The director of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story just gave his answer as to whether Jyn Erso is Force-sensitive.
For some, this question may not make sense. After all, Felicity Jones’ character doesn't ever outright show any Force abilities during the runtime of the fan-favorite film.
She doesn’t seem as close with it as her fellow teammate Chirrut Imwe, who is deeply attuned to the mystical energy. However, despite not flexing any Jedi tricks, fans still think there might be more to her than meets the eye.
Many point to the kyber crystal her mom gave her as a child as a key clue. At one point, Jyn even actively says a prayer to the Force in order to give the team some much-needed luck.
Is Jyn Erso Force-Sensitive in Rogue One?
The Direct’s Russ Milheim spoke exclusively with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards, who offered his thoughts on whether Jyn Erso was Force-sensitive.
Edwards compared Jyn’s relationship to the force to a belief in “something greater than us.”
"I don't know. I mean, I see the Force as, like, a religion, obviously. And it's like, you might tell a child, 'Have faith in God.' It doesn't mean that they're the Messiah. So, it's kind of, I see it like, you can believe in this idea that there's something greater than us; there's a destiny of some sort. But [you] don't have to be the second coming of Christ to do something great with your life."
This topic is notably relevant within the Star Wars community right now thanks to the Disney+ series, Ahsoka.
In the events of the show, the titular former Jedi is working on training a Mandalorian warrior named Sabine Wren. In the process, she also seems to clearly be pushing her Padawan into understanding the Force.
The catch is that, up until this point, Sabine has shown no hints of Force sensitivity. In fact, even their droid companion has openly admitted that the trainer’s aptitude with the Force is extremely low.
This has sparked countless debates about what someone needs to be considered Force-sensitive and if those abilities can be taught and mastered by someone who originally had no connection at all.
Would the Force Hurt Characters Like Sabine & Jyn?
Many might argue that giving characters such as Sabine Wren and Jyn Erso Force abilities would take away part of what makes them so unique and compelling—their competency without the mystical powers.
After all, how often has anyone heard of a Mandalorian Jedi without a connection to the Force? It’s a new concept for Star Wars to tackle and offers up a unique type of Jedi to audiences.
It's similar to why Star Wars should arguably never give Han Solo or Hera any Force abilities either. Not everyone needs Force sensitivity to be interesting.
As for Jyn Erso, what Gareth Edwards vocalized seems to be a good fit. She probably doesn't have any Force sensitivity and instead sees it as a higher power to put her faith in when the going gets tough.
So if Jyn ever shows up again in Star Wars media, don't expect her to be throwing boulders with her mind.
