The Acolyte: How Osha and Mae differ from Anakin Skywalker's birth

Anakin and the Aniseya twins, Osha and Mae, share a common trait—they do not have a father. However, their conceptions differ significantly.

Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode 3 "Destiny." Young Mae (Leah Brady). Image credit: StarWars.com
Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode 3 "Destiny." Young Mae (Leah Brady). Image credit: StarWars.com

Anakin Skywalker and the Aniseya twins, Osha and Mae, share a common trait - they do not have a father.

However, their conceptions differ significantly, with Anakin being the product of the Force and the twins' creation resulting from a mysterious and potentially sinister artificial manipulation of the Force.

Let's take a look at how Anakin and the Aniseya twins were created and why, despite the commonality of having no father, their creations are fundamentally different.

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Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode 3 "Destiny." Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) and Mother Koril (Margarita Levieva). Image credit: StarWars.com

The Acolyte hinted that Osha and Mae were created unnaturally

According to Darth Sidious, "The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural." Episode 3 of The Acolyte, "Destiny," gives pretty loud hints that Osha and Mae were created through the manipulation of the Force to create life. Mother Aniseya, who admits that she created the twins, calls it a "miracle." However, Mother Koril warns her of how the Jedi would react if they discovered how the twins were created, which doesn't sound too good. The conversation between Aniseya and Koril suggests that the twins' creation was not only unnatural but an aberration, hinting at a potentially sinister origin. Mother Aniseya wished to create life, regardless of what it took, and manipulated the Force to create it.

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Photo: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).. © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

Anakin was created through the will of the Force

Although many fans think Palpatine or Darth Plagueis created Anakin, that idea has never been confirmed. Instead, according to most sources, Anakin was created through the will of the Force alone. According to the novel Star Wars: Darth Plagueis by James Luceno, Plagueis and Palpatine's actions may have unintentionally led to Anakin's creation. In response to their actions, the Force created Anakin to bring balance. Therefore, Anakin was the 'Chosen One,' meant to bring balance between the dark and light sides of the Force. Anakin fulfilled the Chosen One prophecy, but not in the way the Jedi hoped. He helped destroy the Jedi Order and ended the Sith decades later, bringing balance to the Force and ending the Empire's reign of terror.

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(L-R): Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) in Lucasfilm's STAR WARS: AHSOKA, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

Mother Aniseya intended to create life and manipulated the Force to do so, resulting in the birth of Osha and Mae through Mother Koril. Shmi Skywalker had no intention of having a child. She became pregnant without any explanation, gave birth to, and raised Anakin on her own.

None of these children have a father. However, Anakin's existence was the will of the Force, and the twins are the result of someone trying to play God. Even though Anakin was the Chosen One, he struggled to attain balance throughout his life.

Will there be any consequences for Mother Aniseya's actions, and are the Sith somehow involved in the twins' creation? These are questions the rest of the season will hopefully answer.

The Acolyte is streaming on Disney+.