Secret masterminds, dead warriors returning? If you were a conspiracy theorist in the Star Wars Galaxy, you’d probably be right about a lot of things!
Summary
- Star Wars is a franchise that embodies conspiracy theories, with its interconnected and convoluted plots involving secrets and cover-ups.
- Characters like Palpatine and the Skywalker family play into conspiracy theories, with Palpatine orchestrating events and the Skywalker’s hidden relationships causing speculation.
- Ahsoka and Thrawn’s stories in Star Wars further add to the conspiracy theory elements, rewriting history and revealing hidden secrets, while characters like Senator Xiono become subjects of speculation themselves.
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Conspiracy theories are often completely unlikely and convoluted in our world, but in Star Wars they seem to be reality. The nature of the Star Wars franchise means that it is interconnected, and written out of order. This has led it to have some seriously convoluted plots of its own. Secrets, cover-ups, behind-the-scenes orchestration, you can find it all in Star Wars. There are so many connections to be made – and many of them perfectly fit what would, in the real world, be called a conspiracy theory.
Conspiracy theories typically assert that events have been orchestrated by a powerful group or even an individual, usually to their own advantage. Popular conspiracy theories suggest deaths have been faked, superweapons have secretly been constructed, illegal experiments are being carried out by governments across the world, and the like. A conspiracy theorist sees a pattern in events, drawing all these threads together into a unified whole. Star Wars, however, is a galaxy where every conspiracy theorist would be proven right – because so many outlandish events really have been orchestrated by powerful beings, and there really are family secrets on a galactic scale.
Palpatine Has Always Been The Ultimate Conspiracy Theory
Palpatiine is, of course, the ultimate one-man conspiracy. A well-known political leader, many of whom are already frequently believed to be part of conspiracies, is secretly orchestrating events across the entire galaxy. Sheev Palpatine secretly pulled the strings of the Trade Federation in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, secretly led both sides during the Clone Wars, and ensured the entire galaxy didn’t learn his true nature until after his death. He’s the bogeyman ever conspiracy theorist would love to write about.
Palpatine’s plan throughout the entire Star Wars prequel trilogy is one giant conspiracy to bring down the Republic. Fast-forward to the sequels, and his resurrection is the stuff of conspiracy; “Somehow, Palpatine returned” wasn’t even explained in the movie, meaning there will be countless theories across the galaxy how he survived. The idea a dead political leader has been secretly cloned and rules galactic powers through proxies is the ultimate conspiracy.
Related: In Defense Of “Somehow Palpatine Returned”
The Skywalker Family Would Be Nonstop Conspiracy Theories Too
As with Palpatine, public figures are often the target of conspiracy theories. Anakin Skywalker, one of the greatest heroes of the Clone Wars and a champion of the Jedi Order, was one of the most public figures of all. It’s easy to imagine the gossip columns on the Holonet; “The Jedi aren’t supposed to marry… but I heard Skywalker is secretly married to the senator from Naboo!” That would rope Padmé into all of this as well, and maybe even call into question her loyalties as she is from the same planet as Palpatine and helped him get the office of Chancellor in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
Things get even more complicated when Anakin and Padmé’s secret children get brought into this – not least because, as seen in Claudia Gray’s novel Bloodline, Luke and Leia chose to keep their relationship to Darth Vader secret. That particular secret exploded into public view when a holo-message left by Bail Organa was made public knowledge, destroying Leia’s political career. It would have been the ultimate conspiracy theory come true, involving a prospective Chief of State and the Jedi Master re-establishing the Jedi Order.
Related: All Canon Star Wars Books In Chronological Order
Ahsoka Is Just The Latest In Conspiracy Theories Becoming True
Ahsoka shows some of the greatest conspiracy theories of all, rewriting the history of the Star Wars galaxy by revealing many galaxies were once connected and ruled by ancient aliens who have left an enduring influence. Meanwhile, Grand Admiral Thrawn’s return is self-evidently the stuff of conspiracy theories – a warlord long thought dead but really alive, trapped in a place of myth, recovered by an expensive project orchestrated by Imperial loyalists. Even the existence of the Imperial Remnant is seen as a conspiracy theory in-universe, as revealed in Ahsoka episode 7 when Senator Xiono dismisses the idea.
Senator Xiono, of course, is destined to become a major source of conspiracy theories himself. He’s the senator from Hosnian Prime, which eventually becomes the capital of the New Republic. He just happens to be offworld when Hosnian Prime is destroyed in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, convenient timing that seems rather suspicious. It wouldn’t be a surprise to learn he’s working for the Imperial Remnant, just as any conspiracy theorist would speculate.
But the way things are going in Ahsoka, the conspiracy theorists of Star Wars may be vindicated sooner rather than later as Thrawn’s attack looms. In the final episode of Ahsoka, fans may well see the Chiss Grand Admiral return with a lust for vengeance against the New Republic. This would not only be a real threat, but the fulfillment of some probable Thrawn-related conspiracies in a universe where everything seems to be a conspiracy.
Ahsoka releases new episodes Tuesdays at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Disney+.
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