The Force Through the Ages
The Force Through the Ages
For most of the history of the Republic, the Jedi were looked upon as defenders and protectors of justice. By their example, belief in the Force was accepted, if not always understood. Most beings could not perceive the Force directly; they could only see it manifest in those attuned to it, such as the Jedi. At times over the centuries, the dark side came to the forefront, such as during the ancient Sith Wars, but mostly the champions of the light side helped keep the galactic peace.
During the Rise of the Empire era, the Force was a powerful component of everyday life. The Jedi were visible, active proponents of the Force. Regardless of what an individual may have believed about the Force, it was hard to deny the power demonstrated by the Jedi. As the Clone Wars raged across the galaxy, Jedi were seen at the forefront of battles, and the Force impacted the lives of soldiers and citizens alike.
Later, in the wake of the destruction of the Jedi Order and the rise of the Empire, the Force came to be looked upon as an arcane religion practiced by misguided fools. The Empire outlawed the Jedi and attempted to stamp out anyone who demonstrated an affinity for the Force. Propaganda and politics kept the systems in line and succeeded in driving Force-users underground, where they lived in fear and obscurity.
During the time of the Rebellion, the Force had faded from common knowledge. Those who could manipulate the Force kept their skills hidden to avoid the notice of the Empire. Even members of the Imperial hierarchy, despite the presence of Darth Vader, considered the Force to be outdated and insignificant compared to the military might of the Empire. In many ways, that was just how the Emperor wanted it.
The few Force-users that existed during this period were either hiding from the Empire, working for the Empire, or trying to ignore the presence of the Force.
During the times of the New Republic, Luke Skywalker started to rebuild the Jedi Order. This began with the establishment of a new Jedi academy on Yavin IV. Slowly but surely, the galactic population began accepting the re-establishment of the Jedi Knights. Skywalker's approach to Force-use was far more cognitive than flashy. This was largely due to his tutelage at the hands of Yoda, who witnessed the destruction of the old order—which was weakened by a lack of understanding of the mental aspect of the Force—and was over-reliant on the physical manifestation of the Force.
As the Jedi began to gain more galactic acceptance, many beings in the New Republic harbored varying degrees of mistrust and fear toward Force-users. These negative feelings were due, in part, to the actions of a few rogue Jedi who took the law into their own hands and began to rebel against Luke Skywalker's leadership. The memories of the host of Dark Jedi that plagued the galaxy since the time of Darth Vader and the Emperor added fuel to the fire of fear, and the political machinations of members of the Republic Council began to fan these flames.
Force-users of this period were finding that acceptance of the Force among the general population may turn into a bad thing—at least as far as they were concerned. Tensions were already high, as the invasion of the Yuuzhan Vong was at hand.
Source: REUP:147