Abeloth: Everything You Need To Know About The Star Wars Villain

Abeloth is an enormously powerful being in the galaxy far, far away, and even though she has only ever appeared in the Expanded Universe, she's made a big impression on many fans. She was introduced as the antagonist of the nine-part book series "Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi," where readers discovered that she was a villain so existentially terrifying that the Sith and the Jedi actually had to team up to bring her down. So who or what is she, exactly?

Also known as the Bringer of Chaos, Abeloth is a creature of primal power whose origin is tied to the Ones of Mortis. She feeds off destruction, and is only content when she is spreading desolation among living things across the galaxy. Despite the fact that there's an arc in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" dedicated to the Ones of Mortis, "Star Wars" films and TV shows have thus far shied away from exploring Abeloth. However, that could change in the near future.

The ending of "Ahsoka" Season 1 sees Baylan Skoll standing on top of some giant statues of the Mortis Gods. This has led people to assume that Abeloth will factor into the upcoming second season in some way. While the character's presence has yet to be confirmed, there's never been a better time to read up on this formidable "Star Wars" villain. Here's everything you need to know about Abeloth.

The Ones of Mortis featured in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," which is where most fans first encountered them. The Ones were in a three-episode arc during Season 3, playing a major part in "Overlords," "Altar of Mortis," and "Ghosts of Mortis." In the show, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano are mysteriously drawn to a planet called Mortis. There, they encounter primal Force Gods who call themselves the Father, the Daughter, and the Son. The Daughter embodies the power of the light side of the Force, the Son embodies the power of its dark side, and it is the Father's job to always maintain balance between the two. There is no Mother in their cohort. 

The Mortis Gods have incredible power. They are complex beings, but it's most important to understand that they are ancient. Their exact origin has never been specified, though we know that the three of them are the central element of Abeloth's origin. There was a time, long ago, when the Mortis Gods did not live on Mortis but rather a lush planet. One day a young woman, the Servant, arrived to care for them. She acted as a mediating force between the Daughter and the Son, distracted and assisted them with tasks of creation, and saw to the everyday needs and nurturing of the whole family. The Father, Daughter, and Son all loved her, and in time she became the Mother, but they were immortal and she was not. 

The Daughter and the Son wanted the Father to allow the Mother to become immortal because she was growing old, and while they argued, the Mother, who was desperate to stay happy and alive with her beloved family, snuck up to the Font of Power (the source of the Son's power) and drank. The Mother then went to swim in the Pool of Knowledge (the source of the Daughter's power), and by the time the Father found her she had reverted to a youthful appearance and been corrupted in spirit. The Son and the Daughter were later forced to imprison the Mother in a collection of black holes called The Maw, and anytime she escaped, they had to work together to re-imprison her. 

The Ones of Mortis ultimately perished on Mortis. The Son attempted to kill the Father with the only weapon that could actually harm them (the Dagger of Mortis), only for the Daughter to step in front of the blade and die instead. After her sacrifice, the Father, in order to reinstate balance between the light and the dark, mortally wounded himself (in doing so, he ensured that the Son would lose his immortality and be defeated by the Chosen One). It's a series of events that wouldn't be out of place in a Shakespeare play, and it becomes even more tragic with the addition of the Mother and her origin story.

In "Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi," following the toppling of the Empire, Abeloth successfully lures and absorbs the life force of Callista Ming, a Jedi who has been romantically involved with Luke Skywalker. Due to various conflicts throughout the galaxy, Abeloth's prison weakened enough for her to escape, allowing her to take the form of Callista and target Luke, who she believed to be the most powerful Force user alive at the time. Eventually, Luke and his allies become aware of Abeloth's existence and abilities, as well as her crimes and intentions, and they are compelled to form an alliance with the Sith to fight her. Abeloth is neither the dark nor the light — she represents a threat to everyone, with her ultimate goal being the destruction of the galaxy.

Abeloth has many abilities thanks to her decision to drink from the Font of Power and swim in the Pool of Knowledge. It might even be quicker to name the powers Abeloth doesn't possess, though she does use certain tactics more than others, indicating a preference and occasionally even an M.O. for dealing with certain obstacles. Abeloth is an omnipotent Force user, with an ability to wield the Force that surpasses that of Luke Skywalker. Because she is neither light nor dark, she is able to use many Sith abilities that the Jedi deem unacceptable, such as life draining and mind control. Her powers are so varied that Jedi Knight Tahiri Veila once called Abeloth a "living Force volcano," which is perhaps the best way to summarize the threat that she poses. She's formidable in combat, certainly, but it's her less aggressive abilities that actually seem to serve her better.

Abeloth is capable of influencing Force-sensitive minds from a great distance, as evidenced by the many people whose thoughts she invaded simply because they had the misfortune of traveling near her prison. This level of influence induced paranoid psychosis in many, and those who were drawn directly to her had their life force absorbed to fuel her strength. She also has the strongest Force healing capabilities that Luke Skywalker has ever witnessed and the ability to bend living flora and fauna to her will. Arguably the most dangerous weapon in her arsenal is the power to draw people in with her appearance. "You couldn't stop looking at her, whatever she chose to look like," the Sith Tyro Vestara Khai told Luke. "It was all you wanted to do — look at her, be around her. Like an intoxicant."

Baylan Skoll (played by the late Ray Stevenson) spends a fair chunk of "Ahsoka" Season 1 hedging his bets and, seemingly, looking for something. It appears he may be close to finding it in the season finale, where viewers see him standing atop a mountainous statue of the Father on the planet Mortis. It's possible that Baylan is trying to find the source of their immense power in order to wield it himself, but his character and the show itself feel more nuanced than that. As an ex-Jedi who now works as a mercenary, Baylan is philosophically lost — tied to the Force, certainly, but not wholly committed to light or dark. The Father represents balance in the Force and thus is not aligned to either side, but it is Abeloth who calls to those who are disillusioned with the ancient structures that have dictated the paths of Force-users for hundreds of thousands of years. Is Baylan set to cross paths with this treacherous villain in "Ahsoka" Season 2?

Some fans believe that Abeloth is the one who has called Baylan to Mortis, hoping to use him to break free from her prison. In "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," Anakin and co. were initially drawn to Mortis because the Father wished for Anakin to take his place as the keeper of the Force, maintaining the balance between light and dark. There's a theory that Anakin will become a Force God alongside Baylan and Ahsoka in the upcoming sophomore season. Even if that's not the case, Abeloth's appearance in the series seems likely. Her ability to shape-shift could be useful in hitting the emotional notes of a second season, as she could choose to take the form of Padmé Amidala — the deceased love of Anakin's life, mother of Leia and Luke, and dear friend of Ahsoka's. This lines up with rumors that Natalie Portman (who portrayed Padmé in the prequel trilogy) is being lined up for a role.