A Metaphysical Analysis of the Force Part 3: The Chosen One

The Chosen One

The chosen one is one of the most important plot elements of the Prequel trilogy, and the saga as a whole. The pressure the prophecy places on Anakin is critical to his fall to the dark side. The presence of the prophecy re-contextualized Anakin's return to the light. The sequel trilogy in it's turn has asked us to redefine how we think of the Chosen one prophecy. No longer did Anakin's final sacrifice cause the final and eternal extinction of the sith, therefore bringing the force back into balance. In light of all of this, I'd like to analyse what the prophecy says, what it means, and how Anakin does or does not fulfill it's requirements, and what the rebirth of the Sith means for the Chosen One.

The Prophecy of the Chosen One

"A prophecy which misread could have been" 

- Yoda, Revenge of the Sith

To begin with, I want to dissect the prophecy of the Chosen One line by line, as it appears in the Master and Apprentice by Claudia Grey. Before I embark, I will say that prophecy in all stories are deliberately vague and mysterious. They're meant to be mystical plot devices which taunt the main characters with their own elusiveness. Most prophecies only make sense with the benefit of hindsight. Thankfully we have a good amount of hindsight when analyzing these prophecies, but keep in mind that the mere concept of "analyzing" a prophecy is tenuous at best.

"Only through sacrifice of many Jedi will the Order cleanse the sin done to the nameless."

This passage clearly foretells the Jedi purge. The nameless are debatable here. It could refer to the nameless masses from whom the Jedi have become more and more distant, as we can see from the Trace and Rafa arc of Clone Wars season 7. Alternatively, the Nameless may refer to the Clones, who were born and bred for the War which the Jedi fight. Either one of these interpretations fits with the overall theme, which is that the Jedi have lost their way, and only through the tearing down of the order can they fix what has gone wrong.

"The danger of the past is not past, but sleeps in an egg. When the egg cracks, it will threaten the galaxy entire."

I believe this passage refers to the Sith. The Jedi believe that the Sith are a relic of the past, not to be feared, when in fact they only lay dormant and intend to dominant the entire galaxy when they return. A fairly simple passage.

"When the Force itself sickens, past and future must split and combine."

I will freely admit this passage has me stumped more then most. The force sickening likely refers to the imbalance in the force caused by the domination of the sith, an imbalance that requires the Chosen one to re-balance it. The second half of this line is less clear. Personally, I believe it refers to how both Anakin (the past) and Rey (the future) must both fulfill elements of the prophecy, a coordination mediated by Luke and Leia. However given how vague this line is, this section could be heavily redefined by later media.

"A Chosen One shall come, born of no father, and through him will ultimate balance in the Force be restored"

This is the culminating line of the prophecy, and possibly the most important one. It's clearly the one which most directly references Anakin, who was born of no father, and is directly identified as the Chosen One. However, what is interesting to note is the phrasing of "through him will ultimate balance in the Force be restored". We'll dig into this line more next, and the ramifications it has on the role of the Chosen One in the galaxy.

The Skywalkers: The Role of the Chosen One

"Is he the chosen one?"

"He is."

"He will avenge us."

Obi Wan and Darth Maul, Rebels

From this final line "through him will ultimate balance be restored" we can conclude that the prophecy is more complex then simply Anakin Skywalker destroying the Sith. The Skywalkers as a family are more important then is immediately obvious. And indeed on reflection, each member of the Skywalker family plays their role in the destruction of the sith and the final victory over the empire. I'll look at the role each of the members of the family fulfill their role.

Anakin Skywalker:

Anakin Skywalker is the Chosen One proper, it is his family and his legacy which ultimately decides the fate of the galaxy. He first fulfills the prophecy by bringing about the destruction of the Jedi, which was required to cleanse the order of it's dogmatic thinking. He later goes on to rebalance the force through the destruction of the Empire, an act which, as we've discussed, rebalances the force.

Luke Skywalker:

Luke Skywalker plays his role in the fulfillment of the prophecy primarily by providing the impetus for Vader to turn on Palpatine. He also begins Rey's training, which eventually prepares her for her confrontation with Palpatine.

Leia Organa:

Leia was the person primarily responsible for Rey's Jedi training. It is her care which reinforces the light in Rey, even when faced with the darkness Sidious believes is inherent to his bloodline.

Rey:

Rey is the final fulfiller of the prophecy, who takes the balance won by Anakin and makes it permanent, through the final destruction of the Sith. Because the Sith are unable to conquer the galaxy again, the balance is maintained, this time (with the final destruction of the sith) for good. Because the Skywalker legacy is critical in preparing Rey for her final destiny of defeating Palpatine, it is through the bloodline of Anakin Skywalker that the sith are wiped out and ultimate balance is restored.

Ben Solo, the last Skywalker, plays a very different role in the fulfilling of the prophecy then his other family members, one which is wrapped up heavily in the concept of the Dyad, which we will discuss at a later date. Suffice to say, Anakin Skywalker is the chosen one, and it's through the power of his blood that the last Palpatine descendant embraces the light side and destroys the sith, fulfilling the prophecy of the Chosen One.