Star Wars: Why Anakin Was Called The Chosen One, According To George Lucas

Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christiansen) adopts several monikers throughout his life, from Ani to Skyguy to his most infamous, Darth Vader. However, few are as important as the one he's given as a child, the Chosen One. According to Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), his high midi-chlorian count means that he's not only more in tune with the Force than anyone else but that he could fulfill an ancient prophecy by bringing balance to the Force. According to "Star Wars" mastermind George Lucas, Anakin very much earns that title by the end of his troubled life.

"The prophecy is that Anakin will bring balance to the Force and destroy the Sith. He becomes Darth Vader, Darth Vader does become the hero, Darth Vader does destroy the Sith, meaning himself and the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid). He does it because he is redeemed by his son," Lucas explained in an interview (via hangar21 on YouTube). His fall to the dark side, subsequent destruction of the Sith, and return to the light cement Anakin's place as the Chosen One, restoring balance to the Force before taking his final breath.

Before selling "Star Wars" and Lucasfilm to Disney, Lucas made sure to further solidify Anakin's Chosen One status away from the cinema.

As the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy progresses, Anakin Skywalker's Chosen One status is mentioned here and there, but it's not the prime focus of those three films. As for the original trilogy, it doesn't mention it at all. If anything, those films make his son, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), out to be the one destined to restore balance to the Force. Although, the animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" does a great job of exploring the notion that Anakin is indeed the Chosen One through the unforgettable Mortis story arc, which covers the Season 3 episodes titled "Overlords," "Altar of Mortis," and "Ghosts of Mortis."

These installments see Anakin (Matt Lanter), Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), and Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) end up on a strange world called Mortis. There, three powerful beings known as the Father (Lloyd Sherr), the Daughter (Adrienne Wilkinson), and the Son (Sam Witwer) reside, representing balance, the light side, and the dark side, respectively. The Father brings Anakin to Mortis hoping he'll become his successor, though Anakin turns him down. Although, he does prove he could do so, briefly overpowering the Son and Daughter and demonstrating his ability to balance out the dark and the light.

It's a pretty on-the-nose metaphor, but it drives home George Lucas' point that Anakin is the balance-bringing Chosen One all the same.

Since George Lucas introduced the idea of Anakin Skywalker being the prophesized Chosen One in "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace," fans of the galaxy far, far away have discussed it at length. While some have debated Anakin's claim to the title, with some arguing that names like Luke Skywalker and Rey Skywalker (Daisy Ridley) are more deserving, others have conversed about the concept itself. As it turns out, many "Star Wars" fans have varied and pretty understandable reasons for disliking it.

"Like any [prophecy] – it's a cool story element to think about, but not something I take very seriously," wrote Redditor u/not_a-replicant in a thread on the topic, though others had much stronger feelings to share on the matter. For instance, u/mildmichigan feels it cheapens Anakin's eventual redemption and is a lazy way to make him seem more important. u/Allenion raises the point that it makes the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy feel dated, rendering it yet another series of films from the era centered on protagonists who've been told they're special based solely on arbitrary factors.

It stands to reason that fans will continue to debate the Chosen One prophecy for years to come, but for those who take Lucas' words above all others, the fact is clear: Anakin Skywalker is and always has been the one and only Chosen One.