That lightsaber belongs to me!: Star Wars the Gender Swap

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away… the very words that began one of the world’s most recognized and well-established franchises. Star Wars, a beloved series that continues to have an ever growing fan base. However, when one considers the fan base of the film series, it is easy to associate its image with that of a male figure. During the original trilogy fans had Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader and Princess Leia.

In the prequels there was Anakin, Mace Windu, Count Dooku, Yoda, and Padame. Noticing a trend here? All of these characters to some degree fulfill the role of the archetypal male hero with a female companion, which is something the audience is accustomed to seeing, though naturally they are not all the same. Why is that? Perhaps that is the question viewers should ask themselves when watching anything from the Star Wars series.

It is no surprise that Star Wars is a series loved by many throughout the world, as it offers a sense of science fiction and epic take on fantasy. However, it has been recognized to have a bit of a gender problem or suffer from what is known as the “Smurfette Effect”. Much like its counterparts in Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter, which offers multiple male-led roles, accompanied by one or two other female roles.

In the original trilogy – episodes four through six – the three main characters that stuck out were recognized as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamil), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). However, the role that stood out the most was that of Princess Leia, known as the leader of the rebel alliance, and iconic figure who had the courage and potential to dismantle the operations of those who sought to destroy everything she stood for.

She even was presented the opportunity to save such male roles and remained as the only empowered female character throughout all three original films. However, this was all viewed as a secondary thought as the roles played by men were seen as the primary entity to the series, but this still was seen as a major breakthrough for females in film. Around the time the series was released the role and idea for a strong female lead character to exist was revolutionary and had a major impact on the way viewers and directors looked at films and the way female roles were handled.

This of course would set the path for future films to be released. We would see this once again when the prequel films were released – episodes one through 3 – as characters such as Padme Amidalla, Keira Knightley, and other female Jedi roles came to light. Once again these characters were portrayed to be women of power and viewed as a great importance to the public. However, once again these features were viewed as a second thought and taken behind the roles of men and their importance to the series.

Making it no surprise that the target demographic for the series was predominantly male-oriented. Despite this, Star Wars has an audience of female fans equal to those of their male counterparts and with such a large number of female fans. You would think that the universe would have more populated with roles of woman shining beyond or sharing the roles of men. Sadly, this was not the case and women presented were often shown to fall short of being any type of role model-like figure.

It was seen as though if boys were to watch Star Wars films, they can idolize or plays as Obi-Wan or Anakin, characters who were portrayed to be cunning, brave, and would face danger head on. Girls on the other hand, were they supposed to support being submissive, and in need of a hero like that of Leia and Padme? Was this the trend that all of the series films would fall victim to? Women depending on men to shape and care for their futures? These types of questions remained unanswered for the longest time, until recent years when the Star Wars franchise announced it would return to the big screen in 2015 under the name “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.

However, this would not be a “per usual” Star Wars film dominated by white male men and their secondary female counterparts. No, this film sought to abolish all of the stale characteristics the series had become known for, and decided to give the series a twist no one could have seen coming. As the film itself was presented with the idea of having the franchise’s first female lead role, first female villain role, first African American lead, and include more minor female characters in unexpected areas.

The film was also set to have a wide This sent the world into a complete frenzy as it had a mixed reception from fans. Some found they loved and looked forward to the idea of a fresh take on the series and moving along with modern times. Fans could now be open to an entire new world, and see what could come from such a diverse cast of characters.

Others however, took this as an insult, and saw the series falling prey to the social justice warrior movements and being nothing more than mere propaganda that would harm the series. Causing multiple Men’s Right Activists to call for boycotts of the film, and multiple online protests, as several stated it was an attack on the hold men had throughout the series. In weeks leading to the release of the film, trailers and images taken for the film were tagged with “#BoycottStarWarsVII” and “#StarWarsaMensGalaxy”.

Despite the protests, and negative feedback from multiple activists and fans, the film generated $529 million its opening week. Stomping out the superstitions that this one film would ruin the image of Star Wars that was established. However, the biggest victory this film had, was with its characters and their roles in the film as director JJ Abrams made it clear that The Force Awakens was something that would change the Star Wars forever.

Many speculated that, despite the latest additions to the franchise would still be dominated by men, and have small hints of a woman being in power. However, when the film debuted many found the story’s main character, Rey, a mysterious character with a hidden backstory, was not only cunning and well-rounded. She was truly independent, did not rely on another character, find herself in the middle of a love scene, or eagerly waiting for a knight in shining armor to come save the day.

The closest she comes to something of that sort, is her companion Finn, who also made a splash being the franchise’s first African American lead role. However, it comes across as two friends looking after one another, it could even be recognized as a bond strictly forged by survival. However, this was not the only shocker of the film, as another twist to the plot of the story comes during the climax of the film. When Rey would even defeat, and overpower the films only white antagonist known as Kylo Ren in a lightsaber battle.

Some would say that it was one of the most horrific fight scenes on a Star Wars film to date, but not if you take a closer look as the fight itself has a hidden meaning. Analyzing the fight scene, Kylo toys with Rey and does not face as a real opponent. Taunting her, and showing his superior strength to push her to a weakened state but at the one point he offers her a chance to join him as an apprentice and teach her what she lacks as a Jedi.

This can be seen as a moment of man beating down the thought of a woman taking on such a role. Demonstrating that a woman such as Rey is not meant to be so strong. That she is not meant to stand as a warrior, or as someone who can stand their ground and can easily fall prey to the words of a man who appears to be stronger and offers a way out a difficult situation.

However, as Rey, struggles to hold off her opponent, she takes a moment to reflect on who she is, and why she is fighting. She then becomes focused and forges a stronger bond between herself and the force which allows her to become more powerful than Kylo could have ever become in such a short time. Rey, who has never fought with a lightsaber, never used the force in anyway, or faced an evil as strong as Kylo Ren emerges victorious.

Making an impression on the young man, and the audience that this female character is not one to be taken so lightly, that women can take on such a role, and be just as good of a Jedi warrior worthy of wielding a lightsaber in battle. This scene alone can be indicated as one of the most iconic, visually pleasing, and outspoken of all time, with the simple message it carries through its actions and depiction. Just one more thing for the world to fall in love with, and that it did.

Following the success of the film came the monstrous demand for the toys, and video game figures that the public would be open to collect and enjoy. The new line of Star Wars figures and video games included almost every single cast member and their costumes, all except one major piece. Rey herself, was not found to be included in any of the merchandise produced by toy distributor Hasbro, except for one. One that was part of a “Speeder Bundle”, a pre-sale toy bundle before the film was released.

However, this one toy absolutely robs Rey of any gender as she is fully masked and clothed. One would not even notice it was a female character in the form of a toy. This of course drove a massive callout from fans and gender activists, both raising the question as to why? Why was this important female character being left out when so many were calling for her to appear?

The answer came from an inside report from Hasbro that stated toymakers were specifically directed to exclude Rey from their products because “Star Wars toys were geared toward boys and boys don’t like playing with female action figures. No boy wants to be given a product with a female character on it.” Which brought both Hasbro and Disney to come forward and made a thin excuse saying their intentions were “mistaken, as they did not wish to reveal or spoil anything for anyone who had not seen the movie.”

It was also found that both Disney and Hasbro invested heavily in the white antagonist male character Kylo Ren as many executives expected his role to be the breakout role of the century. Returning old world views of woman not being able to have as strong of a hold in the entertainment industry as men and bringing forth the question of whether or not this trend would continue with the later series of episodes the Star Wars franchise planned to release in years to come.

Although the answer may not be fully known, it is clear that creators and directors under with the Star Wars brand are working toward undoing the damage set forth by past films for their portrayal of women. With the latest installments of Star Wars: The Clone Wars Animated, Rogue One, and The Last Jedi – all featuring more independent and empowered female characters, the franchise is on the right path but still has a large road ahead till many see women equal to men.

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Monomyth Cycle in Star Wars

The once there was a galaxy far far away where one man had to learn about becoming a hero and finding himself through his journey. You may know of this story because there was a clue in the first sentence. Yes, this is the story of Luke Skywalker and his journey to become a Jedi knight. However, you may not realize that during the filming of Star Wars IV, the director worked very closely with Joseph Campbell. What is a mythologist doing on the set of one of the greatest science fiction of all time? Well Luke experiences what Campbell calls the Monomyth Cycle, during the movie.

While Luke followed this path there were some relevant parts of the cycle that defined him the most. When he crosses the threshold into his 2nd world, Luke finds himself lost in a new world. During his road of trials, Luke finds his purpose through the tasks he must perform. Lastly, Luke’s efforts to join the Dark side are being planned to ruin the universe’s hopes of freedom. Crossing the threshold is when the hero first crosses into the second world, which is unknown to him. Luke is seen here as a man who left his friends in hopes of completing his mission to become a Jedi knight.

He leaves the ice planet of Hoth and leaves for Degoba where he is to meet the great Jedi master Yoda and learn from him. This step according the Campbell is to be very rocky transition into the hero’s new world. And likewise, Luke crash lands on the unknown planet of Degoba and at first sight the planet is a dense forest with unknown creatures. Immediately after he lands and dismounts from his ship, R2-D2 is eaten by a sea monster but soon returned to Luke. While trying to fix R2 Luke first a weird green alien, who helps Luke find shelter in his hut.

Luke urges the alien that he must meet with master Yoda and finds that the alien is actually Yoda. Immediately Luke feels he is ready to become a Jedi but Yoda informs Luke that his father was reckless and he was powerful (Star Wars V). Luke feels disheartened but he is determined to become a Jedi at any cost. Luke finally finds the master and planet he was looking for but Yoda tells him that he will gain fear through his training. During the road of trials the hero must overcome obstacles in order to find his place in the new world.

In Luke’s case, he meets master Yoda and must learn to become a Jedi in order to save the universe. In his first task Luke must overcome and become physically fit in order to train his mind from succumbing to evil. Luke passes this task with ease with Yoda’s guidance. The second trial was when Luke entered the cave on Degoba where he faced his worst fear. He sees Darth Vader and then slays him but he sees himself as Vader and finds that his worst fear is to join the Dark side. Then Luke must learn to use the force because the force is a Jedi’s life essence and a true Jedi can manipulate the force to work to his needs.

His third trial trains him to lift stones, clear his mind, and focus while using the force. However, he learns that the force can give him the sight to see the future the present and past. This scares Luke at first because he sees his friends in peril and he chooses to help them. When Yoda and Obi-Wan persuade him to stay and finish his training, he agrees but when Luke learns to use the force with more ease, his next trial is the get his ship that had crashed when he landed in Degoba (Star Wars V).

Yoda informs him that the force can help Luke get his ship back, but only if he can focus. He fails because he thought of the ship being too big for the force to move it. The next trial he must go through is to complete his training on Degoba but he fails to become a true Jedi and leaves Degoba (Star Wars V). Through this step in Luke’s cycle you see the hardships he had to overcome. Throughout the movie Darth Vader and Darth Sidious are formulating a plan to force Luke into the dark side of the force and be used as an extension of the Empire’s power over the universe.

This is first seen when Sidious tells Vader to try to turn Luke to the dark side and be used as an asset to the empire and the Emperor’s power. Vader follows Luke throughout the movie to get in direct contact with him but he realizes that Luke will only face Vader if Luke’s friends are in danger. Vader goes to Cloud City and holds Luke’s friends captive until he receives word that his prey has finally come to him. Luke battles his way through the invaded city and to the chamber where he meets Vader. In the final battle with Darth Vader Luke is constantly asked to join the dark side and Vader finds himself trying not to kill him.

During the battle Vader tells Luke that his place in the new world is with Vader and Emperor and that only Luke’s hatred can destroy Vader (Star Wars V). A Jedi must never hate or love because it is the path to the dark side (Star Wars III). Some archetypes appear in this part of the movie where Luke is clothed in white and is seen as the hero and Vader is seen as a shadow in all black and the temptress. After Luke gets his hand cut off, Vader tells Luke that if Luke joins him in the Empire he can complete his training and begin his reign.

Vader further tells Luke that he can kill the Emperor and rule the universe alongside him as “father and son” (Star Wars V). After reviewing the preceding evidence it is clear that Luke’s journey in his Monomyth Cycle had defining steps that showed him new worlds, tested him and was tempted by evil. During Luke’s rocky entrance into his new world, Luke finds himself in peril early but escapes. He meets a green alien that will teach him to become a Jedi and be able to become a new hope for the universe.

During his road of trials Luke proves to Yoda that he is too weak to become a Jedi even though he faces his fears of joining the dark side, clearing his mind, and focusing on using the force. Luke chooses his friends over completing what he sent out to do. Lastly, in the final battle of the movie Luke is tempted to join the dark side or die with hopes of controlling the universe with his father and killing the Emperor to do so. Throughout the fifth installment of the Star Wars series, Luke goes through the Monomyth cycle in order to find himself and defeat the evil in him.

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Star Wars Sci Fi Essay

English Essay Explain how film codes are used to convey the elements of the science fiction genre in the film Star Wars. Start with the element of science fiction and then bring in the example Introduction George Lucas uses film codes in the film Star Wars to help convey the elements of science fiction. The […]

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