A mystery motif, initially composed by John Williams, was first presented to audiences in the 1983 film, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi](/article/star_wars:_episode_vi_return_of_the_jedi), a part of the original trilogy, as an accompaniment to "The Force Theme." The 2002 Attack of the Clones soundtrack, also composed by John Williams and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, makes extensive use of it. This leitmotif consists of an ascending and descending arpeggio figure in a minor key, created by a sequence of notes. The motif is subject to various alterations, sometimes exhibiting a connected, undulating motion.
The mystery motif, an arpeggio figure, shares its notes with the opening melody of "The Force Theme," but it is distinguished by its minor key and the omission of the third note from "The Force Theme." This motif, used in Star Wars musical score as a leitmotif to signify mystery, rises and falls in a succession of notes and is presented in several variations, including one with a conjunct, undulating motion.
The 1983 original trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, marks the initial appearance of the mystery motif, specifically when Luke Skywalker observes the burning funeral pyre of his father on Endor. In the track "Light of the Force," the motif is played once by woodwinds, accompanying "The Force Theme."
In combat stages of the 1993 video game Star Wars: X-Wing, the mystery motif is played with different harmony immediately after the player exits hyperspace. Peter McConnell, Michael Z. Land, and Clint Bajakian composed the game's score, and Lawrence Holland programmed its music AI. iMUSE electronic system duties were handled by McConnell and Land.
Clint Bajakian scored the 1995 video game Star Wars: Dark Forces, in which the mystery motif is featured. The arpeggio is first heard on the title screen. In the 1998 video game Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, composed by Chris Hülsbeck, the motif appears in the track "Where is the ship?"
The mystery motif is present in both Kreia's motif and the Sith Triumvirate's motif in the 2004 video game Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, for which Mark Griskey composed the music. The motif is played in the opening menu of the 2005 Revenge of the Sith video game.
The track "Peace, The Jedi Consular" on the Collector's Edition soundtrack of the 2011 massively multiplayer online role-playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic features the mystery motif continuously after "The Force Theme."
The motif is played in the game itself multiple times. The motif plays during the Jedi Knight storyline as the Jedi Knight witnesses Jedi Master Orgus Din collapse a tunnel on Tython leading the Flesh Raiders to the Jedi Temple. Additionally, the motif is played when the Jedi Knight, Grand Master Satele Shan, and the Sith Lord Scourge are discussing the Voss Mystics who ruled the planet Voss.
The music composed for and played during the flashpoint "Kuat Drive Yards" heavily incorporates variations of the motif. The flashpoint, which takes place in the Kuat Drive Yards during the Battle of Kuat of the Galactic War, was released with the 2014 digital expansion Star Wars: The Old Republic: Galactic Starfighter.
The mystery motif is played at the close of the 2020 "Echoes of Oblivion" narrative in Star Wars: The Old Republic: Onslaught, a digital expansion for the Star Wars: The Old Republic video game, as former Jedi Aryn Leneer approaches former Jedi Grand Master Satele Shan regarding Leneer's recent encounter with Darth Malgus in the Dantooine Jedi Enclave. The mystery motif is also played when the Alliance Commander, Arn Peralun, and Aryn Leneer are lost while tracking down Malgus in the Enclave. As Leneer uses Force empathy to follow Malgus' trail, Aryn Leneer's theme follows the motif.
The motif is first audible in the Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones track "Return to Tatooine," specifically in cue "2m5 Library Scene," which occurs at the Jedi Archives as Obi-Wan Kenobi searches for the planet Kamino. Later, it is heard in the cue "3M1 Finding Kamino," when Kenobi arrives on Kamino and experiences its rainy atmosphere. It is next heard in the cue "3M6 The Meeting With Fett," when a Kaminoan-ridden aiwha emerges from Kamino's ocean and flies around Tipoca City, just before Obi-Wan meets with Jango Fett. The motif is later heard in the cue "3M8 Rainy Ramp and Anakin's Nightmare," when Obi-Wan reports to the senior Jedi from a Kamino landing platform (featured in "The Meadow Picnic" on the released soundtrack). The leitmotif also accompanies the plotting of the Separatist Council on Geonosis, as well as Cliegg Lars' narration of the Tusken Raider abduction of Shmi, Anakin Skywalker's mother. When Yoda senses Skywalker's fall to the dark side after Shmi's death from his quarters on Coruscant, the motif plays until Yoda mentions sensing death echoing from Skywalker's fall, and "The Imperial March" plays instead. When the Supreme Chancellor accepts emergency powers from the Galactic Senate, the descending figure preceding the main motif is played and twisted into a brief rendition of "The Emperor's Theme." The score continues with the conspiracy motif before transitioning to the Palpatine's machinations motif for Palpatine's acceptance speech.
A variation of the motif is included in "Council Meeting," cue 3m1 of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith's soundtrack, also written by John Williams. It is followed by four notes that forms the first four notes of Ahsoka's Theme, first heard in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars film written by Kevin Kiner. In the track "Goodbye Old Friend," the motif also serves as a musical flourish to "The Force Theme" as Obi-Wan Kenobi's blue Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor departs Commander Cody's Venator-class Star Destroyer in the Coruscant system for Utapau. It also plays when Anakin and Padme talk on Mustafar and again in a frenzied fashion as Darth Vader recieves his helmet.
The 2015 Rey's Theme, part of the soundtrack for Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, features the motif played in reverse. Gordy Haab reuses the 3M1 cue with some variation in the 2017 video game Star Wars Battlefront II for its Kamino loading screen.
In Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker, the mystery motif is played as a variation of "The Force Theme" as Rey departs Kef Bir aboard Kylo Ren's TIE whisper. The Attack of the Clones track "Return to Tatooine" is temp tracked for the rooftop scene beteeen Zorii Bliss and Poe Dameron in The Rise of Skywalker. The mystery motif is included, and sounds when Bliss lowers her helmet's eye-shields. In the same 2019 film, the leitmotif is played in forte, overlaying the Force drain scene and increasing in speed, pitch, and volume as Darth Sidious takes the power of Rey and Ben Solo for himself. The music from the "Fate" TV Spot created to promote The Rise of Skywalker combines "The Force Theme" with the mystery motif, though this music is absent from the film's soundtrack.
The motif is present in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV series episode "Voices," also scored by Kiner, as Qui-Gon Jinn leads Yoda through the misty swamps of Dagobah, instructing the Jedi Grand Master about the Force and immortality.
The mystery motif follows "The Force Theme" in a manner similar to that of the "The City in the Clouds" track from the 1980 film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back's soundtrack in the 2014 Star Wars Rebels episode "Fighter Flight," just after Ezra Bridger frees farmers who were captured by the Galactic Empire in Imperial Troop Transports. The mystery motif shares the same notes and motion of notes as in "The Force Theme," although they are instead played in minor key. In the 2016 episode "The Protector of Concord Dawn," the mystery motif appears and is further developed by composer Kevin Kiner as the Spectre Sabine Wren plants explosives at the Protectors Camp on Concord Dawn.
The Star Wars Resistance episode "The Relic Raiders" incorporates the mystery motif as the characters approach the Sith world of Ashas Ree. A quick, rhythmic ostinato of the motif is played towards the end of the track "Battle Simulations" in Star Wars: The Bad Batch's episode "Aftermath,"
Variations of the leitmotif are used in various BBC productions released from the 2000s onwards, including documentaries, comedy television series, and films. John Williams employed the motif in various films which he scored, including Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Adventures of Tintin, and The BFG.