Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures - Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone #4!Star Warsfans have seen a ton of Force-abilities make their way from the comics/novels into the feature films/television series. From Force-dyads to Force-healing, there is no shortage of powers that have gotten the live-action treatment. And now, it’s time thatStar Warsadded another one of those unique Force-powers first shown in the comics/novels in the films/shows, as its powerful ‘Plant Jedi’ are more than ready to hit live-action.
InStar Wars: The High Republic Adventures - Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone#4 by Cavan Scott and Vincenzo Riccardi, Jedi Knight Ty Yorrick (a former-Jedi-turned-monster-hunter) is called upon by her former Jedi Master to go to the planet Dalna that was attacked by the collective ofplanet-conquering marauders inStar Wars, the Nihil. When Ty and her monster-hunting partner get there, they venture beneath the surface after finding a Nihil ship that had crash-landed, but didn’t see any of the crew. That’s where the two run into one of the last surviving residents of Dalna: Vila aka a Lonto Plant Mage.
Upon seeing the invaders, Vila used her power to manipulate plants (which is known as “plant surge”) against them. Vila telekinetically ordered the vines that grew lush within this underground safe haven to wrap themselves around Ty, her partner, and the other Force-sensitive enemies of the Nihil that were there for similar (yet separate) missions. In fact, Vila proved how strong her Plant Mage powers were by actuallydestroying an immensely powerful Sith artifact called the Hand of Siberuslike it was nothing.
“Plant Surge” can also be used as a way to access ‘Force-Healing’, which is a power that’s been featured inStar Warsfilms and TV.
Indeed, this Force-power is no joke, and it needs the live-action treatment ASAP.
Vila is Only the Latest Lonto Plant Mage in Star Wars Canon
Other Plant Mages have been Featured in Star Wars Comics, but Never in the Films
Vila might be the most recentLonto Plant Mage to grace the pages ofStar Warscomics, but she certainly wasn’t the first. The Lonto were also featured inStar Wars: The High Republic(2022) #1, where members of the species gathered alongside other followers of the light side of the Force in the Holy City of Jedha (including the likes of the Jedi and the Guardians of the Whills). During that meeting, one Lonto flexed her plant surge abilities by using vines to restrain one of the other representatives before chaos broke out between them all.
Plant surge powers were also featured in 1999’sStar Wars Tales“Extinction”. In that story, a Jedi used plant surge to attempt to capture Darth Vader before being slaughtered by the Jedi-hunting Sith Lord. Unfortunately, their plant surge power wasn’t strong enough to defeat Vader for good, and that was probably because of one thing: they weren’t a member of the Lonto species. The Lonto species (as shown in theseHigh Republiccomics) has completely committed itself to the practice of plant surge as their only means of channeling the power of the light side of the Force.
Including Plant Mages in the Star Wars Films/TV Would Grow the Lore of the Light Side
The Dark Side is More Interesting Than the Light, but Plant Mages Could Fix That
The history of Plant Mages inStar Warsis rich, but it only exists in the comics. Indeed, the idea that there’s an entire faction of light side users who only manipulate the Force through plants is fascinating, and actually adds to the lore of the light side of the Force specifically - which is somethingStar Warsdesperately needs. As it stands inStar WarsTV and movies, the light side of the Force is kind of boring when compared with the dark side. The light side of the Force is pretty much only used by Jedi, and there’s little to no information on light siders beyond that.
The dark side of the Force, however, has a number of fascinating aspects to it. Sure, there’s the Sith, but there’s also dark siders like Darth Maul who use the dark side to become galactic crime lords. There’s also the dark side cult known as the Knights of Ren, which is a band of marauders who worship the dark side and spread chaos in its name. Plus, there’s the fact thatKylo Ren himself (the leader of the Knights of Ren)isn’t even a Sith, he’s simply a dark sider who uses his power to rule the galaxy with an iron fist.
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In other words, there are corners of the dark side beyond just the Sith, which can’t really be said for the light side, as the only followers of the light that are featured in the movies are the Jedi. If theStar Warsfilms/TV introduced the Lonto Plant Mages, however, that would completely change, and allow the light side of the Force to become as interesting as the dark. Plus, the visual alone of seeing a plant-controlling Force-user attack their enemies is just begging to be brought to the big-screen, proving thatStar Wars’ ‘Plant Jedi’ are ready to hit live-action.
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures - Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone #4by Dark Horse Comics is available now.
