Since bursting onto the scene in 1978, Star Wars has become a sci-fi plateau, reviving classic sci-fi concepts from the works of Flash gordon and other pulp / space opera works. Yet another genre that largely inspired George Lucas’s famous saga is the western, as it was also a popular form of film and media in its day and remains an inspiring factor in Star Wars it works today.
From the rolling dusty lanes to the afterlife, Star Wars has managed to fuse a wide variety of tracks into something new that remains timeless nearly fifty years after its initial release.
10 Western: a cruel and unforgiving environment
Many westerns use the vast, open and desolate environment of the Wild West as a metaphor for the cruel and unforgiving nature of the world, and Star Wars is no different. From the oppressive rule of the empire to the dog-eating dog world of the outer rim where Luke and Anakin come from, every moment feels like a fight for survival.
Luke’s home planet of Tatooine is a vast, empty desert world with few resources and a massive mobster presence as the Hutt clans rule the planet like kings.
9 Science fiction: the universe is huge
The Star Wars The universe is sometimes too big to understand. Featuring dozens, if not hundreds, of alien races, planets, weapons, and ships spanning from the original. Legends timeline to the latest canon timeline, Star Wars presents a truly endless galaxy of ideas that allows for any type of story a writer wants.
With a history spanning thousands of years with so many memorable characters, stories and societies that spans much more than the civil war between the rebels and the empire, the Star Wars the setting alone makes it the very definition of science fiction.
8 Western: it’s a typical revenge story
A classic tale for westerns is a tale of revenge: a gunman wandering the badlands looking for the person or people who killed his family. Luke’s motivation to join Ben Kenobi’s quest to become a Jedi is solidified when he sees that the Empire’s stormtroopers have set his family’s farm on fire and killed his adoptive parents.
Although Luke’s motivations for fighting the rebellion change as the saga progresses, his initial reason for fighting is to avenge the death of his family and track down his killers.
7 Science fiction: their society goes far beyond ours
The Star Wars The universe is so far from ours that the planets seem small. Planets like Naboo’s Episode 1 they are reduced to the city of Theed and the Gungan civilization. Faster-than-light travel is available not only for ships like the Star Destroyers, but also for smaller ships like the Millennium Falcon and even the X-wing fighter.
Society is so advanced that bullets are never fired in the entire saga; Instead, each weapon uses energy-based ammunition. The incredible amount of evolution Star Wars The setting is so advanced that they could only exist within a science fiction story.
6 Western: Han Solo is the definition of a gunman
Han Solo himself is clearly inspired by the classic gunslinger archetype. The cold smuggler with a heart of gold, who gradually aligns himself with the rebel’s cause, not for money, but to do the right thing.
His many underworld ties and criminal rewards make him the perfect type of lone ranger (minus Chewbacca) who does what he needs to survive. And Han’s backstory in the movie Only, as a nobody who fell into the smuggler’s life by being taken advantage of by the criminals around him, only reinforces this idea.
5 Science fiction: a variety of alien races
The large number of unique alien races around Star Wars that they have been perfectly integrated into society to the point that their appearances are not questioned is a large part of science fiction media. From Wookiees to Ithorians, everyone has a place within the known regions of space.
The number of different aliens present in the iconic canteen scene of A new hope it just shows how wide and varied the universe is, and how normalized the concept of space and alien travel has become over the course of Star Wars‘vast history.
4 Western: business is business, business
Markets primarily within the outer edge of the empire / republic mimic those in the old west. People prefer to trade goods than use credits, and scrap metal trading, slaves, and bounty hunting are viable means of earning a living.
The game is also very common on the outer edge. Anakin’s former master, Watto, makes a big bet on his Anakin property and some parts of the ship in a game of chance. And in the sequel trilogy, Rey makes a living pulling old scraps of scrap metal from a wrecked Imperial Star Destroyer on Jakku.
3 Science fiction: it’s a classic space opera
Star Wars is the definition of a space opera with its large-scale wars between cruel and oppressive empire and virtuous and hopeful rebellion in a completely idealized pulp sci-fi setting.
The daring adventures of Luke, Leia and Han reflect the kind of stories of the classic Space Opera, the many worlds and galaxies that infiltrate huge enemy space stations and defend the rebel outposts in encounters where the odds are always in favor of the enemy. empire. The Skywalkers family drama that erupts in the saga shapes the flow of civil war.
two Western: The Mandalorian is a series of western tributes
The mandalorian The television series is a tribute to classic westerns through the eyes of the Star Wars setting. Din Djarin, the Mandalorian, follows the classic “lone wolf finds a cub” trope where a dark and jaded gunman / vagabond finds an abandoned child and forms a paternal bond with him, leading to the evolution and eventual redemption of his character throughout the course. of history.
The repeated use of the series of desert planets like Tatooine, bar / tavern settings, gunfights, and characters that have been marked by the world around them only helps to reinforce this point.
1 Science fiction: Star Wars is eternally timeless
If someone saw for the first time Star Wars In theaters in 1978 or did not discover the franchise until recently, the themes, stories and characters remain timeless. Complete detachment from our world and location in the realm of science fiction allows Star Wars never to be dated by the times.
A western or adventure story set in a more realistic time, such as the late 1970s or 1980s, would be completely outdated by today’s standards. However, since Star Wars refusing to be realistic and instead prioritizing fun and adventure, it can remain timeless and appeal to viewers of any generation.
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