I know there is a lot of controversy over the most recent Star Wars movie The Last Jedi. I have heard some fans loved it and others hated it and others were dissappointed with certain aspects. I think the strong reaction to The Last Jedi speaks to how much mythology and stories speak to us. Whatever your opinion if you have a strong one that means the characters or the story spoke to you on a deep level. My favorite character in the Star Wars story is Anakin who encompasses not only the archetype of the person who turns his back on darkness to do an heroic act and save the day but also the archetype of the chosen one destined to restore balance to the universe. Those are my two favorite archetypes rolled into one. Again I am simply speaking on what happened in the first 6 movies not the most recent two.
Here is how I always saw the Star Wars Saga:
In Episode I the Jedi Order exists and is trusted by the Galactic Republic as peacekeepers. This is similar to olden kings having priests on hand to help bless their rule. The Jedi and their order help to promote peace in the Galactic Republic by settling disputes and being a sort of moral compass. Their abilities and powers become the stuff of legends through out the galaxy even though many people have probably never met one in person as is shown throughout Episode I at people's reaction to Qui Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi upon meeting them. Although the Jedi play a major role in the Star Wars saga most inhabitants of the galaxy within the story probably do not believes in the force fully or it's powers. For instance there are people on Earth who have demonstrated pyrokinesis and invulnerability by using and mastering Chi just as Jedi's use and master the force and it doesn't mean everybody on Earth has changed the way they lived and embraced it.
In Episode 1 the Jedi believe their ancient enemy the Sith to have been destroyed. But there is a prophesy that some believe that the force is out of balance and their will be one born more powerful in the force than any other who will bring about balance. Qui Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi find a young boy who is very naturally strong in the force. This boy is Anakin Skywalker but he is very afraid inside and Yodi warns that even though he is strong in the force he could fall to the dark side because of the fear he holds inside of him. Qui Gon Jinn though is convinced Anakin is the prophesied one and when he dies his friend Obi-Wan Kenobi to honor Qui Gon Jinn ignores Yoda's warnings and begins training Anakin Skywalker in the ways of the force.
However unbeknownst to the Jedi at this time the Sith still exist in the form of Darth Sidious who was also Senator Sheev Palpatine in the Galactic Republic. Darth Sidious was using his dual identity to manipulate a civil war in the galaxy and turn everyone against each other till they lived in a state of fear. This plan would then bring about the destruction and death of the Jedi and instill him as supreme ruler of a dark empire. He saw Anakin's power and potential and corrupted him to the dark side playing on the fears that Yoda sensed. Anakin helped Darth Sidious destroy the Jedi. All the Jedi that is but Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. However, once Darth Sidious and his plans became known it was too late to stop him. Yoda fought Darth Sidious but they stalemated. This is very important because if Yoda, the most highly trained Jedi, could have defeated Darth Sidious in that battle at the end of Episode III he would have and freed the galaxy from his control. But Darth Sidious was too powerful and too skilled for Yoda to best.
After the battle Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Bail meet. They agree to hide Anakin's children from him so he doesn't realize they are still alive and corrupt them to the dark side and Yoda also reveals he has been in communication with Qui Gon Jinn in spirit form and will teach Obi-Wan Kenobi how to do this as well because they will need Qui Gon Jinn's council in this dark hour.
What is then implied but never out-rightly stated is that Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui Gon Jinn conspire together and formulate a plan. After Yoda's battle with Darth Sidious they know that only the prophesied chosen one is powerful enough to defeat Darth Sidious and restore balance to the galaxy. Qui Gon Jinn was right about Anakin but they have to bring him back from the dark side so he can fulfill his destiny. So the plan was that they keep Anakin's children away from the fighting and away from Darth Vadar and Darth Sidious until the time was right. When Princess Leia sends that desperate message to him and it is none other than Luke himself who ends up delivering it to him he knows it's the force signaling that it is time. As Obi- Wan tells others in Episode IV "there is no such thing as luck."
At this point in the story though the Jedi and the force and has become the stuff of ancient legends similar to how we see ancient tales of Merlin today as exemplified by this scene in episode 4. So Luke Skywalker being a Jedi let alone the son of a former Jedi would not even register amongst the people trying to fight and/or survive under the iron rule of the Empire. But Yoda and Obi-Wan know that the force permeates all things and that they must restore balance to the force if freedom is ever to be won in the galaxy again.
Yoda and Obi-Wan were never hiding they were laying low and biding their time. They knew it would be foolish for the two of them to mount an attack on Darth Sidious and Vadar. Their combined powers would have been too great for even two highly skilled Jedi Knights. And besides the Jedi preferred to use powers of the heart than brute force which is exactly what they were doing.
Luke was never supposed to destroy Darth Sidious and his father but he was allowed to believe that because Obi-Wan and Yoda couldn't tell him what his true mission was otherwise it wouldn't have worked. So they trained Luke to be a Jedi to have the strength of will to resist the temptations of the dark side. They were counting on his strength of will and big heart to win the day by turning his father back. That's why Obi-Wan sacrificed himself he knew he would now be a better use as a spiritual mentor and guide to Luke. If they truly wanted to use physical assault to win the day the more numbers of Jedi the better but instead he needed Luke to have the courage to resist the dark side and he was better able to do that from a spiritual guide standpoint.
Same with Yoda. Once Yoda felt confident in Luke he let go of his physical form that he had been clinging to for years just to train Luke so he would be a Jedi capable of shining light in the darkest of places. It was the fact that Luke was Vadar's son that made him special. That is why Yoda said "there is another". The scene where he says this tips the hand to the plan all along. Obi-Wan and Yoda are trying to get Luke to stay because they fear that Vadar will turn him to the dark side because his training is not complete and then "matters are worse" because now you have Anakin, Luke and Darth Sidious all on the dark side. The "another" is Leia because she is Anakin's daughter she could do the same thing Luke can do which is reach Anakin's heart buried deep inside the darkness of Vadar.
Fortunately for the galaxy Luke does exactly that. As Darth Sidious goads Luke to strike down his father to take his place Luke chooses love instead and throws away his weapon and stands defenseless before Darth Sidious saying he will not kill his father and he is a Jedi. Darth Sidious seeing that Luke will not turn proceeds to use his powers to kill him. Luke although strong in the force can't resist Darth Sidious powers and starts dying. As he nearly succumbs he gives one last genuine from the heart plea to his father somewhere in Darth Vadar's armor. This is exactly what it was all about and what he was trained to do. Anakin's heart is reached at the last moment and he turns on Darth Sidious and strikes him down.
Some might say well he sneak attacked him. You don't need to be the chosen one to do that. But Darth Sidious was fighting back. Darth Vadar was struck by his lightening bolts just as Luke was. It kills him in the end as it would have done to anyone. But only the chosen one was powerful enough to withstand it long enough to win the day. Remember Anakin is doing this after losing a battle against Luke and a hand to boot. The sheer dark force that came up from Darth Sidious' death alone would have been hard for others to withstand but Anakin was powerful enough to complete the mission.
One could also argue that Anakin was the chosen one not only because of his power but because he was the only one who could stand in both darkness and light. Another words he could vacillate between the two and strike down Darth Sidious without losing his soul in the process. If you want to take this even further balance by definition means equal measures on both sides. By eliminating the Jedi and the Sith he restored balance to the force by bring darkness and light in balance. The universe could continue on without beings trying to control it. But I leave that last part up to you. I feel the story can be read either way and still be affective.
When Anakin succumbed to the damage from his battle with Darth Sidious he left Luke as the last Force user. With Luke's mission completed he had two destinies depending on your interpretation of the above. Luke was to either begin the Jedi again or let the ways of the Force and Jedi die with him so the Universe could go on in balance. With Darth Sidious no longer at the helm and the Death Star blown up again the people would no longer be kept in line by fear as was stated in episode IV. The dark forces will no longer hold sway and the Empire will fracture and people will once again be able to choose their own destiny.
The Star Wars movies have many story lines. But this main story line of the Star Wars saga is all about faith, love and hope. The faith Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui Gon Jinn had in both Luke and his father. The love of father and child that in the end brought light to the darkest recesses. The hope of redemption and that with hope fear and darkness don't stand a chance. That is what the Star Wars saga has always meant to me and I hope it always does.
At this point in the story though the Jedi and the force and has become the stuff of ancient legends similar to how we see ancient tales of Merlin today as exemplified by this scene in episode 4. So Luke Skywalker being a Jedi let alone the son of a former Jedi would not even register amongst the people trying to fight and/or survive under the iron rule of the Empire. But Yoda and Obi-Wan know that the force permeates all things and that they must restore balance to the force if freedom is ever to be won in the galaxy again.
Yoda and Obi-Wan were never hiding they were laying low and biding their time. They knew it would be foolish for the two of them to mount an attack on Darth Sidious and Vadar. Their combined powers would have been too great for even two highly skilled Jedi Knights. And besides the Jedi preferred to use powers of the heart than brute force which is exactly what they were doing.
Luke was never supposed to destroy Darth Sidious and his father but he was allowed to believe that because Obi-Wan and Yoda couldn't tell him what his true mission was otherwise it wouldn't have worked. So they trained Luke to be a Jedi to have the strength of will to resist the temptations of the dark side. They were counting on his strength of will and big heart to win the day by turning his father back. That's why Obi-Wan sacrificed himself he knew he would now be a better use as a spiritual mentor and guide to Luke. If they truly wanted to use physical assault to win the day the more numbers of Jedi the better but instead he needed Luke to have the courage to resist the dark side and he was better able to do that from a spiritual guide standpoint.
Same with Yoda. Once Yoda felt confident in Luke he let go of his physical form that he had been clinging to for years just to train Luke so he would be a Jedi capable of shining light in the darkest of places. It was the fact that Luke was Vadar's son that made him special. That is why Yoda said "there is another". The scene where he says this tips the hand to the plan all along. Obi-Wan and Yoda are trying to get Luke to stay because they fear that Vadar will turn him to the dark side because his training is not complete and then "matters are worse" because now you have Anakin, Luke and Darth Sidious all on the dark side. The "another" is Leia because she is Anakin's daughter she could do the same thing Luke can do which is reach Anakin's heart buried deep inside the darkness of Vadar.
Fortunately for the galaxy Luke does exactly that. As Darth Sidious goads Luke to strike down his father to take his place Luke chooses love instead and throws away his weapon and stands defenseless before Darth Sidious saying he will not kill his father and he is a Jedi. Darth Sidious seeing that Luke will not turn proceeds to use his powers to kill him. Luke although strong in the force can't resist Darth Sidious powers and starts dying. As he nearly succumbs he gives one last genuine from the heart plea to his father somewhere in Darth Vadar's armor. This is exactly what it was all about and what he was trained to do. Anakin's heart is reached at the last moment and he turns on Darth Sidious and strikes him down.
Some might say well he sneak attacked him. You don't need to be the chosen one to do that. But Darth Sidious was fighting back. Darth Vadar was struck by his lightening bolts just as Luke was. It kills him in the end as it would have done to anyone. But only the chosen one was powerful enough to withstand it long enough to win the day. Remember Anakin is doing this after losing a battle against Luke and a hand to boot. The sheer dark force that came up from Darth Sidious' death alone would have been hard for others to withstand but Anakin was powerful enough to complete the mission.
One could also argue that Anakin was the chosen one not only because of his power but because he was the only one who could stand in both darkness and light. Another words he could vacillate between the two and strike down Darth Sidious without losing his soul in the process. If you want to take this even further balance by definition means equal measures on both sides. By eliminating the Jedi and the Sith he restored balance to the force by bring darkness and light in balance. The universe could continue on without beings trying to control it. But I leave that last part up to you. I feel the story can be read either way and still be affective.
When Anakin succumbed to the damage from his battle with Darth Sidious he left Luke as the last Force user. With Luke's mission completed he had two destinies depending on your interpretation of the above. Luke was to either begin the Jedi again or let the ways of the Force and Jedi die with him so the Universe could go on in balance. With Darth Sidious no longer at the helm and the Death Star blown up again the people would no longer be kept in line by fear as was stated in episode IV. The dark forces will no longer hold sway and the Empire will fracture and people will once again be able to choose their own destiny.
The Star Wars movies have many story lines. But this main story line of the Star Wars saga is all about faith, love and hope. The faith Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui Gon Jinn had in both Luke and his father. The love of father and child that in the end brought light to the darkest recesses. The hope of redemption and that with hope fear and darkness don't stand a chance. That is what the Star Wars saga has always meant to me and I hope it always does.
