Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was launched 26 years in the past, however I’ve solely simply realized how weird one pivotal scene within the film is. Though the prequel trilogy confronted harsh criticism when it debuted, audiences have largely grown to like these films. Even in mild of that change of coronary heart, although, myriad complaints about the prequel trilogy stay.
Among the many largest grievances Star Wars audiences proceed to have with the prequels, The Phantom Menace particularly, is the idea of midi-chlorians, that are microscopic life kinds discovered inside the blood that replicate somebody’s potential within the Power. For some, that felt too scientific for Star Wars, which brought about controversy as a result of it appeared to deviate from the unique trilogy.
Whereas that is still a scorching subject inside the Star Wars fanbase greater than 20 years later, there’s one thing that makes the introduction of midi-chlorians a lot stranger. Particularly, as highlighted by Dan Star Wars Centralized on X, the Naboo ship that Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Padmé Amidala take to Tatooine inexplicably has the know-how to learn midi-chlorian counts.
Why Does A Naboo Ship Have This Expertise?
The Naboo weren’t precisely a primitive individuals. Quite the opposite, they have been recognized for his or her unimaginable artwork, lovely structure, and political involvement within the Republic Senate. Given the occasions of The Phantom Menace, it is also clear that the planet of Naboo shared a pleasant relationship with the Jedi.
These features of the planet make it conceivable that Naboo would have some degree of understanding concerning the existence of midi-chlorians, if not in title, then at the very least within the idea that there was one thing inside the blood linked to Power-sensitivity. But, it stays surprising to suppose that this know-how can be so available on simply any Naboo ship.
What’s extra, there would not appear to be a query or concern about whether or not it may be out there. Maybe it occurs off-screen (though that is on no account indicated), however Qui-Gon would not trouble with asking Obi-Wan if the know-how is on the ship. As a substitute, he merely asks Obi-Wan to check the blood pattern. This has fascinating implications for Star Wars extra broadly.
What This Phantom Menace Scene Actually Means
Though delicate, the truth that the know-how to check a blood pattern for midi-chlorians was already out there on the Naboo ship means that midi-chlorians should have been so well-known that it wasn’t uncommon for any blood evaluation tools to have the ability to check for midi-chlorian depend.
If that is the case, not solely does it make midi-chlorians a extra mainstream idea, but it surely additionally reveals one thing essential concerning the Empire. That’s, with the accessibility of this know-how, the Empire undoubtedly had a neater time figuring out Power-sensitives. That is notably attention-grabbing in mild of the Imperial Inquisitors and their efforts to establish and remove any Power-sensitive beings.
It is true that this stays an odd second in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, particularly as a result of it is by no means touched upon in-universe, but the existence of this blood evaluation know-how on the Naboo ship has revealed some fascinating new insights in Star Wars.
