Star Wars may take place in a galaxy far, far away, but that has never stopped real world political similarities from being drawn, and a quote from George Lucas in 2005 shows that he wanted audiences to make them. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith was released that year, which was also in the middle of the War on Terror. 9/11 was the reason for the war, which included fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. President George W. Bush was facing extreme criticism for the war, and Lucas added his voice to the criticism with his movies.
As shared by jere7my, an article from 2005 shows that American conservatives quickly realized the similarities between Anakin Skywalker and Bush, which Lucas confirmed was intended.
Lucas took issue specifically with the Iraq War, which earned him a spot on a conservative boycott list. Movies throughout the Star Wars timeline made political statements, and many moments in Revenge of the Sith make clear references to Bush and the political climate of the time. One scene was pointed out in the post, when Anakin explained his black and white worldview, which directly mirrored Bush’s rhetoric following 9/11. Star Wars has a history of drawing inspiration from real historical events, some more recent than others.
How To Watch Star Wars Movies In Order
Here is how to watch all Star Wars movies and TV shows chronologically and in order of release, and how each fits into the Star Wars timeline.
George Lucas’ Movies Have Always Been Political
In one of the quotes, Lucas explained that even the original Star Wars trilogy was influenced by American politics and the Vietnam War, and that he took a similar approach to the War on Terror. Politics have always played a part in Star Wars, and Lucas’s political leanings have tended to be left-wing, including anti-war sentiments and critiques of American imperialism. These views were featured prominently in all the Star Wars movies Lucas created. His depiction of the problems with the Galactic Senate allowing the Empire to rise, the characterization of the Empire as a totalitarian regime, and the Battle of Endor being won by a local population fighting with guerrilla tactics are just some examples of his views.
Lucas Never Minded The “Political” Complaint
When viewers complained that Lucas’s Star Wars movies were too politicized, he responded by joking that he hoped people would see the political situations he was describing. He never took the complaints to heart because he was actively trying to inject politics into his movies, and he knew that would anger some viewers. Another source in the post noted that Lucas could have easily quashed the accusations of Star Wars containing political messaging, but he instead opted to confirm them outright. This shows that Lucas wanted the franchise to be political and say something meaningful about the real world.
Lucas was very open about the fact that his movies were meant to be a critique of the real world told through the lens of science fiction. He saw injustices in the world and decided to fight them the way he knew best: through his movies. By putting his allegories into a fantastical galaxy that had no connection to the real world, he could show viewers the political issues he wanted to address without the preconceived notions they might bring to channels such as news. To Lucas, calling his films political was not an insult or accusation, it was just a statement of fact.
Star Wars has been a series of movies with many political messages to share since its inception, a fact evidenced by Lucas’s own words. From the Vietnam War to the War on Terror, Lucas used his platform as a moviemaker to speak out about the political topics that mattered to him. The messages he included in his movies often earned backlash from viewers with opposing political ideals, but Lucas didn’t care. Star Wars is an inherently political franchise because Lucas always intended for it to make political statements.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
- Created by
- George Lucas
- First Film
- Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
- Cast
- Mark Hamill , James Earl Jones , David Prowse , Carrie Fisher , Harrison Ford , Daisy Ridley , Adam Driver , Ian McDiarmid , Ewan McGregor , Rosario Dawson , Lars Mikkelsen , Rupert Friend , Moses Ingram , Frank Oz , Pedro Pascal
- TV Show(s)
- The Mandalorian , Andor , Obi-Wan Kenobi , The Book of Boba Fett , Ahsoka , The Acolyte , Star Wars: Skeleton Crew , Lando , Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Star Wars Rebels , Star Wars: The Bad Batch , Star Wars: Resistance , Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures , Star Wars: Visions
- Character(s)
- Luke Skywalker , Darth Vader , Princess Leia Organa , Han Solo , Rey Skywalker , Kylo Ren , Emperor Palpatine , Obi-Wan Kenobi , Ahsoka Tano , Grand Admiral Thrawn , Grand Inquisitor , Reva (The Third Sister) , The Fifth Brother , The Seventh Sister , The Eighth Brother , Yoda , Din Djarin , Grogu
- Video Game(s)
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic , Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords , Star Wars: Battlefront , Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2017) , Star Wars: The Force Unleashed , Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 , Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order , Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
