As puzzling as he is powerful, the Bendu is another Force Wielder  like the Father, Son, and Daughter of Mortis. Like the others, he is the embodiment of the Force aspect he represents, “the Middle”.  However, the aspect he represents isn’t as plainly conveyed as those of the other force wielders. 
      We know the Father, the Son, and the Daughter are the embodiments of the Balance, Dark, and Light sides of the Force, respectively. The Bendu tells us he’s “in the Middle”. So what does he mean by the Middle? Isn’t it balance that comes to mind when we think of being in the middle of Light and Dark? But the Father represents Balance between the Light and Dark so in this case the Middle can’t mean Balance. It must be another aspect of the Force….

    Obi-Wan told us in ANH that the Force is an energy field created by all living things, and that it surrounds us and binds us all together. In that statement lies the clue to understanding what the “Middle” is and that clue is that the force is in “ALL” living things. The force doesn’t just reside in all sentient beings, it also resides in all living plants and animals in the natural world. 
     The scale of balance of the Light and Dark sides of the Force only applies to sentient beings that make conscious decisions based on their own ego. Their desires are either selfless, or selfish. Light or Dark. Whereas plants and animals, in most all cases being not sentient, have no sense of ego to influence their decisions so are neither Light nor Dark. Their ‘decisions’ are made out of necessity and survival, are free of ego, and therefore don’t fall on the scale of Balance.

     Predatory animals viciously kill without mercy for their survival, but can also be the most gentle and caring parents at the same time. Animals kill but aren’t evil. Being nurturing parents doesn’t make them good.      Plants can contain compounds that kill, or compounds that can heal. They can choke the life from other plants in the struggle for light, and they can nourish other life with their fruit and nutrient value. Plants can give life but they aren’t good, they can poison but aren’t evil.  Even weather itself can be mercilessly destructive and deadly, or it can be nurturing and life giving. The natural living world, devoid of ego, IS the Middle the Bendu represents.

     Even the Bendu’s appearance is representative of the natural world. When Kanan approaches the Bendu he appears to be an indistinguishable part of the natural scene. His back is seemingly made from the surrounding environment, or of something that closely resembles it. His head and face looks Simian, Bovine, and Bovidae (goat) all together, he has a torso that looks like a turtle shell, and his lower legs and tail seem reptilian. His body is a conglomeration of living things and the environment; a living representation of the natural world. The Middle of the Force.
    

I want to add, when the Bendu decided to help the Ghost crew he took the form of a powerful storm and the Ghost crew was in nearly as much danger from him as was the Empire forces. Even more representation of the natural world and it’s indifference.

     I’ve been wanting to do this one for a while, I hope you all enjoy it…