Several Star Wars theories effectively rewrite the original assumed meaning of the Chosen One prophecy and Anakin Skywlker's role within it. Considering the Jedi Order of the prequels' Republic era definitely got the meaning behind the prophecy wrong with the assumption that balance simply meant the Sith's destruction, it's evident that this glimpse into the Force's future and the idea of balance is up for interpretation. To that end, it's quite possible that the status of the Chosen One may not even be tied to just Anakin alone in the established Star Wars timeline.
In the official Star Wars canon, the exact wording of the Chosen One prophecy is as follows:
"A Chosen One shall come, born of no father, and through him will ultimate balance in the Force be restored."
Clearly, it's not the most detailed prophecy with only a single line, though it is one that was recorded by an ancient Jedi mystic thousands of years before the prequels. As such, even the Jedi Order's Grandmaster Yoda suggested that the prophecy might have been misread and was perhaps misconstrued in the centuries that followed. Keeping that in mind along with what's revealed in the sequels following Anakin Skywalker's fulfillment of the prophecy in Return of the Jedi, here are 7 of the more popular alternate interpretations and theories regarding the Chosen One prophecy.
There's A Chosen One In Every Star Wars Generation
One interesting idea is that the Chosen One was a title that belonged to multiple heroes beyond Anakin Skywalker. After all, there is one predominant hero in each generation of films. Anakin led the prequels, Luke Skywalker led the original trilogy, and Rey for the sequels. With that in mind, perhaps it was all connected to the Skywalker name. The Chosen One meant to bring balance would be a Skywalker, beginning with Anakin and then continuing on into the future with each new generation.
Luke Skywalker Was The True Chosen One
Many Star Wars fans (and in-universe characters) believe that Luke Skywalker was the true Chosen One rather than Anakin, as he corrected the imbalance in the Force created by the Sith and their Empire via the redemption of his father. Seeing as how Luke didn't grow up with Anakin as his father, the prophecy perhaps still works (from a certain point of view and interpretation).
Although George Lucas did debunk this idea somewhat with the confirmation that Anakin did indeed fulfill the prophecy by defeating Palpatine as Darth Vader, many still subscribe to the idea that Luke was perhaps the actual Chosen One. Likewise, it's worth noting that Lucas' original sequel plans had Leia set up as the true Chosen One as she was meant to become the new Chancellor of the New Republic before the franchise was sold to Disney.
Anakin, Luke, and Rey All Served Various Aspects Of The Chosen One Prophecy
A similar idea connected to the aforementioned theories also connects to Rey and the events of the sequel trilogy. Essentially, there's an idea that balance was achieved through the efforts of all three Skywalker Jedi at different eras in the Star Wars timeline across its various aspects.
While Anakin was the genesis of the prophecy who also freed the dark side back into the galaxy with the Sith's return, Luke was the instigator who eventually brought about the restoration of balance. Meanwhile, Rey was positioned as the one to preserve said balance in the sequels with Palpatine's return and the resurgence of darkness that emerged in the years following Return of the Jedi. Three protagonists who were all part of the same chosen legacy in the Force.
True Balance In The Force Is Never Complete
As was seen in The Clone Wars arc debuting the Mortis Gods, the Father was locked in a continual struggle to keep his Son and Daughter in check. Serving as symbolic anchors connected to the Cosmic Force itself, the Son was representative of the dark side while the Daughter was of the light. The Father represented the Balance between the two who'd hoped Anakin would take his place, confirming Skywlker's power and position as the central figure of the Chosen One prophecy.
However, this arc also suggests that balance is something that always has to be sought after in Star Wars, rather than something that could ever be fully achieved as the prophecy might claim. This would explain why Rey was encouraged by Anakin's Force ghost in Rise of Skywalker to bring balance to the Force just as he did. Balance in the Force is a continual process of struggle that must be fought for, a cyclical notion which Baylan Skoll notably sought to break as seen in the live-action Ahsoka series.
Ahsoka Has Inherited The Chosen One's Legacy
Ahsoka Tano left the Jedi Order before the end of the Clone Wars, leading to her survival through the Dark Times of the Empire's reign and into the New Republic Era. As seen in the recent Ahsoka series, the titular former Jedi is reunited with Anakin's spirit with the Force nexus known as the World Between Worlds. Ahsoka was then faced with her past as well as the totality of who Anakin was. Through this experience, Anakin completed Ahsoka's training.
Given her status as the former apprentice of the central Chosen One, it's been suggested that Ahsoka is uniquely positioned during this era between the original trilogy and sequels to become a carrier of Anakin's legacy. With her training completed, Ahsoka can help preserve the balance Anakin achieved in Return of the Jedi as a new Chosen One, just as Rey will do in the sequels with the First Order and Palpatine's return.
Anakin Fulfilled The Prophecy AFTER His Death
There's also the idea that Anakin's redemption and defeating Palpatine was only the beginning of his prophecy fulfillment. Having retained his consciousness after death, it's possible that Anakin's Force ghost could be a continual presence in upcoming Star Wars projects (like Ahsoka season 2) as he strives to keep the Cosmic Force in balance by influencing those still operating within the Living Force. This has already been shown through his final lesson given to Ahsoka in the World Between Worlds, and Ahsoka's ending features Anakin's ghost watching over Ahsoka and her own apprentice Sabine Wren.
Anakin Was Created By The Sith To Try To Corrupt The Chosen One Prophecy
The Star Wars canon confirms that Palpatine's master Darth Plagueis had the power to create life via midichlorian manipulation. As such, it's been heavily theorized that Anakin being born to no father was less about the will of the Force and more about the Sith seeking to corrupt the Chosen One prophecy.
This dark theory would certainly create some dynamic narrative mirroring as it would mean the Sith misinterpreted the prophecy just as much as the Jedi Order did. While Anakin brought about the destruction of the Jedi first, he ultimately destroyed the Sith's dominance over the galaxy as well. Even if Plaguuis and/or Palpatine were indeed responsible for his birth, Anakin Skywalker still fulfilled the Chosen One prophecy as he was meant to, achieving balance to the benefit of neither the Jedi nor the Sith but for the Star Wars galaxy overall.
