change, and the inability to let go. By holding on to things, one became angry and hateful, which in turn led to suffering. Those who were unable to conquer their dark side were devoured by it. The Sith were Force-sensitives well known for serving the will of the dark side and being the mortal enemies of the Jedi, who served the will of the light side of the Force.

The dark side was associated with the night. As with the light side, it was an integral part of all living things, and as the shadow of the soul, the dark side had to be continually overcome by sentients to walk the path of the light; indulging in the dark side led to imbalance. The dark side was not more powerful than the light side; it was an easier, albeit destructive, path. Failing to resist the temptation of darkness would allow the dark side to dominate one's destiny, although redemption was always a possibility.

Anakin Skywalker, gifted in the Force, succumbed to the seduction of the dark side because of his refusal to let go of his attachments. Skywalker was attached to his mother and his wife, and the possibility of their deaths caused him to rebel against the natural course of life and the Force itself, seeking power in his fear of losing his loved ones and becoming a hateful, disfigured cyborg and an agent of evil.

Text and facts from the “Dark side of the Force” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.