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Sci-fi fan? Test yourself in the ultimate sci-fi movie quotes quiz.
The Star Wars movies introduced many memorable characters and concepts to audiences worldwide, terms that entered everyday use.
Even people that never watched the movies know what the Force is. In the worldview of the Jedi Knights and other groups of beings, the Force is the unseen energy field that all living beings create and belong to.
Force-sensitive beings can sense and manipulate the Force.
Force is a vital, well, force in the Star Wars universe. It guides the characters in their arcs and acts as a push toward justice. It also gives us some of the franchise’s most memorable quotes.
Here are some of the best Star Wars Force quotes that help make these films into some of the best sci-fi movies of all time.
1. “May the force be with you.”
Even people that never watched a single Star Wars movie know this iconic quote. “May the force be with you” is a traditional phrase when parting ways, particularly among Jedi Knights. And it’s probably the most famous Star Wars quote about the Force.
It’s a way of wishing good luck to people about to face a challenging task because the Jedi believe that the Force guides all living beings.
This phrase pops up often in the movies, but one memorable time is in Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (1977), when Han Solo (Harrison Ford) says this to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) as he is about to fight the Death Star.
Han was vocally skeptical about the Force, so using this greeting shows his character growth.
2. “The Force will be with you. Always.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) says this to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) right before the Battle of Yavin in Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (1977).
The Rebels embark on a daring attack to destroy the Death Star, even though they are massively overpowered.
Obi-Wan sacrifices himself in a duel with the evil Darth Vader during the fighting, but his spirit does not leave the realm before giving Luke this critical piece of advice.
Kenobi’s words are essential for the plot, as Luke uses the Force to help destroy the Death Star, not traditional fighting methods. It also signals the lasting impact of Obi-wan’s training on Luke, even though their time together ends.
Many people misremember this line as “may the force be with you,” but it’s actually a variation on the greeting.
3. “For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.”
Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) says this line to an impatient Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Luke is frustrated by his time learning from Yoda, who he sees as baffling and crazy.
He wants to get off the planet as soon as possible and rejoin his friends in the fight against Darth Vader, but he doesn’t know how to fix his flying gear.
Check out this rare behind-the-scenes footage from The Empire Strikes Back.
Yoda tells him that he doesn’t need fancy equipment or strength when he has the Force.
Yoda is one of the wisest characters in the movies, even though he sometimes seems crazy.
He understands the Force the best out of all the characters, and he knows how powerful it can be if you wield it properly.
4. “Close your eyes. Feel it. The light… It’s always been there. It will guide you.”
Maz Kanata (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) says this to Rey (played by Daisy Ridley) in Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens (2015).
Rey grew up as a scavenger on the planet Jakku, knowing very little about the universe around her, the Jedi, or even the Force.
Sensing her Force-sensitive powers, the pirate Maz Kanata gives her this advice and attempts to give her Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber.
See what the different colors of lightsabers mean.
Rey is not ready to hear this advice now and runs away from her destiny, but she ultimately comes back.
Maz Kanata is an essential minor character because she shows Rey that she’s always had this power within her. Plus, her quote gives us an insight into the constant presence of The Force.
5. “Don’t underestimate the Force.”
Ironically, one of the best Star Wars Force quotes comes from one of its greatest enemies—Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones).
In Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (1977), Vader issues this warning to Grand Moff Tarkin (played by Peter Cushing).
The two villains are planning how to crush the Rebel Alliance, and while Tarkin is confident that Obi-wan Kenobi is dead, Vader is less sure.
Darth Vader is evil, but he isn’t stupid. He understands how powerful the Force can be (which makes a lot more sense once we learn that he is a fallen Jedi Knight).
He respects his enemies enough not to underestimate them, and that makes him a formidable opponent.
6. “That’s not how the Force works!”
Han Solo (played by Harrison Ford) says this to Finn (John Boyega) in Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens (2017).
Han is frustrated because Finn wants to use the Force to help rescue Rey when it is his job to figure out how to lower the shields.
Han went from a smuggler who thinks the Force is a bunch of hooey to someone who respects and understands the Force. He even uses it himself sometimes.
He knows that you can’t just use the Force as a magical helper without first training and preparing to wield it, a lesson that he wants to share with the eager young man.
7. “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”
On the surface, this doesn’t seem as if it is a quote about the Force, but the context makes it relevant.
After Admiral Motti (played by Richard LeParmentier) brags about the Imperial Navy’s Death Star in Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (1977) and insults Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) for believing in the Force, Vader uses the Force to choke him.
Vader criticizes Motti’s lack of faith in the Force and his abilities to create a plan that will stop the Rebel Alliance.
Unlike his Imperial minions, Vader never disrespects the Force or loses faith in its power, although he loses faith in the goodness you need to wield it.
The rest of the Empire will soon understand what Vader meant – to their detriment.
8. “I felt a great disturbance in the Force. As if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.”
Obi-wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) says this in Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (1977) when he feels the destruction of the planet Alderaan.
This line gives the audience an insight into what it must feel like to wield the Force.
Although it provides the Force-sensitive people great power, it also comes with great pain as they are intimately connected to the suffering of all other living beings.
Kenobi’s quote helps the audience understand different aspects of the Force’s power. It’s also pretty memorable, and real-life nerds often quote this movie when they see something strange or disturbing.
9. “I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me.”
Chirrut Imwe (played by Donnie Yen) often says this line in Star Wars: Rogue One (2016).
Imwe is a blind warrior monk who may not wield the Force as a weapon but is sensitive to how it courses through the world.
He repeats this line as a mantra even as he is dying during the Battle of Scarif.
This line and Imwe’s character give the audience exciting insight into the Force as a religious phenomenon instead of a weapon and what it means to people who are not our main characters.
To the faithful, it is a powerful unifying concept.
10. “Remember, a Jedi’s strength flows from the Force. But beware: anger, fear, aggression—the dark side, are they.”
Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) gives Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) this final piece of advice as he lies dying in Star Wars: Episode VI—Return of the Jedi (1983). The Force is a source of great strength and power to a Jedi Knight.
However, the great power of the Force also makes those who wield it vulnerable to corruption. Yoda warns Luke to be careful of these strong emotions as they make him vulnerable to the Dark Side.
Yoda’s advice will guide Luke through the rest of his life. It also gives us insight into how Darth Vader turned into a villain even though he was a Jedi.
Also, check out more of the Best Yoda Quotes from Star Wars here.
11. “The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us; it penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.”
Obi-wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) says this to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope.
While we understand that the Force is a powerful thing, the exact nature of it is hard to grasp (it doesn’t help that the different movies and TV shows have conflicting lore).
This initial explanation from Kenobi helps explain what the Force is from the Jedi point of view. It is Luke’s and the audience’s first introduction to the all-powerful concept of the Force.
The Force is a guiding light throughout the Star Wars canon and leads to many epic moments and quotes.
Which quote about The Force is your favorite?
About the author:
Jan Sørup is a videographer and photographer from Denmark. He owns filmdaft.com and the Danish company Apertura, which produces video content for big companies in Denmark and Scandinavia. Jan has a background in music, has drawn webcomics, and is a former lecturer at the University of Copenhagen.