10 Star Wars Questions We Still Need Answers To
8. Where Did The Chosen One Prophecy Come From?
The notion of the Chosen One prophecy was first introduced in The Phantom Menace, with Qui-Gon (Liam Neeson) believing that Anakin (Jake Lloyd) was the one fated to restore balance to the Force.
Despite its importance in the prequels, we don't really ever learn that much about the prophecy in the films, namely where it originated from and why large swaths of the Jedi Order believe in it so dogmatically.
Even in the Legends continuity, concrete information about the prophecy is incredibly scarce, possibly because George Lucas had the good sense to appreciate how wildly convoluted it might become if he started getting incredibly specific about it.
A sliver of light was however shone on the matter in Claudia Gray's canon novel Master & Apprentice, which focuses heavily on Qui-Gon's belief in the prophecy and even includes the full, exact wording of the prophecy itself.
While its specificity - referring to a Chosen One born of no father - certainly clarifies why Qui-Gon was so convinced that Anakin was The One, quite where the prophecy itself came from nevertheless remains rather vague.
All the same, fans sure would love to know where such an important piece of Jedi rhetoric originated. It's often been speculated that an ancient Jedi came up with it in the distant past, but again, that's just hopeful scuttlebutt.