# So who is Anakin's father? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 13, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700 "2005-05-13T16:38:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rusalka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecd19e/32.png) [@Rusalka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rusalka)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/1 "2005-05-13T16:38:48Z")
I’m sorry if this was covered before. I remember in the first episode, his mother says: “he has no father”, but who is it really? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/2 "2005-05-13T16:46:31Z")
I don’t know if they address the issue in Episode III, but I have a theory that Dooku is Anakin’s father. At some point, he was on Tattooine and knocked up Shmi Skywalker, and then he used his Jedi persuasion abilties to make Shmi forget that the encounter ever happened. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/3 "2005-05-13T16:55:07Z")
If this is revealed in Ep3, I ask that please nobody not say it without putting it in a spoiler box (since the thread title does not mention spoilers). ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/4 "2005-05-13T17:10:56Z")
I thought it was generally understood that it was a virgin birth did I miss something? ---
**Author:** ![JerH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@JerH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerH)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/5 "2005-05-13T17:11:26Z")
in Ep 1, they strongly implied that Schmi got knocked up by the Force - so, basically, a virgin birth. ---
**Author:** ![sciguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@sciguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciguy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/6 "2005-05-13T17:16:25Z")
The running theory I’ve seen (in Ep1 and Ep2 discussions) is that Shmi was impregnated directly by midichlorians, explaining the lack of a father and Anakin’s powerful connection to the Force. While not explicitly stated (although it’s a pretty short logical leap) I’ve got a theory based on some Episode III information. This is from the novel, I’m not sure if the full conversation this is based on is going to be in the film. I’m also going from memory, so I might get some small details wrong. This touches on some fairly big Ep3 plot points, so **do not** read the spoiler unless that doesn’t bother you: As part of Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side, Palpatine tells a story about a Sith lord who learned to directly manipulate midichlorians to cheat death and _create life_. Palpatine tells this as a tale he came across in his Jedi/Sith research. It turns out this is a true story about Sidious’s former Master, and Sidious knows this secret. He tempts Anakin by saying that he can keep Padme from dying (Anakin had a premonition about her death and wants to prevent that), Anakin simply has to become the new Sith apprentice. However, I think it’s extremely likely that Sidious also used this same power to create a perfect, Force powerful apprentice. So in that sense, Sidious is Anakin’s father. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/7 "2005-05-13T17:25:24Z")
> [@sciguy](#): > > As part of Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side, Palpatine tells a story about a Sith lord who learned to directly manipulate midichlorians to cheat death and _create life_. Palpatine tells this as a tale he came across in his Jedi/Sith research. It turns out this is a true story about Sidious’s former Master, and Sidious knows this secret. He tempts Anakin by saying that he can keep Padme from dying (Anakin had a premonition about her death and wants to prevent that), Anakin simply has to become the new Sith apprentice. However, I think it’s extremely likely that Sidious also used this same power to create a perfect, Force powerful apprentice. So in that sense, Sidious is Anakin’s father. :eek: According to reviews I’ve seen:the bit about Anakin’s premonition and Sidious tempting Anakin is indeed in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/8 "2005-05-13T17:31:01Z")
On the day the midiclorians got together and decided to create a dream come true. So they sprinkled Star Wars in his hair and light sabers in his eyes so blue! ---
**Author:** ![sciguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@sciguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciguy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/9 "2005-05-13T17:40:03Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > According to reviews I’ve seen:the bit about Anakin’s premonition and Sidious tempting Anakin is indeed in the movie. True, it’s even in the trailer (spoilered since it gives a hint to what we’re talking about):Anakin: How can I learn this power? Palpatine: Not from a Jedi… I just wanted to give myself an “out” in case the snippet the theory hinges on create life isn’t in the final film draft. Maybe Lucas didn’t want this conclusion drawn. Although with all the post-production, the novelization is probably pretty close to the final screenplay, so it’s likely an intentional clue. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/10 "2005-05-13T17:45:53Z")
“Luke! Your Grandfather, I am!” : said Master Yoda. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/11 "2005-05-13T19:48:45Z")
In my little corner of the world, Shmi’s “There is no father” line doesn’t mean that there wasn’t any father, just that there wasn’t any father worth mentioning. As in, either she was raped by a former owner and refuses to speak of him, or dad was a deadbeat and she’s better off without him and allows no mention of him in her life. To me, the line says, “I raised him, myself, and he’s my son. He doesn’t have a father.” Not that she just woke up one day magically pregnant. Hell, I even have a problem with virgin births in religion. I really don’t want it in my Star Wars. ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/12 "2005-05-13T19:50:55Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > I thought it was generally understood that it was > > a virgin birth > > did I miss something? That’s what I got from it as well, but really, isn’t that a bit ridiculous. The big baddie from Star Wars is now a Christ figure? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/13 "2005-05-13T20:08:34Z")
I thought it was revealed that Schmi is a hermaphrodite and was Annakin’s father, but who his mother was is a mystery. Wait, that’s Cartman. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/14 "2005-05-13T20:13:41Z")
> [@aaslatten](#): > > That’s what I got from it as well, but really, isn’t that a bit ridiculous. The big baddie from Star Wars is now a Christ figure? No, it just means ol’ George forgot how to write a good story. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/15 "2005-05-13T20:34:04Z")
Shmi got wasted one night and got shagged by Greedo. She’s repressed it ever since. At least, that’s my theory. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/16 "2005-05-13T20:41:34Z")
> [@Max Torque](#): > > Shmi got wasted one night and got shagged by Greedo. She’s repressed it ever since. Yeah, but remember, Shmi groped first! ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/17 "2005-05-13T20:43:13Z")
> [@Max Torque](#): > > Shmi got wasted one night and got shagged by Greedo. She’s repressed it ever since. Greedo’s dad perhaps…isn’t a child Greedo one of Little Slave Ani’s friends in Phantom Menance? I seem to recall that but IMDB doesn’t list a Greedo in the cast list. I’ve not seen it in years though. The implied “virgin” birth: one of the many, many, many reasons Phantom Menance sucked. I’m not looking at any spoilers, but I’m hoping this gets cleaned up in Ep. III. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/18 "2005-05-13T20:51:12Z")
> [@Max Torque](#): > > Shmi got wasted one night and got shagged by Greedo. She’s repressed it ever since. > > At least, that’s my theory. Brings a whole new meaning to “Greedo shoots first.” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/19 "2005-05-13T21:09:02Z")
Yeah, I’d be reluctant to take Schmi’s statement as literal and true, but the Jedi seem to at least entertain the possibility. Schmi didn’t say a word about midchlorians; that was in Qui-Gonn’s statement to the Council that “It’s possible the boy was conceived by the midichlorians”. And one presumes that Qui-Gonn knows what he’s talking about. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700/20 "2005-05-13T21:19:25Z")
> [@Max Torque](#): > > Shmi got wasted one night and got shagged by Greedo. She’s repressed it ever since. Obviously, in this case, Greedo shot first. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-who-is-anakins-father/303700.md?page=2)