Force zombie

The term "Force Zombie" is not widely recognized within the official Star Wars canon, but it can be traced back to the idea of a character manipulated by the dark side of the Force, even after death. This dark concept is primarily explored in the now non-canon Star Wars Legends expanded universe, offering an intriguing twist on the traditional tropes of resurrection and reanimation. Although not directly referred to as "zombies," these beings share similarities with the common depiction of undead creatures in popular culture.

The concept of Force zombies originates from the Dark Empire comic book series, published between 1991 and 1995. This series introduced the "dark side alchemy," an ancient and mysterious technique that allowed Sith Lords and other dark side practitioners to create and manipulate abominations, such as reanimated corpses or mutated creatures. These reanimated beings were often referred to as "Sithspawn" or "dark side servants" and were bound to the will of their creator.

Perhaps the most notorious Force zombie in the Star Wars Legends lore was Exar Kun, a Sith Lord who lived thousands of years before the events of the original trilogy. In the Tales of the Jedi comic series, Exar Kun's spirit was trapped within his tomb on the planet Yavin IV, eventually reanimating his own corpse to wreak havoc upon the galaxy. Other creatures, like the Dark Jedi Maw, were transformed into Sithspawn after their deaths, serving the dark side as undead abominations.

In the Star Wars Legends timeline, the idea of Force zombies played a significant role in the ancient wars between the Jedi and Sith. Sith alchemy and its creations were used as weapons to spread fear, chaos, and death throughout the galaxy. Some Sith Lords, like Emperor Vitiate, experimented with the manipulation of life and death, trapping force-sensitive spirits within their crumbling bodies, turning them into monstrous vessels of power.

Force zombies also make an appearance in several popular Star Wars games, like Knights of The Old Republic and The Force Unleashed. In these games, players can encounter reanimated Sith Lords or revenants, remnants of the dark side's ruthless experimentation with life and death. These encounters often serve as challenging battles or chilling reminders of the dark side's power and the corruption it can cause.

As previously mentioned, the term "Force Zombie" and the concept of undead servants of the dark side are not officially recognized in the current Star Wars canon. However, the thematic elements related to resurrection and manipulation of life by the dark side are still present to some extent in the canon. For instance, Emperor Palpatine's resurrection in The Rise of Skywalker through dark side cloning technologies is a testament to the never-ending pursuit of power and control by the dark side.