Star Wars: The High Republic just reintroduced one of the Jedi's most powerful Force abilities from Legends into modern canon. In the newly published novel, Star Wars: The High Republic - Light of the Jedi, by Charles Soule, the Jedi are charged with saving an entire system from destruction.

To do so, the Jedi are forced to utilize one of their most powerful abilities: the Force Meld. But what is the Force Meld, how did it exist in Star Wars Legends lore, and why might it be dangerous?

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What is the Great Disaster, and Why Was the Jedi Meld Necessary?

After a near-collision in hyperspace, several chunks of Legacy Run, a splintered star freight transporter, emerge from light speed, piercing through planets, moons and space stations in both the Hetzal and Trymant systems. While the Jedi come to save the systems from the apocalypse, the situation become dire when they realize a canister of liquid Tibanna is hurdling toward the Hetzal System's trinary star.

Tibanna is a fuel used in hyperspace machinery. The canister's impact could create a chain reaction that would cause all three stars to blow up, obliterating everything in their paths.

After several attempts to stop the Tibanna's course, the Jedi fail. It's at that point when Jedi Master Avar Kriss reaches out to the Force to avert the apocalyptic chain reaction.

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How Do the Jedi of the High Republic Save the Hetzal System?

From Star Wars: The High Republic - The Great Jedi Rescue, written by Cavan Scott and illustrated by Petur Antonsson

Using her lightsaber as a focal point, Kriss reaches out to the other Jedi Knights aiding the Hetzal rescue effort such as Elzar Mann, Te'Ami, Douglas Sunvale, Bell Zettifar, Nib Assek and her Wookiee Padawan, Burryaga Agaburry. Communicating to them through the Force, Kriss blends their focus together into one concentrated effort: use the Force to divert the Tibanna traveling at light speed away from the stars.

This was not the simple network she had built earlier. This was deeper. All of the Jedi were the Force, and the Force was all of them. And she, Avar Kriss, could touch them all, no matter how they saw the Force.

Now, though, she had to find their target. The module of Tibanna racing toward the sun. It was difficult now, with so many Jedi singing in her mind, a chorus to the Force symphony blasting at full volume. So many people, so many beings, so much life. Every grain in the dimly sensed field around her piping like flutes.

Somewhere in all of that as the module of liquid Tibanna racing toward the sun to destroy them all. It did not sing a song of its own, but that was itself something to be sensed. A silence, a caesura, a fermata of precisely the correct duration and size.

Across the system, Jedi reached out to the Force. Some closed their eyes, some lifted their arms, some stood, some sat meditating on the ground while others hovered above it.

However, the Jedi focus becomes larger, with Jedi far outside the system contributing their essence toward this singular goal. Kriss senses several padawans, younglings and Jedi Masters, including Yoda himself, contributing to this mass effort.

Ultimately, the Force Meld works, allowing the collective force of Jedi to avert a atastrophe. While many moons and planets are left ravaged by the Great Disaster, tens of billions of lives are saved thanks to Kriss' effort, focusing the power of the Jedi and the Force into one, singular goal. She's christened the Hero of Hetzal.

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When Did the Force Meld Exist Previously in Star Wars Legends Lore?

Jaina Solo fighting alongside her brother Jacen before his fall to the dark side.

The Force Meld predates Star Wars: The High Republic - Light of the Jedi and its companion young readers' book, The Great Jedi Rescue, by Cavan Scott and Petur Antonsson. Sometimes referred to as the Jedi Meld or Battle Meld, it first appeared in the 1998 Star Wars Legends novel, Young Jedi Knights: The Emperor's Plague, by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta.

While the Jedi Meld technique was first discovered by ancient Jedi, it was after the fall of Palpatine that the technique became over-used. Anakin Solo, the younger brother of Jacen and Jaina Solo, re-developed the technique for the New Jedi Order during the Yuuzhan Vong War. Jacen Solo — who would go onto become Darth Caedus during the Second Galactic Civil War — coordinated the Force Meld against the invading alien race, the Yuuzhan Vong. This allowed the Jedi to combat the enemy in singular, focused attacks.

The Force Meld didn't only allow Jedi to harness incredible Force offenses, but it also allowed Jedi to coordinate as a functioning, clear unit. Jaina Solo used it in order to perfectly hone the strategic potential of her starfighter squadron, the Twin Suns Squadron.

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The Force Meld Can Result in Jedi Losing Their Sense of Self

Darth Caedus

However, the Force Meld came with serious consequences. That level of combined integration for prolonged periods of time could result in those with weaker minds being lost to the Force, either losing their sense of their identity or becoming unhinged. It is even possible to prevent a Jedi from falling to the Dark Side with the Force Meld, which opens up disturbing implications about how the Force Meld can be used to control minds.

Kriss's use of the Force Meld saves tens of billions of lives. However, it is very clear that, should the Jedi harness the Force Meld to manipulate or control Jedi, it could become a dangerous weapon that could have contributed to the Jedi becoming corrupt in the first place. Unlike the prior uses of Force Meld, which melded the minds of a small number of Jedi, Kriss uses it to meld all of the Jedi. This means that it is possible several young Padawans and Younglings might've lost their sense of individuality after melding.

Force Melding must be used responsibly, or else it could result in completely replacing the personalities and wills of thousands of Jedi. If one can control others' minds, what makes them better than a dictator like Palpatine?

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