Harry Potter and the Chosen Ones: The Skywalkers
If there’s one thing Star Wars and Harry Potter fans have in common, it’s that we understand what it’s like to love a franchise unconditionally. We stick with it through the great movies and the not-so-great ones, we’re always ready to discuss our theories, and there’s no limit to how long we can talk about canon vs. legend.
Beyond the dedicated fandoms, the franchises have another thing in common: a Chosen One. (Side note: There is a vast amount of Star Wars source material that is considered canon, but this post will focus mainly on the first six films.) Just as a prophecy foretold that a boy would be born with the power to defeat Lord Voldemort, a Jedi legend divined that a being would come who could defeat the Sith and bring balance to the Force.
The thing about prophecies is that they can easily be misinterpreted. Voldemort made the assumption that Harry was the Chosen One the prophecy referenced and therefore chose who would defeat him in the end. Anakin Skywalker was discovered by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, who sensed that Anakin was powerful with the Force and assumed him to be the Chosen One. Anakin does technically fulfill the prophecy when he defeats the last of the Sith, but it remains unclear whether he was, in fact, the Chosen One.
While Anakin doesn’t have a father, he has multiple father figures who try to guide him to the right path. After learning of Anakin’s fatherless birth and strong connection to the Force, Qui-Gon Jinn decides to train Anakin despite the reservations of the Jedi High Council. Following Qui-Gon Jinn’s death, Obi-Wan Kenobi becomes Anakin’s mentor, along with the cryptic Yoda. Similarly, Harry can count on Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and others to help him along the way.
Most of Harry’s mentors deem him to be too young to join the fight with the Order of the Phoenix, so Harry has to find his own way to master his defensive magic skills. Anakin, on the other hand, is trained as a Jedi from a young age and ascends through the ranks to become a Jedi Knight. The Jedi High Council grows concerned about Anakin’s arrogance, a concern—or perhaps a complaint—that Snape often expresses of Harry.
Where Harry and Anakin’s paths significantly diverge is that Harry never doubts which side he’s meant to be on, despite his connection to Lord Voldemort, whereas Anakin is lured to the dark side of the Force after he has visions of the death of his wife, Padmé Amidala, and agrees to do anything to gain the power to stop death. Harry has known the pain of death his entire life but learns to accept it. This is what helps Harry defeat Voldemort, and it also distinguishes him from Anakin.
To make a long, complicated story short, Anakin becomes Darth Vader and leads the destruction of the Jedi, leaving only Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi alive. The two remaining Jedi endeavor to train Anakin’s son, Luke, in the hopes that he will fulfill the prophecy and defeat the Sith once and for all. When Luke learns that the Sith Lord he has sworn to defeat is his father, he resolves to show him the way back to the light.
Luke succeeds in bringing his father back to the light side of the Force, and Anakin ultimately destroys Darth Sidious and himself. Like Harry, Anakin is unafraid to face death in the end if it means destroying the Sith. But Harry can also be compared to Luke, who is never corrupted by the dark side. While a case can be made for either Anakin or Luke as the Chosen One, George Lucas has stated that Anakin Skywalker is, in fact, the Chosen One.
As we know, the story of the Skywalkers doesn’t end here. The Force is making a comeback, and we have yet to see the end of the battle between the dark side and the light. Perhaps another Chosen One will arise and we’ll find out who is the last of the Jedi.
