The Star Wars franchise is one of the biggest media franchises in entertainment history and chronicles adventures in an alternate universe where magic, science, and adventure feature prominently in everyone’s life. With over $9 billion generated from box office sales of all films, Star Wars ranks as the second highest-grossing film franchise of all time, just after the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It’s not uncommon for franchises to be identified by franchise phrases or phrases that are shared by fans regardless of race, age, or location. The opening line of the first film is “A galaxy long ago, far, far away…” and it’s featured in all eleven films in the franchise. This is one of the most recognizable lines of this franchise. But this phrase is not the most popular phrase to come out of the Star Wars world. On May 4, 2019, when fans of the Star Wars franchise celebrated their love for the films, the phrase “May the Force be with you” was repeated around the world, with fans taking to social media to celebrate the franchise. .
The biggest parts of the Star Wars world are the eleven films that chronicle the adventures of the characters. The franchise is made up of all of the Star Wars movies, video games, TV series, novels, and comics, but the bulk of the franchise’s events take place in the movies. To learn more about this franchise, keep reading.
Episodes and timeline
The story of Star Wars is headed by the genius of Lucas Lucas who had the desire to adapt a science fiction series, but he was unable to do so. This led to the creation of Star Wars and on May 25, 1977, the first Star Wars movie was released. In 1973, when Lucas wrote the first screenplay, he had intended the film to be a trilogy of trilogies, making a total of nine films, but after those nine films were completed, the screenplay saw an expansion leading to more sequels.
The first film in the first trilogy was titled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. In this first film, there is an ongoing civil war between the Galactic Empire and the Alliance for the Restoration of the Republic. The Alliance, also known as The Rebellion, advocates for a democratically-run government, while the Galactic Empire, with whom the power resides, wants to run an autocratic government. This civil war sets the political and general tone for the entire franchise.
It is in Episode VI that we are introduced to the concept of “Force”, the Jedi and the Sith. Jedi are proficient in many fields, including magic, and are trained in combat. They are able to display magical prowess by harnessing the positive power of the Force. In this first film, the rebellion led by Princess Leia destroys the Galactic Empire’s Death Star, a super weapon used for the destruction of planets. This film is the foundation upon which the Star Wars franchise was built. It has been remade several times, with slight changes to dialogue, action sequences, and special effects. Her success paved the way for the next two films in the first trilogy.
The second film in the first trilogy is Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. The film’s time frame is three years after the events of the first film and we see that the rebels have regrouped on the planet Hoth, where they plan to defeat the empire once and for all. On the other hand, the empire led by Darth Vader sends probes into the galaxy to determine where the Rebellion operates. Reaction to the film was mixed. Some critics criticized it, but over time the general sentiment towards the film evolved and it is currently considered the greatest film in the franchise.
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is the third movie and it is a continuation of the actions in the Star Wars Episode V. In this movie, the Rebels are able to defeat the Empire with the help of Darth Vader, who performs a turnaround for the better and adopts the role of Jedi. Return of the Jedi is full of revelations for different characters and it is remembered for redeeming most of its characters and winning The Rebellion.
The next three films were shot in 1999, 2002 and 2005 respectively but the story predates the events of the first trilogy. Accordingly, they were titled Episode I, Episode II, and Episode III. The first in the trilogy, The Phantom Menace chronicles the genesis of Anakin Skywalker. In this film, a more peaceful atmosphere is presented to us, as the autocratic emperors had not yet taken control and the Sith Lords, who operate with the Force on a darker plane, had not yet fully taken control of the government.
Attack of the Clones is the second film in the prequel trilogy and of all films in the franchise had the least positive reviews, with most critics having mixed opinions about the events that unfolded in the film. Revenge of the Sith shows the beginning of the political conflict that triggers the actions of the first trilogy. Anakin Skywalker betrays the Jedi and embraces Sith behavior in order to save his wife from death by childbirth. Although his plans fail, he manages to bring Chancellor Palpatine, who is a Sith Lord, to power.
In 2015, storylines picked up where they left off in 1983 with Star Wars Episode VIII: The Force Awakens. Luke Skywalker is being searched for as the Democratic New Republic government struggles to regain power from the First Order. It was the first film to earn $1 billion and the first after Disney purchased the rights to the film. The Last Jedi was as successful as the first movie in the trilogy and all of those two movies are responsible for making Star Wars the billion dollar franchise it is today. The standalone movies that bring the total number of Star Wars movies to ten are: Rogue One and Solo.
Popular Star Wars characters and actors
For over four decades, this franchise has been around, and there have been different characters that have taken center stage in the happenings of the film and different actors as well. Here are the characters from the franchise along with the people who played them.
dark Vador
Darth Vader / Anakin Skywalker was played by David Prowse, Sebastien Shaw, Hayden Christensen, Jake Lloyd and James Earl Jones. This character is easily considered one of the greatest villains in movie history.
luke skywalker
In what is considered one of his most iconic roles, Mark Hamill plays Luke Skywalker, the main protagonist of the original trilogy. He is essential to the Rebel Alliance’s fight against the Galactic Empire.
Princess Leia
Carrie Fisher plays Princess Leia who is Luke Skywalker’s twin sister. She is a formidable and iconic character who is best known as the princess of the planet Alderaan and a formidable agent of the Rebel Alliance.
Han Solo
Harrison Ford plays Han Solo, Leia’s love interest. Han Solo is a pilot from the planet Corellia and the captain of the Millennium Falcon. Han and Leia eventually have a child, Kylo Ren aka Ben Solo.
Kylo Ren
Kylo Ren is Han and Leia’s son who gives into the darkness of the Force, is played by Adam Driver. He becomes a leader of the First Order and a Master of the Knights of Ren.
Obi Wan Kenobi
The Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi is played by AlecGuinness with Ewan McGregor. He is a mentor and friend to Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker. Alec Guinness plays the character in the first trilogy, while Ewan McGregor plays the character in the second trilogy.
yoda
Yoda, another Jedi master is voiced by Frank Oz and Tom Kane. He also trains Luke Skywalker. he is also one of the most powerful members of the Jedi Order. He was also the oldest character in Star Wars before the introduction of Maz Kanata in The Force Awakens
Ray
In recent films, actress Daisy Ridley plays Rey, an orphan strong with The Force and battling with The Rebellion. She was a scavenger before becoming involved in the Resistance’s conflict with the First Order.
Finnish
John Boyega plays Finn, a former Stormtrooper who has decided to join the Rebellion. after witnessing their cruelty during his first combat mission. Finn is one of the main characters in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron who would be the best pilot in the rebellion is played by Oscar Isaac. He is a Resistance X-Wing fighter pilot, who trains Finn and Rey in the fight against the First Order.
Padme Amidala
Luke and Leia’s mother, Padmé Amidala is played by Natalie Portman and she appears in the Prequel Trilogy. She serves as Princess of Theed and later Queen of Naboo. She would later become a senator in the Galactic Senate and co-founder of Rebel Alliance.
chewbacca
Chewbacca is a Wookiee who is a loyal friend of Hans Solo and co-pilot of the Millenium Falcon. He is portrayed by Peter Mayhew in the first series of films and in more recent films by Joonas Suotamo.
Other well-known characters from the franchise include the Sith Lords vying for autocracy, including Darth Sidious, Darth Maul, and Count Dooku. Dooku was played by Christopher Lee, Darth Maul was played by Ray Park and Peter Serafinowicz while Sidious was played by Ian McDiarmid, Clive Revill and Marjorie Eaton.
Droids such as R2-P2, BB-8, and C-3PO are also an integral part of the cast and are voiced by a number of actors.
News and Updates
The next Star Wars movie, Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker is scheduled to be released on December 20, 2019. But this is not the end of the saga promised by George Lucas. Disney, which now owns the rights to the films, has decided to create more trilogies and has announced the speculative dates for the films in the first trilogy. The three films will be released in the month of December in the years 2022, 2024 and 2026.
Star Wars Battlefront II game is one of the many games based on the movies. He will soon post an update featuring scenes from the film. Attack of the clones.