Over the years Star Wars has revealed that the Jedi Order possess a range of ancient prophecies – but what are they, and what do they mean? Star Wars: The Phantom Menace introduced Anakin Skywalker as the prophesied Chosen One, a being destined somehow to bring balance to the Force. The Jedi interpreted this to mean that Anakin was destined to destroy the Sith, and were understandably taken rather by surprise when instead Anakin betrayed them and became a Sith Lord. Yoda suggested that the prophecy could have been misinterpreted.

Lucasfilm is preparing the way for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, a film that’s intended to bring a final close to this trilogy of trilogies. That means it has to draw on plot threads running through the prequels, the original trilogy, and of course the sequels themselves. There can be no loose ends when the story is complete, and given that Emperor Palpatine’s return means Darth Vader’s sacrifice didn’t completely destroy the Sith, the Chosen One prophecy needs to be revisited.

Yoda believed that the prophecies were dangerous. He believed that Jedi should live in the present moment, and that the future should only be revealed as the Force willed; to study the prophecies was to attempt to control the future, and thus was of the dark side. As a result, just a handful of Jedi – including, of course, Qui-Gon Jinn – had spent time looking through the prophecies. Qui-Gonn was particularly fascinated by a group of prophecies pertaining to the Chosen One, and these led him to recognize Anakin Skywalker as the one destined to bring balance to the Force. Let’s take a look through the few Jedi prophecies that have been revealed to date in the new Disney Star Wars canon, and try to work out what they mean.