Dave Filoni has been working in the Star Wars franchise since the animated Clone Wars series. He was recently promoted to the role of the chief creative officer at Lucasfilm, growing his influence and impact on the franchise and its stories moving forward. However, even Filoni isn’t immune to criticism from the fanbase.
While discussing his work on the Ahoska series, Filoni spoke about the nature of the Force and how it works. However, Filoni’s comments received severe backlash from the fans. Similarly, The Acolyte has also been criticized for its depiction of the Force, but Filoni’s comments seemed to have a more divisive effect on the fans, and here is why.
Dave Filoni Argued That Anyone Could Use the Force in Star Wars
Dave Filoni made his debut in the Star Wars universe, with the Clone Wars animated series, created by George Lucas. Filoni also created the Star Wars Rebels animated series, and the live-action Ahsoka series, which serves as a sequel to the former.
While promoting Ahsoka, Filoni discussed the show revealing Sabine Wren to be the Jedi Padawan of Ahsoka Tano, played by Rosario Dawson. However, Sabine wasn’t known to be Force-sensitive in Rebels, leading Filoni to provide clarification during an appearance on the Dagobah Dispatch podcast.
If you pay attention to the films…you understand that the Force is an energy field created by all living things, but…it takes time and commitment.
Filoni made the above statement, explaining how Sabine was training to be a Jedi under Ahsoka.
However, during the events of Rebels, it was all but confirmed that Sabine wasn’t Force-sensitive. Furthermore, Filoni’s comment suggested that all living things are Force-sensitive, causing an uproar from fans on social media.
Dave Filoni’s Force Comment Proved Controversial Among Star Wars Fans
After Filoni’s comments reached social media, Star Wars fans were quick to point out that the writer-director was mistaken about the Force and its nature. Recently, The Acolyte was criticized for misinterpreting the Force, mainly from the perspective of the witch coven on Brendok, and through powers such as Force levitation.
However, Filoni’s comments proved to be extremely divisive among the fans, who cited franchise creator George Lucas’ interpretation of the Force to prove him wrong. Here is what fans had to say about Filoni’s interpretation of the Force and who can wield it on X (formerly Twitter).
As the tweets indicate, most fans took an issue with Filoni’s take on the Force, especially when it comes to determining who can and cannot become a Jedi. However, some fans supported Filoni’s comments, arguing that the same had been implied with Luke Skywalker’s training all the back during the original trilogy.
Nonetheless, the nature of the Force remains an extremely divisive topic among Star Wars fans. As a result, Filoni, who is now the chief creative officer at Lucasfilm, had the perfect opportunity to settle the debate once and for all with The Acolyte‘s portrayal of the Force. However, the show’s depiction of the Force has proven even more polarizing.
Ashoka, The Acolyte, and other Star Wars shows are streaming on Disney+.
