As Star Wars sits in a gap period between movies, now is as good a time as any to dissect the various nuances of the lore and think about what they could mean for the future. In my own journey through this content, I stumbled upon the Chosen One prophecy, and how the general execution of it never made any sense to me.
As Obi-Wan Kenobi famously said after lopping off three of Anakin Skywalker's appendages, he was the Chosen One. He was supposed to destroy the Sith, not join them, but is that actually accurate? Let's review the ins and outs of the Chosen One prophecy, what prominent figures have said about it and how the franchise has yet to fulfill this mystical prophecy.
What The Chosen One Prophecy States And How It's Interpreted
The Chosen One prophecy first mentioned by Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is found in the Great Holocron. Its exact origins are unknown, but the message is clear. This "chosen one" will be a Force-sensitive individual born of no father who, according to prophecy, will restore balance to the Force. The prophecy has inspired both Jedi and Sith alike to hunt down this Chosen One, if only to mold the individual for their own selfish desires.
The mistake many make in Star Wars is similar to the mistake Qui-Gon Jinn made when he chose Anakin Skywalker. The Chosen One isn't a weapon meant to obliterate the other opposing side, but rather a Force-sensitive individual who will restore balance to both the Light and the Dark. Destroying the other side does not equal balance, which may be why a powerful Force user surfaces every so many years when the scales tip in favor of one side of the Force.
George Lucas has stated in the past that the Chosen One prophecy was fulfilled via Anakin Skywalker, who was ultimately redeemed through his children. While I think there's a time where that was once true, it's worth mentioning Lucas' comment is from 2011, well before the First Order, and the return of Emperor Palpatine. It was also before Luke brought back the good in his father, and then ultimately went into seclusion after inadvertently making his nephew into the next Darth Vader.
No Star Wars Protagonist Has Brought Order To The Force
If we're looking at Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, and Rey... Skywalker, not one of them can claim the title of Chosen One. Anakin strengthened the Sith for years, and while he did ultimately kill the original Emperor, his years of tyranny allowed the Empire to outlast its down period and transform into The First Order. I've said this before, but Vader's one good thing does not outweigh the numerous awful things he did under the Empire.
Then there's Luke, who, as mentioned earlier, turned Ben Solo into Kylo Ren. That action alone may not have negated him destroying of the Death Star, but the years he spent in seclusion effectively ignoring the evil the First Order unleashed on the galaxy certainly negates some of his earlier heroics. He did somewhat right his wrong in training Rey, but that did not exactly bring balance to the Force.
Finally, the current argument is that Rey Palpatine completes the Chosen One prophecy. I can sort of see the argument in that Rey denied her Palpatine heritage in an effort to be good, but that line of thinking implies that individuals are destined to be only Force wielders in the Light or Dark side. In reality, these Force-sensitives actions drive their allegiance to the Force, and ultimately dictate their mastery of abilities. Rey's Force alliance is not genetic, so she's not necessarily rejecting the Dark side any more than any other Light side Jedi.
How Star Wars Could Fulfill Its Chosen One Prophecy
There are many ways in which Star Wars could fulfill its Chosen One prophecy, the first being to introduce a character that will ultimately restore balance to the Force. I see some real potential in The Child (Baby Yoda), if only because he's the newest Force-sensitive character in canon whose future is not fully fleshed out yet. He's also shown to have a grasp on abilities both Light and Dark.
Of course, not all Force-sensitives are Jedi, nor are all Force-sensitives good. Personally, I'd like the Chosen One to be a villain the Sith and Jedi share, thus inspiring them to put differences aside. As the saying goes, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," and I've thought there needs to be some major third player in this battle for the galaxy for a while.
I could also argue that Star Wars may have already killed the best candidate for its Chosen One prophecy, Kylo Ren. Had Rey accepted Ren's offer to rule and shape the galaxy the way they saw fit, perhaps that was the best shot this Chosen One prophecy had at being realized. Now that he's gone, who knows how long it will be until the next person comes along who can make this come to pass?
Why Star Wars' Chosen One Prophecy May Not Be The Best For The Franchise
Say the Chosen One prophecy comes to pass, and a character restores balance to the Light and Dark side. Then what? Star Wars has thrived on its galaxy being in a near-constant state of war in all of its stories that it's hard to say what exactly this franchise could become when its world isn't war-torn.
Solo: A Star Wars Story showed there can be a Star Wars movie that sidesteps conflicts with galaxy-wide implications, but its underperformance doesn't really make it the ideal model for what a movie in this franchise should be. If the Chosen One is indeed a hero, they can really only appear when this whole ride is at an end, or not at all. A prophecy can't really be fulfilled if that balance only holds for a short while, right?
Unless, as stated earlier, the Chosen One is a villain that inspires the Light and Dark sides to put their differences aside to unite against a greater threat. That seems like a big ask considering the emotions that propel the power of each side are in direct opposition of each other, but who knows, maybe a writer will come along one day and figure it all out.
Do you believe Star Wars' Chosen One prophecy has been fulfilled or not? Share your thoughts in the comments and continue to stick with CinemaBlend as we report on the latest goings on in movies and television.
