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The topic of whether Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One has been debated and dissected on just about every blog and podcast that is currently in existence, and if it hasn’t been discussed, then at some point, it will be. I think that it has even been discussed on a past Coffee With Kenobi episode. But I wanted to give my opinions on the topic.

Unfortunately, the specific prophesy that references the Chosen One has never been written down, but it basically states that a being of extreme Force potential will come along and is supposed to bring “balance to the Force.” At the time that Anakin was discovered by Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi, who represented the Light side of the Force, were the primary user of the Force in the galaxy. Their interpretation of the prophesy was that the Chosen One was going to destroy the Sith. Obi-Wan Kenobi states this perfectly in Episode 3 after he defeats Darth Vader, which was Anakin’s new Sith name.

“You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them. You were to bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness.”

Yoda does mention that they may have misread the prophecy, but the Jedi still had the wrong impression of Anakin.

I feel that Anakin was the Chosen One because he did bring balance to the Force, but it was not in a way the Jedi had anticipated. At the end of Revenge of the Sith, there are two Sith, Darth Vader and Darth Sidious, and there were at least two Jedi, Yoda and Obi-Wan. There may have been more Jedi, but that hasn’t been revealed yet. The Dark side was stronger during this time, since Yoda and Obi-Wan were in hiding, waiting for a time when the Jedi were strong enough to defeat the Sith. Anakin does, however, leave the Force in darkness, since the Sith are now in control of the galaxy, which brought the Force out of balance.

Also, Anakin/Vader DOES eventually destroy the Sith, at the end of Return of the Jedi when he throws Palpatine/Sidious over the railing and into the core of the second Death Star. Even though he doesn’t die immediately, the result of this action causing Anakin to get injuries that prove to be terminal. Now the Light side of the Force is the stronger side. However, I don’t think that the Force is in balance, since one side is now the stronger. And even though this portion of the story and history of Star Wars was never canon, I feel that the Force has not been in balance for thousands of years, since the Sith War. I also don’t think the Force will ever be in balance.

So to sum up my thoughts, Anakin is indeed the Chosen One, but he doesn’t destroy the Sith, he only ends their rule and control of the galaxy for that period of time.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog and I would be pleased to read any comments and thoughts that you have on the topic. You can respond to this blog and I will try to give you my replies. If you would like send me a personal message, you can e-mail me at joe2@coffeewithkenobi.com and I will be happy to respond. Remember, the Force will be with you, Always.

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6 Comments

  1. jaymo2yp
    July 9, 2014 at 09:33 Reply ↓

    Very thought-provoking, Joe!

    You’re right – the debate of the “Chosen One” is akin to “which came first – the chicken or the egg?” – a debate that, at least for Star Wars fans, is a classic one, indeed.

    I think you’re right to say that the Force was, in fact, NOT in balance after Anakin/Vader threw Palpatine/Sidious down that reactor shaft. After all, without the SIth (or at least the organization that was the Sith), there was more light than dark. However, especially now that we have the canonization of The Clone Wars, we know that, in fact, the Sith exist in every facet of the galaxy; perhaps not in as the Bane Rule of Two doctrine, but in the essence of their belief system and the evil that is.

    Now, as far as Anakin being The Chosen One in Star Wars itself, I believe he was. Mainly because GL said he was, and he is “The Maker,” after all! 😉

    But…stepping back from the literal interpretation, I think anakin/Vader’s actions HELPED bring balance, because after the Jedi Purge and the elimination of Sidious, there was a time of rebirth in the Force. A time that reminds me of when we burn the sides of a ditch in the spring to get rid of all of the old brush and weeds, to allow the tender, new grass to take its place.

    THAT’S what Anakin’s actions did. His actions allowed a “wiping of the slate”, so that a new era could begin. An era that, with the reestablishment of the New Jedi Order, was once again able to fight the evils of the galaxy in a fresh way.

    Evil always exists. Evil WILL always exist. It exists in all of us, wether we believe it or not. No matter the belief system we have, wether it be Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, or evne atheism, there is a certain “ying and yang” that will always be there. It just depends upon what catalysts are present to drive that presence of what we call either “evil” or “good.”

    I don’t know how into the Old Republic you are, but even the Sith dabbled in the light side: Revan was one ot try and use a Force technique called “Force Balance”, in which he would combine the powers of both dark and light in order to create a temporary flash of immense power. That flash was one of the most powerful techniques he had in his arsenal, and gave him the ability to overpower his enemies.

    Blance is power. The trick is finding it WITHIN each and evey one of us.

    I could go on and on (obviously), but I won’t overwhelm your comments section, here!

    May the Force (in balance) Be With You, my friend!
    ~Jay

    1. Joe2 Taylor
      July 9, 2014 at 18:53 Reply ↓

      Jay,

      I never actually thought of the whole idea of “starting over” even though it was right in front of me. That’s exactly what Anakin’s son had to do after he defeated Sidious and died himself.

      I’m slowly getting into the Old Republic era of the GFFA. I’ve listened to the “TOR: Revan” novel, as well as the other three, but I want to actually read them so I can get more out of them.

      Thanks for the reply.

      1. Melinda
        July 13, 2014 at 11:28 Reply ↓

        Thought-provoking, Jay. 🙂 I’m with Joe. I never really thought about Sidious’ and Vader’s death giving rise to a clean slate (so to speak). I like it! 🙂 Thanks for giving me a fresh outlook. 🙂
        And you’re absolutely right. The Sith — even small pockets of Sith — always exist(ed). The Rule of Two really is short-sighted in some respects. The Sith were just as prevalent as the Jedi.

  2. Becca Benjamin
    July 12, 2014 at 14:56 Reply ↓

    Anakin, the “Chosen One.” Probably my favorite topic of the entire Saga to discuss and not just because of my endearment over Anakin 😉 Ok, it helps…a little.

    Yes, balance, is it even attainable? That question alone is debatable. Throughout the entire Saga, I don’t think the force ever reaches that so called “Happy Medium” known to us as, “Balance of the Force.” As Jay pointed out, Good and Evil with always exist. One without the other doesn’t seem possible, does it? Perhaps, that’s the whole point. Balance is both; Good and Evil coexisting together. Hmmmm…..

    Great blog, Joe 🙂 There’s a lot to meditate on and ….. I believe I will do just that.
    MTFBWY

  3. Melinda
    July 13, 2014 at 11:22 Reply ↓

    I love these discussions about WHO indeed was the Chosen One! 🙂 It’s no secret that I believe it was Luke — spurred by his actions in ROTJ (and beyond … for us EU fans 🙂 ) AND Yoda’s comment about misinterpreting the prophecy. That line alone leaves the door open to Anakin NOT being the Chosen One.

    I know I’m in the minority where my thinking on this subject is concerned. 😉 That’s okay. When all is said and done, it may indeed be Anakin. I just wish I could have reached through that movie screen, given him a shake or two, and told him he should NOT listen to Chancellor Palpatine. He was an evil being in sheep’s clothing.

    Great to hear your thoughts on this subject, Joe! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    MTFBWY 🙂

  4. kesselchamp
    July 14, 2014 at 22:50 Reply ↓

    Lots to think about this month, Joe, this might require a bit more than a quart of oil 🙂

    If GL says Anakin was the Chosen One, then I guess that’s that, but I have always wondered if misread, the prophecy was, as Yoda said.Seems like the Jedi were screwing up in several areas during the Prequel trilogy, so why should this one be any different.

    As for bringing balance, I always felt like he DID ultimately bring balance, since it was Anakin who gave Palpatine the shaft at the end of RotJ, but I understand how some others feel that put it back in imbalance, since we don’t know of any Sith or dark Jedi that are currently practicing at that time.

    Great, I’m gonna be up all night working on this one. On the upside, I think you gave me a blog topic for this month!

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