Anakin Skywalker Was Star Wars’ Chosen One But He Could Have Been More
Although Anakin Skywalker was indeed the prophesied Chosen One in the Star Wars franchise, he was likely even more. Thanks to a recent addition to the official canon, it's now believed that Anakin was caught between two ancient prophesies (not just one). Born as a unique living vergence in the Force, Anakin Skywalker was one of the most powerful beings in the entire galaxy and its vast history. As such, the idea that Anakin represented more than the Jedi's Chosen One makes sense, and it's recently been suggested that he was just as much a Chosen One of the dark side: The Sith'ari.
Anakin Skywalker Was The Jedi's Prophesied Chosen One
According to the Chosen One prophecy of the Jedi Order, Anakin Skywalker was destined to bring balance to the Force by destroying the Sith. This destiny ultimately came true in Return of the Jedi, when Anakin turned against Emperor Palpatine and sacrificed himself to save his son, Luke. By killing Palpatine, Anakin ended Darth Bane's Rule of Two, wiping out the Sith lineage that had corrupted the galaxy for generations. Though the Jedi Order was gone, balance was restored through Anakin’s final choice, fulfilling the prophecy as foretold, though naturally not how it was expected on the part of the Jedi Order.
Was Anakin Caught Between Two Star Wars Prophesies? The Sith'ari Explained
Close-up of Anakin Skywalker's face in the shadows in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
In Legends, the Dark Lords of the Sith possessed their own prophecy focused on one who would be known as The Sith’ari. Said to be a chosen figure who would destroy the Sith and remake them stronger, many Sith Lords believed the title belonged to themselves, revealing their inherent arrogance. However, Legends saw the prophecy largely being attributed to Darth Bane:
"The Sith'ari will be free of limits.
The Sith'ari will lead the Sith and destroy them.
The Sith'ari will raise the Sith from death and make them stronger than before."
However, 2024's The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire by Chris Kempshall recanonized the Sith'ari prophecy, along with the reveal that Palpatine believed Anakin Skywalker to be the Chosen One of the dark side. According to the book's in-universe historian, both the Jedi and Sith believed their Chosen One to be Skywalker. After all, Palpatine was raised to life as the embodiment of the dark side ("All the Sith") after he was killed by Anakin. Again, we have prophecy fulfillment but not how it was expected, with Skywalker effectively being caught between two different prophecies of the light and dark. The Jedi saw Anakin Skywalker as the one who would destroy the Sith, while the Sith saw him as their key to resurrection and becoming even stronger than before.
Anakin was more than likely positioned between two major prophecies, supporting his cosmic significance even further. Likewise, the fact that he nearly replaced the Mortis god known as The Father during The Clone Wars makes even more sense in this context, as he would have been tasked with keeping The Son and Daughter in check (representing the dark and light sides of the Force itself). All things considered, it would be very cool to learn even more about Skywalker's cosmic impact when Anakin returns in Ahsoka season 2.
