The Force of Star Wars is equal parts magic and the qi of some philosophies. Logically, as it connects all living things, it should be possible to use it for healing. However, the mythology is somewhat conflicted into how easily this is done and how readily available it is. Andor further muddies the waters, with one scene involving a Force Healer.
Set in BBY 2, Andor Season 2, Episode 7, ‘Messenger’, finds Cassian Andor in great pain. He has an injured shoulder from a blaster wound that isn’t healing properly. Bix Caleen takes him to see a Force Healer on the grounds that it couldn’t do any harm.
However, Cassian regards Force Healers with the same skepticism many may hold a faith healer. He recalls how his mother was once scammed by a fake Force Haler. His tune changes somewhat, however, after the Force Healer senses his pain from across the marketplace.
The Force Healer also knows without asking that Cassian’s injury is in his shoulder. Later that evening, Cassian begrudgingly admits to Bix that his shoulder does feel better and he can move it more easily. This is in keeping with the general Star Wars mythology regarding The Force being used for medical treatment.
Disney+ Has the Best Bundle in the Business
Sign-up today for access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+
Sign-ups support Superhero Hype
via affiliate commission
First Star Wars Novel had first use of Force Healing
The first overt use of Force Healing came in the first Star Wars novel Splinter of the Mind’s Eye by Alan Dean Foster. Published in 1978, the plot found Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia racing against Darth Vader to seize control of the Force-enhancing Kaiburr crystal. The book is now considered part of the Legends line and not canon. Nevertheless, it does have a scene where Luke uses the crystal to heal himself and Leia.
This set the general tone for Force Healing throughout the franchise for several years. Such dramatic powers were rare and typically required the use of artifacts. However, a weaker form of Force Healing, comparable to the alternative medicine technique reiki, was established in later source books and novels.
This form of Force Healing was retroactively established as existing in Star Wars: A New Hope. After Luke Skywalker was knocked unconscious by a Tusken raider, Obi Wan Kenobi touched the young man’s forehead after clutching his wrist. It was originally presumed he was checking Luke’s pulse and for signs of a head injury or being overheated. However, it is now generally accepted that Kenobi was using the Force to tend to Luke’s injuries when he touched his forehead.
Force Healing mostly applied to games
1987’s Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game was the first resource to codify Force Healing. The Control skill allows a Jedi to cleanse themselves of poisons and speed their own natural healing. The Alter skill likewise allowed them to accelerate the healing of others.
1997’s Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II was the first Star Wars video game to make use of Force Healing. There, aspiring Jedi Kyle Katarn was able to heal his wounds instantly using the Force. However, the game specifically painted Force Healing as a power unique to the Light Side of the Force. This has been contradicted by later works, however, with the Dark Side aligned Nightsisters having healing powers. Other stories have equated Dark Side Force Healing with necromancy, with Dark Jedi and Sith draining the life force of others to heal themselves.
How rare is Force Healing in Star Wars?
There has also been some conflict in just how rare and effective Force Healing is. In the Prequel Trilogy, it is rare enough that Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the Dark Side is brought about by his search for advanced healing powers the Jedi did not have. Yet, Yoda was painted as a great healer who could spontaneously heal many Jedi around him at once. The Sequel Trilogy further confused things, with Rey having a natural talent for Force Healing and Kylo Ren mastering the technique quickly in The Rise of Skywalker.
The key factor here may be inclination. Different Star Wars works have painted certain alien races as being stronger in The Force than others or being inclined to certain talents. Grogu from The Mandalorian, for instance, showed a talent for Force Healing despite his youth.
It’s possible this is a natural gift to his and Yoda’s species. It is also possible that they are wild talents and some are just naturally gifted in that one area. In any case, the use of Force Healing in Andor solidifies that it is rare enough to be viewed with skepticism in the Imperial Era.
Andor Season 2, episodes 1–9 are now streaming on Disney+.
