Okay, I'll make a topic!

What do you guys think about midichlorians? I really don't like them at all- I think they demystify the Force waaaay too much. They kinda just reduce it to a science instead of it being more of a faith thing, which takes away from the OT in my opinion.

But what does everyone else think?

Well, the way I see it, is everyone but the Jedi/Sith see it as a faith. The Jedi/Sith see it as a fact. It is, always has been, and always will be.

That said, I think, to have faith, there has to be a reason behind having that faith. Midichlorins fill that void, that's left in the OT.

However, there's nothing like that little bit of mystery, and in that respect, I agree with you. In the OT, It just is, and there is no reason for It, or for why some people have It and others don't. Sort of like, why are some people priviledged enough to have a certain talent, like music or sports, and others aren't. That's just the way things are, and always will be.

So, overall, I can see the benefits of midichlorians, and the downfalls. But best of all, playing with character's midichlorians makes for fun fanfic writing.

Hope I didn't confuse you or put you to

I agree. By using the midichlorians, it adds a sense of mystery to the story arc, and it also explains why Force-sensitive individuals are the way they are (having higher counts than everything else). Midichlorians are, according to Qui-Gon, "microscopic life-forms", so they truly exist in the SW Universe; however, by adding some mystery in there, it makes the viewer want to know more about why midichlorians choose certain individuals or can carry in a blood line.

Yeah, I guess they are cool, I just don't like how it simplifies the Force so much. Or limits it, really.

For instance, if you were playing a sport, and you practice alot, you can make yourself be good. But there are also people with just natural talent. By saying that midichlorians are the determining factor, it's like saying "it doesn't matter how much you practice, mr. over 9000 is always going to be better than you"

But it's all good.

That's not entirely true. Even if you do have natural ability, you have to practice. Natural ability can only get you so far.

For instance, in The Approaching Storm, there was a phlog (I think it was a phlog) who, even though he had few midichlorians, managed to lift a bowl of water with the Force.

Only to have water dumped over him by Luminara, but that's not the point. He practiced long and hard to harness that small amount of natural ability. If he hadn't, he would have lost that.

The Force is not like practicing something really hard; it is an inherent skill that can be practiced with by Force-sentitives, but those who are not Force-sensitive can never use it for any reason.

Here is what I know:

According to Qui-Gon, midichlorians make up all living things, meaning that everything and everyone has some midichlorians in them. However, this does not mean that they can feel the Force; only those with high levels of midichlorians can actually feel the Force and use it.

QGR, I sort of got the feeling from that book, that Kit described what the Force was like and showed them exercises that the Jedi use to help them with their weak spots. Anyway, that's just what I thought from that book, but your thoughts sound better.

OK, you've got a point. However, it's been a while since I read that book, so I forgot that part.

having the midichlorians as an explanation doesn't really un-mystify it. From what I've read, they never really go into to much detail about it.

Yeah, I agree. It's not really something that should be explained; it just exists.