5 Dumbest Force Flex Moments

We all have our favorite Force moments. Maybe yours is Yoda’s lifting of Luke’s X-Wing out of the swamps of Dagobah. But what about the dumbest Force flex moments? Here are five memorable ones that run from Vader to Kylo Ren. 

1. Vader on Top of His TIE Fighter

A top response in this Reddit discussion was Vader’s arrival on Malachor. In this Force flex moment, Vader “literally got out of his tie fighter and got on top of it.” As he flew down to Ezra, Vader also had his cape fluttering behind him. 

If we take a look at the scene, we may think it was not that well conceived because it forces this image of Vader as the all-powerful in a champion weightlifter manner. Vader folded his arms with the most dramatic entrance possible. This show of Force was likewise meant to impress Ezra, who was only a teenager at the time. 

While we may agree that Rebels had the best interpretation of Vader since the OT, in this particular instance, it seems over the top. The show’s more subtle ways of demonstrating Vader’s power, such as Ezra and Kanan feeling his presence, were more effective. And, Vader wiping out the Phoenix squadron provided a more impressive sense of his power in comparison to the TIE fighter moment.

2. Leia Flying Through Space

To some, Leia using the Force to fly through space in The Last Jedi is one of the best Force moments (#9 on this list). But we have good grounds to disagree and view it as one of the weakest.

As we watch the scene, we get a sense of the underlying high emotion between Leia and Ben, providing an undertone of the Force. Once the bridge was hit and exploded, though, the movie was left with a problem to solve–the untimely death of Leia. 

With Leia first coming back to life through the Force and then flying through space, the scene comes off as rather contrived. The Force flex here served as a quick way to save Leia. 

We may agree more with this assessment of that moment (at #4), which places Force flying as a power coming out of nowhere, leaving us confused, or recognizing it as a mere plot convention to keep Leia alive. 

3. Vader Throwing Stuff in His First Duel with Luke

We may love Empire Strikes Back, but we may also think Vader throwing objects at Luke seems more like a dumb Force flex. 

At the outset of this iconic fight scene, Vader said, “The Force is with you, young Skywalker. But you are no Jedi yet.” We may see these words and the objects thrown at Luke as coinciding with Vader’s intent to intimidate and subdue Luke and then draw him to the dark side. However, Vader using the Force to throw pipes and other metal debris at Luke reflects more of a tantrum.

That is, Vader throwing items at Luke tends to show his frustration and impatience. Vader was toying with Luke and seemed to be showing off his Force powers in a nonchalant way to perhaps impress Luke and convince him to join him. But he could have done it more convincingly. 

4. Anakin Floating Fruit in Air

In Attack of the Clones, Anakin showed off his Force power in perhaps the weakest way possible. We can recall how he floated a fruit over to himself to impress Padme. He also took the added step of cutting the fruit (looks like a pear) and floating it back to her. 

We could view this scene as a playful moment, a relaxation of the tensions of the movie. Yet, we could also see it as “a selfish move” by Anakin in his pursuit of Padme. We may also think it reflects Anakin’s immaturity and his lack of recognition of what the Force actually can do and mean. In addition, we may also just think it was a silly scene to include. 

5. Kylo Stopping a Blaster Bolt

When Kylo Ren stopped Poe’s blaster bolt in mid-air, we may have been left “scratching” our heads. This puzzling use of the Force appeared to defy our understanding of Force telekinesis.

The basis of telekinesis is “the ability to move and otherwise manipulate physical matter,” and we usually see it in slower forms. We may think of Yoda moving Luke’s X-Wing or Vader throwing metal objects. So, there is the issue of Kylo being able to respond that quickly to show off his Force abilities.

Moreover, Force telekinesis typically deals with matter, and the Force stasis that Ren used should have made it more difficult to respond to Poe’s shot. Since the plasma that composes blaster fire is the fourth state of matter, a heated gas with positive ions and free-moving electrons, it would pose problems that perhaps this relatively new Force power didn’t fully work out. 

At any rate, Kylo did flex his Force powers, but perhaps not in the most convincing way.