Star Wars: 7 Ways Episodes 8 And 9 Could Actually Improve The Prequels

Although the Chosen One prophecy was believed to have been fulfilled when Darth Vader tossed the Emperor into the Death Star's reactor shaft in Return of the Jedi, it was only written into Star Wars lore by the prequels.

While George Lucas neglected to explain what the balance of the Force entailed and why it was so important, it was widely assumed that the prophecy referred to destroying the Sith but, fast forward to the events of The Force Awakens and that hasn't achieved much. The Jedi Order is on the brink of extinction and evil has returned to the galaxy in the form of non-Sith Dark Side users.

The Last Jedi and its sequel, however, have the chance to revisit the prophesy and weave it into their lore, given that the concept of balancing to the Force is set to play a major role in Episode VIII. Yoda warned that the prophecy may have been misread, and perhaps it's for the best if that turns out to be true.

The next sequel is underpinned by moral ambiguity and is expected to see an order of Grey Jedi rise from the ashes of the previous generation, tabling the idea that balancing the Force means unifying both sides, rather than obliterating one of them.

As characters with light and darkness within, Luke Skywalker, Kylo Ren and Rey are all potential candidates for the role of the Chosen One, and Vader's familial connection to two of them (maybe all three?) could explain why the prophecy was "misread".

Having the prophecy that was laid down in The Phantom Menace be properly fulfilled at the end of Episode IX would make the events of the prequels more consequential and see Star Wars become a multilayered saga of three deeply connected trilogies.