21 Years Later, Star Wars' Biggest Anakin Skywalker Secret Is About To Be Revealed

Published Sep 25, 2026, 10:30 PM EDT

Liz Declan is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant, primarily covering movies. She is a massive fan of Star Wars, the MCU, and Supernatural. In addition to writing, Liz loves attending and covering conventions and interviewing actors. Find her on TikTok and Instagram @va.va.vera

Although Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader has been a critical part of Star Wars movies and TV shows from the beginning, and he continues to appear in the franchise's most recent shows (with his latest appearance in Star Wars: Maul Shadow Lord), there's still so much we don't know about him. In fact, some of the most fundamental aspects of Anakin's character remain unknown, from the explanation of his birth—Shmi simply said there was no father, but there's surely more to it than that—to what his actual fate is/will be.

Return of the Jedi made it clear that Anakin ended up as a Force Ghost, but unlike his various Force Ghost counterparts, he wasn't seen at any point in the sequel trilogy, despite the fact that his help would have been particularly appreciated when it came to telling Kylo Ren that he didn't want him to "finish what he started." Ultimately, the first and only time we've seen Anakin as a Force Ghost in the time since was in Ahsoka season 1, which raises questions about where exactly he goes and what he's doing.

However, that exact answer may be coming in an unexpected place. Specifically, Hayden Christensen is already confirmed to be returning in Ahsoka season 2, and while that will, in part, involve more flashbacks to the Clone Wars era, we will almost certainly be getting quite a few more scenes with Anakin as a Force Ghost watching over Sabine Wren and Ahsoka Tano on Peridea. That's not what suggests Anakin's true fate (or destiny) might be revealed soon, though. Rather, that's a shocking confirmation from Lucasfilm Co-President Dave Filoni.

Dave Filoni Just Confirmed The Mortis Gods in Ahsoka Season 2

In a truly unexpected twist, Filoni recently confirmed that the Mortis Gods are "definitely a thing" in Ahsoka season 2. That's surprising not only because it's unusual for Star Wars to confirm something so massive ahead of an upcoming release (especially several months in advance) but also because of what that means. The Mortis Gods were introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars as a trio of gods comprising the Son, the Daughter, and the Father. The Son represented the dark side of the Force, the Daughter represented the light, and the Father embodied balance itself.

Obviously, that's quite a way off from the explanations of the Force and the Jedi in the original Star Wars trilogy or even in the prequels, and that made it seem very unlikely to ever hit more mainstream Star Wars movies and shows. Yes, a show is still less mainstream than a Star Wars blockbuster, but a live-action show, especially one with this star-studded cast, is undoubtedly much more mainstream than the animated late-2000s (but into 2020) animated series The Clone Wars.

Nevertheless, these comments from Filoni suggest that the Mortis Gods are indeed making their live-action debut in Ahsoka season 2, and that has some shocking implications. For one, all three gods were dead by the end of their arc in The Clone Wars, so although Baylan Skoll seemed to be on the hunt for them at the end of Ahsoka season 1, many had assumed that he would find only information. That may very well still be the case, as the Mortis Gods might only be shown in flashback in the upcoming season.

Yet, Filoni's comments certainly hint that their significance is going to be far greater than just a flashback showing what already happened with them in The Clone Wars. Given that, and the fact that the original Mortis Gods are dead, one shocking theory has emerged—and, in spite of how franchise-shattering it would be, it honestly makes so much sense.

One Mortis Gods Theory Is Perfect For Ahsoka Season 2

With the Mortis Gods apparently playing a significant role in Ahsoka season 2 and the original gods dead, it's not really a stretch to say that the upcoming season could see new characters fulfilling these roles. In fact, there have long been conversations about Ahsoka becoming the new Daughter, or at least having some considerably deeper connection to the Daughter, as she had actually given her life to save Ahsoka in The Clone Wars, and her convor, Morai, has followed Ahsoka since (and she already appeared in Ahsoka season 1).

Perhaps even more convincing is the fact that the Father explicitly wanted Anakin to take his place in this Clone Wars arc, although Anakin ultimately refused. Even so, with Anakin now as a Force Ghost, he could absolutely take the Father's place—and this, in turn, would help to explain things like why Anakin didn't intervene at any point in the sequel trilogy. For that matter, it could explain Ahsoka's absence in those movies as well. Of course, that only accounts for the Father and the Daughter.

While slightly less obvious, Ahsoka has the perfection option for that final god as well, as Baylan is neither a Jedi nor a Sith but clearly has a connection to the dark side. He is therefore a perfect addition to this potential new trio of the Mortis Gods: Anakin as the Father, Ahsoka as the Daughter, and Baylan as the Son. That's a tall order for a Star Wars show, but it could actually be the final key piece in understanding Anakin's overall Star Wars story, especially when it comes to his true destiny.

This Story Arc Could Finally Explain Anakin Skywalker's Chosen One Prophecy

In addition to questions about who Anakin's father really was (if he had one, or if he was created by the Force itself) and why he wasn't present as a Force Ghost in the sequel trilogy, one of the biggest questions about Anakin Skywalker that still hasn't been answered is what exactly the Chosen One prophecy really meant and whether he had fulfilled his destiny as the Chosen One. In the prequels, we learn that part of this prophecy was that this being would bring balance to the Force.

The Jedi, it seemed, interpreted that to mean the destruction of the Sith, although that doesn't actually sound like 'balance' and doesn't feel consistent with what's shown in the rest of Star Wars. Instead, the term balance suggests holding both sides, the light and the dark, together but keeping them in check—exactly what the Father did in his role as one of the Mortis Gods. Some view Return of the Jedi as Anakin bringing balance by destroying Palpatine, yet that makes little sense.

For one, Palpatine returns, which is a problem unto itself, but also, again, simply destroying the Sith doesn't really meet the definition of balance. What would, however, is if Anakin took the place of the Father of the Mortis Gods, just as the Father had originally wanted him to, and directly embodied balance in the Force in that way. It's possible that this becomes too tangled up in deep lore, and maybe this is something that Star Wars would never do, but with Filoni confirming the Mortis Gods in Ahsoka, this incredible Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader story actually feels possible.