Star Wars facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Star Wars
Creator	George Lucas
Original work	Star Wars (1977)
Owner	Lucasfilm
Print publications
Books	List of reference books
Novels	List of novels
Comics	List of comics
Magazines	Star Wars Insider (1987–present)
Films and television
Films	List of films
Television series	List of television series
Games
Role-playing	List of RPGs
Video games	List of video games
Audio
Radio programs	List of radio dramas
Original music	Music
Miscellaneous
Toys	Merchandise
Theme park attractions	List of attractions

Star Wars is a famous American story series created by George Lucas. It started with a movie in 1977 and quickly became a huge hit around the world. This series tells exciting tales set in space. It has grown into many movies, TV shows, video games, books, comic books, and even theme park rides. All these stories create a huge, imaginary universe. Star Wars is one of the most successful story series ever.

The first movie, released in 1977, was later called Episode IV: A New Hope. It was followed by two sequels: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983). These three films make up the original Star Wars trilogy. Later, George Lucas made three prequel movies. These were Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005). In 2012, Lucas sold his company, Lucasfilm, to Disney. This led to a new trilogy of films. These were Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), and Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

All nine main films are known as the "Skywalker Saga." They received many awards, with the first three winning Academy Awards. Along with other movies like Rogue One (2016) and Solo (2018), the films have earned over $10 billion. This makes Star Wars one of the highest-earning film series in history.

Exploring the Star Wars Universe

The Star Wars stories take place "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away." They show adventures across many different times. Humans and many kinds of aliens live alongside droids. Droids are robots that help people or fight battles. Traveling through space between planets is common. This is possible because of special lightspeed technology. Planets can be huge cities or dry deserts with small tribes. Many planets have different kinds of life, just like Earth. The stories also feature asteroid fields and nebulae. Spaceships range from small fighters to huge capital ships like Star Destroyers. There are also giant space stations, such as the moon-sized Death Stars. Communication happens through audio, video screens, and holographic messages.

The Star Wars universe is like our own but with more flexible rules of physics. This allows for amazing stories. A key part of this universe is the Force. The original film describes it as "an energy field created by all living things... [that] binds the galaxy together." People who are strong with the Force can learn special abilities. These include moving objects with their mind, seeing the future, and reading thoughts. Two main groups use the Force: the Jedi and the Sith. The Jedi are peacekeepers who use the light side of the Force. They work to keep the Galactic Republic safe. The Sith use the dark side, fueled by anger and fear. While there can be many Jedi, the Sith usually have only two: a master and an apprentice.

The stories often involve big conflicts between good and evil groups. For example, the evil Galactic Empire fights against those who seek freedom. Jedi and Sith use lightsabers, which are plasma blades that can cut through almost anything. Other people, like soldiers, use plasma-powered blaster guns. In some parts of the galaxy, powerful crime groups like the Hutt cartel are in charge. Bounty hunters often work for these groups or for governments.

Star Wars is known as a space opera, which mixes science fiction and fantasy. This blend allows it to tell many different kinds of stories.

Star Wars Films: The Skywalker Saga

The Star Wars film series has three main sets of movies. These nine films are known as the "Skywalker Saga." The movies were not released in story order. The original trilogy came out first, from 1977 to 1983. Then came the prequel trilogy, from 1999 to 2005. Finally, the sequel trilogy was released from 2015 to 2019.

Each trilogy focuses on a generation of the Force-sensitive Skywalker family. They fight against the evil Sith lord Palpatine (also known as Darth Sidious). The original trilogy shows Luke Skywalker becoming a Jedi. He fights Palpatine's Galactic Empire with his sister, Leia. The prequels tell the sad story of their father, Anakin. He was tricked by Palpatine and became Darth Vader. The sequels follow Leia's son, Ben Solo, and Luke and Leia's student, Rey. They eventually team up against Palpatine after the Empire falls.

The Original Trilogy: Episodes IV–VI

The original trilogy's main cast includes (from left to right) Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), and David Prowse (Darth Vader's body), and James Earl Jones (Darth Vader's voice)

In 1971, George Lucas wanted to make a movie like the Flash Gordon serials. When he couldn't get the rights, he decided to create his own space adventure. After directing American Graffiti (1973), he wrote a short story idea. 20th Century Fox decided to fund it. By 1974, he had written the first movie script. Fox thought the film would not make much money. So, it had a small budget, and filming moved to England to save costs.

Star Wars was released on May 25, 1977. It was later called Episode IV: A New Hope in 1979. The movie was a huge success. This led Lucas to plan a longer story series. He decided the series would be three trilogies. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back came out on May 21, 1980. It was also very popular. The last film in this trilogy, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, was released on May 25, 1983.

The Prequel Trilogy: Episodes I–III

The prequel trilogy's main cast includes (from left to right) Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Natalie Portman (Padmé Amidala), Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker), and Ian McDiarmid (Palpatine).

George Lucas had ideas for a prequel trilogy while making the first two films. By 1980, he had planned out a nine-film series. However, making the original trilogy was very stressful. So, he decided to cancel more sequels by 1981. In 1983, Lucas explained that he kept saving "all the good parts" for future movies.

New computer graphics technology in the late 1980s and early 1990s made Lucas think about revisiting his saga. In 1989, Lucas said the prequels would be "unbelievably expensive." By 1992, he confirmed his plans for the prequel trilogy. Before the new films, the original trilogy was re-released in 1997. These "updated" versions used the new computer graphics style.

Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released on May 19, 1999. Episode II: Attack of the Clones followed on May 16, 2002. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith came out on May 19, 2005. The first two films received mixed reviews. The third film was more positively received. Lucas has called the first six films "the tragedy of Darth Vader."

The Sequel Trilogy: Episodes VII–IX

The sequel trilogy's main cast includes (from left to right) Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), and Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron).

Before the first Star Wars film came out in 1977, Lucas planned for "three trilogies of nine films." However, he later said he planned "10 sequels" in 1978. He confirmed his ideas for prequels and sequels in 1981. The sequel trilogy was meant to show the rebuilding of the Republic. It would also feature Luke as a Jedi Master, like Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke's sister (Leia), Han, Leia, R2-D2, and C-3PO were also part of the plans. But after starting the prequel trilogy, Lucas said Star Wars was a six-part story. He stated there would be no sequel trilogy.

Lucas decided to let other filmmakers take over the series. In January 2012, he announced he would not make more Star Wars films. That October, the Walt Disney Company bought Lucasfilm. They announced that Episode VII would be released in 2015. Kathleen Kennedy became president of Lucasfilm. She oversaw new Star Wars movies. Lucas gave Kennedy his story ideas for the sequels during the 2012 sale. However, in 2015, it was revealed Lucas's ideas were not used. The sequel trilogy also meant that many older Star Wars stories were no longer considered official. This gave filmmakers more freedom and kept new stories surprising for audiences.

Episode VII: The Force Awakens was released on December 16, 2015. Episode VIII: The Last Jedi followed on December 13, 2017. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker came out on December 18, 2019. The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi were very popular with critics and audiences. Episode IX received mixed reviews.

Standalone Star Wars Films

Several Star Wars films have been made outside the main Skywalker Saga. In 2008, Lucasfilm released the animated movie The Clone Wars. This film is set during the prequel trilogy. It also served as the start of the TV series of the same name. After Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, they started making "anthology" films. These movies tell separate stories set between the main saga films. Disney called them origin stories for different characters.

The anthology films' main casts include (from left to right) Felicity Jones (Jyn Erso) and Diego Luna (Cassian Andor) from Rogue One and Alden Ehrenreich (Han Solo) and Woody Harrelson (Tobias Beckett) from Solo.

The first standalone film was Rogue One, released in 2016. It tells how rebels stole the plans for the Death Star. This was the Empire's superweapon, right before the first Star Wars movie. A second film, Solo, came out in 2018. It tells the backstory of Han Solo, set 10 years before A New Hope. The series Obi-Wan Kenobi was first planned as a movie. However, it became a miniseries because Solo did not do as well at the box office.

Future Star Wars Films

In April 2023, three new Star Wars films were announced. They will be set in different times in the franchise. An untitled film by James Mangold will explore the "dawn of the Jedi." Dave Filoni will direct a film set between the original and sequel trilogies. This movie will be the big ending for the live-action TV series that started with The Mandalorian in 2019. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will direct a third film about a new Jedi Order. This story takes place fifteen years after the sequel trilogy. In January 2025, George Nolfi was hired to write the script for this film.

In January 2024, it was announced that Jon Favreau would direct a new Star Wars film. It is called The Mandalorian & Grogu. In February 2024, Bob Iger said this film would be the first of the next group of Star Wars movies. The Mandalorian & Grogu is planned for release on May 22, 2026.

In November 2022, Shawn Levy began talks to direct a Star Wars film. This was after his work on Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) and Stranger Things season five. In September 2023, Levy said his Star Wars film was being developed. However, it would not continue until after the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike ended. In April 2025, Ryan Gosling was cast in the film. The movie's title was officially revealed as Star Wars: Starfighter. It received a release date of May 28, 2027. In June 2025, Mia Goth also joined the cast.

Other Possible Projects

Lucasfilm has several other Star Wars films being planned:

• Untitled Rian Johnson trilogy: In November 2017, a trilogy of movies by The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson was announced. In April 2023, Kathleen Kennedy said this trilogy is still being developed. Johnson is working on the story, but it is not the studio's top priority right now.
• Untitled David Benioff and D. B. Weiss trilogy: In February 2018, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were announced as writers and producers for a new Star Wars trilogy. This story would happen before the prequel trilogy and focus on how the Jedi began. By May 2019, they were also set to direct the first film. However, in October 2019, they left the projects due to other work. Kennedy said the studio is open to working with them later. In January 2024, they shared the working title was The First Jedi. They also noted its similarity to James Mangold's Dawn of the Jedi movie.
• Untitled Taika Waititi film: In May 2020, Taika Waititi joined a project as director. He is also co-writing the script with Krysty Wilson-Cairns. In May 2022, this movie was named the next Star Wars film to start production. Kennedy said the studio was hoping for a late 2023 release, but no date was set. By April 2023, she confirmed the project is still being developed. Waititi continues to work on the script. In April 2025, Tony McNamara was hired to help with the script.
• Rogue Squadron: This film, set after Rogue One, will be directed by Patty Jenkins. Matthew Robinson is writing the script. In April 2023, Kennedy said the script is still being developed. The studio is also thinking about making it a TV series instead. In March 2024, Jenkins announced she was working on the script again.
• Star Wars: A Droid Story: In December 2020, an animated film about R2-D2 and C-3PO was announced. It will introduce a new hero alongside the two droids. This film is a team effort by Lucasfilm Animation and Industrial Light & Magic. It is being made to stream only on Disney+.
• Lando: In December 2020, a spin-off series from Solo: A Star Wars Story was announced. This miniseries for Disney+ would focus on Landonis "Lando" Calrissian III. Donald Glover was confirmed to play Lando, and Justin Simien was the creator. By July 2020, Donald and Stephen Glover took over writing the show. In September 2023, the show was changed to be a theatrical film instead.
• Untitled Simon Kinberg trilogy: In November 2024, Simon Kinberg was hired to write and produce a new trilogy of Star Wars movies. These films were reported to be Episode X–XII, though some sources disagreed.

Star Wars Television Shows

Animated Series

The first two animated series, Droids and Ewoks, were made in the 1980s. They were followed by the Clone Wars micro-series in 2003. Then came the longer The Clone Wars in 2008. After Disney bought Lucasfilm, most animated series released before 2014 were no longer considered official stories. The 2008 Clone Wars series was an exception. Newer animated series include Rebels (2014), Resistance (2018), and The Bad Batch (2021-2024).

Lucasfilm has also released many short animated series and shorts since Disney's purchase. Older animated series are now part of Disney's "Vintage" collection.

At Star Wars Celebration Japan in April 2025, a new animated series was announced. It is called Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord and is expected in 2026. This series will show what happened after the Clone Wars.

Live-Action Series

The Star Wars universe also includes several live-action TV shows. The first, The Mandalorian, was released in 2019 on Disney+. It is set between the original and sequel trilogies. Because it was so popular, many spin-off shows were made in the same time period. These include The Book of Boba Fett (2021-2022), Ahsoka (2023-present), and Skeleton Crew (released in December 2024). These shows follow the struggles of the New Republic against the remaining parts of the fallen Galactic Empire.

A story about Obi-Wan Kenobi was first planned as a movie. It became a live-action series after Solo did not do well in 2018. The series was released on Disney+ in 2022. It is set between the prequel and original trilogy films. It was followed by Andor in the same year. Both series follow their main characters during the Empire's rule. The second season of Andor finished in May 2025.

The Acolyte is a series created by Leslye Headland. It is set at the end of the High Republic era, before the Skywalker Saga. It finished its run in July 2024.

Star Wars Films and Specials

Star Wars Story Timeline

The official Star Wars story takes place across many different time periods. Three of these periods focus on the film trilogies. The following eras were set in January 2021 and updated in April 2023:

• Dawn of the Jedi: This is when the first Jedi used the Force. An upcoming film will show this era.
• The Old Republic: The Galactic Republic was founded, and the Jedi Order began to protect it. A split among the Jedi led to the creation of the Sith.
• The High Republic: The Republic and the Jedi protected the galaxy during a peaceful time. This era includes the live-action series The Acolyte, the animated series Young Jedi Adventures, and many High Republic books.
• Fall of the Jedi: The Republic's leader, Palpatine (secretly the Sith lord Darth Sidious), started the Clone Wars. He then took over the Republic, wiped out the Jedi Order, and turned Anakin Skywalker to the dark side. This era includes the prequel trilogy films, the animated series The Clone Wars and Tales of the Jedi, and the upcoming video game Zero Company.
• Reign of the Empire: Palpatine's Galactic Empire ruled the galaxy. The remaining Jedi were hunted down. This era includes the standalone films Solo and Rogue One. It also features the live-action series Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor. Animated series like The Bad Batch and Rebels are also set here. The upcoming animated series Maul - Shadow Lord and video games Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor are also from this time.
• Age of Rebellion: The Rebellion against the Empire grew across the galaxy. The Jedi returned with Luke Skywalker. This era includes the original trilogy films and video games like Battlefront II and Squadrons.
• The New Republic: After the Empire's defeat, the new New Republic tried to bring the galaxy back together. But parts of the Empire still threatened it. This era includes the live-action series The Mandalorian (and its film sequel The Mandalorian and Grogu). Also, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew are set here.
• Rise of the First Order: The Empire's remains became the First Order. They fought against the Resistance. This conflict ended with the defeat of Palpatine and the Sith by the Jedi Rey. This era includes the sequel trilogy films, the animated series Resistance, and the video game Tales from the Galaxy's Edge.
• New Jedi Order: Rey builds a new Jedi Order. An upcoming untitled film will show this. The unrelated upcoming film Starfighter is also set in this era.

The many spin-off stories outside the main films were once called the Expanded Universe (EU). These were later renamed Legends on April 25, 2014. This was done so that most new stories would fit with the main films and the The Clone Wars film and TV series.

Other Star Wars Media

From 1976 to 2014, the Expanded Universe (EU) included all official Star Wars stories not in the main films. This included books, comics, and video games. Lucasfilm kept these stories consistent with the films and TV shows. However, on April 25, 2014, the company announced that all EU works would stop being made. These existing works were no longer considered official stories and were rebranded as Star Wars Legends. Only downloadable content for the game The Old Republic continued under the Legends label. The official Star Wars story now only included the six main films, the animated film The Clone Wars (2008), and its TV series. All new projects are now overseen by a special story group at Lucasfilm. This group makes sure all new stories fit together. Since then, many new comics from Marvel and novels from Del Rey have been released. Some older Legends stories have also been brought back into the official story.

Star Wars Books

Star Wars stories in print began before the first movie. The novelization of Star Wars came out in November 1976. It was first called "From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker." Alan Dean Foster wrote it, though it was credited to Lucas. The first original "Expanded Universe" story appeared in Marvel Comics' Star Wars #7 in January 1978. This was followed by Foster's next novel, Splinter of the Mind's Eye, the next month.

Novels

Timothy Zahn wrote the popular Thrawn trilogy, which brought new excitement to the Star Wars series in the early 1990s.

After writing the first movie's novel, Foster wrote Splinter of the Mind's Eye (1978). Later, novels for The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983) were released. There were also trilogies about Han Solo and Lando Calrissian.

Timothy Zahn's popular Thrawn trilogy (1991–1993) brought new life to the franchise. It introduced characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn and Mara Jade. The first book, Heir to the Empire, became a #1 bestseller. This series showed Luke, Leia, and Han fighting against the clever Thrawn. He was trying to take back the galaxy for the Empire. Other notable series included the Jedi Academy trilogy and the Young Jedi Knights series for younger readers.

Del Rey started publishing Star Wars books in 1999. They released a 19-book series called The New Jedi Order (1999–2003). These stories were set 25 to 30 years after the original films.

Three series for younger readers were published by Scholastic. Jedi Apprentice (1999–2002) followed Obi-Wan Kenobi and his master Qui-Gon Jinn. Jedi Quest (2001–2004) showed Obi-Wan and his own student, Anakin Skywalker. The Last of the Jedi (2005–2008) was set after Revenge of the Sith. It featured Obi-Wan and the few remaining Jedi. In 2019, a new prequel novel, Star Wars: Master and Apprentice, was released. It starred Qui-Gon and a young Obi-Wan.

Even though Thrawn was part of the Legends stories in 2014, he was brought back into the official story in 2016. This happened in the third season of the Rebels animated series. Timothy Zahn then wrote more novels about Thrawn for the new official story.

Comics

Marvel Comics published a Star Wars comic book series from 1977 to 1986. Original Star Wars comics also appeared in Marvel's Pizzazz magazine from 1977 to 1979. These were the first original Star Wars stories not directly from the films. From 1985 to 1987, the animated shows Ewoks and Droids inspired comic series from Marvel's Star Comics line. Marvel's former Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter said that strong sales of Star Wars comics saved Marvel financially in 1977 and 1978.

In the late 1980s, Marvel stopped a new Star Wars comic project. Dark Horse Comics picked it up and published it as the popular Dark Empire series (1991–1995). Dark Horse then launched many other series. These included Tales of the Jedi and X-wing Rogue Squadron.

After Disney bought Lucasfilm, it was announced in January 2014 that the Star Wars comics license would return to Marvel Comics in 2015. Marvel's parent company, Marvel Entertainment, was bought by Disney in 2009. The first three Marvel comics in 2015 were Star Wars, Darth Vader, and the miniseries Princess Leia.

In February 2020, the Star Wars: The High Republic publishing project was revealed. This project explored a new era 200 years before the Skywalker Saga. It involved many official publishers, with ongoing comics from Marvel and IDW Publishing.

Marvel Comics released a one-shot comic book on September 4, 2024. It connects the High Republic stories to the events of The Acolyte. This comic, called Star Wars: The Acolyte – Kelnacca, was written by Cavan Scott. It focuses on Kelnacca, the Wookiee Jedi from The Acolyte.

Star Wars Audio Stories

Soundtracks and Music

John Williams created the music for all nine main films. He said he would retire from the series after The Rise of Skywalker. However, he composed a theme for Obi-Wan Kenobi for the miniseries. He also created Han Solo's theme for Solo: A Star Wars Story. Williams also made the main theme for Galaxy's Edge.

Other composers have also worked on Star Wars music. These include John Powell (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Michael Giacchino (Rogue One), and Ludwig Göransson (The Mandalorian).

Audio Novels

The first Star Wars audio work was The Story of Star Wars. This record used sounds from the original film and new narration to retell the story. It was released in 1977. Most later printed novels were also made into audio novels. These were usually on cassette tapes and later on CDs. Since 2019, new audio-only novels have been released that are not based on printed books.

Radio Dramas

Radio versions of the films were also made. George Lucas, a fan of his old college radio station, gave the Star Wars radio rights to KUSC-FM for just $1. These productions used John Williams's original music and Ben Burtt's sound effects.

The first radio drama was written by Brian Daley and directed by John Madden. It was broadcast on National Public Radio in 1981. It turned the original 1977 film into 13 episodes. Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels played their movie roles again.

Its huge success led to a 10-episode version of The Empire Strikes Back in 1983. Billy Dee Williams joined the cast, playing Lando Calrissian again.

In 1983, Buena Vista Records released an original 30-minute Star Wars audio drama. It was called Rebel Mission to Ord Mantell and written by Daley. In the 1990s, Time Warner Audio Publishing adapted several Star Wars comic series into audio dramas. These included the Dark Empire saga and Tales of the Jedi. Return of the Jedi was adapted into 6 episodes in 1996, with Daniels returning.

Star Wars Video Games

The Star Wars series has inspired over a hundred computer, video, and board games. These games date back to the earliest home consoles. Some games follow the movies directly. Others tell new stories in the Star Wars universe. Star Wars games have gone through three main periods. These are marked by changes in who developed the games.

Early Games (1979–1993)

The first official Star Wars electronic game was Kenner's 1979 table-top Star Wars Electronic Battle Command. In 1982, Parker Brothers released the first Star Wars video game for the Atari 2600. It was called Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Soon after, Star Wars: Jedi Arena came out in 1983. This was the first video game to show lightsaber fights. In 1983, Atari released the arcade game Star Wars. It used vector graphics to recreate the Death Star trench run from the 1977 film. The next game, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1984), used more traditional graphics.

Platform games were made for the Nintendo Entertainment System. These included a Japan-only Star Wars (1987) and an international Star Wars (1991). Super Star Wars (1992) was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It had two sequels in the following years.

LucasArts Games (1993–2014)

Lucasfilm started its own video game company, LucasArts, in 1982. It became known for adventure games and flight combat games. George Lucas wanted more creative control over the games. In 1993, LucasArts released Star Wars: X-Wing. This was the first Star Wars game published by LucasArts. It was also the first space flight simulator based on the series. It was a bestseller and started its own game series. The Rogue Squadron series (1998–2003) also focused on space battles from the films.

Dark Forces (1995) was the first Star Wars first-person shooter. It combined puzzles and strategy. The game used LucasArts' special Jedi game engine. It was very popular and led to four sequels. This series introduced Kyle Katarn, a former stormtrooper who became a Jedi. This story is similar to Finn's journey in the sequel trilogy. A huge online role-playing game, Star Wars Galaxies, ran from 2003 to 2011. After Disney bought Lucasfilm, LucasArts stopped making games in 2013. However, it still licenses Star Wars games to other companies.

EA Star Wars Games (2014–Present)

After buying the franchise, Disney gave the video game rights to Electronic Arts. Games made during this time are part of the official Star Wars story. They also have more input from the Star Wars filmmakers. Disney worked with Lenovo to create the augmented reality game Jedi Challenges, released in November 2017. In August 2018, Zynga announced it would publish free Star Wars mobile games. The Battlefront games were rebooted with Star Wars: Battlefront in November 2015. A sequel, Battlefront II, followed in November 2017. A single-player action-adventure game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, with a new story, was released in November 2019. A space combat game called Star Wars: Squadrons came out in October 2020. It built on the space battles from Battlefront.

Star Wars Theme Park Rides

Besides the Disneyland ride Star Tours (1987) and its newer version, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (2011), many live shows have been held at Disney parks. These include the traveling show Where Science Meets Imagination. There's also the Space Mountain ride, Hyperspace Mountain. A walk-through area called Launch Bay and the night show A Galactic Spectacular have also been featured. An immersive themed area called Galaxy's Edge opened at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in 2019. A themed hotel, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, operated from 2022 to 2023 at Walt Disney World.

Multimedia Projects

A multimedia project involves stories released across many types of media. Shadows of the Empire (1996) was one such project. It was set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. It included a novel, a comic book series, a video game, and action figures. The Force Unleashed (2008–2010) was a similar project. It was set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. It included a novel, a 2008 video game and its 2010 sequel, a graphic novel, and toys.

Star Wars Merchandise

George Lucas became very wealthy by keeping the rights to sell Star Wars toys and other products.

The success of the Star Wars films made the series one of the most merchandised in the world. While making the first film in 1977, George Lucas chose to take less pay as director. In return, he gained full ownership of the rights to sell Star Wars products. By 1987, the first three films had earned $2.6 billion from merchandise. By 2012, the first six films had generated about $20 billion in merchandise sales.

Kenner Products made the first Star Wars action figures when the original film came out. Today, these original figures are very valuable. Since the 1990s, Hasbro has held the rights to create action figures based on the saga. Pez dispensers began to be produced in 1997. Star Wars was the first story to be licensed by Lego. Lego has made animated parody shorts and mini-series to promote their Star Wars sets. The Lego Star Wars video games are very popular and have sold many copies.

In 1977, the board game Star Wars: Escape from the Death Star was released. Star Wars Monopoly and themed versions of Trivial Pursuit and Battleship came out in 1997. Updated versions were released later. The board game Risk has two Star Wars versions from Hasbro. Three Star Wars tabletop role-playing games have been made.

Star Wars Trading Cards have been published since 1977 by Topps. Many series have been produced, showing film stills or original art. Some rare cards have become very valuable. From 1995 to 2001, Decipher, Inc. made the Star Wars Customizable Card Game.

Key Themes in Star Wars

Star Wars includes ideas like knighthood, bravery, and classic story patterns. These patterns are called "Jungian archetypes" and include ideas like "the shadow." There are also many links to stories about good and evil. For example, Darth Maul's look is similar to old drawings of the devil. Anakin was born in a special way and was thought to be the "Chosen One," a hero meant to save everyone. But unlike some heroes, Anakin turned to the dark side and became Darth Vader. He stayed evil until Return of the Jedi. Adam Driver, who plays Kylo Ren, said his character believes he is "doing what he thinks is right." George Lucas has said that the main idea of the saga is about finding goodness again.

The saga often follows the "hero's journey," a common story pattern. This pattern was studied by Joseph Campbell. Characters like Anakin, Luke, and Rey follow these steps. Sometimes, they even reverse them and become villains. A key step is "Atonement with the Father." Obi-Wan's loss of a mentor might have affected his relationship with Anakin. Both Obi-Wan and Palpatine acted like father figures to Anakin. Luke's discovery that Vader is his father is a huge surprise in the story. It is one of the most famous plot twists in movies. Supreme Leader Snoke encouraged Kylo Ren to kill his father, Han Solo. Kylo used the fact that Rey was an orphan to try and get her to join the dark side. The final scene in The Last Jedi shows servant children playing. One boy uses the Force, showing that the Force can be found in people from simple beginnings.

Historical Inspirations

Political science has always been important in Star Wars. It focuses on the fight between freedom and strict rule. Battles between the Ewoks and the Empire, or the Gungans and the Trade Federation, show how simple societies fight against more powerful ones. This is similar to the Vietnam-American War. Darth Vader's design was inspired by Samurai armor. It also included a German military helmet. Lucas first imagined the Sith as a group serving the Emperor, like the Schutzstaffel (SS) served Adolf Hitler. But this idea was simplified into just Vader. Stormtroopers got their name from German "shock" soldiers in World War I. Imperial officers wear uniforms similar to those of German forces during World War II. Political and security officers look like the black-clad SS, even with a silver skull symbol on their caps. World War II terms were used for names in the films. For example, the planets Kessel and Hoth were named after military terms or figures. Scenes of commanders looking through AT-AT walker screens in The Empire Strikes Back look like tank interiors. Space battles in the original film were based on World War I and World War II dogfights.

Palpatine was a chancellor before becoming the Emperor in the prequel trilogy. This is similar to Hitler's rise to power. Lucas has also compared Palpatine to historical leaders like Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte. The Great Jedi Purge is like historical events where many people were suddenly removed from power. The corruption of the Galactic Republic is based on the fall of the democratic Roman Republic. This led to the formation of an empire.

When talking about the First Order forming "from the ashes of the Empire," The Force Awakens director J. J. Abrams mentioned discussions. They talked about how some bad groups might have escaped after a big war and "started working together again."

• 

  World War II air battles inspired the space fights.

• 

  The flag and symbols of the Empire look like those of the Nazi Party and Germany during its rule.

Star Wars in Our Culture

The lightsaber and the blaster are iconic elements of the franchise.

The Star Wars stories have had a huge impact on popular culture. Ideas from its universe are now part of everyday life. Phrases like "evil empire" and "May the Force be with you" are commonly used. The first Star Wars film in 1977 brought many people together. It helped start a big interest in science fiction movies in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Its wide impact made it a popular target for funny parodies and tributes. Examples include Hardware Wars, Spaceballs, and The Family Guy Trilogy.

In 1989, the Library of Congress chose the original Star Wars film for its U.S. National Film Registry. This means it is important for culture, history, or art. The Empire Strikes Back was chosen in 2010, and Return of the Jedi in 2021.

Impact on the Entertainment Industry

The original Star Wars film was a massive success for 20th Century Fox. It helped to make the company strong again. Within three weeks of the film's release, the studio's stock price doubled. Before 1977, Fox's best annual profit was $37 million. In 1977, the company made $79 million. The franchise helped Fox go from almost bankrupt to a thriving media company. With over $10.3 billion earned worldwide, Star Wars is one of the highest-grossing film franchises ever.

Star Wars changed how Hollywood movies looked and told stories. It shifted the focus from deep, dramatic stories to big movies with lots of special effects. It also changed the film industry in important ways. Before Star Wars, special effects had not improved much since the 1950s. The film's success led to a boom in advanced special effects in the late 1970s. Along with Jaws, Star Wars started the trend of summer blockbuster films. These are movies that open on many screens at once and create profitable franchises. It created the model for major film trilogies. It also showed that selling toys and other products could make more money than the film itself.

Film critic Roger Ebert wrote that Star Wars was a major technical achievement. It influenced many movies that came after it. It started a new era of special effects and exciting films. The movie was one of the first to combine different genres. This created a new type of film for others to build upon. Along with Steven Spielberg's Jaws, it moved the film industry's focus. It went from personal films of the 1970s to fast-paced, big-budget movies for younger audiences.

Some critics have said Star Wars and Jaws "ruined" Hollywood. They believe these films shifted focus from "sophisticated" movies to spectacle and fantasy. They also say it led to an industry of franchises with many sequels and prequels. However, others argue that Lucas and Spielberg brought cinema back to its roots. They saw it as a "magic act" and "one big special effect," which was "a kind of rebirth."

The original Star Wars trilogy is seen as one of the best film trilogies ever. Many filmmakers have been inspired by Star Wars. These include Damon Lindelof, John Lasseter, David Fincher, and later Star Wars directors J. J. Abrams and Gareth Edwards. Lucas's idea of a "used universe" especially influenced films like Blade Runner (1982) and Alien (1979). Christopher Nolan said Star Wars influenced his 2010 film Inception.

Fan Creations

The Star Wars saga has inspired many fans to create their own stories. These are set in the Star Wars galaxy but are not official. In recent years, this includes writing fan fiction and making fan films. In 2002, Lucasfilm supported the first annual Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards. This officially recognized these filmmakers. At first, the contest was only for parodies or documentaries. But in 2007, Lucasfilm changed the rules to allow fictional stories set in the Star Wars universe. Lucasfilm has allowed fan fiction as long as creators do not try to make money from it.

Star Wars in Education

Because the characters and stories of the original trilogy are so well known, teachers have used the films in classrooms. For example, a project in Western Australia helped elementary school students improve their storytelling. They acted out scenes from the movies and made props. Other teachers have used the films to encourage older students to use technology in science class. They made prototype lightsabers. Also, doctors in New Zealand and the U.S. have used the films in university classes. They help explain different types of mental health conditions.

See also

In Spanish: Star Wars para niños