Is Palpatine Anakin Skywalker's father?

I liked ROTS. Yes, that is right. I enjoyed Episode III very much. We have seen many PT Bash threads, and I agree and disagree with many of the points raised.

We all had expectations, some were met, some were not. Many of you HATE the midi-chlorian concept, this thread is not meant to tear the bandaids of the wounds. I have made peace with what I view as a few shortcomings, and since the PT isn't getting remade anytime soon, I will stick with what I have.

With this thread, I was hoping to get everyone's opinion on one of the loose ends (intentionally, I believe) of Episode III.

Palpatine explains that Darth Plagus, his master, knew how to manipulate midi-chlorians to a point that could create life. We also know Palpatine was taught everything Darth Plagus knew.

But, Palpatine said Darth Plagus could keep people from dying, but admits to Anakin that perhaps they can "discover how together," more than implying he does not know how to do this (likely because it was just puffery to seduce Anakin).

SOMEONE created Anakin, and there has to be a reason we learn the SITH can create life.

One theory I once read, was that Shmi was originally a slave of Darth Plagus, who forsaw Palpatine's eventual betrayal, and created Anakin to one day take revenge. He then banished her to Tatooine for his handiwork to transpire.

Another theory is that Palpatine orchestrated ALL PT events that shaped Anakin to Darth Vader. Palpatine created Anakin because he sensed Shmi would yield the finest Apprentice. In a scene cut from the film, Palpatine would have even revealed that Dookoo (of course at Palpatine's order) paid off the Tuskan Raider's to kindnap, torture, and kill Shmi. He foresaw EVERYTHING and manipulated events that culminated into Darth Vader, who ultimately fulfilled the prophecy of bringing balance to the force (equalizing the dark side with the force, and eventually destroying the Sith by killing Palpatine and himself).

Please don't bash the PT. Liking Episode III is lonely enough as it is around here. :lol

Sorry. Just bad writing.

I thought that was one of those "Is Deckard a Replicant?" kind of issues. I could see how one could interpret it that way, but I think it was wisely left ambiguous for those (like me) who would find that a bit hard to swallow. So I'd say, if you choose to believe he's Ani's dad, you've got a decent argument, but I'd hate to see it made cannon.

I always took it at face-value: it's a virgin birth, so you get the fulfillment of the prophecy of the one who brings balance to the Force. There's crazier creation myths in fiction and history.

thegreatgalling said:

Please don't bash the PT. Liking Episode III is lonely enough as it is around here. :lol

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Good luck with that one. There's a lot of negativity floating around here lately.

I think this is a generally accepted (if a little controversial) theory.

Last I checked, there was no "canon" explanation of this, and Wookieepedia ultimately debates several aspects of the possibilities of this, basically leaving it up in the air.

I think it's a great thing that they left it open-ended. But with all things Star Wars, who knows how long that mystery will last...they'll probably get Kevin J. Anderson to write some far-fetched backstory about it.

When I saw Palpatine give that speech in the movie, I know this is the conclusion I came to.

And I liked ROTS too. I liked it a lot. Burn me at the stake.

I actually liked this one better than the other two in the prequels. I never even thought about this until now. I feel bad for Anderson, i like his non SW books (first read his sW books then found his others) but he seems to be in charge of loose ends at times. Beside everything he writes will be non canon at some point lol.

If the Emperor did plan all this out you'd think there would have been a simpler way of doing it. If Plagus did do this to get back at Palpatine it makes you wonder if he somehow created that prophesy or just decided to tailor his plan to match it.

Lutos: no need to be burned at the stake. Anakin took enough of that for everyone in the movie lol.

I doubt it. If he was, at least he would have some talent in his performance.

I also really enjoyed RotS. It's my favorite of the prequels (not the greatest of achievements, I know), and think it raised some interesting questions.

Personally, I think the speech from Palps was just him blowing smoke to try to turn Anakin. I don't think he had anything to do with Anakin's creation, nor did Plageus. Given the amount of trust that Anakin had in Palpatine, I think he told Palpatine the story his mother adhered to all his life about this 'virgin birth' and that Palpatine took it and ran with it.

For the record, I choose to take the more cynical viewpoint that Shmi was lying through her teeth about the 'there was no father' thing, for whatever reason.

Wes R said:

Beside everything he writes will be non canon at some point lol.

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They did give him Coruscant, though.

firesprite said:

I also really enjoyed RotS. It's my favorite of the prequels (not the greatest of achievements, I know), and think it raised some interesting questions.

Personally, I think the speech from Palps was just him blowing smoke to try to turn Anakin. I don't think he had anything to do with Anakin's creation, nor did Plageus. Given the amount of trust that Anakin had in Palpatine, I think he told Palpatine the story his mother adhered to all his life about this 'virgin birth' and that Palpatine took it and ran with it.

For the record, I choose to take the more cynical viewpoint that Shmi was lying through her teeth about the 'there was no father' thing, for whatever reason.

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Yup thats been my take on it. I always figured some fallen jedi or other force sensitive was responsible for Anakin but its not someone actually worth noting in the story.

Going with the thought Palpatine could create life via the force then leads 2 really big stinkers.

A) Why not fix his body after the fight in his office.

B) Why make a robo-suit for Vader when you could just heal his wounds.

Sure Shmi SAYS there's no father, but she won't tell you what happened that crazy night in the dune sea during Spring break. She woke up with a headache and that's all she remembers. A Father? Oh yes... there was a Father, but that's something for Maury to help solve!

It was mentioned in either the screen play or novelization that Palpatine did create Ani.

niennumb1 said:

Sure Shmi SAYS there's no father, but she won't tell you what happened that crazy night in the dune sea during Spring break. She woke up with a headache and that's all she remembers.....

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it's the oldest trick in the jedi mind control book..
"nothing happened last night, you went home alone, we never met."

neosporing said:

it's the oldest trick in the jedi mind control book..
"nothing happened last night, you went home alone, we never met."

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That is the best explanation of have heard for the "virgin birth". :lol

tk1055 said:

It was mentioned in either the screen play or novelization that Palpatine did create Ani.

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Exact quotes please, with page number and paragraph, or it didn´t happen :lol

Larry Young said:

They did give him Coruscant, though.

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Coruscant was actually Timothy Zahn's creation. Although they apparently retconned plenty of stuff Zahn wrote or tried really convoluted ways to make it work. I prefer Zahn's work, so I just accept the Thrawn trilogy as accurate, and disregard what doesn't fit, or say "Well, maybe they both happened."

Anyway, as far as Palpy being Anakin's father, I don't think he's exactly his "father" as much as his "instigator." When I heard the line in Ep. III, that was how I interpreted it. As in "Wait...so PALPATINE is, like, his father but not exactly his biological father?! WTF?!!?!" So, while I did interpret the line as suggesting that to be the case, it does strike me as a bit....hard to swallow. (Cue "That's what SHMI said!" obnoxious guy...:rolleyes)


Alternate explanations for the "virgin birth":

1.) Shmi lied. She had a torrid affair with one Metgar Solo, who just happened to be Han Solo's grandfather, thereby making Han and Luke COUSINS!! Or something.

2.) Shmi told the truth, but Palpy lied (or at least lied in terms of what he was implying). There was indeed a "virgin" birth, but it wasn't brought about by Palpatine in any direct sense. Maybe "The Force" did it. Maybe midichlorians spontaneously fertilized one of Shmi's eggs. But just because it's an actual virgin birth doesn't necessitate that Palpatine was the guy who made it happen.

3.) Palpatine did not actively make it happen, but perhaps exercised an influence on the events. It might've been happening anyway, Palpatine sensed it, and corrupted it ever so slightly, figuring that he'd stand a shot at meeting the being he "created" (or whose creation he influenced) some day, given how the Force works and how the Star Wars universe puts the Kevin Bacon game to shame as far as degrees of separation.

4.) Shmi told the truth...from a certain point of view. There was no father, but she was a former medical trainee at one of the most respected Republic medical schools in the galaxy, and experimented with self-fertilization. In fact, it was her experiments that put her so far in debt that she actually ended up having to become a contracted slave to Watto. She was never able to patent the process, though, due to her death at the hands of Sandpeople. If only she could've gotten a grant from the Republic Institute of Health...

5.) TPM never happened. The first movie of the prequels is AOTC, and there's a "lost" 2nd chapter depicting the actual Clone Wars themselves and how they shape Anakin's attitudes. Anakin never knew his father, but Shmi never said anything about it to him.

Solo4114 said:

Coruscant was actually Timothy Zahn's creation.

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Right; remembered that wrong. I'm not exactly an EU scholar.

Poor Kevin J. Anderson! He gets nothing! He stole fizzy lifting drinks! :lol

tk1055 said:

It was mentioned in either the screen play or novelization that Palpatine did create Ani.

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No, it wasn't. In fact, it's mentioned in Dark Lord (the novel set directly after ROTS) that Sidious lied to Anakin about the whole thing just to control him.

To answer the question presented by the thread title - no.

I was left with the impression after seeing that scene that he was indeed, Annie's Daddy. Kinda makes you wander why ol' Palpy did'nt just will another apprentice into being when Annie turned all KFC crispy.

Why waste time with the Force if he's already created one... he can just pop a piece of his DNA to the cloners and have them churn out multiple Anakins. Which is the whole reason why having the clones and that technology be on the "republic" side in the war is just too ****ing stupid.