You should know right off that I'm the only person on earth who understood Episode I of Star Wars. So I'm glad to have this opportunity to clear things up with the rest of you.

To get this far, we've discussed our way through the origins of the Star Wars saga in the values and secret longings of the Sixties, and how how it speaks to this longing in mythic and metaphorical terms.

In "Episode V" of our series, we addressed the charge of an Eastern or "New Age" conspiracy by the creators of Star Wars. In "Episode VI" we showed how Star Wars has as much if not more of Western Religion in it than Eastern. And I promised that by examining the new revelations in Episode I, and by speculating a bit on what's coming in Episodes II and III, I would address what is perhaps the most serious of Christian concerns, that of "dualism," the Good Side and the Dark Side, and that one Force is the source of both.

Listen to this warning: this lecture could be considered a spoiler, indeed the Mother of All Spoilers if I'm any where close to being right. Not that I actually have any inside sources — I won't be using anything that George Lucas himself hasn't deemed fit for public consumption. But I do think my predictions are on the money. And I will reveal in this final session of our series the plots of those unmade episodes! So stop reading now if you don't want to know.

Now, this is a very public forum. Five years from now we'll see together whether I am a prophet, or whether I've just made a big fool of myself here.

Let's start by going back to comments Lucas made in a 1997 interview about the original trilogy.

"The Star Wars series started out as a movie that ended up being so big that I took each act and cut it up into its own movie. But in order to create that movie I had to create a backstory…there's this very elaborate backstory that was created in order to get to Episode IV. And it's that backstory that hasn't been told yet. This story — the one that we've already seen — pays off in a larger way. Because… you get the sense that it's the son vindicating the father. But we're doing this in a context where we don't know where the father came from, or what made him be what he is, or what needs to be vindicated. So we're just seeing the vindication without seeing the act being seen… we don't really understand what the conflict is at this point."

In his 1999 interview Bill Moyers asked George about this…asked him if, after all, the main point of Star Wars isn't about transformation.

"Well, it is about transformation. Ultimately, it will be about the transformation of how young Anakin Skywalker became evil and then was redeemed by his son. But it's also about how his son came to find 'the call'."

"This is the story about one of the most extraordinary kids who ever had the power of the Force. It's the story of Anakin and what happened to him and that inevitable moment when he chose between good and evil. Why did that happen and how did it happen? That's the real saga. The ultimate moment is when you see Darth Vader reveal himself — the impact of that moment will be incredible!"

Let's discuss the plotline we see in Episode I.

Lucas has said that Phantom Menace is an appropriate title for Episode One because "nothing in this story is what it appears to be."

I feel that this episode was judged rather harshly because of this — so many false expectations and misapprehensions of what he was trying to do. People kept asking why didn't he do this? Why didn't he do that instead? All this from people who simply don't know the story he really is trying to tell.

People found it hard to get excited about a trade squabble on the outskirts of the galaxy, not realizing that it really isn't about a trade squabble on the outskirts of the galaxy.

Here's what Lucas said back in 1983:

"The prequels will be altogether different in look and tone from the existing trilogy. They will be more melodramatic, showing the political intrigue and Machiavellian plotting that led to the downfall of the once-noble Republic. They will have only enough outward action to keep the plot moving. Obi-Wan Kenobi…and Darth Vader will be seen as younger men, while Luke Skywalker may make a brief appearance as a baby in Episode III."

"The crisis of the Great Depression brought disunity to the political parties in the Reichstag. Instead of forging an alliance to enact desperately needed legislation, they broke up into squabbling, uncompromising groups."

"Hitler offered…restoration of German glory to those in despair. He promised to bring order amidst chaos, a feeling of unity to all and the chance to belong. He would make Germany strong again…"

"The Nazis had no intention of cooperating with the democratic government, knowing it was to their advantage to let things get worse in Germany, thus increasing the appeal of Hitler to an ever more miserable people."

"On September 12, 1932 the Reichstag under the new chairmanship of Herman Goring gave a vote of 'no confidence' to Fritz von Papen and his government."

"On the 29th of January 1933, a false rumor circulated that conservatives were about to stage a military takeover of the government. When President Hindenburg heard of this, it ended his hesitation. He decided to appoint Adolf Hitler as the next Chancellor of Germany."

Darth Sidious cares nothing for the Neimodians or their trade franchise. He has one goal only: to get Senator Palpatine elected Chancellor of the Republic.

Of course, Palpatine and Sidious are one and the same.

I think Lucas' model here was one of the Republic serials that have been such an influence on his life — specifically, 1941's Adventures of Captain Marvel.

In this one, a group of scientists discovers a set of twelve lenses which, when used in tandem, form a devastating weapon. To prevent any one of them from succumbing to temptation, they divide the lenses among themselves and separate. Soon however, a deadly villain appears-a dark, hooded figure known as The Scorpion — who begins killing the scientists off one by one and collecting their lenses. Before long, it becomes apparent that the Scorpion is actually one of the scientists themselves in disguise — yet neither the scientists nor the audience knows which of their number has this secret identity going.

Listen to this passage from the original 1976 Star Wars novelization:

"Aided and abetted by restless, power-hungry individuals within the government, and the massive organs of commerce, the ambitious Senator Palpatine caused himself to be elected President of the Republic. He promised to reunite the disaffected among the people and restore the remembered glory of the Republic…Once secure in office [however], he declared himself Emperor…and the cries of the people for justice did not reach his ears."

Let's continue the Hitler parallel, then. Hitler rose to power on the strength of his "SA" — the Brownshirts, as they were called — his stormtroopers. And we've known for twenty years that the wars which brought the Emperor to power are known as "The Clone Wars".

Who were the Clones?

Well, which characters in the Original Trilogy look the most like Clones? The Stormtroopers. Palpatine needs an army. Hitler needed one too. Hitler created his by breaking the Treaty of Versailles — and defying the international community to go to war over it. What if Palpatine creates his army by a similar act of defiance? — to wit, by flaunting some age-old Republican prohibitions of human experimentation and cloning?

Let's say that under the Republic — which has, after all, ruled with peace and justice for "a thousand generations" — civilization became so advanced that war became practically unknown. It became so rare, in fact, so limited and so frowned upon, that what little conflict remained had been relegated to small, local police actions conducted entirely by mechanical armies.

But (as we saw in Episode One) these armies were only suited to a civilization in a very advanced state.

There's a parallel here to the American Revolution. Civilization at that time had reached such an advanced state that warfare had an almost ritual quality — like a duel — and civilians were rarely involved. Two columns of colorfully dressed soldiers met in a field — almost like a complicated dance. Then, when the American minutemen decided to invent guerilla warfare and use it on them, the redcoats were sitting ducks…almost like the droid armies of the Trade Federation.

The battle of Naboo proves that droid armies are decidedly unsuited for heated, in-earnest, galaxy-wide conflagration…such as Palpatine is preparing for.

So…what the would-be Emperor needs is a quick, cheap, "just add water" sort of army — the shock troops he will use to claw his way to the top. What if he achieves this by cloning a small group of live, crack commandos into a huge, faceless army of human drones…who become the familiar Imperial Stormtroopers of Episodes 4-6?

The "Clone Wars" then, would be the "Jedi" vs. Stormtrooper" wars fought for the control of the Republic.

Who leads these Clone Wars? For years we assumed that it must be the Sith Lords. But now we know that there are never more than two of these at a time. Another possibility: Boba Fett and his mysterious Mandalorians. Possibly they are the original "SA" from whom Palpatine cloned his army.

Any confirmation of these theories?

George Lucas, in a 1999 interview with a Japanese magazine:

"The reason why the stormtrooper army was created will be told in Episode II, but it becomes obvious to the Emperor that droids are of no use for fighting…This entire issue will be explored fully in the next film. You will learn why droid armies perform badly and evolve into stormtrooper armies."

Lucas said this in a 1995 interview. In Episodes II and III, Anakin's about twenty. Anakin's about the same age that Luke is in episode 4, and obiwan is about 35. The II and III episodes take place almost continuously, with maybe a year or two in between. At the end of the third film, anakin is 22, ben is around 37. So a new hope is around 20-25 years later when obi wan is around 60, and anakin's children have grown to adulthood. That's interesting stuff. Here's something from an interview with Natalie Portman.

"Amidala is going to fall in love in Episode II. She's so stony and severe in the first film. It's going to be interesting to see how she changes."

— Natalie Portman, 1999

Dramatically speaking, his temptation needs to be vital, immediate, understandable. As we have seen in our other sessions, Anakin keeps much of his nobility even as Darth Vader. He has kept the dignity of the ancient religion: "I find you lack of faith disturbing." He seems to take actual pleasure in offing the greasy Imperial officers he is surrounded with. So his fall to the Dark Side can't have been motivated by ambition, greed, lust for power, or any of the other baser motives. His mother tells us that Anakin "knows nothing of greed." I just knew somehow that whatever it was, it had to have been a matter of the heart. I speculated that it might involve some kind of love triangle between Obi-Wan, Anakin, and the mother of Luke and Leia. Well, now we know that Queen Amidala of Naboo is the mother of Luke and Leia. But what elsecan we deduce about this "romance" in Episodes 2 and III?

Let's go back again to George's source inspirations.

Specifically, let's go to T.H. White's Once and Future King. I mentioned that the first half of Once and Future King was made into the Disney movie Sword in the Stone. What about the second half? It was made into 1967's Camelot. This film presents probably the most dramatic and wrenching love triangle in the movies.

You remember the story.

Young Arthur Pendragon, chosen by fate to be the rightful king of the realm, is betrothed to Princess Guinivere in a marriage of convenience.

Yet in spite of the fact that this marriage is an arranged one, Arthur falls deeply in love with Guinivere…and she accepts the marriage as well, though perhaps with somewhat less conviction.

In the wars to establish his noble "Round Table" Arthur is joined by Sir Lancelot du Lac — the greatest knight in the world. This Lancelot has skills far beyond those of other knights and his spiritual purity equals his physical perfection. So much so, in fact, that he even seems to have miraculous powers…

Lancelot believes that all these things have been granted to him so that he can fulfill his destiny by questing for — and ultimately finding — the long lost Holy Grail.

But as you also probably remember, all of this is ruined when Lancelot and Guinivere fall helplessly and hopelessly in love with each other.

This love is doomed, of course, and all three principals realize it from the beginning. Yet the Fates seem to have dictated their parts to them in a drama that can only end in the destruction of everything they all hold dear — even of the romance between Lancelot and Guinivere itself.

Lancelot ends up deserting Arthur when he is most needed and opening him to the assaults of his mortal enemy, the wicked Sir Mordred — who has skillfully exploited Lancelot's anguish for his own purposes.

Arthur ends up fighting with his own most loyal and trusted protégé Lancelot — and destroying his cherished Round Table in the process.

And Guinivere, seeing that her actions have brought about the Fall of the Round Table, shaves her head in penance and disappears forever into a convent of nuns.

Arthur is Obi-Wan Kenobi

Guinivere is Queen Amidala.

Lancelot is Anakin Skywalker.

The Round Table is the Order of the Jedi Knights.

And Mordred is the Emperor, Darth Sidious.

Obi-Wan (possibly General Kenobi now) will become engaged with or actually married to…Queen Amidala.

Amidala will return his love with respect and affection (possibly for the sake of a political alliance which could save her homeworld of Naboo).

That Obi-Wan's apprentice Anakin, will have become the greatest Jedi Knight of them all, rumored to have been divinely chosen for a miraculous purpose.

But that this Anakin shall also fall in love with Amidala — and she with him — and that this illicit love affair will eventually destroy their relationship with Obi-Wan and the Jedi.

Darth Sidious will be waiting in the wings, ready to exploit this Achilles Heel that has now been introduced into the mighty Jedi Order.

And that the final tragedy which will engulf this star-crossed trio will be that their love triangle will help the Emperor to bring about the state of affairs we hear described in Episode IV

"The Jedi are now all but extinct…their fire has gone out of the universe…Ben Kenobi, Yoda, and Anakin are all that is left of their old religion…and one of them has become an agent of evil…"

Now let's see if there's any evidence that I might be right here. Here's George Lucas in a 1999 interview:

"[Episode II] will be the romantic one, which is probably a rather dramatic departure — which some people may not like. There will be some action in it, but it's basically more romantic. The next two will be darker. Episode II isn't so bad. The third one's pretty bad — Episode III will probably make half of whatever the others make."

And here's producer Rick McCallum, also interviewed in 1999:

"We start to learn the reasons why Anakin turns towards the Dark Side…What is it, basically, that makes people do these terrible things to each other, especially to people they love?"

Is there anything in the Original Trilogy that is illuminated by this new slant on things?

LukeObi-Wan! Why didn't you tell me? You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father.

BenYour father was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I told you was true…from a certain point of view.

LukeA certain point of view?

Ben Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly upon our own point of view. Anakin was a good friend. When I first knew him, your father was already a great pilot. But I was amazed at how strongly the Force was with him. I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought that I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong.

Ben When I saw what had become of Anakin, I tried to dissuade him, to draw him back from the Dark Side. We fought…your father fell into a molten pit…When he clawed his way out of that fiery pool the change had been burned into him forever — he was Darth Vader…irredeemably dark. Scarred. Kept alive only by machinery and his own black will.

But is this true?

Luke There is still good in him.

Ben He's more machine now than man…twisted and evil.

Luke I can't do it, Ben.

Ben You cannot escape your destiny. You must face Darth Vader again.

Luke I can't kill my own father!

Ben Then the Emperor has already won. You were our only hope.

Luke Yoda spoke of another.

Ben The other he spoke of was your twin sister.

Luke But I have no sister.

Ben To protect you both from the Emperor, you were hidden from your father when you were born. The Emperor knew, as I did, that if Anakin were to have any offspring they would be a threat to him. That is the reason why your sister remains safely anonymous.

First, we see that Luke still holds out hope for Anakin when Obi-Wan is unable to. And that this hope is ultimately the only thing which will be able to reverse the evil effects of the old love triangle. Obi-Wan is too close to the matter. He gives up too soon. Luke is outside the loop. And here is possibly my single best bit of evidence that we're paralleling King Arthur here. For who remembers who it is that ultimately finds the Holy Grail? Who succeeds where Lancelot had failed? Sir Galahad.

And who is Galahad? Lancelot's son.

Galahad vindicates his father by recapitulating him — yet without sin. Luke vindicates his father's role as Chosen One by resisting temptation where Anakin had succumbed. Anakin, because of his bitterness towards Obi-Wan, was unable to resist the Emperor's temptations.

(There's also an element of the Little Mermaid story here, in which the lovesick Ariel, bitter from her Father's harsh interference, goes to the Sea Witch for help instead).

"Anger and fear are the path to the Dark Side."

Luke's thoughts are less conflicted…his motivation is pure. Remember that the moment of Luke's final victory is when he himself sees this recapitulation happening — after he had just cut off Vader's mechanical hand, reminding him of the mechanical hand he wears from their initial encounter. This is Anakin's tragic temptation scene in reverse. Luke tells Vader: "Father…let go of your hate."

Which hate is he speaking of? Bitterness towards Obi-Wan.

Listen now, for something interesting:

Vader I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner. Now I am the master.

Ben Only a master of evil, Darth.

Emperor We have a new enemy…Luke Skywalker.

Vader Yes, my master.

Emperor He could destroy us.

Vader He's just a boy. Obi-Wan can no longer help him.

Vader Give yourself to the Dark Side. It is the only way to save your friends. Yes. Your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong…especially for…sister. So, you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now, his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the Dark Side, then perhaps she will.

Luke No!

The second thing we see in the passage we heard a moment ago is the fulfillment of the rest of the Once and Future King parallels:

The Exile: The kids were "hidden away safely anonymous." This is "Guinivere in the nunnery."

"Leia's real father left her mother when she was pregnant, so her mother married this King Organa. I was adopted and grew up set apart from other people because I was a princess."

— Carrie Fisher, 1983

"When your father left he didn't know your mother was pregnant. Your mother and I knew he would find out eventually, but we wanted to keep you both as safe as possible…I took you to live with my brother Owen on Tatooine…and your mother took Leia to live as the daughter of Senator Organa on Alderaan."

— Ben Kenobi, Jedi novelization

Who did Ben take Luke to live with? His brother Owen? Luke's Uncle Owen? Do you see it? If Owen Lars — Obi-Wan's brother — is Luke Skywalker's uncle, then wouldn't that make Obi-Wan Luke's father? At least legally speaking?

In other words, Queen Amidala — whom we know to be Luke's mother — has Anakin Skywalker for the father of her children… but Obi-Wan Kenobi for her husband. Very interesting. J Luke with Owen is like Wart with Sir Kay…made to scrub floors. The infant Leia goes with Amidala to Alderaan…the nunnery…and thereby acquires her early memories of her.

But if Luke recapitulates Anakin, and succeeds where he failed, wouldn't that make Luke "the Chosen One" and not Anakin?

Indeed, some people have speculated that this may be the case. In fact, many Christians rushed to this idea as a way to avoid having a Messiah figure who falls from grace. And yet, Lucas ended this line of speculation recently when he said definitively in an interview that Anakin is, in fact, the Chosen One and not Luke.

This brings me to the most difficult part of my "Christian defense of Star Wars": Anakin/Darth Vader as Christ-Figure.

Continued Here.