About
“You were the chosen one!” is a quote from the 2005 science fiction film Star Wars: Episode III– Revenge of the Sith that is used to express disappointment in someone or something that was once previously seen as promising. On the web, the quote is often referenced in the form of an image macro based on a still shot of Obi-Wan Kenobi from the corresponding scene in the film.
Origin
In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith (2005), Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) is tasked with defeating his former apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), who has led a genocide against the Jedi in spite of the fact he was suppose to be the one to bring an end to the Sith. When Obi-Wan defeats Anakin, he cries out:
“You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them.
You were to bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!”[1]
The scene was first uploaded to YouTube by reconelement[3] on January 22nd, 2007. As of March 2014, the video has gained over 10.2 million views.
Spread
On June 29, 2007, YouTuber Starr Hoffman[4] uploaded a video featuring a man dressed as a jedi chasing a man holding an ice cream machine while yelling “You were the frozen one.”
On December 8th, 2007, Frasier Online[5] fan forum user Texaveryfan wrote a short piece of fan fiction which featured Frasier turning to the “dark side of pretension.” His friend shouts at him,
“You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the higher classes, not join them!”
On February 13th, 2011, a Facebook Page[7] for “You Were the Chosen One” was created.
The image macro first appeared on Tumblr on December 16th, 2011, when Tumblr user wefuckingkepttrack[6] posted it as a way to express his disappointment in President Obama.
The image macro quickly became popular on Tumblr with over 13 posts tagged #youwerethechosen one in 2012, including those-who-matter-dont-mind’s[8] post on Twilight, shylockbones’s[9] post on soccer, and unheardastronaut’s[11] post on The Big Bang Theory.
The quote’s page on Meme Generator[3] has over 3,500 entries as of March 2014.
Notable Examples
Search Interest
External References
[1]IMDB– Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith
[2]Meme Generator – You Were The Chosen One” Puts A Character In Yellowface
[3]YouTube – reconelement
[4]YouTube – Starr Hoffman
[5]Frasier Online – Frasier Winslow Crane Case File
[6]Tumblr – wefuckingkepttrack
[7]Facebook – you were the chosen one
[8]Facebook – those-who-matter-dont-mind
[9]Tumblr – shylockbones
[10]Tumblr – #youwerethechosenone
[11]Tumblr – unheardastronaut