As the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker was destined to destroy the Jedi as well as the Sith - and Star Wars is finally revealing why. When George Lucas introduced viewers to the prequel era, he added a new Messianic element. Anakin Skywalker wasn't simply a Jedi who had fallen to the dark side; he was actually the Chosen One, destined to bring balance to the Force.
The Jedi, understandably, believed this meant he would be the one responsible for destroying the Sith. They were right to view Darth Sidious, the culmination of the Sith Rule of Two, as the source of a drastic imbalance in the Force. He had taken on a position of unprecedented power, and worse still he had learned the secret of conquering death, meaning he could potentially establish an Empire that would never end. And yet, for all this is the case, Anakin's journey to fulfilling his destiny is a rather strange one. Was his time spent as Darth Vader simply a diversion, or was it somehow part of his mission? Did he need to destroy the Jedi as well as the Sith?
George Lucas has always been clear that the prequel era Jedi were a shadow of their former selves, but the upcoming "High Republic" initiative - set 200 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace - looks set to reveal just how bad things had become. According to writer Charles Soule, it will redefine understanding of the Force itself. "The Force is what gives a Jedi his power," Obi-Wan Kenobi told Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars film. "It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." It seems he was presenting the model of the Force he had been taught, and generations of Jedi before him, but this is far from the full truth.
Speaking at the High Republic panel at New York Comic Con 2020, Charles Soule explained this traditional definition of the Force is actually based on Yoda's perception of it. Centuries ago, there were no central models of the Force, because each Jedi embraced their individuality. As an example, one of the heroes of the High Republic experiences the Force as music, while a Wookiee Padawan sees the Force as a great forest. Unfortunately, Yoda became increasingly dominant over the centuries; given he was the one who taught Younglings how to relate to the Force, his understanding gradually drowned all other interpretations out. Thus, by the time of the prequel era, the Jedi are diminished. Their knowledge of the Force is no longer expanding, but rather is shrinking, an unfortunate side-effect of Yoda's endurance.
It's a shocking revelation because it means the Force was out of balance in two ways, not just one. The Sith were greater than ever before; the Jedi were lesser. As the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker was destined to bring balance to the Force by wiping both groups out. The Jedi had to be destroyed, so Luke Skywalker and then Rey could go back to older records and reform them based on what they had once stood for. The line of the Rule of Two, which culminated in Darth Sidious, had to be brought to an end lest darkness consume the galaxy forever. There is a certain irony in this, in that Palpatine's Order 66 unwittingly played into the will of the Force as well, helping ensure the Chosen One would fulfill his destiny in Star Wars.