The Myth of the Chosen One
The similarities between past and present stories
The Chosen One
I have always found myths to be fun and have enjoyed listening to them in my past. I find them very exciting because they are found in almost every culture around the world. A myth is a story or some type of folklore that play a fundamental role in the way society views the world. In a myth, we usually have gods, demi-gods, or superhuman individuals that have immeasurable power and influence. We can even see myths being closely linked to religions and spirituality. We also see myths in some of our favorite books and movies. One very fascinating myth that would be the mythical story of the Chosen One. I found this myth to particularly interesting because of the way that it shows up in many areas including one of the most popular movie franchises of all time, Star Wars, but continues to stay true to its theme.
Anakin and Star Wars
In the Star Wars universe, there is a lot of talk about a Chosen One mentioned in a prophecy that is only known by few. The prophecy stated that there would come a time where a savior would arise and bring balance to the Force. We are later led to recognize that Anakin Skywalker is the Chosen One who will eventually fulfill the prophecy with the help of his son Luke Skywalker but not after a long sequence of difficult events. We see this in many myths and stories from the past like the Greek myth of Hercules, the modern story of Harry Potter, and even in the Catholic religion.
Similarities between Hercules and Anakin
The myth of the Chosen One is very popular in stories and usually follows an individual through many impossible feats. We see many similarities between the story of Anakin and the myth of Hercules. For example, Hercules is the son of the Greek God Zeus and a human mother. This is very similar to the Star Wars story of the Chosen One because Anakin is born without a human father as well. He is born through the Force which could be considered as some form of a higher power which is exactly what Zeus is, a God. There are many familiar aspects like this in these two-story lines but the one that stands out to me the most would be how the Chosen One must fulfill some predesigned destiny. In the myth of Hercules, he must overcome what is known as the “Twelve Labors”, each labor being more difficult and grueling than the last. The reason for Hercules does this is because he was manipulated by Hera the wife of Zeus. Hera was jealous and hated Hercules for being alive since it was a reminder that Zeus was a cheater within their marriage. Because of Hera’s manipulation, she eventually drove Hercules crazy. He ended up killing his wife and children in cold-blooded murder. After that Hercules heads off to complete the “Twelve Labors”.
He does this to repent and find a way to live with a peaceful mind, this is his untold prophecy that must be fulfilled like all the figures that represent they Chosen One in mythology. If we look at the Star Wars story we can see how the Chosen One, Anakin, is very similar to Hercules. He is also manipulated and influenced by an all-powerful being, a Sith Lord, into performing evil deeds for pretty much his entire life. Anakin’s path has many forked roads with each one providing an even harder task that he must conquer, many of his being interior battles, so he may also find peace. It takes Anakin a much longer time to complete his path as the Chosen One but finally he is able to realize his horrible deeds and redeem himself by finishing the prophecy about him and killing off the sith and bringing a balance to the force just as Hercules went through the “Twelve Labors” to redeem himself and find a peace of mind and a balanced mind.
Similarities between Harry Potter and Anakin
Harry Potter is a widely loved book with many mythical aspects to its storyline. Again, we see the myth of the Chosen One and the many similarities between Harry Potters path and Anakin Skywalker which shows how the myth of the Chosen One continues to be prominent in today’s society and how it has stayed true to its theme. As an infant Harry Potter is hunted down by the most powerful villain because of a foreseen prophecy that says that Harry Potter will be the end of Voldemort. Again, we see a tie in with the Chosen One having a very clear destiny. In Star Wars Anakin is expected from early on in his life to be the end of the sith which would bring balance back to the force just as Harry is expected to do away with Lord Voldemort. In both these stories, the Chosen One is following a path that leads them to the destruction of the evil intentions within their worlds. Harry Potter must destroy Voldemort, the evilest influence in his world. Anakin Skywalker must also find a way to overcome the menacing power of the dark side and rid it of the world by destroying the Sith. It is amazing to see how the myth of the Chosen One continues to follow a very similar structure in all of these stories and shows how much it influenced Star Wars and the storyline of Anakin Skywalker.
How Star Wars and the Catholic Faith connect
We see many similarities between the Catholic faith and the Star Wars theme of the Chosen One. I think the most obvious that we see would be the virgin birth of Jesus and the birth of young Anakin Skywalker. The Catholic religion believes that Mary, the mother of Jesus, gave birth to her son without ever having sexual intercourse.
Instead, Jesus was conceived through the Holy Spirit which is a “force” that is surrounding and within all beings. For me, the connection here is uncanny since Anakin is also conceived without a father and actually through something that is actually called the Force in Star Wars. Shmi Skywalker giving birth to Anakin Skywalker on an outer rim planet is one of the key components to the myth of the Chosen One. We now have seen this similar theme with the Chosen One myth three times. It is depicted in the story of Hercules, Star Wars, and the Catholic Religion. I find it very cool that we can make these connections between these different stories and religious ideals by looking at the myth of the Chosen One. As I continue to watch tv shows and movies I know am constantly seeing connections with this myth so it looks like the story of the Chosen One will continue to pop up in the future.
