Star Wars: 10 Ways The New Films Could Improve The Prequels

6. Fix All That Prophecy Mumbo Jumbo

One of the most maligned features of the prequels was the prophecy of the Chosen One €“ a powerful being who would bring balance to the Force. Alongside this arc, the idea of midi-chlorians was thrown in as a way to measure the Force (thus allowing the Jedi to predict that Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One). It€™s even suggested that Anakin was fathered by the midi-chlorians, essentially making one of the most iconic villains of all time into an unnecessary Jesus figure. The Force Awakens marked Lucasfilm€™s first attempt to remedy this, with Lor San Tekka (Max von Sydow€™s character from the first scene of the film) remarking that €˜without the Jedi there can be no balance to the Force€™. The echoes of the prequels€™ prophecy lingo were clear, suggesting that Lucasfilm may attempt to revisit these ideas and do something less naff with them. The Force Awakens: The Visual Dictionary explained that Lor San Tekka was a member of €˜The Church Of The Force€™, a group who follow the teachings of Luke Skywalker and believe that the Jedi will return to rebalance the galaxy. This is a remixing of the prophecy mumbo jumbo from the prequels, and if Lucasfilm tread carefully €“ and never mention midi-chlorians again €“ they could use this group to rebuild a sense of wonderment and undo the demystifying of the Force committed by the prequels.
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Contributor

Film & TV journo. Quite tall.