Star Wars

Star Wars

Star Wars is an American epic space-opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various films and other media, including television series, video games, novels, comic books, theme park attractions, and themed areas, comprising an all-encompassing fictional universe.[b] The franchise holds a Guinness World Records title for the "Most successful film merchandising franchise".[2] In 2020, the total value of the Star Wars franchise was estimated at US$70 billion, and it is currently the fifth-highest-grossing media franchise of all time.

The original film, retroactively subtitled Episode IV: A New Hope, was followed by the sequels Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), forming the original Star Wars trilogy. A prequel trilogy was later released, consisting of 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 production company to Disney, relinquishing his ownership of the franchise. The subsequently produced sequel trilogy consists of Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), and Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Together, the three trilogies form what has been referred to as the "Skywalker saga". All nine films were nominated for Academy Awards (with wins going to the first two released) and were commercially successful. Together with the theatrical spin-off films Rogue One (2016) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), the combined box office revenue of the films equates to over US$10 billion,[3] and it is currently the second-highest-grossing film franchise.

The Star Wars franchise depicts the adventures of characters "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away",[5] in which humans and many species of aliens (often humanoid) co-exist with robots, or 'droids', who may assist them in their daily routines; space travel between planets is common due to hyperspace technology,[6][7][8] and spacecraft range from airplane-like starfighters, such as the tiny TIE fighters, to huge capital ships, such as the "terrifyingly large" Star Destroyers, and gargantuan space stations, most notably the moon-sized Death Stars.

A mystical power known as 'the Force' is described in the original film as "an energy field created by all living things ... [that] binds the galaxy together."[9] Through training and meditation, those whom "the Force is strong with" are able to perform various superpowers (such as telekinesis, precognition, telepathy, and manipulation of physical energy).[10] The Force is wielded by two major knighthood orders at conflict with each other: the Jedi, peacekeepers of the Republic who act on the light side of the Force through non-attachment and arbitration, and the Sith, ancient enemies of the galactic democracy, who use the dark side by manipulating fear and aggression. While Jedi Knights can be numerous, the Dark Lords of the Sith (or 'Darths') are intended to be limited to two: a master and their apprentice.[11]

Force-wielders are very limited in numbers in comparison to the rest of the average population. The Jedi and Sith prefer the use of a weapon called a lightsaber, which is the cylinder-like hilt of a sword (when turned off), but when turned on ignites a blade of energy that can cut through virtually any surface. Battles between the two factions result in duels, which are a mix between sword skills and the use of the Force. The rest of the average population, as well as renegades and soldiers, use laser-powered blaster firearms, the deadly beams of which Force users can deflect using lightsabers.

In the outer reaches of the galaxy, crime syndicates such as the Hutt cartel are extremely developed, with Western-style bounty hunters often employed by both gangsters and governments.

Fictional timeline

The Star Wars canon fictional universe spans multiple eras, including three focused around each of the film trilogies:[12]

The Age of Republic: The era of the prequel trilogy,[c] in which the democratic Galactic Republic is corrupted by its ruler, Palpatine—secretly the Sith lord Darth Sidious. After orchestrating the Clone Wars between the Republic and a Separatist confederation, Palpatine overthrows the Republic and establishes the Galactic Empire.[14][15]

The Age of Rebellion: The era of the original trilogy,[d] in which the Empire, having become a totalitarian dictatorship, is fought by the Rebel Alliance in a Galactic Civil War that spans several years, climaxing with the death of the Emperor.[17]

The Age of Resistance: The era of the sequel trilogy,[e] in which the remnants of the Empire reform as the First Order.[19] Heroes of the former Rebellion, aided by the New Republic, lead the Resistance against the oppressive regime and its rulers, the mysterious being known as Snoke and his puppet master, the revived Palpatine.[20]

The non-canonical Expanded Universe depicts a different continuity which was rebranded Legends prior to the release of the sequel trilogy.[1]