This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2, episode 6.Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Yoda itted the prophecy could have been misinterpreted.
The Disney era of Star Wars has built on the foundation of the prequels, exploring a lot of the concepts and ideas Lucas hinted at. Claudia Gray's novel Master & Apprentice finally unveiled the Chosen One prophecy, but the nature of the balance Anakin brought has become increasingly debatable as Star Wars has explored other Force traditions across the galaxy. Still, a common theory has been that the Jedi had lost their way in the centuries before the prequels, and that Anakin served to bring balance by destroying both the Jedi and the Sith, so the Jedi could begin again. It's a simple concept, and an attractive theory given it means Anakin was even fulfilling his destiny when he participated in Order 66. It is, however, becoming increasingly unlikely.
Star Wars Has Revealed Too Many Order 66 Survivors
The main problem is that there are simply too many Order 66 survivors. There were 10,000 Jedi at the beginning of the Clone Wars, and although many died or deserted during the conflict, a remarkable number seem to have survived. Even assuming Order 66 was 98 percent effective (as in Legends), that means there could have been anything up to 200 survivors.
The Anakin Skywalker's former Padawan, Ahsoka, even met with Luke Skywalker - spending time with him on the planet Tython as he tried to reform the Jedi. The prequel Jedi's influence must have endured.
Order 66's Survivors Were Guided By The Force
Even more striking, though, is the fact the Force actively helped the Jedi hide from the Empire during the Dark Times. This can most easily be seen in Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode 6, which revealed the Padawan Gungi had survived Order 66. Though he had grown up among the Jedi, Gungi began experiencing Force-induced dreams of his homeworld, Kashyyyk, and decided to head there. This was a smart decision; the best place to hide a Wookiee Jedi like Gungi is surely among other Wookiees, especially given the Wookiees were always friends of Jedi.
This is important because it means it was the will of the Force to keep Gungi alive; it's reasonable to assume the same is true for other Order 66 survivors as well. If that is the case, then the Force clearly didn't want the Jedi to be wiped out. Whatever the term "balance of the Force" may mean, then, it doesn't involve the wholesale destruction of the entire prequel era Jedi Order. It's something very different - and probably much less complicated.
So What Was The Chosen One's Role In Bringing Balance To The Force?
This naturally raises the question of just how Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Anakin's voice encouraged Rey to bring back the balance, just as he did - by destroying Palpatine.
It's easy to understand why some viewers want to believe Order 66 was a necessary part of Anakin Skywalker's destiny; it's such a poetic idea. But these theories are overcomplicating the idea of the balance of the Force, which at heart is quite simple; the Force is out of balance when the Sith are dominant. Thus Anakin (and, later, Rey) brought balance simply by ending the line of the Baneite Sith, as seen in the main Star Wars saga.
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