Summary
Star Warscanon has brought back the prophecy of the Sith’ari, a Sith version of the Chosen One that is clearly linked to Anakin Skywalker as well. There’s a sense in which Anakin Skywalker’s fate was set in stone the moment he first crossed paths with Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn on Tatooine. Qui-Gon recognized Anakin’s unique potential, and swiftly concluded he was in fact theChosen One; a being foretold to bring balance to the Force itself.
The weight of this prophecy hung heavily on Anakin’s shoulders over the years. He knew great things were expected of him, and he often felt the strictures and rules of the Jedi Order were restricting him unnecessarily, holding him back from his destiny; ironically, the prophecy seems to have led the Jedi Council to avoid asking necessary searching questions that would have exposed his flaws. But another prophecy had an equally great impact on Anakin’s life, one known only to the Sith, andit’s now canon once again.
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The Sith’ari Explained
Introduced in the Expanded Universe, & Now Officially Canon Again
Theprophecy of the Sith’arihails from the oldStar WarsExpanded Universe, and it has finally been referenced in Dr. Chris Kempshall’sThe Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire. Here’s the relevant excerpt, written by in-universe historian Beaumont Kin:
“My previous research into the ancient lore of both the Jedi and the Sith often found references to a prophesised individual. The Jedi called them ‘the Chosen One’ while fragments of Sith writings make mention of the coming of the “Sith’ari.” Both of these legends share certain aspects and details regarding the coming of one who was born of the Force itself and who would wield tremendous power. The Jedi believed this individual would bring balance to the Force, the Sith that they would lead them to glory. Prophesies are difficult things to decipher and are often more a matter of faith than of destiny. But it appears, both from tales within the Jedi Order in the last days of the Republic and from scrolls retrieved from Exegol, that both sides believed the individual in question to be Anakin Skywalker.”
The Sith’ari was first mentioned inStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and this prophecy was generally believed to be fulfilled in Darth Bane, founder of theRule of Two. Daniel Wallace’sBook of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Sidereinterpreted this, however, establishing that every prominent Sith Lord arrogantly assumed the prophecy spoke about them. Curiously, though,The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empireseems to suggestthere’s more to this prophecy than in Legends, because there’s no hint of being born of the Force in that version.
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Was Anakin Skywalker Both Sith’ari & Chosen One?
Anakin fulfilled both prophesies
The Legends prophecy of the Sith’ari doesn’t really seem to speak of Anakin Skywalker, but rather of Palpatine. It foretells the coming of one who would be free of limits, who would lead the Sith and destroy them, and - curiously - who would raise the Sith from death and make them stronger than ever before. This would seemingly point to Palpatine’s Legends resurrection in Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy’sDark Empireminiseries (a story largely repeated in canon’sStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker).
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The Rise and Fall of the Galactic EmpiresuggestsPalpatine believed Anakin Skywalker was the Sith’ari. According to Beaumont Kin, there’s in-universe evidence Palpatine believed Anakin Skywalker was the one through whom he would learn to conquer death. There’s a sense in which he was right; Anakin tossed him to his death in the end, after all, and he was raised to life as the embodiment of the dark side. But it was hardly the fulfillment Darth Sidious sought, because Anakin was both Sith’ari and Chosen One, and he both destroyed the Sith and broughtbalance to the Force.
It’s fascinating to imagine Anakin Skywalker essentially caught between two prophecies; the Jedi viewing him as the Chosen One who would destroy the Sith, while the Sith believed he would be the key to their resurrection. The problem, as Beaumont Kin notes, is that prophecies are tricky things, and their fulfillment can only be seen from a certain point of view. Anakin’sStar Warsstory certainly proves that.
