WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The High Republic #11, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
In the first arc of the Star Wars: The High Republic comic series, Jedi Master Sskeer struggled with temptation from the Dark side, particularly after losing his friend Jora Malli in a battle with the Nihil. His torture and possession by the Drengir didn’t help his descent, but Sskeer ultimately was saved. During the arc, Sskeer also revealed that he was losing his connection with the Force for unknown reasons, and this loss of connection might propel Sskeer further toward the Dark side as the Nihil unleash their ultimate Jedi killer on the galaxy.
While Sskeer's disconnection with the Force became evident in the first arc of the comic series, the reason behind that loss is an ongoing question in the current arc. The reason might be medical; Sskeer spoke with Dr. Gino'le who claimed that the results of Sskeer's medical tests reveal the true reason why Sskeer struggles to use the Light Side of the Force in Star Wars: The High Republic #10 by Cavan Scott, Georges Jeanty, Carlos Lopez, Karl Story, Victor Olazaba, and VC's Travis Lanham. However, the audience is still unaware of what those test results revealed about Sskeer’s disconnect from the light side of the Force.
While the answer to Sskeer's Force problems has not been revealed, there are hints that his disconnection could have some similarities to the Great Leveler's attack strategy in Star Wars: The High Republic #11 by Cavan Scott, Georges Jeanty, Carlos Lopez, Jesus Aburtov, Karl Story, Victor Olazaba, Mark Morales and VC's Travis Lanham. At the beginning of the issue, the Jedi on the Ataraxis, a Jedi flagship, witness as Ceret begins to calcify due to the Great Leveler's attack on their bond twin Terec. During the attack, Avar emphasizes that she can no longer feel Ceret or Terec in the Force, but she also confesses that she cannot feel Sskeer with the Force either.
Sskeer's disconnection leads to desperation, and he once again begins tapping into the darker path in his efforts to save his former Padawan Keeve Trennis from the Nihil and the Great Leveler. Sskeer's affection for Keeve and his concern for her are clear. When Avar asks about the news that Sskeer received, Sskeer instead states that he needs to focus on the moment and "she is all that matters." When the Jedi reach the Nihil's base, Sskeer opens fire. When Avar insists that he is not following "the Jedi way," Sskeer counters "it's the only way that I have left." Without his connection to the Force, Sskeer feels helpless, and he is willing to abandon the Jedi Order's principles to have some sort of power once more.
Once again, Keeve is the one to snap Sskeer out of his attacks. While Sskeer is fully prepared to attack Zeetar, one of the Nihil's Tempest leaders, to get information on Keeve, Keeve calls out to him. Sskeer immediately abandons Zeetar to go to Keeve and comfort her. This moment shows that while Sskeer is treading a dangerous line, he has not fallen yet, and despite his current disillusionment with the Force, he might still remain on the light side.
With the Great Leveler’s power becoming more clear, it may become even harder for Sskeer to avoid the Dark side in his desperation to end the Nihil’s threat to the galaxy. However, the answer to the reason why Sskeer’s connection with the Force is dwindling could be the big Sskeer reveal promised in Star Wars: The High Republic #12. This reveal could be a key component to understanding how the Great Leveler works and the full scope of Sskeer’s motivations in the future.