10 Important Star Wars Details That Are Almost Never Mentioned

Though the whole midichlorian thing has been largely swept under the rug in recent years, it's still part of Star Wars canon. Midichlorians - which live inside the body's cells - are linked to Force potential, so the higher the midichlorian count, the more Force potential that individual will have.

So what would happen if that midichlorian count was suddenly reduced?

In a 2005 interview, George Lucas himself spoke about that idea, discussing how dismemberment (losing limbs, and therefore losing midichlorians) would affect a Jedi or a Sith's Force abilities, stating that Anakin actually became less powerful after Obi-Wan chopped him to bits:

"Anakin, as a human being, was going to be extremely powerful. But he ended up losing his arms and a leg and became partly a robot. So a lot of his ability to use the Force, a lot of his powers, are curbed at this point, because, as a living form, there's not that much of him left."

Lucas went on to explain that the Emperor viewed Luke as a "primo version" of Anakin, simply because his body was more intact - and this was why he offered the younger Skywalker the chance to join him.

Despite this idea coming straight from the horse's mouth, not a single Star Wars film has ever delved into it, which is bizarre considering how the franchise's two main characters (Luke and Anakin) both suffer dismemberments at various points.