![Was Palpatine Anakin’s Father? - [Force for Thought] #8 | Fandom](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
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"Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith so powerful and so wise, he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create…life." - Darth Sidious
In Legends it’s pretty much confirmed that Anakin was born of the Force as a reaction to Plagueis and Palpatine growing stronger in the dark side, however the reason for his conception is much less clear in Canon. Although it has been hinted in the Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith comic book that Palpatine played a part in the creation of Anakin, series writer Charles Soule has said it was not intended to confirm anything.
The comic showed Vader entering a sort of spirit world through a portal, where he was confronted with visions of the past. One of these visions involved Palpatine lurking over a pregnant Shmi Skywalker, apparently manipulating her unborn child through the Force as the word “unnatural” echoed through the air.
While it seems we won’t be given a definitive answer for Anakin’s miracle conception in Canon any time soon, I personally believe that Palpatine is somewhat responsible for the creation of the Chosen One as not only was it suggested in the Vader comic series, but the original draft for Revenge of the Sith actually reveals that George Lucas himself intended Palpatine to be Anakin’s “father”.
In order to mirror the Original Trilogy and add to the poetry of Star Wars, George considered including a scene in Episode III in which Palpatine reveals his master plan to Anakin. He tells Anakin that he orchestrated his creation using Midichlorians - “I have waited all these years for you to fulfil your destiny. I arranged for your conception. I used the power of the Force to will the Midichlorians to start cell divisions that created you.”
Anakin tells Palpatine that he doesn’t believe him, much like Luke did to Vader in Empire Strikes Back. Palpatine continues - “Ahhh, but you know it’s true. When you clear your mind, you will sense the truth. You could almost think of me as your father”
“That’s impossible!” Anakin retorts.
“Nevertheless, you must decide…” Says Palpatine.
Obviously the poetry is a little on the nose at this point, this is likely why Lucas cut it from the final script, but it certainly explains a lot and makes us view the prequels through a different lens. To me, it ties together the concepts and ideas introduced in the Prequels very well. At first, Midichlorians seemed to take away from the magic and mystery of the Force, but at least this revelation would have justified their existence for the purpose of storytelling.
It also puts greater emphasis on Palpatine’s gradual manipulation of Anakin over the years. From recalling the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the wise and his ability to use Midichlorians to create life in Revenge of the Sith, to stating that he will “watch [Anakin’s] career with great enthusiasm.” in The Phantom Menace. For years the Sith Lord had awaited his creation’s arrival, and now that Anakin had been discovered by the Jedi, his plans for the boy could be put in motion. What seemed like relatively throwaway lines before become so much more meaningful thanks to this revelation. If Palpatine created Anakin and had a plan for him the entire time, it makes these moments all the more unsettling.
If this is the case, I also wouldn’t be surprised if Anakin wasn’t really the Chosen One. Perhaps Palpatine knew of the prophecy and created a being so powerful in the Force to trick the Jedi into believing he was the Chosen One. To me, it makes sense that Anakin would have a high Midichlorian count if he was literally created using them. This theory would also provide greater justification for Rey being the one who ultimately brought balance to the Force, maybe she was the true Chosen One and Anakin an imitation created by Palpatine?
Palpatine revealing he was capable of creating life using the Force and Midiclorians also provides Anakin with greater motivation to turn to the dark side. Sure, he would have likely felt angry and betrayed by this revelation, but it would also prove to Anakin that Palpatine could save Padme. If the Sith could create life using the Force, surely they would be able to save and preserve it as well?
I also love the symmetry this would have created between the Prequels and the Original Trilogy. At that pivotal “I am your father” moment in Empire Strikes Back, Luke didn’t give in. He resisted the dark side and stood by his friends and beliefs. It would have been neat to see Anakin in almost the exact same situation, instead taking the darker route and falling to temptation. This would have been a neat contrast between Anakin and his son.
This theory also makes Palpatine seem all the more evil and adds to our appreciation of him as a mastermind. Not only did he orchestrate the fall of the Republic and Jedi, he created possibly the most powerful Force user in history and was able to use them as his puppet. At first we assumed Palpatine discovered Anakin by happenstance and took advantage of the situation, recognising how powerful the boy could become. But if it turned out he planned this from the very start and waited years for his evil machinations to come to fruition, it would make him seem even more tyrannical.
This would also add further justification to the way Palpatine treated his previous apprentices. Much like the Death Star, Anakin would become Palpatine’s ultimate weapon, his mechanical terror. Of course he’d readily throw away Maul and Dooku without a thought, they were just metaphorical pawns in his grand game of chess. If he knew Vader was his goal the entire time, nothing else would have mattered to him. This would also explain why he didn’t deem Anakin too weak due to his defeat at the hands of Obi-Wan. If it were Maul or Dooku burning to death on Mustafar, Palpatine would have labelled them as incompetent or unworthy and left them to perish. He saved Anakin because the fallen Jedi Knight was his project, his life’s work. Almost like Frankenstein's monster. Everything had led up to this and he couldn’t just throw it away.
Do you guys think Palpatine created Anakin? Do you prefer the Legends explanation for Anakin’s conception? Do you think this theory adds or detracts from the story of the Prequels? Let me know in the comments below and as always let’s try to get some good discussions going. Thanks for reading and a special thanks to @Caedus2187 for suggesting this week's topic! If you have any ideas for future Force for Thoughts you can post them over at the Suggestions Hub. Don't forget to upvote this post if you enjoyed it and be sure to follow the Force for Thought archive to stay up to date on the latest editions as well as find any you might have missed. I hope you all have a great week and that you’ll be back again for the next Force for Thought, but until then may the force be with you!
Sources
Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith
Darth Plagueis
Revenge of the Sith
The Making of Revenge of the Sith
The Phantom Menace
The Empire Strikes Back
