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Star Wars: who is Anakin’s father?

We all know the iconic line "I am your father" from the Star Wars movies, but do we ever really find out who is Anakin Skywalker's father?

Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars

Who is Anakin’s father in Star Wars? The Star Wars movies may have produced the iconic “I am your father” Star Wars scene for Darth Vader to reveal to Luke Skywalker, but the man behind the mask surely has a father too, right?

While Luke may be the most prominent Star Wars character, it’s actually Anakin Skywalker who is integral to the classic science fiction movie saga. Despite this, there’s still so many mysteries to unfold when it comes to Anakin and his incredible journey from being one of the most promising Jedi to ever live, to his fall to the Dark Side and becoming a Sith Lord.

So, let’s start where it all began and figure out who is Anakin’s father. Get ready for some biblical analogies!

Who is Anakin’s father?

Anakin was actually the result of immaculate conception, so he doesn’t have a father. His mother, Shmi Skywalker, conceived her child without a male partner, and instead Anakin was created through the Force.

Yes, that’s right, Anakin Skywalker is basically Jesus Christ. In the ‘90s movie The Phantom Menace, where we first meet a young Anakin and his mother, it is revealed that Anakin had no father. Shmi tells Qui-Gon Jinn that she carried him, gave birth to him, and raised him, though this could suggest his father was just not around.

That’s not the case though, and it is further explained in the book Darth Plagueis that Anakin was in fact the result of the Force reacting to experiments being carried out by Darth Plagueis and Emperor Palpatine. The pair of Star Wars villains were playing with the notion of reviving the dead, and the Force reacted violently, thus creating Anakin.

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The truth is though, the secret of Anakin’s conception and the issue of him having a father or not is something that George Lucas has always wanted to remain something of a mystery. So while the various movies, books, and Star Wars series may offer their insight into his lineage, we will perhaps never truly know for certain where Anakin came from.

If you want to learn more about Star Wars, check out our guides to the Andor season 2 release dateMon Mothma, Luthen Rael, Syril Karn, and Dedra Meero explained, or enjoy our lists of the best Star Wars droids and best Star Wars bounty hunters.