Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte!

Star Wars: The Acolyte episode 3 has created significant buzz (and some panic) among viewers about whether Anakin Skywalker has just been replaced in Star Wars. The Acolyte introduced Mae and Osha, the newest Force-sensitive twins in Star Wars movies and TV shows. However, while twins may be reminiscent of Luke and Leia, several aspects of Osha and Mae thus far have been more connected to Anakin.

To say that Anakin has a special place in Star Wars would be a massive understatement. Not only was Anakin one of Star Wars’ most powerful Jedi, but he was also the one prophesied in the Chosen One prophecy. Because of that significance—and because Anakin and Hayden Christensen are fan favorites—the character has arguably been put on a pedestal in the franchise. Now, episode 3 of The Acolyte has provided backstory on Mae and Osha that many feel threatens Anakin’s legacy, but does it really?

Why Some Star Wars Fans Think Anakin Isn’t “Special” Anymore

Following the release of episode 3 of The Acolyte, titled “Destiny,” viewers were concerned that Star Wars newcomers Mae and Osha are replacing Anakin Skywalker or, at least, are stealing his backstory based on their origins. In the episode, the twins’ mothers, Mother Aniseya and Mother Koril, discuss the creation of the twins. In the conversation, they reveal that Mother Aniseya created the twins, while Mother Koril carried them.

Although the episode didn’t confirm that this happened with the Force, presumably, Mother Aniseya created the twins using the Force (or, the Thread, which is what their coven, the Witches of Brendok, call the Force). If that is the case, then the twins are the only Star Wars characters known to be born through the Force other than Anakin Skywalker. Therein lies the concern for many, as some believe this could mean Anakin Skywalker is no longer ‘special’ in Star Wars.

Anakin Isn’t “Special” Because Of His Birth (According To George Lucas)

The fear that Osha and Mae are about to replace Anakin Skywalker or detract from his story in the franchise is unfounded and a misunderstanding of Anakin as a character. While, yes, Anakin’s conception was a remarkable event in Star Wars, that was nowhere near the sole reason Anakin was significant, nor was it what mattered most about his character. In fact, George Lucas himself has already spoken directly about how little bearing Anakin’s birth had on his overarching story and his destiny.

Regarding the mystery surrounding Anakin’s conception via the Force, George Lucas has revealed that it is the prophecy and Anakin’s fulfillment of it, not the circumstances of his birth, that are meaningful. In a 2005 interview with Rolling Stone, Lucas explained:

Now, there’s a hint in the movie that there was a Sith lord who had the power to create life. But it’s left unsaid: Is Anakin a product of a super-Sith who influenced the midichlorians to create him, or is he simply created by the midichlorians to bring forth a prophecy, or was he created by the Force through the midichlorians? It’s left up to the audience to decide. How he was born ultimately has no relationship to how he dies, because in the end, the prophecy is true: Balance comes back to the Force.

With this interview, George Lucas effectively had the final word on the subject; that Anakin was born without a father is a fascinating aspect of his character, but it isn’t meant to be more than a thought-provoking question for audiences to ask themselves. Rather, what matters about Anakin is what he ultimately accomplishes. In the end, Anakin overcomes all he has experienced and all the evil he has done so far because he loves his son. In so doing, he destroys the Sith, and he brings balance back to the Force.

The Acolyte Hasn’t Introduced New Chosen Ones At All

For now, it isn’t even clear whether Mae and Osha were conceived through the Force. In fact, at present, it seems more likely that Mother Aniseya used a Force power to create the twins; this is quite different from George Lucas’ idea that the Force spontaneously created Anakin Skywalker. The reality is, until The Acolyte confirms exactly how the twins were made, there simply isn’t enough information to draw conclusions about how the twins’ story impacts Anakin’s. However, The Acolyte is certainly not creating brand-new Chosen Ones.

Even beyond the notion of the Chosen One, there’s almost no chance another character could come along and usurp Anakin in the franchise. In fact, in that same interview, Lucas said, “I made a series of movies that was about one thing: Darth Vader.” Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader is the heart of Star Wars, and new characters won’t have an influence as massive as the Skywalker Saga. As Star Wars builds additional storylines and characters into the franchise, it should elicit excitement, not a fear that Anakin Skywalker is being replaced—because, no, Star Wars: The Acolyte isn’t replacing him.

Source: Rolling Stone