Midi-chlorians have been mentioned throughout the Star Wars franchise, raising the question of what they are and how they connect to the Force. Since Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was released in 1999, midi-chlorians have retroactively been fit into the franchise’s canon. While they were not conceived of as a concept during the original trilogy, the Star Wars prequel trilogy saw Lucas incorporate the controversial topic of midi-chlorians in The Phantom Menace.