Episode I: The Phantom Menace was the long awaited prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy. With its release, fans of the Skywalker saga would finally be able to see the events that led to the downfall of Anakin Skywalker and how he became Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. Many of those who had waited sixteen years for this film were sore disappointing. One reason for this frustration was the decision to start the story with Anakin as a 10 year old boy. This meant that in Episode I we got to meet not only the father of Luke and Leia, but their grandmother: Shmi Skywalker.
There is no mention of Anakin’s father. Since both Anakin and his mother are slaves, this is not altogether surprising. However, when the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn asks Shmi who Anakin’s father is, she replies, “There was no father. I carried him, I gave birth, I raised him. I can’t explain what happened.” This is obviously meant to imply that Anakin is a virgin birth.
Mother of the Chosen One
Having Anakin not have a human father fits in with the further revelation by Qui-Gon of a prophesied “Chosen One” who will “bring balance to the Force.” In short, Anakin is supposed to be the Jedi Messiah. This no doubt was meant to make Anakin’s fall that much more tragic, as expressed by Obi-Wan Kenobi’s anguished cry to Vader at the end of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, “You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them!”
However, it is likely that only Obi-Wan interpreted the prophecy in that way. Earlier in the film, when Jedi Master Mace Windu expresses doubt in Anakin’s ability to accomplish a mission, Obi-Wan responds “With all due respect, Master, is he not the Chosen One? Is he not to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force?” Windu flippantly replies, “So the prophecy says,” implying that he does not really believe it. Yoda brings a different viewpoint, stating that the prophecy “misread could have been.”
It indeed seems like the prophecy was misread. Technically, Anakin does bring balance to the Force. At the end of Episode III, there are two Jedi (Obi-Wan) and two Sith (Darth Vader and Darth Sidious a.k.a. Emperor Palpatine). Some Christian commentators, such as Michael O’Brien have criticized Star Wars for “dualistic” view of good and evil, similar to Taoism. Thus, good does not have to triumph over evil but simply exist it with it in balance. Although the new Star Wars trilogy, especially Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, seem to be embracing that viewpoint, in the original trilogy it is clear that the Dark Side of the Force is a corruption. While some characters refer to the use of the Force by both Jedi and Sith as the same “religion,” Jedi are never referred to as users of the “Light Side of the Force” nor is the Force itself ever referred to as the “Light Side.”
Rather, good triumphs over evil. Even Darth Vader himself ends up being redeemed by his love for his son Luke, and is seen at the end along with Obi-Wan and Yoda in the Jedi afterlife. This reflects a very Christian outlook but it makes Anakin’s virginal conception all the more problematic.
Back to Shmi
Anakin leaves his mother in slavery in order to become a Jedi, but promises to return to free her. In Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Anakin returns to the planet of Tatooine after a decade when he has dreams about her death. When he arrives, he finds out that since he left, she has been emancipated and married her former master, bearing him a son named Owen. This brings to mind the Protestant belief concerning the “brethren” of Our Lord. Catholics believe that Our Lady was perpetually a virgin and that these “brethren” are Our Lord’s cousins or son of St. Joseph from a previous marriage.
When Anakin finds out that his mother has been taken captive by savage Tusken Raiders, he rides off to find and save her. When he does finally find her, her hands are bound to what appears to be a cross. Having apparently been tortured, or at least maltreated, she is close to death and dies in her son’s arms. Commentators have stated how the scene appears to be a “reverse Pieta” with the son holding the body of his mother. This scene is another reversal, because rather than the death being the way in which the Chosen One brings redemption, it is the beginning of the path of the Chosen One to needing redemption when he falls to the Dark Side.
Blasphemy?
Of course, a flawed Christ-figure does not necessarily reflect an anti-Christian outlook or theme. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Christ-figures are all flawed to varying degrees. However, the whole point of this for Tolkien was that a figure is going to be flawed because he or she is not to whom he or she points. A Christ-figure will always be flawed because he is not Christ.
Nevertheless, none of Tolkien’s Christ-figures, even Frodo, fall as far or fail so spectacularly as Anakin Skywalker does. In fact, the character whose fall in The Lord of the Rings corresponds most closely to that of Anakin is the wizard Saruman (portrayed in the film adaptations by Sir Christopher Lee, who, interestingly, also portrayed Count Dooku/Darth Tyrannus, another Jedi who fell to the Dark Side, in Episodes II and III.) Moreover, while Frodo, Gandalf and Aragorn each reflect the threefold ministry of Our Lord as Priest, Prophet and King, these are attributes. While each has a seeming death from which they arise, none of them actually die and rise from the dead. However, Anakin actually is born without a human father, through the power of the mystical Force worshipped (sort of) by those to whom his coming was prophesied.
Moreover, while many mythologies and even religions have prophesied messianic figures, (contrary to popular belief) only Christianity has one that was born of a virgin. Thus, the origin of Anakin is deliberately meant to evoke comparisons to Christ. George Lucas was raised as a Methodist but became a Buddhist and his work on Star Wars reflect a creative mind informed by both belief systems.
Is it blasphemous? I do not believe so, otherwise I would no longer be a fan of the saga. A fallen Messiah figure is certainly a twist and Lucas likely did not intend to alienate or offend Christian viewers with that twist. However, it is certainly something to keep in mind when evaluating his work from a Catholic perspective.
Thomas J. McIntyre
Thomas J. McIntyre is a teacher and amateur historian. He holds an MA in History from Georgia Southern University. In addition to the Voyage blog, he writes for Catholic 365 and on his personal blog "Pope Damasus and the Saints." He resides in Louisiana with his wife Nancy-Leigh and daughters Kateri and Alice.