Summary
- The Potentium, a new approach to the Force, was introduced in the Star Wars Expanded Universe but was quickly abandoned, disappointing many fans.
- The Potentium clashed with George Lucas' explanation of the Force, which emphasized the existence of a light and dark side that needed to be balanced.
- Elements of the Potentium can still be seen in recent Star Wars content, such as the Prime Jedi mural in The Last Jedi and the Bendu in Star Wars Rebels, suggesting that the franchise is still influenced by this alternate view.
The Star Wars franchise nearly redefined the Force forever over two decades ago, but this new approach was quickly abandoned. Had Lucasfilm committed to this alternate view of the Force, there would have been countless directions for Star Wars and many exciting stories to be told. At the same time, many fans would have rejected the idea, believing Star Wars had abandoned a fundamental aspect of the Force.
While Star Wars didn't redefine the Force, the influence of this new approach still affects the franchise today. Star Wars fans have always debated "balance" in the Force, and the movies and TV shows continue exploring different concepts. The upcoming Star Wars movies have an opportunity to confirm, deny, or acknowledge what the franchise tried to set up 21 years ago, redefining the Force all over again.
Your browser does not support the video tag. Matt Stover's Traitor Introduced The Potentium, A New Approach To The Force 
Star Wars: The New Jedi Order – Traitor by Matthew Stover saw Jedi Knight Jacen Solo imprisoned by the Yuuzhan Vong, where a mysterious woman called Vergere introduced him to a philosophy known as the Potentium. The Jedi Order firmly believed there was an external light and dark side to the Force, but Vergere gradually convinced Jacen that light and dark were internal concepts. She was adamant that there was no literal light or dark side and that a person's actions determined whether the Force was good or bad. Jacen embraced this as the Unifying Force and temporarily convinced Luke Skywalker to allow his students to explore the concept.
