Who is Anakin’s Father? Anakin Skywalker’s Father, Explained

Star Wars has a lot of charismatic and beloved characters. For me, one of the best is Anakin Skywalker (we both don’t like sand). Played wonderfully by Hayden Christian, Anakin went from being an obscure slave on Tatooine to the “Hero With No Fear” known throughout the galaxy. Yes, he fell to the dark side and became Darth Vader, but that wasn’t entirely his fault (the Jedi Council needed to rethink their take on human emotions).

Many thought Anakin was “The Chosen One” prophesied to bring balance to the Force. Even as an untrained child, his raw power potential eclipsed some trained Jedi. When Qui-Gon Jinn first met Anakin in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, he recognized just what Anakin could become. He immediately sought Anakin’s parents to understand why this kid on an Outer Rim planet was so powerful. More to the point, Qui-Gon wanted to know who Anakin’s father was.

You are not the father!

Qui-Gon spoke with Shmi Skywalker, Anakin’s mother, and found she was a slave with no Force connections. When he asked about Anakin’s father, Shmi dropped the immaculate conception bombshell—Anakin had no father. Shmi became pregnant without the aid of a male partner and did not question how it happened. After testing Anakin’s blood, the Jedi found his midi-chlorian levels to be unparalleled among the Jedi masters. Midi-chlorians are sentient organic microscopic creatures that are attributed to being a source of life and the Force. It seemed as if a bunch of these little guys decided they were ready to be parents and gave the Force a human form in our golden boy, Anakin Skywalker.

In the Darth Vader comic book series, Darth Vader had a vision that implied that Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine may have played a role in Anakin’s conception. The vision showed a pregnant Shmi with a ghostly Sidious surrounding her. Sidious said more than once that his master could control midi-chlorians, so it is possible he may have learned a technique to create the ultimate Force being. This isn’t confirmed anywhere but even if this were the case, Anakin’s parentage would stay be same. Anakin’s father is essentially the Force, making the claim that he was The Chosen One even more convincing.

(featured image: Lucasfilm)