Recent Star Wars projects have continued to feature midi-chlorians and “m-count” as plot devices, but how many times have these been mentioned throughout the franchise? The term “midi-chlorians” first appeared in the Star Wars prequel trilogy as a new, biological aspect of the Force, described as microscopic organisms inside all living beings that allowed them to know about the Force and understand its will. Because a high number of midi-chlorians typically appear in strong Force users, it is therefore implied that a high m-count determines whether a person is Force-sensitive and qualified for Jedi training in the Star Wars universe.

Midi-chlorians proved to be a controversial idea for longtime Star Wars fans who grew up with the original trilogy, which made the Force seem mystical and stressed the importance of mind over matter in Jedi training. Star Wars creator George Lucas has defended midi-chlorians by claiming they don’t contradict the Force’s mystical side and only reveal a biological side. Even so, the role of midi-chlorians was drastically reduced after their debut, but they have been referenced in key moments in other Star Wars movies and shows. From 1999 to the present, midi-chlorians or m-count have been mentioned approximately 6 times.

6

Anakin Had An Unnaturally High Midi-Chlorian Count

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

Midi-chlorians and their connection to the Living Force were introduced in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace when Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn discovered a young Anakin Skywalker on Tatooine. After recognizing the signs of Anakin’s Force sensitivity, Qui-Gon took a blood sample he claimed to be checking for infections when he was actually sending it to his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, for a more thorough analysis. It was then that Obi-Wan discovered Anakin had a midi-chlorian count of over 20,000, even more than Jedi Master Yoda, and Qui-Gon knew that this was an unusually high number for any living Jedi.

Introducing the concept of midi-chlorians and making them integral to Anakin’s creation served several purposes. First, it added a completely new component to the Force, further signifying the distinction between the Living Force and the Cosmic Force. It also explained how Anakin could be born without a Father and fulfill the Chosen One prophecy that Lucas integrated into the larger Star Wars saga. Lucas’ unused treatment for the Star Wars sequel trilogy would have brought these concepts full circle by delving more into the microbiotic world of the Force and creatures known as the Whills who feed off the Force.

5

Palpatine Revealed That Darth Plagueis Could Manipulate Midi-Chlorians

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

Any references to midi-chlorians were absent in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, but they were mentioned once more in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. While recounting the legend of Darth Plagueis the Wise, who was secretly his Sith Master, Palpatine told Anakin Skywalker that Plagueis was so powerful that he could use the Force to influence midi-chlorians and create life. An early draft of the film had Palpatine reveal that the Sith’s meddling with midi-chlorians led to Anakin’s creation, an idea explored in the now non-canon novel Star Wars: Darth Plagueis by James Luceno.

The primary purpose of the scene was for Palpatine to seduce Anakin to the dark side by tempting him with the power to save his wife from dying. Connecting this ability to the midi-chlorians automatically provided an explanation for how this could be done and tied back into the nature of Anakin’s creation. If Lucas had kept the reveal of the Sith’s role in the final movie, it would have created a parallel to The Empire Strikes Back by essentially making Palpatine Anakin’s father. While some content may have been cut, the TV shows would continue to explore the midi-chlorians.

4

The Role Of Midi-Chlorians In The Living And Cosmic Force

Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 6

Midi-chlorians were next mentioned in the final arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 6, specifically in episode 11″Voices” and episode 12 “Destiny.” After hearing the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn’s spirit, something the Jedi believed to be impossible, Yoda went on a quest to discover how a Jedi could retain their consciousness after death. His odyssey took him to Dagobah, a planet rich in the Force where he would one day train Luke Skywalker as a Jedi. Qui-Gon elaborated on the difference between the Living and Cosmic sides of the Force and how it communicates to Jedi through midi-chlorians.

In the following episode, Yoda traveled to another mysterious Force planet to train with five Force Priestesses who could train him to become a Force ghost. Their leader revealed to Yoda that the planet was the birthplace of the midi-chlorians and once again stressed that they were essential to the connection between the Living Force and the Cosmic Force. While these episodes technically did not reveal a lot about midi-chlorians that had not been addressed in the movies, they did elaborate on their nature in the grand scheme of the Force and reaffirmed their importance to both sides of it.

3

The Imperial Remnant Needed Grogu’s High M-Count

The Mandalorian season 2, episode 4 “Chapter 12: The Siege”

While midi-chlorians have continued to play a role in the Disney Star Wars TV shows, they are generally referred to as “m-count” only. The first reference was in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 4 “Chapter 12: The Siege” when Din Djarin and his allies broke into an Imperial facility on Nevarro. They discovered a recording of Dr. Pershing stating that they would need a subject with a high m-count to continue their experiments, meaning they would have to capture Grogu again. This was the first episode that began to hint at Moff Gideon’s plan to create Force-sensitive clones of himself.

2

The Empire Attempted M-Count Replication

Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3

Similar to Moff Gideon’s plan in The Mandalorian, Emperor Palpatine had his scientists at Mount Tantiss attempting m-count replication at Mount Tantiss. Although never directly stated in Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3, it was heavily implied that this was Palpatine’s earliest attempt at creating a Force-sensitive clone of himself, which he eventually achieved by the time of his apparent death in Return of the Jedi. Unlike Dr. Pershing, who attempted to transfer midi-chlorians from one host to another, Palpatine’s team was more interested in replicating them in a new host body.

1

Osha And Mae Had A High M-Count And Identical Symbionts

The Acolyte season 1, episode 7 “Choice”

Finally, the most recent mention of an m-count in any Star Wars project was in The Acolyte season 1, episode 7 “Choice.” After conducting a standard test for Osha and Mae and taking a sample of their blood, Torbin and the other Jedi were stunned to realize that they had a high m-count and identical symbionts. This created an additional parallel to Anakin Skywalker, confirmed their tremendous power, and revealed that they must have been created with the power of the Force vergence on Brendok. Time will tell when midi-chlorians or m-count play a role in another Star Wars project.