Star Wars has been subject to fan theories ranging from compelling to outright ridiculous since its initial release in 1977. One prominent theory that’s been shared a lot recently is so outlandish that we felt obligated to write an entire article to take it down.
That’s right, you’re about to read an overly thought-out Facebook comment rebuttal.
… About a Star Wars Fan Theory.
…. Nerd.
The Theory
The theory goes that Count Dooku, on his master’s bidding, hired the Tusken Raiders to raid the farm that Shmi Skywalker lived on. The idea was that kidnapping, torturing, (and quite probably raping) Anakin’s mother was a ploy devised by Sidious to create Anakin’s first taste of indulging in the dark side.
As a longtime Star Wars fan, I have endorsed several prominent fan theories including but not limited to:
- Snoke is Darth Plagueis (before Episode IX disappointed all of us).
- Palpatine deliberately let the Rebellion form because he was bored.
- The Death Star(s) were created to fight the incoming Yuuzhan Vong.
- Even to an extent Darth Jar Jar, because he sought advancement for his people
Compared to these other compelling theories, let me explain why this theory does not hold up.
Problem #1: Tusken Raiders are Xenophobic Jerks.
The first major problem with this series concerns Tuskens themselves. There is no doubt The Mandalorian gave the Sand People a different dimension to these beings – despite their hostile nature, they are not beyond reason.
However, the basic idea about their lifestyle remains the same throughout both Legends and the current canon. Tuskens were never ones to associate much with outsiders. To use a Native American analog: they were less like the Cherokee and more Comanche – violently hostile to any elements outside their culture. So, it makes little sense for Tuskans to listen to this random bearded guy in the middle of the desert saying, “hey can you raid this moisture farm and kidnap this random woman”.
The Tuskens would have certainly attacked someone like Dooku, Sidious, or any of their agents on sight.
Problem #2: Palpatine and Dooku Have Bigger Things to Focus On.
The other main problem is why Dooku would even do this for Palpatine’s bidding without question. I am willing to believe that Count Dooku knew to a certain extent that Palpatine had plans for Anakin. In the Clone Wars TV series, he has been involved in Sidious’s plots that were designed to goad Anakin’s dark powers that are fueled by aggression. He sent his apprentice Ventress to “eliminate” Skywalker on Yavin 4. Dooku was even involved in orchestrating the first plot to kidnap Palpatine as shown in the Undercover Kenobi arc, only to discover that it was a ploy to test how Anakin faced up against Dooku alone.
No doubt Dooku knew that Sidious had designs for Anakin, he just didn’t know that these trials were meant to be for his successor until it was too late. However, it seems very beneath him to just go out in the middle of the desert planet walking to some Tuskens and hire them to attack this one village. On top of that, Dooku himself likely had bigger plans such as forming the Confederacy and building a droid army, rather than bribing this random tribe to attack basically nothing.
Problem #3: It Cheapens the Tragedy of Shmi Skywalker’s Death.
To me Anakin’s mother was always a victim of circumstances – Shmi just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time in a galaxy constantly embroiled in chaos. When you’re living in an agrarian community on a remote world with limited resources surrounded by hostile tribes, raids, and kidnappings such as this are inevitable. Her disappearance caused Anakin to find her, it’s a very human experience that anyone can relate to. If your mother disappears and you have powers, you’d want to find her too. Anakin just happens to have serious mental problems that the Jedi suppressed, much to their detriment.
The Emperor can’t be responsible for everything that happens in the galaxy. It holds as much water as the belief that the Trump administration played 4D chess. Not everything bad in the universe is because of one bad guy. To put things simply, shit happens.
