In many ways an ideology is sound so long as both sides that believe in one unifying concept can reach a compromise. This is the inherent issue with the Jedi and the Sith. Neither will admit that the other has any true and lasting benefits in terms of how they use the same power, the Force. They bicker, they hold to their beliefs, and in some cases a few of them jump ship and run to the other side an attempt to realize just what they were missing in their original position. In any case, it becomes a mess of belief and dogmatic principles that allow for nothing other than what they’ve been taught. This is why the Gray Force is so important in the Star Wars universe despite rarely ever being spoken of except in books.
The Gray Force is, quite simply, the compromise between the Jedi and the Sith that neither side wants anything to do with. Those that follow the Gray Force are often shunned by both sides, by the Jedi for practicing techniques that could lead to the Dark side, and by the Sith for not being wholly committed to the Dark side. It’s a lose-lose situation for those that follow the dividing line between the two major ideologies of the Force. But as I said, it is important, and here’s why.
Gray Jedi have the potential to become far more powerful than any before them.
We’ve all likely seen the trailer leading into the next film, The Last Jedi, and wondered just what Luke meant when he said it was time for the Jedi to end. That seems rather ominous coming from the Jedi Master doesn’t it? But think on this, Gray Jedi are not considered to be a part of the Jedi Order. And in the trailer Rey does state that she sees light, darkness, and a balance. The Gray is essentially the balancing of the Force in a manner that allows for both Light and Dark. Gray Jedi are allowed to pull from both sides in order to create a harmonious balance in the Force that neither the Jedi Order nor the Sith seem to understand how to embrace. The Gray Jedi can be inherently stronger than both because they learn how utilize the Force as it is, not as they would have it.
The Gray Force is simply the Force without set boundaries.
This is the transcendence of Light and Dark, the removal of the binary view of the Force as being good or evil. It is also why the Gray Force is so hard to understand and inherently more powerful than either the Jedi or the Sith. It is essentially THE Force, without definition and without rules. It is the guiding energy in the universe that sees no sides and favors no one but will aid those that seek to use it as they will. The ideals of the Jedi state that use of the Force can in fact be denied to those that break their code. This has been done in the stories that are considered non-canon. A Sith can be denied use of the Force as well, but in truth they are limited only by the belief system that has created such mental blocks, and therefore are limited in their use and understanding of the Force itself. In truth, there is no Gray Force, Light Force, or Dark Force. There is just the Force, and the ideologies that are foisted upon it affect its users more than the fundamental and binding energy.
Once a person can see past the terms “good” and evil”, or “light” and “dark”, it becomes easier to see the bigger picture. That is what is termed the Gray Force.
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