Opening
Qui-Gon Jinn tested Anakin Skywalker’s blood midichlorian count in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace to determine if the young boy was strong with the Force. Midichlorians are microscopic lifeforms that reside within all living cells and communicate with the Force. Beings with a high midichlorian count have great potential to become Jedi. When Qui-Gon met Anakin on Tatooine, he sensed the boy’s strong connection to the Force and wanted to confirm it via a blood test.
Midichlorians and Force Potential
In the Star Wars universe, midichlorians are intelligent microscopic organisms that live symbiotically inside the cells of all living things. The more midichlorians a person has, the stronger their connection to the Force is. Midichlorian counts therefore serve as a quantifiable way to measure a being’s Force potential. Here is a table summarizing midichlorian counts and Force potential:
| Midichlorian Count | Force Potential |
|---|---|
| Less than 2,000 per cell | Minimal |
| 2,000 – 5,000 per cell | Moderate |
| 5,000 – 10,000 per cell | Strong |
| 10,000 – 20,000 per cell | Very strong |
| Over 20,000 per cell | Extremely strong |
As the table shows, midichlorian counts over 20,000 per cell are exceptionally rare and indicate an extremely strong Force potential. Most Jedi have counts ranging from 5,000 to 10,000. Only a handful of powerful Force users like Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker have counts over 20,000.
Qui-Gon’s Discovery of Anakin
In The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon Jinn discovers 9-year-old Anakin Skywalker on the desert planet Tatooine. He notices Anakin’s expert piloting skills and the boy’s uncanny reflexes when podracing. Qui-Gon starts to suspect that Anakin may be gifted with special powers.
To confirm his suspicions, Qui-Gon uses a small device to prick Anakin’s finger and analyze a blood sample. The blood test reveals that Anakin has a staggeringly high midi-chlorian count of over 20,000 per cell, higher than any known Jedi. This immediately confirms to Qui-Gon that Anakin has immense raw Force potential.
Qui-Gon tells Anakin, “It seems you have a natural affinity for the Force. You have more midi-chlorians in your cells than anyone I have ever seen before.” This blood test proves pivotal, as it convinces Qui-Gon that Anakin may be the prophesied Chosen One destined to bring balance to the Force.
Anakin’s Chosen One Status
In the Star Wars films, Anakin Skywalker is revealed to be the Chosen One destined to destroy the Sith and restore balance to the Force. His unprecedentedly high midi-chlorian count as a child serves as an early clue to his significance. As the Chosen One, Anakin has more raw Force strength than any Jedi or Sith who has ever lived.
Qui-Gon recognizes that if properly trained, Anakin has the potential to be the most powerful Jedi ever. However, Anakin ultimately falls to the dark side instead, becoming the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Nonetheless, through his son Luke, he still fulfills the prophecy as the Chosen One who destroys the Sith.
Anakin’s final act of redeeming himself by killing Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi brings balance to the Force once again. None of this may have happened if Qui-Gon did not first confirm Anakin’s potential through the revelatory blood test on Tatooine.
Additional Insights on Anakin’s Midichlorian Count
Here are some additional details on Anakin Skywalker’s exceptionally high midichlorian count:
– At over 20,000 per cell, Anakin’s count is estimated to be at least twice as high as most Jedi Masters on the Council. This shocked even Qui-Gon, a respected and powerful Jedi.
– Some fans speculate that Anakin may have been conceived by the midi-chlorians themselves, accounting for his unprecedented levels. This immaculate conception by the midi-chlorians would make him quite literally a child of the Force.
– Anakin’s count is over 20,000 in his youth. As he ages and grows more powerful with the Force, legend has it his midi-chlorian count reaches over 25,000 prior to his duel with Obi-Wan on Mustafar.
– For comparison, Luke Skywalker is estimated to have a midi-chlorian count around 15,000. Luke is considered exceptionally strong in the Force as well, but does not match his father’s Chosen One-levels.
– Even as Vader, Anakin loses little of his immense Force potential. Vader remains one of the most powerful Force users in the galaxy despite the injuries that weakened his organic body.
Conclusion
In summary, Qui-Gon Jinn tested Anakin Skywalker’s blood for midi-chlorians in The Phantom Menace due to sensing Anakin’s strong Force presence. The test confirmed Anakin’s count was off the charts, proving he was the Chosen One destined to bring balance to the Force. This discovery set all the events of the saga in motion, leading Anakin to be trained as a Jedi and ultimately fulfill his prophesied destiny many years later. The simple blood test on a dusty planet proved to be a pivotal moment for the galaxy far, far away.