In Star Wars, the Force is described as an energy that spans the galaxy, flowing through anything and everything in existence. The Force is an energy that has been around for as long as time itself. And while the Jedi and Sith are able to manipulate the Force, they are in no way in control of it.
In a sense, no one is truly in control of the Force. But in Star Wars lore, there is a group of entities who maintain the balance of the Force, and they go by various names: Force-Wielders, the Mortis Gods, or more formally, the Ones. The Ones are an immortal trio of beings who identify as a family, and they embody the aspects of the Force: the light, the dark, and the balance of both. They haven't made a significant number of appearances in the many stories of Star Wars, but that in no way diminishes their importance in the galaxy far, far away. In fact, they have existed since long before any of the events that transpired in the Star Wars story.
Star Wars: Force Reincarnation, Explained
Star Wars’ Force-reincarnation is a different form of immortality that can put a fresh spin on the future portrayal of characters onscreen.
Who Are The Ones?
The Ones are also known as Force-Wielders and the Mortis Gods. The trio consists of the Father, the Son, and the Daughter, immortals who reside on the planet Mortis, located far beyond the Outer Rim in Wild Space. They each embody a specific aspect of the Force: the Son represents the dark side, the Daughter represents the light side, and the Father represents the balance that is necessary for life to exist in the galaxy. Fittingly, the Son and Daughter are rivals to each other, frequently taking the form of a gargoyle and a griffin respectively. They constantly battle until the Father inevitably resolves their conflicts time and again, as the only one who can maintain the balance in the Force.
When Anakin Skywalker is summoned by the Ones in season 3, episode 15 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, "Overlords," the Father explains to him why they must remain on Mortis:
My children and I can manipulate the Force like no other. Therefore, it was necessary to withdraw from the temporal world, and live here as anchorites. [...] You cannot imagine what pain it is to have such love for your children, and realize that they could tear the very fabric of our universe. It is only here that I can control them. A family in balance, the light and the dark, day with night, destruction replaced by creation.
It is said the Ones have existed for eons, holding together the balance of the Force all along. Legend states that there was once a Mother who was mortal, and in her desire to be immortal like her family, she corrupted herself and became the powerful, evil being Abeloth. It was then that the Ones imprisoned their former Mother and relocated to Mortis, which is said to be the birthplace of the Force. For as long as they've existed, the Son and Daughter can only live as long as the Father does.
When Do The Ones Appear in Star Wars?
The Ones Appearances in Star Wars | |
|---|---|
Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Season 3, Episodes 15-17
|
Star Wars Rebels (as murals) | Season 4, Episodes 12 & 13
|
Ahsoka (as statues) | Season 1, Episode 8
|
The Ones have limited appearances in Star Wars, only once appearing in physical form. The first time they appeared was in a three-episode stretch of Star Wars: The Clone Wars in season 3. In this story arc, the Ones summon Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka to Mortis via a distress signal. Their intention is to replace the Father with Anakin, who is said to be the prophesied Chosen One of the Force.
The Ones appear again in Star Wars Rebels only as a mural in which Ezra takes his crew to investigate at the Jedi Temple on Lothal.
Lastly, the Ones make a final appearance as giant statues in Ahsoka, when Baylan Skoll reaches the mountainous region in which a statue of both the Son and Father stand on an unknown planet.
What Happens to the Ones?
The story arc in which the Ones first appear in The Clone Wars is actually the same arc that sees their demise. The Father explains to Anakin that he feels his own life force fading, and the Chosen One is foretold to replace the Father as the entity that will maintain the balance in the Force upon his death. After Anakin proves to the Ones that he is in fact the Chosen One, he still refuses to accept the role as the new Father.
But the Son has a different agenda, wanting to escape Mortis and spread darkness across the galaxy. He does so by trying to sway Anakin to the dark side. While his plan nearly succeeds, the Father attempts to put a stop to it. Enraged and fed up, the Son acquires the Dagger of Mortis — a powerful weapon capable of killing any of the Ones — and goes to kill the Father. However, he ends up killing the Daughter instead, who jumps in front of the incoming blade and sacrifices herself.
Left with no other option, the Father takes the Dagger of Mortis and ends his own life, which kills the Son by extension. With the Ones dead, their physical forms fade. They become one with the Force, leaving no trace of their bodies behind, marking the official end of their power and duties within the Force in Star Wars.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise originally created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, tv shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
8 Star Wars Characters Who Are Master Manipulators
These Star Wars characters have managed to get what they want not through strength in combat, but by powers of manipulation.
