Chosen One/Legends

"You refer to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the Force. You believe it's this boy?"

- Mace Windu

The prophecy of the Chosen One was an ancient Jedi legend that foretold the coming of a being who would restore balance to the Force.

The prophecy was one of hundreds of obscure legends maintained by the Jedi Order, though its origins and actual content remain unknown. It is believed the prophecy detailed the birth of one strong in the Force, who would ultimately bring balance to that mystical energy field through their actions. It may also have indicated that being would, in restoring balance, destroy the Sith, who were thought to be the cause of unbalance, with their use of the dark side of the Force. However, as the Sith were believed destroyed at the Seventh Battle of Ruusan, the prophecy was disregarded by the Jedi High Council.

History of the Chosen One
"You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!"

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

In the waning days of the Republic, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn discovered a young slave boy, on desert planet of Tatooine, named Anakin Skywalker. Jinn believed the boy could be the Chosen One himself, due to his extraordinary ability with the Force&mdash;brought on by his unusually high midi-chlorian count of over twenty thousand&mdash;and his apparent immaculate conception and birth by Shmi Skywalker.

Despite Qui-Gon's belief of the boy's true purpose in the Galaxy, the Jedi High Council was not entirely convinced, and forebade Qui-Gon from training Anakin. However, after Jinn's death on Naboo, his former Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, took Anakin as his apprentice. The fact that it was a Sith Lord that slew Qui-Gon may have indicated to the Council that, with the Sith returned, the prophecy could still be completed.

Although Anakin Skywalker's powers grew as the years passed, he began a slow but irrevocable slide towards the dark side of the Force, in part due to his "guidence" from Chancellor Palpatine; someone Anakin thought of as a friend and mentor. The High Council was still dubious that Anakin was truly the Chosen One, and Yoda himself even mused that the prophecy could have been misread, and that Anakin could not have been the one destined to bring balance. This assumption became a conviction when Skywalker fell to the dark side and, as Darth Vader, was responsible for the fall of the Jedi Order. Obi-Wan Kenobi, during his confrontation with Vader on Mustafar, stated that he believed Anakin was indeed the Chosen One, but that his destiny had been altered, and the prophecy nullified. Yoda and Obi-Wan then looked towards the offspring of Skywalker to one day overthrow the Sith.

It transpired, however, that the prophecy was still to be fulfilled; decades later, above the moon of Endor. There, Vader stood witness to a confrontation between the Dark Lord of the Sith, Palpatine, and Vader's own son, Luke Skywalker. When Palpatine unleashed deadly Force lightning upon the boy, Vader turned against his Sith Master to save Luke's life. He killed Palpatine at the cost of his own life, and in doing so, fulfilled the prophecy by destroying the last two Sith Lords in the Galaxy. Redeemed finally, Anakin Skywalker passed into the light of the Force, leaving his son to continue the teachings of the Jedi, to maintain the balance Anakin had restored.


 * The Chosen One bore similarities to the Sith'ari of the Sith, and may even have been the same person.

Behind the scenes
It is believed by some that the prophecy of the Chosen One is connected to the prophecy of the "Son of the Suns", as stated in the novelization of Episode IV: "&hellip;And in the time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior, and he shall be known as THE SON OF THE SUNS."

- Journal of the Whills, 3:127

This, however, was written in 1977 when the prophecy of the Chosen One had not been developed, and is actually referencing the actions of Luke Skywalker, not his father.


 * George Lucas himself has stated that Anakin is the Chosen One; although Luke indirectly served as the catalyst that allows Anakin to fulfil the prophecy.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi