8 Biggest Unsolved Mysteries In The Star Wars Universe
These are the unanswered questions you're looking for.
The original Star Wars trilogy has a firm beginning, a dark middle, and a conclusive end that ties up the loose ends before the good guys party the night away on Endor.
Although reviled by some, the prequels gave the fans insight into the events which took place before this and added context to some of the main characters' arcs, fleshing the universe out and paving the way for the saga to move forward with yet more sequels many years later.
There have been seven Star Wars movies to date and one big screen spin-off, and while the storytelling has been tight thorough for the most part, unanswered questions linger in a galaxy far, far away.
The Force Awakens tabled mysteries to build suspense ahead of The Last Jedi, but unsolved issues which left the fans stumped have abounded since A New Hope.
Although the forthcoming Episode VIII is expected to answer some of the questions its predecessor left behind, some of the mysteries of old will likely endure and haunt the franchise like Anakin's Force Ghost at the end of Return of The Jedi's special edition.
8. Anakin's Conception
Star Wars fans across the cosmos struggled to stomach George Lucas’s midi-chlorian-centric explanation for Anakin Skywalker’s apparent immaculate conception, but like everything in The Phantom Menace, it’s canon whether you like it or not.
However, the official party line about how he came to be still comes with a side helping of mystery since his mother Shmi is vague on the topic, telling Qui-Gon Jinn the bare minimum: “There was no father,” she explains. "I can't explain what happened".
Qui-Gon theorises that the midi-chlorians wilfully created Anakin, hinting at a sentience within the Force, but it’s important to stress this is merely a theory.
Assuming the midi-chlorian-based conception school of thought is the correct one, it’s worth asking whether there was more to it than that. For instance, Revenge of the Sith namedrops Darth Plagueis and details how he was able to manipulate midi-chlorians to create life. Since this power exists within the Star Wars universe, is it possible Plagueis or another had a hand in Vader’s creation?
The matter could be revisited in The Last Jedi, especially if the rumours of Snoke being Darth Plagueis turn out to be accurate. Pablo Hidalgo of Lucasfilm seemingly poured cold water on this idea, but this could be an underhanded way of safeguarding the sequel trilogy’s big twist.
Revealing that Vader did indeed have a father of sorts could have far-reaching implications for the saga and connect up the three trilogies. Maybe Anakin was never the Chosen One and was simply the product of Sith manipulation.