10 Important Star Wars Details That Are Almost Never Mentioned

4. The Dark Side Of The Force Isn't Inherently Evil

Luke Skywalker Star Wars Return of the Jedi
Disney

Force users are divided into two camps: the Jedi and the Sith, or the light and the dark. The movies draw a firm line between these two camps, telling us that the dark side is evil and that the Sith must be destroyed, and that light, well, is right.

While most onscreen evidence points to this being true, a notion that isn't fleshed out is that the dark side, in isolation, isn't necessarily evil. Rather, it's the users of the dark side who abuse its power for their own selfish or chaotic intentions.

Look at someone like Count Dooku. Though he wields the dark side of the Force, he hasn't let emotions like anger and hatred corrupt him, like they have for so many other Sith. Instead, he uses his dark side abilities with control. He's clearly far more level-headed and rational than the likes of Vader and the Emperor, proof that dark side users need not become moustache-twirling megalomaniacs.

Count Dooku Star Wars Christopher Lee
Disney

Expanded media character Jacen Solo (Han and Leia's son) is another dark side user who was able to control his evil impulses for a time, even using his abilities as a force for good. And then there's Darth Vectivus, who also practiced the dark side, but never let it consume him, and could stave off that destructive temptation.

Despite what the movies might tell us, wielding the dark side doesn't automatically mean that a person is evil, or that they will always succumb to the lure of power - it just depends on the person.

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Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.