Star Wars facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Star Wars
Creator	George Lucas
Original work	Star Wars (1977)
Owner	Lucasfilm Ltd.
Print publications
Books	List of reference books
Novels	List of novels
Short stories	See list of novels
Comics	List of comics
Comic strips	See list of comics
Magazines	Star Wars Insider (1987–present)
Films and television
Films	List of films
Television series	List of television series
Television specials	See list of television series
Television films	See list of films
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 super popular American story series created by George Lucas. It started with a movie in 1977 and quickly became a huge hit all over the world. This amazing story takes place in a fictional universe far, far away.

The Star Wars world has grown a lot since the first movie. It now includes many films, TV shows, video games, books, comic books, and even theme park rides. Star Wars is one of the biggest story series ever!

The first movie, released in 1977, was later called Episode IV: A New Hope. It was followed by two sequels: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). These three movies are known as the original Star Wars trilogy.

Later, George Lucas made a prequel trilogy. These movies told the story of what happened before the first film. They are The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), and Revenge of the Sith (2005).

In 2012, Lucas sold his company, Lucasfilm, to Disney. This led to a sequel trilogy that continued the story. These films are The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

All nine of these main films are called the "Skywalker Saga". They have earned over US$10 billion at the box office. This makes Star Wars one of the top-earning film series of all time.

What is Star Wars About?

The Star Wars stories happen "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away." In this galaxy, humans and many different kinds of aliens live together with robots, called 'droids'. These droids can help people or even fight in battles.

Traveling between planets is easy thanks to lightspeed hyperspace technology. The planets are very different, from huge cities that cover an entire planet to dry deserts with only a few tribes. Many planets are full of strange and wonderful alien life. There are also asteroid fields and nebulae in space.

Spaceships range from small fighter jets to giant ships like the Star Destroyers. There are also huge space stations, like the moon-sized Death Stars. People communicate using screens, holographic images, and messages sent through hyperspace.

The Force: A Special Power

The Star Wars universe is like our own, but with some different rules. One big difference is a mystical power called the Force. The original movie 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 to use special powers. These powers include moving things with their mind (telekinesis), seeing the future (precognition), reading minds (telepathy), and controlling energy. It's believed that with the Force, anything is possible.

Two main groups of warriors use the Force:

• The Jedi: They are peacekeepers of the Galactic Republic. They use the light side of the Force to help others and keep peace.
• The Sith: They use the dark side of the Force. They get their power from fear and anger. While there can be many Jedi, there are usually only two Dark Lords of the Sith: a master and their student.

Weapons and Conflicts

The stories often involve big conflicts between different groups, like the evil Galactic Empire. The Jedi and Sith use a special weapon called a lightsaber. It's a blade made of pure energy that can cut through almost anything and block energy blasts.

Most other people, including soldiers, use plasma-powered blaster firearms. In some parts of the galaxy, powerful criminal groups like the Hutt cartel are in charge. Bounty hunters are often hired by both criminals and governments.

The mix of science fiction and fantasy makes Star Wars a very flexible story. It can tell all sorts of exciting tales.

Star Wars Films

The Skywalker Story

The Star Wars film series has three sets of three movies, making nine films in total. These are known as the "Skywalker Saga." The movies were not made in story order. The original trilogy came out first (1977-1983), then the prequel trilogy (1999-2005), and finally the sequel trilogy (2015-2019).

Each trilogy focuses on a different 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 and fighting Palpatine's Galactic Empire with his sister, Leia.
• The prequels tell the sad story of their father, Anakin. He is tricked by Palpatine and becomes the evil Darth Vader.
• The sequels follow the fight between Leia's son, Ben Solo, and Luke and Leia's student, Rey. They eventually team up against Palpatine after the Empire falls.

Film	U.S. release date	Directed by	Screenplay by	Story by	Produced by	Refs.
Original trilogy: Episodes IV–VI
Star Wars	May 25, 1977 (1977-05-25)	George Lucas			Gary Kurtz
The Empire Strikes Back	May 21, 1980 (1980-05-21)	Irvin Kershner	Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan	George Lucas
Return of the Jedi	May 25, 1983 (1983-05-25)	Richard Marquand	Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas		Howard Kazanjian
Prequel trilogy: Episodes I–III
The Phantom Menace	May 19, 1999 (1999-05-19)	George Lucas	George Lucas	George Lucas	Rick McCallum
Attack of the Clones	May 16, 2002 (2002-05-16)		George Lucas and Jonathan Hales
Revenge of the Sith	May 19, 2005 (2005-05-19)		George Lucas
Sequel trilogy: Episodes VII–IX
The Force Awakens	December 18, 2015 (2015-12-18)	J. J. Abrams	Lawrence Kasdan & J. J. Abrams and Michael Arndt		Kathleen Kennedy, J. J. Abrams and Bryan Burk
The Last Jedi	December 15, 2017 (2017-12-15)	Rian Johnson			Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman
The Rise of Skywalker	December 20, 2019 (2019-12-20)	J. J. Abrams	Chris Terrio & J. J. Abrams	Derek Connolly & Colin Trevorrow and J. J. Abrams & Chris Terrio	Kathleen Kennedy, J. J. Abrams and Michelle Rejwan

The First Star Wars Movies (Original Trilogy)

In 1971, George Lucas wanted to make a movie like the old Flash Gordon serials. When he couldn't get the rights, he decided to create his own space adventure. After making another movie called American Graffiti (1973), he wrote a short story idea. 20th Century Fox decided to fund it.

Star Wars was released on May 25, 1977. It was a huge success! Because it was so popular, Lucas decided to make it a longer story with more parts. He planned for it to be three sets of three movies. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back came out on May 21, 1980, and was also a big hit. The last movie in this first set, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, was released on May 25, 1983.

The Prequel Movies

George Lucas had ideas for a prequel trilogy even when he was planning the first two movies. By 1980, he said he had a nine-movie story planned out. However, making the first three movies was very stressful, so he thought about canceling the rest.

Later, new technology like computer-generated imagery (CGI) made Lucas think he could finally make the prequels. He realized it would be very expensive. In 1997, the original movies were re-released with updated CGI to match the style he wanted for the new films.

Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released on May 19, 1999. Episode II: Attack of the Clones followed on May 16, 2002. The final prequel, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, came out on May 19, 2005. Lucas calls the first six movies "the tragedy of Darth Vader."

The Latest Star Wars Movies (Sequel Trilogy)

Before the first movie even came out, Lucas thought about making nine films. He confirmed he had ideas for prequels and sequels in 1981. The sequel trilogy was supposed to show the Republic being rebuilt and Luke Skywalker as a Jedi Master.

However, after starting the prequel trilogy, Lucas said Star Wars would only be six parts. In January 2012, he announced he wouldn't make any more Star Wars films himself. That October, the Walt Disney Company bought Lucasfilm and said Episode VII would be released in 2015.

Disney decided to create new stories for the sequels. This meant that many older Star Wars stories from books and comics were no longer considered part of the main story. This was done to give filmmakers more freedom.

Episode VII: The Force Awakens was released on December 16, 2015. Episode VIII: The Last Jedi came out on December 13, 2017. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker was released on December 18, 2019. The first two sequel films were very popular and earned a lot of money.

Other Star Wars Films

Film	U.S. release date	Directed by	Screenplay by	Story by	Produced by	Refs.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story	December 16, 2016 (2016-12-16)	Gareth Edwards	Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy	John Knoll and Gary Whitta	Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur and Simon Emanuel
Solo: A Star Wars Story	May 25, 2018 (2018-05-25)	Ron Howard	Jonathan Kasdan & Lawrence Kasdan

Besides the main Skywalker Saga, there are other Star Wars films. In 2008, Lucasfilm released an animated movie called The Clone Wars. It takes place during the prequel trilogy and led to a TV series.

After Disney bought Lucasfilm, they started making "anthology" films. These movies tell separate stories that fit between the main episodes of the Skywalker Saga. They are like origin stories for different characters or events.

The first of these was Rogue One in 2016. It tells how the rebels stole the plans for the Death Star. This superweapon belonged to the Galactic Empire, and the story happens just before the very first Star Wars movie.

A second film, Solo, came out in 2018. It tells the early life story of Han Solo, a popular character from the original trilogy. The TV series Obi-Wan Kenobi was first planned as a movie. However, it became a TV series after Solo didn't do as well at the box office.

Future Star Wars Films

Film	U.S. release date	Directed by	Screenplay by	Story by	Produced by	Status	Refs.
Untitled New Jedi Order film	TBA	Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy	Steven Knight		Kathleen Kennedy	In development
Untitled Dawn of the Jedi film		James Mangold
Untitled New Republic film		Dave Filoni

In April 2023, three new Star Wars films were announced. They will be set in different times of the Star Wars story.

• One film, directed by James Mangold, will be about the "dawn of the Jedi." This means it will show how the Jedi first started.
• Dave Filoni will direct a film set between the original and sequel trilogies. This movie will bring together stories from the live-action TV shows like The Mandalorian.
• Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will direct a third film about a new Jedi Order. This story will happen fifteen years after the sequel trilogy.

Star Wars on TV

Live-Action TV Shows

The Star Wars universe has several live-action TV shows. The first one, The Mandalorian, came out in 2019 on Disney+. It takes place between the original and sequel trilogies. Because it was so popular, other shows were made in the same time period:

• The Book of Boba Fett (2021)
• Ahsoka (2023)
• The upcoming Skeleton Crew

These shows follow the New Republic and its friends as they fight against what's left of the fallen Galactic Empire.

A story about Obi-Wan Kenobi was first planned as a movie. But after Solo didn't do well, it became a live-action series. This show came out on Disney+ in 2022. It is set between the prequel and original trilogy films. Another show, Andor, also came out in 2022. Both shows follow their main characters during the time when the Empire ruled.

Animated TV Shows

The first two animated Star Wars shows, Droids and Ewoks, were made in the 1980s. Later came the Clone Wars micro-series in 2003 and a longer series with the same name in 2008.

After Disney bought Lucasfilm, most animated shows made before 2014 were no longer considered part of the main story. New animated shows include:

• Rebels (2014)
• Resistance (2018)
• The Bad Batch (2021)

There have also been several short animated series released by Lucasfilm.

TV Films and Specials

Film	U.S. release date	Directed by	Teleplay by	Story by	Produced by	Network
Star Wars Holiday Special	November 17, 1978 (1978-11-17)	Steve Binder	Pat Proft, Leonard Ripps, Bruce Vilanch, Rod Warren, and Mitzie Welch		Joe Layton, Jeff Starsh, Ken Welch, and Mitzie Welch	CBS
The Ewok Adventure	November 25, 1984 (1984-11-25)	John Korty	Bob Carrau	George Lucas	Thomas G. Smith and Patricia Rose Duignan	ABC
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor	November 24, 1985 (1985-11-24)	Jim Wheat and Ken Wheat			Thomas G. Smith and Ian Bryce

Star Wars Timeline

The Star Wars story takes place across many different time periods. Three of these periods are centered around the film trilogies. Here are the main eras of the Star Wars story:

• Dawn of the Jedi: This is when the first Jedi used the Force. An upcoming movie will show this time.
• The Old Republic: The Galactic Republic was founded, and the Jedi Order began to protect it. A split within the Jedi led to the creation of the Sith.
• The High Republic: The Republic and the Jedi Order were at their strongest during this "golden age." This era includes books and the animated show Young Jedi Adventures.
• Fall of the Jedi: The Republic's leader, Palpatine (who was secretly the Sith lord Darth Sidious), started the Clone Wars. He then took over the Republic, almost wiped out the Jedi, and turned Anakin Skywalker to the dark side. This era includes the prequel trilogy films and animated shows like Tales of the Jedi and The Clone Wars.
• Reign of the Empire: Palpatine's Galactic Empire ruled the galaxy, and the remaining Jedi were hunted. This era includes Solo: A Star Wars Story, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Rogue One, and animated shows like The Bad Batch and Rebels.
• 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.
• The New Republic: After the Empire was defeated, the new New Republic tried to unite the galaxy. But parts of the Empire still threatened them. This era includes The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka.
• Rise of the First Order: What was left of the Empire became the First Order. They fought against the Resistance. This ended with the defeat of Palpatine and the Sith by the Jedi Rey. This era includes the sequel trilogy films and the animated series Star Wars Resistance.
• New Jedi Order: Rey builds a new Jedi Order. An upcoming movie will show this.

Before 2014, many spin-off stories (books, comics, games) were called the "Expanded Universe." In 2014, Disney decided these stories were no longer part of the main Star Wars story. They were rebranded as Legends. This was done so new movies and shows could have fresh stories.

Other Star Wars Stories

From 1976 to 2014, the "Expanded Universe" (EU) was a term for all official Star Wars stories outside the movies. This included novels, comics, and video games. In 2014, Lucasfilm announced that all EU works would stop being made. Existing works would no longer be considered official canon. They were rebranded as Star Wars Legends. This allowed for new stories to be created that fit with the main movies and TV shows.

Books and Comics

Star Wars stories in print started even before the first movie. The novelization of Star Wars came out in November 1976. The first original "Expanded Universe" story appeared in a Marvel Comics comic book in January 1978.

Star Wars Novels

After the first movie's book, more novels were written. These included books for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. There were also trilogies about Han Solo and Lando Calrissian.

Timothy Zahn's very popular Thrawn trilogy (1991–1993) made many people excited about Star Wars again. These books introduced new characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn. In these stories, Luke, Leia, and Han fight against the smart military leader Thrawn, who wants to bring back the Empire.

Later, the The New Jedi Order series (1999–2003) was published. This series had 19 books written by many authors. It was set 25 to 30 years after the original films. It introduced a powerful alien race called the Yuuzhan Vong, who tried to take over the galaxy.

For younger readers, Scholastic published three series set during the prequel era:

• Jedi Apprentice (1999–2002): Follows Obi-Wan Kenobi and his master Qui-Gon Jinn before The Phantom Menace.
• Jedi Quest (2001–2004): Follows Obi-Wan and his student, Anakin Skywalker, between the first two prequel films.
• The Last of the Jedi (2005–2008): Set right after Revenge of the Sith, it features Obi-Wan and the last few Jedi.

Even though Thrawn was considered a Legends character in 2014, he was brought back into the main Star Wars story in 2016 for the Rebels animated series. Timothy Zahn then wrote new novels about him that are part of the current story.

Star Wars Comics

Marvel Comics published a Star Wars comic book series from 1977 to 1986. These comics were very popular and helped Marvel financially.

In the late 1980s, Dark Horse Comics started publishing Star Wars comics. Their popular Dark Empire series (1991–1995) was a big hit. Dark Horse then launched many other series set after the original film trilogy.

In 2015, the Star Wars comic book license returned to Marvel Comics. Marvel released new series like Star Wars, Darth Vader, and Princess Leia.

In 2020, a new publishing project called Star Wars: The High Republic was announced. This project explores a new era set 200 years before the Skywalker Saga. It includes many new books and comics.

Star Wars Audio Stories

Music and Soundtracks

John Williams composed the music for all nine main Star Wars films. He also created Han Solo's theme for Solo: A Star Wars Story. John Powell and Michael Giacchino also composed music for other Star Wars films. Ludwig Göransson scored the music for The Mandalorian TV series.

Radio Dramas

Radio adaptations of the films were also made. George Lucas gave the rights to a radio station for only US$1. The radio shows used John Williams's original music and Ben Burtt's sound effects.

The first radio show, based on the 1977 film, was broadcast in 1981. Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) played their characters again. This show was very successful. A 10-episode adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back came out in 1983. Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian) also joined the cast.

Star Wars Video Games

The Star Wars story has been turned into over a hundred computer, video, and board games. Some games follow the movies, while others tell new stories.

Early Games (1979–1993)

The first official Star Wars electronic game was a table-top game in 1979. In 1982, the first Star Wars video game for the Atari 2600 was released. This was followed by Star Wars: Jedi Arena, the first game to show lightsaber fights.

In 1983, Atari released an arcade game called Star Wars. It used special graphics to recreate the Death Star trench run scene from the movie. Later games included Return of the Jedi (1984) and The Empire Strikes Back (1985).

Platform games were made for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. These included Super Star Wars (1992) and its sequels.

LucasArts Games (1993–2014)

Lucasfilm started its own video game company, LucasArts, in 1982. This company became known for adventure games and flight combat games. As George Lucas became more interested in video games, he wanted more control over them.

Better graphics allowed games to tell more complex stories. In 1993, LucasArts released Star Wars: X-Wing. This was the first Star Wars game made by LucasArts itself. It was a space flight simulator and became a bestseller. The Rogue Squadron series (1998–2003) also focused on space battles.

Dark Forces (1995) was the first Star Wars first-person shooter game. It was very popular and had four sequels. These games introduced Kyle Katarn, a former stormtrooper who joins the Rebellion and becomes a Jedi. A huge online role-playing game, Star Wars Galaxies, was active from 2003 to 2011.

EA Star Wars Games (2014–Present)

After Disney bought Star Wars, they gave the video game rights to Electronic Arts. Games made during this time are considered part of the main story.

The Battlefront games were restarted with Star Wars: Battlefront in 2015, followed by Battlefront II in 2017. A single-player adventure game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, with a new story and characters, was released in 2019. A space combat game called Star Wars: Squadrons came out in 2020.

Theme Park Rides

There are many Star Wars attractions at Disney parks. These include the ride Star Tours (1987) and its updated version, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (2011). There have also been live shows and exhibitions.

A huge Star Wars themed area called Galaxy's Edge opened at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in 2019. There was also a themed hotel, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, at Walt Disney World from 2022 to 2023.

Star Wars Merchandise

Star Wars is one of the most merchandised story series in the world. When filming the first movie, George Lucas took less money as director. In return, he got full ownership of the rights to sell toys and other products. This decision made him very rich! By 2012, the first six films had made about US$20 billion from merchandise.

Kenner made the first Star Wars action figures when the original movie came out. Today, these original figures are very valuable. Since the 1990s, Hasbro has made the action figures.

Star Wars was the first story to be licensed for Lego toys. Lego has made animated short films and mini-series to promote their Star Wars sets. The Lego Star Wars video games are also very popular.

Many Star Wars board games have been released, including Star Wars Monopoly and themed versions of Trivial Pursuit and Battleship. Risk has also been adapted into Star Wars versions. There have been three Star Wars tabletop role-playing games.

Star Wars Trading Cards have been published since 1977. Many series have been made, often showing movie scenes or original art. Some rare cards are very valuable to collectors.

Main Ideas in Star Wars

Star Wars includes ideas like knighthood, chivalry, and classic story patterns like the "shadow" character.

There are also many references to Christianity. For example, Darth Maul's look is similar to traditional images of the devil. Anakin was born without a father and is thought to be the "Chosen One", a special person who will bring balance. However, unlike Jesus, Anakin turns to evil as Darth Vader until Return of the Jedi. George Lucas has said that a main idea of the story is redemption, which means being saved or forgiven.

The story also uses the idea of the hero's journey. This is a common pattern in myths where a hero goes on an adventure, faces challenges, and returns changed. Characters like Anakin, Luke, and Rey all follow parts of this journey. A key part of the journey is "Atonement with the Father," where the hero deals with their father figure. Luke finding out Vader is his father is a huge plot twist in the movies.

Cultural Influence

The Star Wars story has had a huge impact on popular culture. Phrases like "evil empire" and "May the Force be with you" are now common sayings. The first Star Wars film in 1977 brought many people together. It also helped make science-fiction films a very popular movie type.

Because it was so widely known, Star Wars became a target for funny parody works. Popular examples include Spaceballs and The Family Guy Trilogy.

In 1989, the Library of Congress chose the original Star Wars film to be saved in the U.S. National Film Registry. This means it was seen as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The Empire Strikes Back was chosen in 2010, and Return of the Jedi in 2021.

Impact on the Film Industry

The original Star Wars film was a massive success for 20th Century Fox. It helped the company go from almost bankrupt to very successful. The franchise has earned over $10.3 billion worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing film franchises ever.

Star Wars changed how Hollywood movies were made. It shifted the focus from deep, serious stories to big movies full of special effects. Before Star Wars, special effects hadn't changed much since the 1950s. Its success led to a boom in advanced special effects in the late 1970s.

Along with Jaws, Star Wars started the tradition of the summer blockbuster film. These are movies that open on many screens at once and are part of profitable franchises. It also showed that selling merchandise could make more money than the film itself.

Film critic Roger Ebert said that Star Wars was a "technical watershed." This means it was a turning point that influenced many movies that came after it. It started a new generation of special effects and exciting films. It was one of the first movies to combine different genres to create a new, big-idea genre.

Some critics have said that Star Wars and Jaws "ruined" Hollywood. They argue that these films made Hollywood focus on spectacle and simple fantasy instead of more complex films. However, others say that these movies brought cinema back to its roots as a fun, magical show.

The original Star Wars trilogy is considered one of the best film trilogies ever. Many filmmakers have been influenced by Star Wars, including Damon Lindelof, John Lasseter, Joss Whedon, and later Star Wars directors J. J. Abrams and Gareth Edwards. George Lucas's idea of a "used universe" (where things look worn and lived-in) especially influenced films like Blade Runner (1982) and Alien (1979).

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, in Western Australia, elementary school students improved their storytelling skills by role-playing scenes from the movies. They also made props and used audio/visual effects.

Other teachers have used the films to help older students learn about technology in science class by making model lightsabers. Doctors have also used the films in university classes to explain different types of mental health conditions.

Images for kids

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  The aerial warfare of WWII inspired the space fights.

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  The flag and symbols of the Empire look similar to those of Nazi Germany.

See also

In Spanish: Star Wars para niños