The question of who the "Chosen One" is in Star Wars lore has been a central debate for decades, but the conversation has been reignited in late 2025 with the anticipation of the upcoming *Star Wars: New Jedi Order* movie, which will star Daisy Ridley as Rey Skywalker. While Rey's immense power and her ultimate victory over Emperor Palpatine in *The Rise of Skywalker* seem to parallel the prophecy, a deep dive into the current canon reveals a more nuanced and arguably more compelling truth: Rey is not the Chosen One, but a unique Force phenomenon destined for a different, equally crucial role.
The original prophecy, which has been consistently maintained in the canon, points definitively to one figure. Understanding why Rey does not fit the prophecy is key to appreciating her true significance as the founder of the next generation of Jedi, fifteen years after the events of the Sequel Trilogy.
The Canonical Chosen One Prophecy: A Biography of Anakin Skywalker
The concept of the Chosen One is a cornerstone of the Star Wars saga, introduced by George Lucas to give the original six films a mythological framework. The canonical prophecy, as understood by the Jedi Order, is quite specific:
- Full Prophecy Text: "A Chosen One shall come, born of no father, and through him will ultimate balance in the Force be restored."
- Intended Figure: Anakin Skywalker. His virgin birth, attributed to the Midichlorians, directly fulfills the "born of no father" requirement.
- Fulfillment: Anakin, as Darth Vader, fulfilled the prophecy by destroying the Sith—specifically, Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious) and himself—during the Battle of Endor in *Return of the Jedi*. For the Jedi, "bringing balance" meant eliminating the Sith, who represent a dark side imbalance.
- Alternate Name: The prophecy is sometimes referred to as "The Son of Suns."
- Key Entities: The prophecy is heavily tied to the ancient Force wielders on Mortis—The Father, The Son, and The Daughter—who believed Anakin was the one who could control their balance.
Rey, a descendant of Palpatine, clearly does not meet the "born of no father" criterion. Her role is therefore not a fulfillment of the prophecy, but a necessary response to the Sith's persistent return.
5 Reasons Why Rey’s Destiny Transcends the Chosen One Prophecy
While Rey is a powerful Force user who ultimately defeated the Sith, her destiny is defined by a different, more modern phenomenon: the Dyad in the Force. This concept, introduced in *The Rise of Skywalker*, positions her as a unique power source, not a prophesied savior.
1. She is a Palpatine, Not a Virgin-Born Savior
The "born of no father" clause is the most rigid requirement of the prophecy. Rey’s lineage, revealed to be the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine, fundamentally disqualifies her from the traditional definition of the Chosen One. Her power, while immense, is explained by her bloodline and her connection to her Dyad partner, Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), not a unique, un-fathered birth. The struggle for her destiny is not about fulfilling a prophecy, but about overcoming the dark legacy of her grandfather.
2. Her True Power is the Force Dyad
Rey's connection to Kylo Ren is the most significant new element of the Sequel Trilogy, and it directly challenges the singular nature of the Chosen One. A Dyad in the Force is described as two Force-sensitive beings who are "one in the Force," possessing a power unseen for generations. This bond allows them to share powers, items, and even life energy across vast distances. Rey's ability to defeat Palpatine was not solely her own, but the culmination of the Dyad's power, which was ultimately completed by Ben Solo's sacrifice to bring her back to life.
The Dyad, a complementary force of light and dark, is what finally ended Palpatine, suggesting the Force required a new, dualistic solution—not a single Chosen One—to deal with the Sith’s return.
3. Anakin’s Fulfillment Was Already Confirmed in Canon
From a canonical standpoint, the prophecy was fulfilled when Darth Vader threw Palpatine down the reactor shaft on the second Death Star. This act destroyed the two remaining Sith Lords, bringing a definitive balance to the Force. The return of Palpatine in *The Rise of Skywalker* is seen by many as a temporary, unnatural imbalance—a "sin done to the nameless"—that required a new intervention, but it did not negate Anakin’s original action. Rey's action was a re-balancing, not the original fulfillment. Anakin’s Force Ghost even speaks to Rey, suggesting his legacy is what empowers her, not that she is his replacement.
4. Rey is the Founder of the New Jedi Order, Not the End of the Conflict
The most compelling evidence of Rey's unique destiny lies in the future. The upcoming *Star Wars: New Jedi Order* film, set for a rumored 2025 filming start, focuses on Rey's efforts to rebuild the Jedi Order 15 years after the defeat of the First Order and the Sith. Her role is explicitly that of a teacher, a mentor, and a founder—a new Luke Skywalker, if you will. The Chosen One prophecy was about *destroying* the Sith to bring balance; Rey’s story is about *sustaining* that balance by training a new generation of peacekeepers. Her destiny is to be the architect of the future, not merely the final warrior of the past conflict.
5. Her Struggle is Against the Dark Side’s Lure, Not a Pre-Destined Path
The Chosen One prophecy implies a destined path. Rey’s journey, however, is characterized by a constant, personal struggle against the dark side, amplified by her Palpatine lineage and her connection to the dark side through the Dyad. Her power is raw and self-taught, often causing her to feel a pull to anger and the dark side. This internal conflict, particularly on planets like Jakku and later in her training, makes her a more relatable figure than the pure, pre-destined Son of Suns. She chooses the light, and chooses the name Skywalker, rejecting her dark heritage and forging her own path, which is a significant thematic departure from the traditional prophecy.
Rey’s True Title: The Successor, The Rebalancer, and The Architect
While the title of "Chosen One" belongs to Anakin Skywalker (and indirectly, his grandson, Ben Solo, who helped complete the final act), Rey's title is arguably more significant for the future of the galaxy. She is the Successor to the Skywalker legacy, the Rebalancer of the Force after the Sith’s final, desperate return, and the Architect of the New Jedi Order.
Her story, which is set to continue in the highly anticipated 2025 film, moves beyond the ancient prophecy of the past. Rey's destiny is not to fulfill an old text, but to write a new one—a new Jedi future that learns from the mistakes of the old order and the failures of the Sequel Trilogy’s conflict. By accepting the mantle of Rey Skywalker, she accepts the responsibility of upholding a balance that must now be actively maintained, not just achieved by a single, prophesied hero.
Key Star Wars Entities & Contextual LSI Keywords:
- Prophecy Entities: Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious), Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), The Father, The Son, The Daughter, Mortis, Midichlorians, Son of Suns.
- Sequel Trilogy Entities: Force Dyad, New Jedi Order, The Rise of Skywalker, The Last Jedi, The Force Awakens, Jakku, Sith, Jedi, Resistance, First Order, Star Wars Canon.
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