# Phantom Menace - Anakin and the Jedi Council? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [July 6, 2025, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-anakin-and-the-jedi-council/1020555 "2025-07-06T11:06:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-anakin-and-the-jedi-council/1020555/21 "2025-07-07T05:52:17Z")
Sometimes I get the feeling that far too much Jedi training was infected by the “Tommy Syndrome” (based on the movie “Tommy”). Sometime in the past a Jedi did something a particular way and it was determined without extensive training that that was the only way it should be done. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-anakin-and-the-jedi-council/1020555/22 "2025-07-07T06:08:08Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > This question is one of the core issues in the disney plus series The Acolyte. > > Slight spoiler answering the OP: > > There is a character who starts their jedi training but is deemed to emotional to continue and so is kicked out of the academy and left to their own devices. > > My impression is that without training, a force sensitive may have a expanded intuition and reflexes, but won’t be able to do any of the really fancy stuff and so is generally harmless. While a trained jedi lured away to the darkside is a dangerous threat. So if there is a significant chance of that happening it’s best to leave them untrained. Yeah, I think it’s this - with the added detail that, up until _The Phantom Menace_, the Jedi thought the Sith were extinct, so there wasn’t much danger of someone getting scooped up and trained by the bad guys. If an untrained Force sensitive is never going to be more than “unusually good” at stuff without training, and the Jedi are the only people who offer training, there’s not really any downside to having a bunch of untrained Force sensitives running around. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-anakin-and-the-jedi-council/1020555/23 "2025-07-07T06:17:23Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Yeah, I think it’s this - with the added detail that, up until _The Phantom Menace_, the Jedi thought the Sith were extinct, so there wasn’t much danger of someone getting scooped up and trained by the bad guys. You would think that to be a “disturbance in the Force” large enough to be noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-anakin-and-the-jedi-council/1020555/24 "2025-07-07T06:19:17Z")
Sorry, I’m not sure what you’re referring to. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-anakin-and-the-jedi-council/1020555/25 "2025-07-07T12:06:09Z")
I swear I remember reading somewhere that at least some Force sensitive individuals will lose their connection to The Force if their abilities are NOT cultivated and used regularly. And the Jedi assume that is what will happen if they reject training a child. Though you would think with how high Anakin’s Midichlorian count was The Jedi would have done something try and ensure he did NOT become a problem ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-anakin-and-the-jedi-council/1020555/26 "2025-07-07T22:52:24Z")
I’m sure there are a good number of force sensitive types who will figure things out by themselves. Not everything, obviously but by doing certain things certain results follow. By practicing their “party tricks”(both light and dark) they can get scary good at them without being bogged down by troublesome dogmas. Sure they don’t get a cool laser sword, but you can’t have everything. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-anakin-and-the-jedi-council/1020555/27 "2025-07-07T23:34:37Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > What does anyone do? They let them live their life. I dunno. In Anakin’s case it’s even more complicated. Qui-Gon had just got him out of his indentured servitude contract, but not his mom. So, do they return him to his mom? And now he’s a slave again? Does he go into a Coruscant orphanage? I think that factored into why he ended up deciding to defy the Council and train him anyway, and asked Obi-Wan to do the same. (Though realistically, I expect a Jedi who goes flying around the galaxy having adventures, especially one at the Master rank, has a ton of contacts and could find the kid a good home.) I’m curious what would have happened if Qui-Gon had said, okay, the Council says so. Anakin might never have caught Palpatine’s eye, might never have trained his powers, might never have become Vader. I assume there would still have been the confrontation with Darth Maul later, as the Jedi continued to fight to free Naboo from the Trade Federation. Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus would have continued to be apprentice to Sidious as Maul’s replacement. The Clone Wars would have still happened, just without Anakin’s role. Maybe Dooku would have lived and been captured, and eventually revealed Palpatine’s role as a Sith Lord before the formation of the Empire. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2025, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-anakin-and-the-jedi-council/1020555/28 "2025-07-08T00:56:37Z")
Surely Annie was strong enough in the Force that anyone reasonably attuned to it could sense it emanating from him without checking his blood parasite numbers. Kinda like Vader did with Luke. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2025, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-anakin-and-the-jedi-council/1020555/29 "2025-07-08T01:00:07Z")
Further, there must’ve been attempts to create artificial Force sensitives by shooting orphans full of midichorians or something. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2025, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-anakin-and-the-jedi-council/1020555/30 "2025-07-08T01:03:08Z")
Yeah, the whole idea of the Force being cause by microbes really falls apart when you think about it for more than a minute. I think that’s why (A) it only appears in Episode I, the film that infamously was made in an environment where nobody every said no to Lucas on anything and he had full control, and (B) was never brought up again in any canonical source AFAIK. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-anakin-and-the-jedi-council/1020555/31 "2025-07-08T01:25:15Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > (B) was never brought up again in any canonical source AFAIK. I was curious about this, so I checked [the Wookiepedia entry](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Midi-chlorian). They’ve shown up a lot in recent canon, as it turns out: ## Appearances - “[What a Jedi Makes](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/What_a_Jedi_Makes)” — _[Stories of Jedi and Sith](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Stories_of_Jedi_and_Sith)_ (and [audiobook](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Stories_of_Jedi_and_Sith_(audiobook))) (Mentioned only) - [_The High Republic: Trail of Shadows_ 1](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/The_High_Republic:_Trail_of_Shadows_1) (Mentioned only) - _[The High Republic: Into the Light](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/The_High_Republic:_Into_the_Light)_ (Mentioned only) - [![](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/1/14/The_Acolyte_logo_Celebration.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/56?cb=20230421224226)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Acolyte) _[Star Wars: The Acolyte](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Acolyte)_ — “[Choice](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Choice)” (Mentioned only) - [_Star Wars_: Episode I _The Phantom Menace_](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Episode_I_The_Phantom_Menace) (First mentioned) - [_Star Wars: The Phantom Menace_ Graphic Novel Adaptation](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Phantom_Menace_Graphic_Novel_Adaptation) (Mentioned only) - _[Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy – A Graphic Novel](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Prequel_Trilogy_%E2%80%93_A_Graphic_Novel)_ (Mentioned only) - [![](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/c/c8/TCW_mini_logo.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20081006205514)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Clone_Wars) _[Star Wars: The Clone Wars](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Clone_Wars)_ — “[Deception](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Deception)” (Mentioned only) - [![](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/c/c8/TCW_mini_logo.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20081006205514)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Clone_Wars) _[Star Wars: The Clone Wars](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Clone_Wars)_ — “[Voices](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Voices)” (Mentioned only) - [![](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/c/c8/TCW_mini_logo.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20081006205514)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Clone_Wars) _[Star Wars: The Clone Wars](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Clone_Wars)_ — “[Destiny](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Destiny_(The_Clone_Wars))” (Mentioned only) - [_Star Wars_: Episode III _Revenge of the Sith_](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Episode_III_Revenge_of_the_Sith) (Mentioned only) - [![](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/9/94/TBBtemplate.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20220102194547)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Bad_Batch) _[Star Wars: The Bad Batch](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Bad_Batch)_ — “[Confined](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Confined)” (Mentioned only) - [![](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/9/94/TBBtemplate.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20220102194547)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Bad_Batch) _[Star Wars: The Bad Batch](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Bad_Batch)_ — “[Shadows of Tantiss](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Shadows_of_Tantiss)” (Mentioned only) - [![](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/9/94/TBBtemplate.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20220102194547)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Bad_Batch) _[Star Wars: The Bad Batch](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Bad_Batch)_ — “[Infiltration](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Infiltration_(episode))” (Mentioned only) - [![](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/9/94/TBBtemplate.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20220102194547)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Bad_Batch) _[Star Wars: The Bad Batch](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Bad_Batch)_ — “[Bad Territory](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Bad_Territory)” (Mentioned only) - [![](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/9/94/TBBtemplate.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20220102194547)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Bad_Batch) _[Star Wars: The Bad Batch](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Bad_Batch)_ — “[The Harbinger](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/The_Harbinger)” (Mentioned only) - [![](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/9/94/TBBtemplate.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20220102194547)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Bad_Batch) _[Star Wars: The Bad Batch](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Bad_Batch)_ — “[Identity Crisis](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Identity_Crisis)” (Mentioned only) - [![](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/9/94/TBBtemplate.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/30?cb=20220102194547)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Bad_Batch) _[Star Wars: The Bad Batch](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Bad_Batch)_ — “[Juggernaut](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Juggernaut_(episode))” (Mentioned only) - [![](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/b/b9/Rebels-mini-logo.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/74?cb=20210903221724)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Rebels) _[Star Wars Rebels](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Rebels)_ — “[A World Between Worlds](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/A_World_Between_Worlds)” (Indirect mention only) - _[Victory’s Price: An Alphabet Squadron Novel](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Victory%27s_Price:_An_Alphabet_Squadron_Novel)_ (and [audiobook](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Victory%27s_Price:_An_Alphabet_Squadron_Novel_(audiobook))) (Mentioned only) - [![](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/4/4f/The-Mandalorian-logo.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/64?cb=20210211153541)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Mandalorian) _[Star Wars: The Mandalorian](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Mandalorian)_ — “[Chapter 12: The Siege](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Chapter_12:_The_Siege)” (Mentioned only) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2025, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-anakin-and-the-jedi-council/1020555/32 "2025-07-08T03:18:15Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Yeah, the whole idea of the Force being cause by microbes really falls apart when you think about it for more than a minute Midichlorians do not cause The Force. They are the biological reason some people are more attuned to The Force. I think George Lucas did this to justify bloodlines being important. The Force is an energy field in ALL living things. Everyone has it, everyone has the potential to access it and utilise it, but only Jedi dedicate their lives to it. Other Force Users do exist, like the Witches of Dathomir and whatever that coven in The Acolyte were called, but they tend to be all Dark Side users. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-menace-anakin-and-the-jedi-council/1020555.md?page=1)