The ancient Jedi prophecy that prompted Master Qui-Gon Jinn to keep his eyes peeled for the Chosen One and ultimately select a candidate was ambiguous enough to allow for plenty of wiggle room as to how its ends would be achieved. In true mystic fashion, the prophecy was compelling enough to make a respected intellectual and warrior place all his eggs into its basket but open-ended enough to predict, explain, and justify any means by which its truth might be verifiable.
The prophecy was as follows:
With his dying breath, Qui-Gon Jinn committed his responsible, loyal padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi to train the boy, the young Anakin Skywalker, insisting that “he would bring balance” to the Force. As we all binge Clone Wars and the prequels and otherwise brush up on our Star Wars knowledge in anticipation of Disney Plus’ most significant release yet, the Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series, it’s worth exploring what exactly “balance” means in the context of Jedi versus Sith, Light versus Dark, and the nondiscriminating Force that winds all enemies, contradictions, and opposites together as one.
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A bare-bones identification of what bringing balance to the Force really means wields the provocative result that Anakin did fulfill the prophecy, though not in the expected or prescribed way. Anakin was instrumental in a great many happenings that ultimately resulted in a semblance of balance between good and evil, light and dark. Here’s how.
He Still Fathered Luke and Leia
Lucasfilm Ltd.
It seems Anakin has a penchant for doing exactly what he isn’t supposed to do, and somehow achieving the requested results, anyway. Anakin was not supposed to marry Padme or become a parent with her, and yet his own children would go on to save the galaxy and become the poster children for good and light triumphing over evil and dark. He was always told to shirk his heart and attachments and everything that separated him from the rest of the Jedi order. However, Anakin eventually turned down a path of darkness sponsored by Palpatine. He still fathered the two children who would prove the dual saviors of the galaxy from the empire’s regime.
The fact that Anakin himself helped build this empire of evil is irrelevant. Anakin’s own son eventually convinces him to destroy Palpatine and foster the rise of Leia’s Rebellion. In sum, despite Anakin’s uncertainty and inner chaos, his final choice was the right one, proving that no inner turmoil can absolutely prevent a person from doing the right thing. Finally, through the singular virtue of becoming a father, Anakin ensured that eventually, balance would be restored to the Force.
Luke’s Legacy Brought Balance
Luke’s legacy as a Jedi Master is questionable. Still, it’s difficult to say definitively how wise or challenged of a teacher he was since the full extent of his more mature history is being continuously reshaped and added to as we speak. Luke’s dealings with the padawan Grogu are typically regarded as paradoxical and hypocritical since he offered Grogu a finite choice that was not necessary. Grogu can indeed become both Jedi and Mandalorian and wouldn’t be the first to do so. Meanwhile, J.J. Abrams’ sequel series did little to solidify Luke’s status as an ace teacher, but it did a great deal to teach the patient Star Wars audience what constitutes “balance.”
Kylo Ren, Leia’s son, followed a similar trajectory as Anakin, idolizing the Sith and rejecting his own humanity, only to sacrifice himself to the just and right cause. He was also provoked by the same mistrust and fear of his complicated nature that spooked Anakin. The latter resulted in the rise of Rey Skywalker and her golden lightsaber, the ultimate symbol of balance in the Force. While most don’t want to acknowledge that the sequel series is still canon and thematically significant, let’s explore then what balance really means in the larger context of the Star Wars franchise.
What Does ‘Balance’ Mean, Anyway?
Disney+
Balance means acceptance. It means toleration. It means allowing differing ideas, experiences, and truths to pervade the organization or greater society. It means inner and external harmony between the worst and best of nature. Obi-Wan Kenobi can harness this definition by delving deeper into the dogmatic and stigmatizing principles of the Jedi council that did Anakin’s demons no favors and that, one step at a time, poised him to make some pretty terrible choices. Kenobi can explore more intimately the dichotomy between Obi-Wan and his former padawan, now two enduring representations of entirely different ideals.
Together, Obi-Wan and Anakin are the very picture of balance, and the symbolism behind their continued rivalry and relationship can set down in stone, once and for all, what it means to be at one with the Force. Nobody ever specified how Anakin needed to do it, and nobody ever said he needed to do it well. Still, ultimately, Kenobi has the ability to fill in a lot of franchise blanks and prove that, one way or the other, we all get to where we need to be.
We all find balance, and it’s our responsibility to make sure that our journey to balance follows the path of growth, mercy, and tolerance, not destruction and hate. We look forward to seeing how Kenobi answers so many burning questions and unresolved passions when it is released on Disney+ next week!
