Information AboutMidi-chlorians |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT MIDI-CHLORIANS | |
| jedi religion | |
| star wars creatures | |
|
The word "midi-chlorian" appears to be a Portmanteau of " ''mito''chond'''''rion''''' " and " '''''chlor'''''oplast ", two Organelle s found in real cells and thought to have evolved from Bacteria as Endosymbiont s inside other cells, as purported in the Endosymbiotic Theory . Creator George Lucas has indeed stated that the midi-chlorians are based on the endosymbiotic theory ('' Rolling Stone '', June 2005), and it appears that in the story of Anakin Skywalker , he wanted to create a more modern "virgin birth" in the ''Star Wars'' saga that was as much based in "science" (albeit fictional) as in philosophy and religion, with the mythic "givers of life" being microscopic life-forms, rather than gods. CRITICISM Midi-chlorians were extremely controversial among fans when their existence was first revealed in ''''. They were never mentioned in the original trilogy, and many fans believed they diluted the spiritual aspect of ''Star Wars'' by making the connection to the Force biological rather than mystical. However, it may have already been established in the original trilogy that the Force was genetic (through Heredity ) and passed down through families. Some argue that this was intentionally jarring; a way to imply that the Jedi Order of the time had become so bureaucratic that even one's potential in the ways of the Force was measured by a single statistic . Indeed, it would be only after the events of ''Episode III'' that one sees surviving Jedi explaining the Force in mythical terms, although Lucas insists that midi-chlorians were not mentioned in the original trilogy simply because he did not "get around to it" (Episode 1 commentary). To further complicate the matter, several novels printed before the prequels came out had similarly carried the suggestion that sensitivity to the force was a biological phenomenon. In and the Voxyn . It has also been suggested that there are two schools of thought among the Republic's Jedi. On one hand, Qui-Gon Jinn 's school would state that the Force is biologically caused by the existence of midichlorians, hence the reliance on Anakin's blood analysis to measure his ability with the Force. On the other hand, Yoda 's school, which is the dominant school in the Jedi Council, would state that the Force is purely a mystical interconnection between all things ("Here, between you…me…the tree…the rock…everywhere! Yes, even between this land and that ship!" he teaches Luke in ''Episode V'') and that midi-chlorians are at most a consequence of the ability with the Force, hence the reliance of the Council on true tests of Anakin's ability with the Force, even though Qui-Gon has certified the large number of midi-chlorians in his blood. Yoda's school does have some support for Midi-chlorians being merely the biological way of describing the mystical force because despite the high midi-chlorian count Anakin turned to the dark side failing in the test of mind. It is already known that Qui-Gon is a Pariah among the Jedi, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had a slightly different view of the Force than the dominant theory. However, if this were the case, it could be expected that Qui-Gon's apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi , would subscribe to his master's school of thought. Rather, his explanation of the Force to Luke leans toward the mystical, as quoted in ''A New Hope'': "It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." This could be a consequence of his exposure to Yoda's teachings. MIDI-CHLORIANS AND THE CHOSEN ONE It was foretold in an ancient prophecy that a , 1999. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (alias Darth Sidious) greatly influenced Anakin, and converted him to the evil order of the Sith as Darth Vader . Anakin eventually fought a battle with his former friend and mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi . During this duel, Anakin's body was ignited due to his proximity to a river of molten lava. Due to the tremendous amount of damage to his body, Anakin was fitted with a black suit that functioned as a life support system, completing his physical transformation into the fearsome character of the later episodes. Since midi-chlorians are carried in living beings' bloodstreams, it is arguable that the massive blood loss Skywalker sustained due to his injuries have led him to be far less powerful as a cyborg than as being full flesh and blood. His loss of an arm to a duel with Dooku would have also lead to decreased Force sensitivity, and only because he trained more than before, learning patience and concentration, made up for the loss of a limb. In '''' Supreme Chancellor Palpatine claims that a Sith Lord, Darth Plagueis , had the ability to use the Dark Side to influence midi-chlorians to create life, and thus prevent people from dying. The truth of this claim is not established, although it has led some to theorize that Darth Plagueis or Palpatine himself was behind the creation of Anakin Skywalker. However, this is never stated in the narrative and is pure speculation. Indeed, though, the official ''Star Wars'' website reveals that creating life and preventing death arise from the same ability. Also, in early drafts of the script Palpatine admits that he himself had created Anakin, but Lucas decided to omit this admission in later drafts in order to 'make it more ambiguous.' Plagueis's abilities create an interesting thematic development: the Sith attempt to gain immortality by unnaturally holding back death with the Dark Side and manipulating life, while the Jedi accept physical death as a natural part of life. Some Jedi, such as Qui-Gon Jinn , learn how to retain their consciousness and corporeal spirits in the greater netherworld of the Force. This Jedi ability can apparently be brought on at will, in which case the Jedi's physical body vanishes without a trace, or can be brought on by death, as in the case of Qui-Gon Jinn, and later, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and even Anakin Skywalker. Thus the great irony is that while the Sith can unnaturally keep others alive but not themselves, it is in fact the Jedi who have achieved immortality by accepting their own deaths and becoming one with the Force. REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|