According to Star Wars, the Force is Anakin Skywalker’s father. It needed to bring him into existence as the Chosen One to restore balance across the galaxy. Darth Vader may have told Luke who his father was, but fans have since wondered if his mother was telling the truth about his own.
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The Strange Birth of Anakin
Anakin was born to his mother Shmi Skywalker on the planet Tatooine in 41 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin). In Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, she later told Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, “There was no father. I carried him, I gave birth, I raised him, I can’t explain what happened.” But that’s where the holy parallels end.
Yet, many have struggled to accept that as the truth. Their skepticism partially stems from struggling to believe that a human woman could conceive a child all by herself even in a fantastical world. Paired with fans’ general dislike of Force lore introduced in the Star Wars prequels, it’s become a myth that not everyone supports.
Anakin the Chosen One
Regardless of personal feelings, however, Star Wars canon describes this unusual birth as part of Anakin’s unique backstory. Midi-chlorians might be controversial, but they’re the source of his tremendous powers. Besides, any man who could claim Anakin as his son has been oddly reluctant to do so.
The name Skywalker first gained notoriety as the “Hero with No Fear” during the Clone Wars. So, how come no one ever stepped forward with claims of being Anakin’s father? This would’ve been the perfect time for someone looking to gain favor with powerful people and share his ‘son’s’ spotlight.
Palpatine’s Alleged Manipulations
While Anakin literally made a monster of himself in the form of Sith apprentice Darth Vader, many Star Wars fans feel like Palpatine is the real villain. He spent many years influencing Anakin and guiding him toward the Dark Side. But the comic book Darth Vader #25 showed an even more sinister side of this relationship.
How does it get worse than grooming a literal child? Give me a moment to explain. Basically, it alleged that Palpatine personally influenced Shmi’s pregnancy – making him Anakin’s real father! No movies or TV shows have confirmed, denied, or even acknowledged this theory. But we had to talk about it at least once.
With no other contenders, we must accept the Force as Anakin’s true father. His conception was miraculous and made him powerful. Plus, he was undeniably vital to bringing balance between the Jedi and the Sith. Unfortunately, that involved genocide and helping an evil dictator come into power. I wonder what dear old Dad had to say about that!
