Welcome to Day 15 of my NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) Challenge, during which I randomly pick a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.

Today’s question is: Do you think Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One who brought balance to the Force? Why or why not?

Oh, boy. If ever there was a contentious subject in Star Wars, this is one of them.

So the Jedi prophecy states, basically, that there will be one (“The Chosen One”) who brings “balance” to the Force. Qui Gon Jinn, who had studied the Jedi prophecies, believed that young Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One, and that’s why he brought him back to Coruscant and to the Jedi Council.

The Council, especially Yoda, does not agree that Anakin should be trained, never mind that he’s the Chosen One. And later, Yoda expresses doubt about Anakin, believing that they could have “misread” the prophecy.

Once Anakin turns to the dark side and becomes Darth Vader, Obi-Wan gives up the notion that Anakin is the Chosen One. When Maul asks if the one he’s protecting on Tatooine is the Chosen One (Luke), Obi-Wan replies yes. He’s simply making the assumption here, believing Anakin’s turn disqualifies him from that honor.

But later, in Return of the Jedi, we see that when Vader/Anakin kills the Emperor, he’s destroyed the Dark and brought Light back to the Force, and therefore, in a roundabout way, he is indeed the Chosen One. If that’s how you want to look at it, and I do.

The problem is the word “balance.” There are those who believe that “bringing balance to the Force” means the dark and the light have equal influence. And while that’s true in a Cosmic Force kind of way (as in there is always dark as well as light), I think people interpret it to mean that there is evil in the galaxy in proportion to the good, and therefore there should be as many Sith as there are Jedi.

But some, like myself, don’t see it that way; and I don’t believe George Lucas himself saw it that way, either, at least when it comes to this prophecy. I think what Lucas intended was that “balance” means Anakin destroyed evil, and now the Force is back in balance. As if the darkness unbalanced it, tainted it. That makes sense to me. So in this sense, yes, Anakin is the Chosen One.

Now, there are those who feel that the sequel trilogy, in particular the fact that Palpatine somehow “returned,” negates Anakin’s sacrifice. I don’t believe this is true. For one thing, Anakin didn’t kill the Emperor to specifically “bring balance to the Force.” I don’t think that’s what was going through his mind. He killed him to save his son. Period. It was personal, not cosmic, although the results were cosmic in nature–he did, indeed, bring balance with his actions. Prophecies are funny that way. But he sacrificed himself for his son; obviously Luke would have died if Vader/Anakin hadn’t intervened. How can that be negated?

“But Palpatine (evil) came back!” the critics will argue. “How can that be if Anakin brought balance?”

Yes, of course he did. For a time. For that specific time in history. But if you look at our own history (and the history of the SW galaxy, for that matter), evil always returns. Always. You fight it and defeat it, and enjoy your victory for a time, and then it rises again. And again, and again, and again. It is the way of the world, of the galaxy, of the universe. The fight never ends. Even if it wasn’t Palpatine, it would have been some damn evil entity. Snoke himself said, “Darkness rises, and the Light to meet it,” to Rey and Kylo in the throne room. Anakin did his part; now it’s their turn.

Anyway, all of this to say, yes, I believe Anakin was the Chosen One, and he brought (temporary) balance to the Force.

What do you think? The Chosen One prophecy is kind of a clunky concept in Star Wars, rife for misinterpretation, and personally, I think the saga could have done without it. But it’s there, and this is what I make of it, anyway. Let me know what you think in the comments and we’ll talk about it!