Star Wars



Star Wars is an influential science fantasy saga and fictional universe created by writer/producer/director George Lucas in the early 1970s. The saga began with the film Star Wars, which was released on May 25, 1977. The film, later retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, led to a pop culture phenomenon, spawning five more feature films and an extensive collection of licensed books, comics, video games, television series, toys, and other spin-offs.

An example of the space opera genre, the Star Wars story also employs archetypal motifs common to both science fiction and classical mythology, as well as classical music motifs of those aspects. The film series is widely considered to be the major impetus which launched the new era of high-budget, special-effects blockbuster movies that continues to this day.

In 2005, Forbes Magazine estimated the overall revenue generated by the entire Star Wars franchise (over the course of its 28-year history) at nearly US$20 billion, easily making it one of the most successful film franchises of all time.

Conception


"Star Wars" began with a 13-page treatment for a space adventure movie which George Lucas drafted in 1973, inspired from multiple myths and classic stories.

Influences
Many different influences have been suggested for the Star Wars films by fans, critics, and George Lucas himself. For example, Lucas may have been inspired by the plot and characterizations of the 1958 Japanese film The Hidden Fortress, which was directed by Akira Kurosawa.

Prior to writing the script for Star Wars, George Lucas originally wanted to make a film of Flash Gordon. The rights for Flash Gordon, however, were held by Dino de Laurentiis, and Lucas decided to work on his own science fiction project instead.

Another influence in Lucas' creation of Star Wars were the writings of Joseph Campbell. Campbell's work explored the common meanings, structures, and purposes of the world's mythologies. Lucas has stated that his intention was to create in Star Wars a modern mythology based on Campbell's work. The original Star Wars film, for example, closely followed the archetypal "hero's journey", as described in Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

Scripts
According to one source, Star Wars creator George Lucas originally wrote summaries for fifteen stories that would make up the Star Wars saga. Out of these fifteen stories, Lucas originally planned to film only one of them as a feature film. Then, in 1978, following the success of the original Star Wars movie, he publicly announced that he would create a total of twelve films to chronicle the adventures of Luke Skywalker (the main character in the original film).

In 1979, Lucas retracted his former statement, saying that he would only make nine of those twelve films. Four years later, around 1983, having completed Episode VI of the series, Lucas announced that he was finished with Star Wars and no additional films would be made.

Finally, in 1995, Lucas suddenly announced that he would produce a trilogy of prequels (Episodes I-III), for a total of six films. He also claimed that he had always envisioned "the whole thing as a series of six films".

Other sources, including publicly available draft scripts of Star Wars, show that Lucas had an incomplete and quickly-changing conception of the Star Wars story up until the release of the first film in 1977. Story elements such as the Kaiburr crystal present in early scripts are missing entirely in the films, while names were freely exchanged between different planets and characters — "Organa Major" being the original name for Alderaan, for instance. Even as late as the production of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, there were significant diversions from the films which immediately emerged: for example, Lando Calrissian being a clone from the Clone Wars and the climatic battle of Return of the Jedi taking place against two Death Stars in the orbit of the Imperial capital planet, then known as Had Abbadon. In addition, the story released as the novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye was intended as a possible direction for a low-budget Star Wars sequel—however, the success of A New Hope' allowed Lucas to pursue the more ambitious The Empire Strikes Back instead.

For his part, Lucas claimed in a segment filmed for the THX-remastered VHS release of the original trilogy that the original Star Wars story was intended as a single film, but was later split into three because the story was too long to be told in a single film. In the DVD commentaries for the original trilogy, Lucas claims that many story elements were changed within the production of the films—for instance, the attack on the Death Star in A New Hope was moved from the end of the trilogy in order to strengthen A New Hope on its own merits, while the character of Chewbacca established the Wookiees as a technologically advanced race, necessitating their replacement with Ewoks in Return of the Jedi. Other changes, including the death of Obi-Wan in A New Hope, were made during the filming. Lucas also stated in the commentaries that the prequel stories existed only as "notes" explaining the backstories of characters such as Obi-Wan. In an interview with Wired prior to the release of Episode I, Lucas remarked that he had allowed the publication of novels written as sequels to the films (see Expanded Universe) because he would never make the sequels himself.

Lucas' history of different statements regarding his future and past plans for the Star Wars saga have caused a great deal of popular confusion, while drawing criticism from some. Many people still believe that Lucas' original plan was for a "trilogy of trilogies". For more information on the supposed sequel trilogy, see Sequel trilogy.

It has been reported that Lucas' original script was almost 500 pages long. The title, originally The Adventures of Luke Starkiller, was changed several times before becoming simply Star Wars.

Setting
Unlike the traditional science fiction films preceding it, the Star Wars world was portrayed as dirty and grimy rather than sleek and futuristic. In interviews, Lucas tells of rubbing the new props with dirt to make them look weatherworn, a concept he refers to as "a used future". He may have been inspired by Sergio Leone, whose 1960s films performed a similar function for the Western genre.

Each Star Wars film opens with the text, "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." Lucas intended this as an allusion to the classic fairy tale opening of, "Once upon a time, in a faraway land..." To some, Lucas' allusion suggests that the films are to be interpreted as myths of the future, rather than literal events of the past. Lucas himself has intentionally left the details open to interpretation.

Although the film series itself spans the events of only two generations, other stories set in the Star Wars universe cover events that span millenia.

Films
The first three released movies (the original trilogy) are about the Galactic Civil War, in which the ragtag Rebel Alliance battles the menacing Galactic Empire in an epic struggle between good and evil. Young Luke Skywalker, training to become the last (and the first of a new generation) of the mystical warriors known as the Jedi, may be the only person who can stand against Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith and his master, Emperor Palpatine.

The prequel trilogy (Episodes I, II, and III) portray the events leading to the Galactic Civil War, with the fall of the Galactic Republic and the rise of the Galactic Empire, from the Battle of Naboo between Naboo and the Trade Federation through the Clone Wars against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. These wars are secretly orchestrated by the Sith under the mysterious Darth Sidious, who secretly controls both sides. The prequel trilogy specifically tells the tale of Anakin Skywalker, Luke and Leia's father, who is trained as a Jedi after the Battle of Naboo but gradually turns to evil and becomes Darth Vader.

The films draw extensively on archetypal figures and themes of classical literature. They are based on the concept of "the Force", an energy which can be controlled by someone born with innate ability and trained to perfect his, her, or its skill. The Force can be used to move objects, read or control minds, or even influence the outcome of large battles. A person trained in the use of the "light side" of the Force is a Jedi; someone trained in using the "dark side" for evil is either a Sith or a Dark Jedi.

The story is set "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." This phrase, which also appears at the opening of all six films and many Star Wars spin-offs, has become a part of American pop culture.

The original idea for Star Wars was conceived in the early 1970s and went through many revisions, providing plenty of material for the films. The original Star Wars movie (Episode IV: A New Hope) was first released in 1977, but the novelization was released a year earlier, in 1976. The sixth Star Wars film (Episode III: Revenge of the Sith) was released on May 19, 2005. There were originally to be nine films in three trilogies (some accounts claim twelve films in four trilogies); however, Lucas has stated that he does not intend to make any more Star Wars films after Episode III.

Plot

 * For more detailed storylines, see the individual articles for each film.

Episodes I, II, and III chronicle the downfall of the Old Republic and the Rise of the Galactic Empire. It is also the story of Anakin Skywalker's rise as a gifted young Jedi and his eventual fall to the Dark Side of the Force. In the films, Darth Sidious manipulates the Trade Federation into invading and occupying the planet Naboo. Using his public identity of Senator Palpatine, Sidious uses the crisis to get himself elected Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. Sidious then orchestrates the Clone Wars, a conflict between the Republic (which he control as Chancellor Palpatine) and a Separatist movement (which he controls as Darth Sidious). As the Clone Wars come to an end, Sidious turns Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side. Anakin, now known as Darth Vader, helps Sidious to wipe out the Jedi and Sidious, as Palpatine, declares himself Emperor of the Galactic Empire.

Episode IV, V, and VI pick up approximately nineteen years after the events of Episode III, during the Galactic Civil War, which leads to the downfall of the Galactic Empire at the hands of the Rebel Alliance. These films follow the story of Luke Skywalker, the son of Anakin Skywalker, and his rise in the Rebel movement against the Empire. After the murder of his aunt and uncle by Imperial Stormtroopers, Luke joins the ragtag Rebel Alliance. He trains to become a Jedi like his father, whom he believes was betrayed and murdered by Lord Darth Vader. When Luke learns the truth -- that his father is Darth Vader -- he is profoundly shaken. Despite this, Luke successfully resists the efforts of Vader and the Emperor to turn him to the Dark Side, instead turning his father back to the Light Side of the Force. Vader then kills the Emperor, while the Rebel fleet scores a decisive victory against the second Death Star, ending the war. The Rebel Alliance's victory eventually leads to the formation of the New Republic, as described in the Expanded Universe (see below).

Opening Crawls
The Star Wars films use an opening text to provide the audience with the background to the story. Lucas emulated the Flash Gordon serials by having his opening text "crawl" up the screen from bottom to top at a high pitched angle, as if the text were disappearing into the distant starscape.

In a May 15th, 2005 interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Lucas described the creation of the distinctive crawl: "The crawl is such a hard thing because you have to be careful that you're not using too many words that people don't understand. It's like a poem. I showed the very first crawl to a bunch of friends of mine in the '70s. It went on for six paragraphs with four sentences each. Brian De Palma was there, and he threw his hands up in the air and said, 'George, you're out of your mind! Let me sit down and write this for you.' He helped me chop it down into the form that exists today."

Production and release


There were countless problems during the production of Episode IV, and few critics expected the film to achieve the measure of success it did. Many problems with effects work, editing, finding, and shooting caused the film to be pushed up from its expected release date of December of 1976. The production company, not to mention many involved in the actual production, had little faith in the movie. According to reports, it was a daily struggle merely to complete the film on time. Despite these difficulties, the first film was released on May 25th, 1977 and became a surprise hit. Though its novelization had hit the shelves a year earlier, the book had not seen nearly the amount of interest that the film would draw.

Episodes IV, V, and VI were shot at, among other locations, Elstree Studios, in Hertfordshire, England. The Phantom Menace was filmed at Leavesden Film Studios and the subsequent prequels were filmed in Sydney, Australia. Tunisia, and the sand dunes of Yuma, Arizona, have served as the location for filming scenes set on the desert planet Tatooine in A New Hope, Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. The Palace of Caserta, Italy, was used to create The Palace of Theed, on the planet Naboo: Queen Amidala's home. Shooting in Italy also includes the Lake of Como. The outdoor scenes from the ice planet Hoth in Episode V were shot at Finse, Norway. Also, one shot of the Rebel Base on Yavin IV in Episode IV was of Mayan temples in Tikal, Guatemala.

Both the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy were released over a period of six years (1977-1983 and 1999-2005, respectively).

Score
The scores for all six Star Wars films have been composed by John Williams. Williams' score for the original Star Wars in 1977 set a new standard for science fiction films by drawing its inspiration primarily from a palette of classical symphonies, rather than pseudo-futuristic themes. (In choosing this classical approach, Williams was following the lead of 2001: A Space Odyssey and a mix-tape of Wagnerian opera and other selections compiled by George Lucas.) Although Williams had already established himself as a film composer with scores for blockbusters such as The Towering Inferno, The Poseidon Adventure, and Jaws, the Star Wars score catapulted him to super-stardom.

Williams' scores for the original trilogy were primarily motif-based: Individual characters and settings were each given their own, unique musical theme which would identify their presence in the film, whether physically or figuratively. By combining and varying these motifs, Williams could create a score possessed of a rich, interwoven fabric.

By the time of the prequel trilogies, however, Williams' had grown and changed as a composer. His new scores de-emphasized motifs, tending to weave them subtly into a broader and more dynamic musical composition. He had also expanded his use of thematic motifs, using the technique to highlight the emotional or archetypal structure of the film, rather than the more literal associations to character and setting used in the earlier scores.

Re-releases

 * See also: Changes in Star Wars Re-releases.

Episodes IV, V, and VI were re-mastered and theatrically re-released in 1997 as "Special Editions". For the re-release, in addition to extensive clean-up and restoration work, Lucas also made a number of changes to the films in order to "finish the film the way it was meant to be" (as Lucas said in a September 2004 interview with AP).



Many of Lucas' changes for the Special Editions were cosmetic, generally adding special effects which weren't originally possible. Other changes, however, affected plot or character development. These changes have proven controversial, such as the change referred to by fans as "Han shot first": In the original release of Episode IV, the character Han Solo shoots and kills a bounty hunter named Greedo, after Greedo threatens to kill him in order to collect a bounty which had been placed on Solo's head by Jabba the Hutt. In the Special Edition of the film, however, Greedo shoots first at close range. Only after he misses does Solo return fire.

In 2004 the films were changed once again for their release on DVD. In these new versions of the films a few changes which had been made for the 1997 Special Editions were removed. Even more changes were made to the films, however, including a controversial change to a scene at the end of Episode VI when the spirits of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Anakin Skywalker look upon the Rebels' celebration. The original actor who played Anakin in this scene (Sebastian Shaw) was replaced by Hayden Christensen, the actor who played Anakin in Episodes II and III.

At a ShoWest convention in 2005, George Lucas demonstrated new technology and stated that he is planning to release all six movies in a 3-D film format.

Box office performance
The worldwide box office grosses of each trilogy parallel each other. The first episode of each trilogy generated the highest box office gross, while the middle episode of each trilogy generated the lowest box office gross (without adjustment for inflation). Although the films of the prequel trilogy had higher worldwide box office grosses than the films of the original trilogy, the reverse is true if the figures are properly adjusted for inflation.

Recurring themes
George Lucas embraces a style of epic storytelling that he refers to as "motifs": Common themes and concepts which he "plays" in different ways each time they recur. The concept is lifted from classical music, but Lucas applies it both visually and as an integral part of his storytelling.

On a large scale, there are the parallels between the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy. The stories of Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker echo and reflect each other in myriad ways:
 * In the first episode of each trilogy (Episode I and Episode IV) a Jedi Master is killed by a Sith Lord in front of their apprentice: Qui-Gon is killed by Darth Maul as Obi-Wan looks on; Obi-Wan is killed by Darth Vader as Luke looks on.
 * In the first episode of each trilogy, the Skywalkers pilot starfighters to victory in a space battle against a much larger opponent (Anakin destroys the Trade Federation Droid Control ship; Luke destroys the Death Star).
 * At the end of the first episode of each trilogy (Episodes I & IV), an award ceremony is held with the heroine of each trilogy (Padmé, Leia) giving the award.
 * In the middle episode of each trilogy (Episodes II & V), the main protagonists both see visions of loved one(s) in danger: Luke - Han, Leia and the rest of his friends; Anakin - His mother. Both protagonists also abandon their duty (Luke - Jedi training; Anakin - protecting Padmé) and go off in an attempt to save his loved one(s).
 * In the middle episode of each trilogy (Episodes II & V), the main female protagonist professes her love to someone before a situation where that person could die (Padmé professes her love for Anakin before they enter the arena on Geonosis; Leia professes her love for Han Solo before he is encased in carbonite).
 * In the middle episode of each trilogy, the Skywalkers each suffer the loss of their right hand (Anakin's right arm was severed between the shoulder and elbow by Count Dooku; Luke's right hand was severed at the wrist by Darth Vader).
 * The middle episode of each trilogy features a chase through an asteroid field.
 * In the final episode of each trilogy (Episodes III & VI), against the backdrop of a tower overlooking a space battle, Palpatine encourages Anakin and Luke to finish off their defeated, and dismembered opponents (Dooku in III, Vader in VI) - except that Anakin gives in to Palpatine's wishes, while Luke resists them.
 * In the final episode of each trilogy, a Skywalker cuts off the weapon wielding hand of another lightsaber wielder as Palpatine looks on. (In Episode III, Anakin cuts off Mace's weapon-wielding hand as Palpatine looks on, and turns to the Dark Side of the Force.  In Episode VI, Luke cuts off Vader's weapon-wielding hand as Palpatine looks on, but refuses to turn to the Dark Side of the Force.)
 * In the final episode of each trilogy, the line "I can feel your anger" is directed toward a Skywalker. (In Episode III, Palpatine directs this line to Anakin.  In Episode VI, Darth Vader directs this line to Luke.
 * The final episode of each trilogy features an elaborate battle involving bearlike creatures (Wookiees in Episode III and Ewoks in Episode VI).

Other motifs are played as minor beats throughout the entire saga:


 * Masters often duel with their apprentices due to an inversion of philosophy. Examples include Yoda and Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones; Obi-Wan and Anakin in Revenge of the Sith; Obi-Wan and Darth Vader in A New Hope; and (arguably) Darth Vader and the Emperor in Return of the Jedi.
 * Hands and limbs are lost. Lucas has stated, in the director's commentary for Attack of the Clones, that this was an intentional metaphor for physical impotency and helplessness.
 * The following lines are spoken in all six movies: "May the Force be with you" and "I have a bad feeling about this".
 * All six movies open with a shot of a starship entering the scene. In the original trilogy, the ship is always an Imperial Star Destroyer.

Major themes and influences
The Star Wars saga has been influenced by ancient mythology, philosophy, and religion.

Mythology
Many of the themes within Star Wars reflect elements of Greek tragedy, Arthurian Legend, Roman mythology, and Japanese chambara such as the prominence of prophecy and the inability to control one's destiny. For example, Luke's relationship with his father shows evidence of influence from Greek tragedy. The original film contained Arthurian elements such as Excalibur and Merlin, as well as a "round table" aboard the Millennium Falcon. Another example occurs as Anakin Skywalker causes the death of his wife Padmé Amidala through his actions in trying to save her.

The Star Wars films also show considerable similarity to Asian Wuxia "Kung Fu" films. In films of this genre, the protagonist almost always begins with a clear objective to avenge the death of someone dear (an old master, his father, or his entire family). Starting as an apprentice, he grows to become the most powerful Master of his art in Kung Fu and rightfully settles old scores inflicted to his loved ones. The influence of Japanese pathos is obvious in the technique of the lightsaber being similar to the use of the Japanese Samurai swords, and the etiquette-conscious Jedi humility to the Japanese bows in greetings. The Jedi also live by a code of conduct and battle similar to the Samurai Code (or Bushido) as well as providing protection without being soldiers for a particular Nation or Government. Lucas has stated that his intention was to create in Star Wars a modern mythology based on the studies of his friend and mentor Joseph Campbell. He has also called the first movie's similarity to Akira Kurosawa's film The Hidden Fortress an "homage".

Philosophy and religion


The essential trademark of Star Wars' philosophy is its reliance on the Force. (See main article: Force (Star Wars)).

Star Wars stresses the self-destructive nature of fear, anger, and hate, summed up in Yoda's words ("Fear is the path to the dark side: fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering"), as well as placing one's feelings for certain people aside. For example, Luke Skywalker is told to remain on Dagobah to complete his training rather than rescue his friends from Cloud City, because doing so will "destroy all for which they have fought and suffered."

This aligns with the philosophy of most religions, which emphasize rational thought and meditation as the path to enlightenment, as opposed to the "Dark Side", of violent passion and emotion. It also aligns with secular Enlightenment thought, based in reason (the light side) and passionate and often violent pre-WWI romanticism (the dark side).

Undoubtedly, however, the strongest influence was the Taoist-philosophy. The Force is also very similar to Qi. The practitioners of Qi according to the Taoist annals can live upwards of 200 years. Many true Taoist masters eventually became "san" or spirit-like beings, immortals who could partake and interact in the day-to-day earthly activities, not unlike what Obi-Wan and Yoda became after their passing, in their tutorials with Luke. Taoism emphasizes smooth flow of the Qi being the balance of the Yin and Yang forces to all manifestations including the human anatomy and the environment, again not unlike the duality of the Sith and Jedi being the dark and light extremes of the Force.

The sequel started in Episode IV with the obvious cliché &mdash; Darth Vader in matte and shiny black outfit, with Leia Organa in pristine white robes, alluding to the concepts of Good versus Evil. With the exception of Anakin in the teenage years in Episodes II and III (although one could arguably say that he was a bit "destined" for the Sith, so maybe this does not count as an exception to the rule) and Luke Skywalker in Episode VI, black costumes seem to be reserved exclusively for the darker Empire and its Emperor. Whether intentional or not, the use of language was dramatized &mdash; the Empire minions almost always spoke with British accents whilst most of the Rebels spoke unadulterated American English. Likewise, all Imperial officers were outfitted in tailor-cut Nazi-like uniforms, with the Rebels in looser and more ascetic overalls. It has been suggested as well that the Imperials/Rebels axis could also be a reference to real-world Reactionaries vs. Revolutionaries, but it's all speculation.

Technology
Another archetypal conflict in the series is between technology and nature. Ewoks defeat highly mechanized space ship-dwelling enemies. Many of these asymmetries are between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. For example, the rebels wear clothing that match their environment (greens, browns or whites) while the Stormtroopers always wear white synthetic armor. The TIE fighters are shown as impersonal swarms of metal while the X-wings are individuals; a similar symmetry also exists between the faceless, armor-clad Imperial Stormtroopers and their crisp, uniformed officers, and the various individual members of the Rebel Alliance. More recent examples can be seen in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith: Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, mounted atop a lizard-like veractyl, pursues and combats the semi-mechanical General Grievous mounted atop a one-wheeled mechanical vehicle; after the execution of Order 66, the somewhat inhuman Clone troopers are shown slaughtering a number of Jedi characters without a second's thought, whose striking art design gives them clear individuality. This concept emphasizes the general idea that technology is in opposition to humanity.

Recurring themes
There seem to be repeated elements amongst the Star Wars films. Lucas himself makes mention of his fondness for repeating elements in several of the DVD audio commentaries. Also of note are the parallels between the trilogies; that is, Episodes I and IV, II and V, as well as III and VI. Those groups will show up often in the list that follows:


 * In the first episode of each trilogy (Episodes I & IV) a Jedi Master is killed by a Sith Lord in front of an apprentice (Qui-Gon is killed by Darth Maul in front of Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan is killed by Darth Vader in front of Luke). However, the responses of the two apprentices are different: Obi-Wan kills Darth Maul, but Luke escapes the Death Star instead of killing Darth Vader.
 * In the first episode of each trilogy (Episodes I & IV), the main protagonist helps win a battle at the end of the film (Anakin destroys the Trade Federation Droid Control Ship, Luke destroys the Death Star).
 * At the end of the first episode of each trilogy (Episodes I & IV), an award ceremony is held with the heroine of each trilogy (Padmé, Leia) giving the award.
 * In the middle episode of each trilogy (Episodes II & V), the main protagonists both see visions of loved one(s) in danger: Luke - Han, Leia and the rest of his friends; Anakin - His mother. Both protagonists also abandon their duty (Luke - Jedi training; Anakin - protecting Padmé) and go off in attempt to save his loved one(s).
 * In the middle episode of each trilogy (Episodes II & V), R2-D2 repairs C-3PO.
 * In the middle episode of each trilogy (Episodes II & V), the main protagonist suffers the loss of his right hand (Anakin's right arm was severed between the shoulder and elbow by Count Dooku. Luke's right hand was severed near the elbow by Darth Vader.)
 * In Episode II and Episode IV two people lose their arm in a cantina (Zam Wesell and Ponda Baba.)
 * At the end of the middle episodes in the trilogy (Episodes II & V), the main protagonist (Anakin in II, Luke in V) puts his arm around the main female character (Padmé in II, Leia in V) beside the two droids: R2-D2 and C-3PO.
 * In the final episode of each trilogy (Episodes III & VI), against the backdrop of a tower overlooking a space battle, Palpatine encourages Anakin and Luke to finish off their defeated, and dismembered opponents (Dooku in III, Vader in VI) - except that Anakin gives in to Palpatine's wishes, while Luke resists them.
 * Also, in both episodes, Anakin is the observer to a life-or-death struggle between Palpatine and another opponent (Mace Windu in III, and Luke in VI). In both cases, Anakin/Darth Vader comes to the aid of the weaker combatant (Palpatine himself in III - although some fans believe Palpatine was faking weakness, Luke in VI begging him for aid while being electrocuted by Palpatine's lightning storm), and the stronger combatant (Mace in III, Palpatine in VI) is hurled into a chasm.
 * The titles are parallel: "The Phantom Menace" and "A New Hope" can be seen as referring to one deliberately and one unknowingly concealed character (respectively, Darth Sidious and Luke Skywalker) who emerge to be the protagonists that effect the shift of power in each film's sequels; "Attack of the Clones" and "The Empire Strikes Back" both refer to the galactic government mounting a military attack against a rebellion; "Revenge of the Sith" and "Return of the Jedi" exhibit dual parallels, referring, at once, to the ultimate decimation and victory of the Force-based religious order, and focusing on the fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker. It is also to be noted that the original title of Return of the Jedi was "Revenge of the Jedi".
 * Grammatically, some of the titles' constructions parallel one another: I and IV are article-adjective-noun and III and VI are noun-preposition-article-proper noun.
 * The following lines are spoken in all 6 movies: "Nooo!", "May the Force be with you" and "I have a bad feeling about this."
 * In Episodes IV, V & VI (the original three films), the character Wedge (X-wing Fighter - Rogue Three) survived all of the battles alongside Luke. Coincidentally, Wedge was played by Dennis Lawson, who is the real-life uncle of Ewan McGregor who plays the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in Episodes I, II & III.
 * In the final episode of each trilogy (Episodes III & VI), there is some sort of massive battle involving bear-like creatures (Wookiees in III, Ewoks in VI). The species name "Ewok" is derived from the syllabic-reverse of the species name "Wookiee."
 * All 6 movies open with a shot of a starship entering the scene. In the original trilogy, the ship is an Imperial Star Destroyer. In the prequel trilogy the ship is always a government craft which is soon destroyed in an explosion.
 * In Episodes IV, V, and VI, a relatively unseen creature attacks one of the main characters (Luke in IV, R2 in V, and Lando in VI).
 * The middle episode of each trilogy features a chase through an asteroid field.
 * In the final episode of each trilogy, the enemy's massive command ship is destroyed by crashing into a giant metal sphere (the Invisible Hand in Episode III and the Executor in Episode VI).
 * Each episode concludes with a scene with hardly any dialogue whatsoever. The exception is in The Phantom Menace, where the Gungan leader Boss Nass says "Peace!".

The Force

 * Main article: Force (Star Wars).

The Force is one of the most recognizable elements of the Star Wars mythos. It is described by Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars film as, "An energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together." The Force is life, and life is the Force. Some think of the Force as a sentient entity that may be capable of intelligent thought&mdash;almost as if it were a sort of God&mdash;while others simply consider it a thing that can be manipulated.

Those who can use the Force, such as the Jedi, can perform feats of telepathy, psychokinesis, prescience, and mental control. Adepts of the Force are also gifted with incredibly enhanced perception, even to the point that they can allow themselves to be guided by the Force itself. In such a state, the Force adept ceases to react to their own surroundings and instead predicts and reacts to the future -- parrying a blow, deflecting a blaster bolt, or firing a shot with uncanny and even impossible precision.

In the original trilogy, there were two aspects of the Force given emphasis: the light side and the dark side. These are concerned with the moral compass of the Force in its various manifestations. The light side of the Force is the facet of that energy field aligned with good, benevolence, and healing. The dark side of the Force is the element aligned with fear, hatred, aggression, and malevolence; this side of the Force seems more powerful, but it is merely easier, and thus more tempting to those who crave power. In the prequel trilogy, the Force was also described with two additional aspects: the Unifying Force and the Living Force. These aspects were not largely expanded upon in the films, but in the Expanded Universe they are defined by prominent Jedi philosophies. The Unifying Force essentially embraces space and time in its entirety. The Living Force deals with the directly ongoing niches present in the Force.

The Force is often associated with a phrase used in the films as a blessing of good fortune: "May the Force be with you."

Expanded Universe

 * Main article: Expanded Universe (Star Wars).



The term "Expanded Universe" refers to all of the officially licensed Star Wars material outside of the two trilogies, including books, comics, games, and other forms of media. This material expands and continues the stories told in the films, taking place anywhere from 25,000 years before The Phantom Menace to 31 years after Return of the Jedi. The Expanded Universe officially began with Alan Dean Foster's 1978 Star Wars spin-off novel, Splinter of the Mind's Eye.

The early development of the Expanded Universe was sporadic and unrefined, particularly because there was so little official material for the creators to build on. A turning point was reached when West End Games began publishing the Star Wars Roleplaying Game in 1987. In order for players of the roleplaying game to create new adventures, West End Games needed to provide supplemental material describing the Star Wars universe in previously unknown detail.

Around this same time, Dark Horse Comics acquired the Star Wars license and used it to launch a number of ambitious sequels to the original trilogy, including the very popular Dark Empire stories. Shortly thereafter, in the early '90s, Bantam published Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy. Widely publicized as the "sequels which were never made", Zahn's novels reignited Star Wars fandom and sparked a revolution in Star Wars literature.

George Lucas retains ultimate creative control over the Star Wars universe. For example, the death of central characters and similar changes in the status quo must first pass his screening before authors are given the go-ahead. In addition, Lucasfilm Licensing devotes considerable effort to ensure continuity between the works of various authors across multiple companies.

Some purists reject the Expanded Universe as Apocrypha, believing that only the events in the film series are part of the "real" Star Wars universe. However, elements of the Expanded Universe have been adopted by Lucas for use in the films. For example, the name of planet Coruscant first appeared in Timothy Zahn's novel Heir to the Empire before being used later in the prequel trilogy.

Fan works
The Star Wars saga has inpired many fans to create their own stories set in the Star Wars galaxy. In recent years, this has ranged from writing fan-fiction to creating fan films.

In 2002, Lucasfilm sponsored the first annual Official Star Wars Fan Films Awards, officially recognizing filmmakers and the genre. Due to concerns over potential copyright and trademark issues, however, the contest remains open only to parodies, mockumentaries, and documentaries. Fan-fiction films set in the Star Wars universe are ineligible. Initially this limitation caused an outcry for those interested in creating serious fan-fiction for a competition.

While many of the serious fan films have used elements from the licensed Expanded Universe to tell their story, they are obviously not considered an official part of the Star Wars canon. Lucasfilm has, for the most part, turned a blind eye to the creation of these derivative fan-fiction works, so long as no such work attempts to make a profit from or tarnish the Star Wars franchise in any way.

Lucasfilm's open support and sanction of fan creations is a marked contrast to the attitudes of many other copyright holders. Some owners, such as Paramount Pictures with the Star Trek properties, have been known to actively discourage the creation of such works by fans.

Notable fan films include:


 * Troops (1997) is Kevin Rubio's parody of the TV show COPS, humorously following the Imperial stormtroopers charged with tracking down the droids on Tatooine at the beginning of Episode IV. This film, with its professional production values and its ability to take advantage of Internet distribution, is generally credited with kickstarting the modern fanfilm phenomenon.
 * Star Wars: Revelations (2005) was directed by Shane Felux. Set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, the film attempts to explain what happened to the Jedi after the Great Jedi Purge of 19 BBY. Produced for nearly $20,000 and with an international crew, it is notable for being one of the most ambitous fanfilms to date. While expensive by most standards, it took a large step in showing that professional-quality filmmaking was becoming available at the consumer level.

Film preservation

 * OriginalTrilogy.com A fan site dedicated to preserving the theatrical cuts of the original trilogy on DVD through fan edits.
 * The X0 Project LaserDisc-to-DVD project of the Original Trilogy.
 * STAR WARS - Legacy Edition An Original Trilogy Restoration Project.

Wiki guide

 * Star Wars page on Wikipedia
 * Non-Canon Star Wars
 * Uncyclopedia Parody