"You and the Naboo form a symbiont circle. What happens to one of you will affect the other. You must understand this." - Obi-Wan Kenobi

This line perhaps best encapsulates the entire arc of The Phantom Menace, if not the whole Star Wars saga. The underlying theme of the film revolves around symbiotic relationships, which Qui-Gon defines for his young ward Anakin Skywalker as "life forms living together for mutual advantage."

Coming from the Greek word "symbioun" which means to "live together," symbiosis has since become a biological term. In science, it is defined as the interdependence of two organisms, presumably of different species.

The concept of symbiosis unfolds throughout the saga, beginning, in The Phantom Menace, on a large galactic scale and winding its way down to the microscopic.

One of the key events in The Phantom Menace is the invasion of Naboo orchestrated by Darth Sidious. The issue here is trade.

The Trade Federation becomes the aggressor when they blockade Naboo in order to avoid the Galactic Senate's taxes on formerly free trade routes. Though mostly self-sufficient, the human culture on Naboo had grown dependent on the protection provided by the Republic. But trade -- import and export, mutual exchange -- was likewise very important to Naboo's relationship with the larger galaxy and, presumably, survival.

It is also certainly a metaphor for symbiosis. The droid invasion violently interrupts the give-and-take reciprocity of trade by forcing Naboo to grant exclusive commercial rights to the Federation, effectively destroying the planet's symbiotic relationship with the greater whole of the Republic.

Architects of Symbiosis

The layout of Otoh Gunga, city of the Gungans, is ironic given The Phantom Menace' s symbiotic concerns.

Highly organic, the city is built up of hydrostatic bubbles which linktogether to form a small aquatic civilization.

It is a city built on interconnection, although its own inhabitants seem unable to pick up the symbolism.

Meanwhile, the symbiont circle appears in the relationship between the Naboo and the Gungans.

One of the most immediate expressions of symbiosis, not only in Star Wars but in our very lives, is the idea of family.

The Star Wars saga has become rather infamous for its twisted family tree. But the notion of families and blood are very important, taking on mythic dimensions in that galaxy far, far away.

In the original trilogy, we meet Luke Skywalker itching to leave the circle of his adoptive, apparently dysfunctional family, Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru on Tatooine.

Other family dynamics, natural and surrogate, abound. Luke and Leia eventually discover their shared Skywalker blood, while Vader and Luke transform a parasitic relationship into a healthy reciprocal symbiosis by the end of Return of the Jedi.

In Episode I, the family circle retreats a generation to focus on Shmi and Anakin as mother and son. The pair are certainly a symbiotic unit, respecting one another's needs to grow as individuals and -- at least, so far -- willing to let go when the time comes.

The exchange of love between them is subtly expressed, yet still evident in the farewell scene. Shmi's motif is, of course, her philosophy: "the biggest problem in this universe is that no one helps each other."

There just isn't enough symbiosis in her world.

The microscopic midi-chlorians live in natural symbiosis with the Jedi, enabling them to hear the Will of the Force -- in short, making the Jedi symbionts with the Force.

The question remains what the Force gains from all of this. Much is taken from it, yet what is given back?

It has been theorized -- largely in the novelizations and other "expanded universe" material -- that the more the Force is used, the more it grows and expands. When the Jedi are nearly extinct, the Force metaphorically dwindles as well, becoming a mere spark in the galaxy.

Does the Force becomes more powerful, and perhaps more dynamic, the more the Jedi exercise it? If so, both Force and Jedi Order may exist together for mutual advantage, forming yet another symbiotic circle.