Star Trek and Star Wars are American media franchises that represent alternative scenarios of space adventure. The two franchises proliferate in this setting of storytelling, and each has offered various forms of media productions for decades. [1]
Star Trek and Star Wars are American media franchises that represent alternative scenarios of space adventure. The two franchises proliferate in this setting of storytelling, and each has offered various forms of media productions for decades. [1]
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Star Trek was introduced on September 8, 1966 as a live-action television series. [2] It was originally billed for a five-year run, but only lasted three years until 1969. After 79 episodes, the show ended abruptly due to low television ratings. However, the quality of the production and storytelling led to a cult classic following, which later resulted in a resurgence of interest in the franchise. [3] Star Trek: The Animated Series premiered in 1973 and lasted two seasons with 22 episodes. [4] With the subsequent publication of novels, comics, animated series, toys, and feature films which are still produced today, Star Trek grew into a popular media franchise and continues to draw large crowds. [5]
Star Wars was introduced on May 25, 1977, as a feature film, Star Wars (1977). A novelization titled Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker , based on the original script, was published about six months earlier. Upon the release of the first film, Star Wars grew into a popular media franchise. [4] As of today[ when? ], the Star Wars franchise includes twelve films, nine television series, books, comics, toys, and more. Each franchise comprises billions of dollars of intellectual property, employment for thousands, and entertainment for many more.
Star Trek debuted on television. The franchise was conceived in the style of the television Western Wagon Train and the adventure stories of Horatio Hornblower, but evolved into a utopian prospect of future human society. Inspired by Gulliver's Travels , [6] [7] Star Trek's main focus is on space exploration and a galactic society consisting of multiple planets and species, where conflict occasionally occurs. Most of Star Trek occurs in the relatively distant future, specifically the 22nd through 24th centuries, with occasional time travel and interdimensional travel. The Earth of the Star Trek universe shares much of its history with the real world.
Star Wars debuted on film, despite the novel based on the film's original script having been published a year before the film itself. Star Wars belongs to the space opera subgenre of science fiction that follows The Hero's Journey, [8] which stands for the proposition that personal change occurs and is necessary when confronting significant problems, and was inspired by works such as Beowulf, King Arthur [9] and other mythologies, world religions, as well as ancient and medieval history. [10] Star Wars depicts a galactic society in constant conflict. Though there are periods of peace, these are only documented in novels, comics, video games, non-feature films, and other spin-off media. Star Wars is set "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away," although many characters are human, occasionally use Earth metaphors, and exhibit human character traits.[ citation needed ]
Aside from both having the word star in their titles, the two franchises have much in common, with both having their origins in the space Western subgenre. [11]
Furthermore, both depict societies consisting of multiple planets and species. Star Trek's main protagonist group, the United Federation of Planets, consists of various planets, each inhabited by different species, which operates much like the United Nations. Star Wars depicts a galaxy that is mostly part of a single federation known as the Republic, inhabited by humans and countless other species, which later become the Galactic Empire and was again later reformed into a new society called the New Republic after a series of wars.
Both franchises promote philosophical and political messages.
The primary philosophies of Star Trek convey the morals of exploration and interference and how to properly confront and ethically resolve numerous new challenges. Creator Gene Roddenberry was inspired by morality tales such as Gulliver's Travels [6] [7] with the basic dramatic format inspired by the science fiction film Forbidden Planet. [12]
The primary philosophical messages of Star Wars are the ethics of good against evil and how to distinguish them from one another. [13] Star Wars preaches against totalitarian systems and favors societies that offer equality. [14] In an interview on the Star Wars 20th Anniversary UK Program which aired in 1997, referring to the mythology of the original Star Wars trilogy, Patrick Stewart stated, "A belief in one's own powers, especially one's own powers to do good because the underlying morality of Star Wars is a very, very positive one." [ citation needed ]
Actors from both franchises have appeared on common television series such as The Outer Limits and Sea Quest .
Both franchises also draw from history and ancient mythology, including Greco-Roman mythology. For example, many planets and alien species in Star Trek are named after ancient Roman deities. Several episodes from various Star Trek television series, such as "Who Mourns for Adonais," are directly based on ancient Phoenician-Greek themes and settings. [15] The series also makes references to Ancient Babylon and its mythic folklore. [16] The Klingons and their warrior culture is a representation of the 12th-century Mongols [17] and 11th-century Vikings. [18]
Similarly, many of Star Wars' plots and character developments are based on ancient history, including classical Greece and Rome, such as the fall of the Republic in Star Wars followed by the rise of the Galactic Empire, which parallels the civil war and subsequent fall of the ancient Roman Republic followed by the rise of the Roman Empire. [10]
A 1983 documentary on the making of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi was hosted by Leonard Nimoy, who mentioned creator George Lucas' original plan to do two other trilogies preceding and subsequent to the original trilogy. [19]
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J. J. Abrams has been heavily involved in both franchises, as director and producer of Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), producer of Star Trek Beyond (2016), and director and producer of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Star Trek (2009) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) are each the first entries in expected trilogies. These films received favorable critical and commercial responses and revived interest in both franchises. In addition to Abrams, actors such as Simon Pegg starred in both series. The newer films of the two franchises filmed major scenes in the United Arab Emirates. The desert scenes on the planet Jakku in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) were filmed in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, [20] while scenes for cities in the film Star Trek Beyond (2016) were filmed in the Emirate of Dubai. [21]
Despite Abrams' Star Trek and Star Wars entries being financial and critical successes, the original filmmakers behind both franchises criticized Abrams for recycling storylines. For instance, Star Trek Into Darkness was considered by some to be less original than its Abrams-directed predecessor, and more of a loose remake of Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan. [22] The director of Wrath of Khan, Nicholas Meyer, from which Star Trek Into Darkness borrowed lines and plot elements, revealed in 2018 that he was disappointed with the film, saying: "In my sort of artistic worldview, if you're going to do an homage, you have to add something. You have to put another layer on it, and they didn't. Just by putting the same words in different characters' mouths didn't add up to anything, and if you have someone dying in one scene and sort of being resurrected immediately after there's no real drama going on. It just becomes a gimmick or gimmicky, and that's what I found it to be ultimately." [23]
Star Wars creator George Lucas shared a similar disappointment towards Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens , [24] [25] finding himself agreeing with the critics who found it too derivative of his own original Star Wars trilogy, particularly his original film. During an interview with talk show host and journalist Charlie Rose that aired on December 24, 2015, Lucas likened his decision to sell Lucasfilm to Disney to a divorce, and outlined the creative differences between him and the producers of The Force Awakens. He described the previous six Star Wars films as his "children" and defended his vision for them, while criticizing The Force Awakens for having a "retro feel", saying: "I worked very hard to make them completely different, with different planets, with different spaceships – you know, to make it new." Lucas also likened Disney to "white slavers," which drew some criticism for which he later apologized. [26] [27] Of the batch of new Star Wars films, the Abrams written and directed films received the worst reception from Lucas. In 2017, Lucas described Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi as "beautifully made." The comment was interpreted as Lucas liking the Rian Johnson written and directed sequel more than The Force Awakens. [28] [29] The previous year, the Disney-produced Star Wars anthology film Rogue One had been released. Its production did not involve Abrams, and it was reported that Lucas also liked it more than The Force Awakens. [30]
Years later, some critics agreed with Lucas' and Meyer's criticisms relative to Abrams written and directed Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker . The website The Ringer noted the reception to the film was negative enough that the film (and its tie-ins) kept generating negative or controversial headlines in regards to the film's production for almost 10 months after its release. This film was the one where Abrams had the most creative control. [31] [32] Abrams was criticized for doubling down on Meyer's criticism of Star Trek Into Darkness by killing and instantly resurrecting almost every character in the film. Force powers to revive others were a central plot of the film, but they lost all meaning due to most resurrections not having anything having to do with such powers, including those of major characters in the film like Palpatine, Chewbacca, C-3PO and even minor cameo characters Zorry Bliss and Babu Frik. The Rise of Skywalker was also criticized for being another derivative remake of a previous film in the franchise, this time of the Lucas-written Return of the Jedi. [33] [34] [31] Certain websites have defended Johnson's The Last Jedi, and blamed Abrams and Disney for the failure of Rise of Skywalker, while criticizing Abrams's usage of his "mystery box" storytelling, a reference to leaving some aspects or history of the characters unanswered and forcing the audience and followers to speculate. [35] [36]
Abrams has faced criticism from fans for decisions made in the Star Trek franchise as well. For instance, Abrams was criticized for casting the classic Star Trek character of Khan Noonien Singh, who was Sikh and a former ruler of much of Eastern Eurasia in the original series, to a non-Sikh character in Star Trek Into Darkness. In the 2013 film Into Darkness, Khan is played by Londoner Benedict Cumberbatch, whom some perceived as replacing an explicitly non-white character in the Star Trek canon with a light-skinned European actor, something that had been termed whitewashing by some. [37] [38] American Sikhs, who were hoping for an actor from their community to be cast in such a feature role, villain or not. [39] Star Trek: Voyager, actor Garrett Wang stated, "The casting of Cumberbatch was a mistake on the part of the producers. I am not being critical of the actor or his talent, just the casting". [40] George Takei, the original Hikaru Sulu, was also disappointed with the casting, as he thought it would have been better to cast Cumberbatch not as an established villain like Khan but as a new character. [41]
On Trekmovie.com, co-producer and co-screenwriter Bob Orci addressed Khan's casting: "Basically, as we went through the casting process and we began honing in on the themes of the movie, it became uncomfortable for me to support demonizing anyone of color, particularly anyone of Middle Eastern descent or anyone evoking that. One of the points of the movie is that we must be careful about the villain within US, not some other race." [42] Abrams addressed some of the film's shortcomings. He thought that the dynamic of Kirk and Spock's relationship in the film "wasn't really clear." For keeping the identity of Khan a secret before the film's release, Abrams felt he "was trying to preserve the fun for the audience, and not just tell them something that the characters don't learn for 45 minutes into the movie, so the audience wouldn't be so ahead of it." In the end, Abrams recognized that "there were certain things I was unsure of.... Any movie ... has a fundamental conversation happening during it. And [for Into Darkness,] I didn't have it.... [The problems with the plot] was not anyone's fault but mine, or, frankly, anyone's problem but mine. [The script] was a little bit of a collection of scenes that were written by my friends.... And yet, I found myself frustrated by my choices, and unable to hang my hat on an undeniable thread of the main story. So, then I found myself on that movie basically tap-dancing as well as I could to try and make the sequences as entertaining as possible.... I would never say that I don't think that the movie ended up working. But I feel like it didn't work as well as it could have had I made some better decisions before we started shooting." [43]
As of 2024 [update] there are more Star Wars fans than Trekkies, according to Akiva Goldsman, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe having more fans than either. [44] Despite the similar number of films, the profit made by the Star Wars film series exceeds the profit of the Star Trek film series by six times, while the entire Star Wars franchise surpasses Star Trek by four times. It is difficult to accurately judge the total worth of each franchise as the many television series, novels, memorabilia, video games, and other factors must be taken into account.
 |
| Year | Title | Budget | Box office | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | The Motion Picture | 35 | 139 | 104 |
| 1982 | The Wrath of Khan | 12 | 96 | 84 |
| 1984 | The Search for Spock | 18 | 87 | 69 |
| 1986 | The Voyage Home | 24 | 133 | 109 |
| 1989 | The Final Frontier | 30 | 70 | 40 |
| 1991 | The Undiscovered Country | 27 | 96.9 | 69.9 |
| 1994 | Generations | 38 | 120 | 82 |
| 1996 | First Contact | 46 | 150 | 104 |
| 1998 | Insurrection | 70 | 117 | 47 |
| 2002 | Nemesis | 60 | 67 | 7 |
| 2009 | Star Trek (reboot) | 140 | 386 | 247 |
| 2013 | Into Darkness | 190 | 467 | 277 |
| 2016 | Beyond | 185 | 343 | 158 |
| Total | 13 films | 875 | 2,271 | 1,397 |
| Year | Title | Budget | Box office | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Star Wars | 11 | 786.6 | 775.6 |
| 1980 | The Empire Strikes Back | 23 | 534.1 | 511.1 |
| 1983 | Return of the Jedi | 32.5 | 572.7 | 540.2 |
| 1999 | The Phantom Menace | 115 | 1027 | 912 |
| 2002 | Attack of the Clones | 115 | 656.6 | 541.6 |
| 2005 | Revenge of the Sith | 115 | 848.9 | 733.9 |
| 2008 | The Clone Wars | 8.5 | 68.6 | 60.1 |
| 2015 | The Force Awakens | 306 | 2058 | 1752 |
| 2016 | Rogue One | 200 | 1056 | 856 |
| 2017 | The Last Jedi | 200 | 1321 | 1121 |
| 2018 | Solo | 275 | 392.9 | 117.9 |
| 2019 | The Rise of Skywalker | 275 | 1074 | 799 |
| Total | 12 films | 1,676 | 10,396.4 | 8,720.4 |
| Franchise | Year of inception | Original work | Films | Total box office | TV series | Total revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Trek | 1966 | Star Trek: The Original Series (TV) | 13 | $2.271 billion | 10 | $7.8 billion (as of 1998) [45] |
| Star Wars | 1977 | Star Wars (film) | 12 | $8.923 billion | 10 | $42 Billion (as of 2015) [46] |
Science fiction writer David Brin criticized Star Wars at the time of the release of The Phantom Menace, arguing that while the Star Wars movies provide special effects and action/adventure, audiences are not encouraged to engage with their overriding themes. Among his issues with Star Wars and George Lucas, whom he accused of "having an agenda," is that the Star Wars galaxy is too "elitist," with arbitrary rulers on both the evil and good sides, replacing one another without any involvement of the population. He criticizes both sides of the Galactic Civil War as part of the "same genetically superior royal family." [47] He finds the Star Wars universe flawed with additional forms of absolutism, such as justified emotions leading a good person to evil – for example citing the idea that Luke Skywalker killing Palpatine would somehow turn him to the dark side, despite the act potentially saving millions of lives. Among the many other flaws he sees with Star Wars is that Anakin Skywalker becomes a hero at the end of Return of the Jedi simply because he saved his son's life, while the atrocities he committed during his time in power go largely ignored. In contrast, he argues that, despite its flaws, Star Trek is "democratic," takes up more multifaceted issues, and values "cooperation and wit." [47]
William Shatner argues that Star Trek is superior to Star Wars. According to him, "Star Trek had relationships and conflict among the relationships and stories that involved humanity and philosophical questions." Shatner believes that Star Wars was only better than Star Trek in terms of special effects, and that once J.J. Abrams became involved, Star Trek was able to "supersede Star Wars on every level." [48]
Tim Russ, who played Tuvok in the Star Trek: Voyager television series, claims that it is difficult to find common enough elements to be able to compare the two. Among those common elements are their similar settings populated by unique characters and technologies. He echoed Shatner that Star Trek reflects common human issues, the morals of exploration, and considers ethical questions. Star Wars in his view is a classic medieval tale dressed up as action-adventure, and that embraces the Eastern philosophy of inner strength. Russ concludes that despite both their success and popularity, Star Trek comes out as the better of the two, as it is set in "our" galaxy and therefore people can relate better to it, whereas Star Wars takes place in another galaxy. He acknowledged that he could be biased. [4]
Jeremy Bulloch was best known for his role as Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy. He was a huge fan of Star Trek: The Original Series. He argued that while both franchises are popular, Star Wars comes out as the superior, for its soundtracks and special effects. [4]
Contrasting the focus of the two franchises, contributor J. C. Herzthe of The New York Times argued, "Trek fandom revolves around technology because the Star Trek universe was founded on ham-fisted dialogue and Gong Show-caliber acting. But the fictional science has always been brilliant. The science in Star Wars is nonsense, and everyone knows it. But no one cares because Star Wars isn't about science. It's epic drama. It's about those incredibly well-developed characters and the moral decisions they face. People don't get into debates about how the second Death Star works. They get into debates about the ethics of blowing it up." [49]
John Wenzel of The Denver Post highlighted two differences in approach, noting the "swashbuckling" and "gunslinger" style of Star Wars compared with Star Trek's "broader themes of utopian living, justice, and identity" and that the spiritual aspect of Star Wars contrasts with the balance of emotion and logic seen in Star Trek. [50]
Billionaire Peter Thiel told Maureen Dowd of the New York Times in a 2017 interview, "I'm a capitalist. Star Wars is the capitalist show. Star Trek is the communist one." He further stated "There is no money in Star Trek because you just have the transporter machine that can make anything you need. The whole plot of Star Wars starts with Han Solo having this debt that he owes and so the plot in Star Wars is driven by money." [51]
Archived footage in the 2011 documentary produced by Gene Roddenberry's son, Trek Nation, showed Gene Roddenberry opining, "I like Star Wars. It was young King Arthur growing up, slaying the evil emperor finally. There's nothing wrong with that kind of entertainment—everything doesn't have to create a philosophy for you—for your whole life. You can also have fun." [52]
William Shatner once described the relationship between the two franchises as "symbiotic," crediting Star Wars for launching the Star Trek films. [53] He repeated this sentiment at a 2016 Star Trek fan convention in Las Vegas by stating, "Star Wars created Star Trek." He clarified this statement by explaining that at the time of the release of the first Star Wars film (A New Hope), Paramount, then under new management, was struggling to come up with something that could compete with it. A Star Trek relaunch was the choice. Since then, public interest has returned to Star Trek. [54] "It was Star Wars that thrust Star Trek into the people of Paramount's consciousness," Shatner stated. [55] [56]
The documentary Trek Nation features interviews where both Lucas and Roddenberry praise each other's respective franchises, with the former stating that Star Trek was an influence while writing the original screenplay for Star Wars. [52] He explained that while both franchises were so "far out," Star Trek produced a fanbase that "softened up the entertainment arena" so that Star Wars could "come along and stand on its shoulders." [57] This is also acknowledged by Shatner, who went as far as to call Star Wars a "derivative" of Star Trek. [48]
A few references to Star Wars have been inserted into Star Trek films. For fleeting moments, one can see ships and droids from Star Wars in both Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013). [58] Some Star Trek films and television episodes used the Star Wars animation shop, Industrial Light & Magic, for their special effects. [59]
When Roddenberry was honored at a Star Trek convention late in life, a congratulatory letter from Lucas was presented by an actor dressed as Darth Vader. A few years earlier, Roddenberry had contributed an entry in honor of Star Wars and Lucas at a convention honoring the latter. [60] [ citation needed ]
William Shatner was a presenter at Lucas' American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony in 2007 and did a comical stage performance honoring Lucas. [61]
In 2015, at a live concert, Shatner dressed as an imperial stormtrooper singing "Girl Crush" alongside Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley. [62]
In 2011, Shatner and Carrie Fisher posted a series of humorous YouTube videos satirizing each other's franchises. In a 2016 interview, Shatner commented that Captain Kirk and Princess Leia eloping and running off into the sunset would be the "perfect union" between Star Trek and Star Wars. [48] Shatner has also posted several humorous tweets on his X (Twitter) account mocking Star Wars. Among them was a post commemorating the 35th anniversary of the poorly received Star Wars Holiday Special. In response, Star Wars actor Peter Mayhew posted a "retaliation" tweet congratulating Shatner for the directing of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , another poorly-received film. [63]
Both franchises are expected to grow throughout the next decade.
After the Star Trek reboot trilogy, several sequels are set to follow. A new television series based on the original timeline, subtitled Discovery , serving as a prequel to the original series, debuted on CBS All Access in 2017. [64] As of March 2024 [update] , more Star Trek TV shows were airing than ever before. 900 episodes and 13 feature films totaling 668 hours had been produced over 58 years. [44]
After the debut of Star Wars Rebels , several projects were undertaken including a television series set in between the Star Wars prequels and the original trilogy, The Mandalorian , a television series set in between the original trilogy and the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and an anthology of stand-alone Star Wars films, starting with Rogue One , which was released in December 2016, and Solo: A Star Wars Story following in May 2018. [65] Additionally, more spin-off media is also underway.
Aside from official works by the producers of Star Trek and Star Wars, many fan films and webisodes set in the two universes of the franchises are also constantly produced and posted on the Internet by fans, but are not officially considered canon concerning either franchise.
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. Star Wars is one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. He first appeared in the original Star Trek series serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise as science officer and first officer and later as commanding officer of the vessel. Spock's mixed human–Vulcan heritage serves as an important plot element in many of the character's appearances. Along with Captain James T. Kirk and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, he is one of the three central characters in the original Star Trek series and its films. After retiring from active duty in Starfleet, Spock served as a Federation ambassador, and later became involved in the ill-fated attempt to save Romulus from a supernova, leading him to live out the rest of his life in a parallel universe.
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced in the original film trilogy and also appears in the sequel trilogy. Raised as a moisture farmer on the planet Tatooine, Luke joins the Rebel Alliance and becomes a pivotal figure in the struggle against the Galactic Empire. He trains as a Jedi under Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, and eventually confronts his father, the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Years later, Luke trains his nephew Ben Solo and mentors the scavenger Rey. Luke is the twin brother of Leia Organa.
Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi is a character in the Star Wars franchise. In the original film trilogy, he is a Jedi Master who trains Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force. In the prequel trilogy, he mentors Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan is portrayed by Alec Guinness in the original trilogy and by Ewan McGregor in the prequel films. McGregor also plays the character in the television series Obi-Wan Kenobi. Guinness' performance in Star Wars (1977) earned him the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor, as well as a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
R2-D2 or Artoo-Detoo is a fictional robot character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. He has appeared in ten of the eleven theatrical Star Wars films to date, including every film in the "Skywalker Saga", which includes the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy and the sequel trilogy. At various points throughout the course of the films, R2, an astromech droid, is a friend to C-3PO, Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. R2-D2 and his companion C-3PO are the only characters to appear in every theatrical Star Wars film, with the exception of Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).
Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force. He first appeared in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back, in which he is voiced and puppeteered by Frank Oz, who reprised the role in Return of the Jedi (1983), the prequel trilogy, the sequel trilogy, and the animated series Star Wars Rebels. Other actors who voice Yoda are Tom Kane, Piotr Michael, John Lithgow, Tony Pope and Peter McConnell. In addition to films and television series, Yoda appears in comics, novels, video games and commercials.
Pavel Andreievich Chekov is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe.
The Skywalker family is a fictional legendary human family in the Star Wars franchise. Within the series' fictional universe, the Skywalkers are presented as a bloodline with strong inherent capabilities related to the Force and sometimes lightsaber skills. Luke Skywalker, his twin sister Princess Leia Organa, and their father Darth Vader are central characters in the original Star Wars film trilogy. Darth Vader, in his previous identity as Anakin Skywalker, is a lead character in the prequel film trilogy and so is his wife and the twins' mother Padmé Amidala; while his mother Shmi is a minor character in the first and second films respectively. Leia and Han Solo's son, Ben Solo, renamed himself Kylo Ren and is the main antagonist in the sequel film trilogy, while they and Luke serve as supporting characters. Shmi, Padmé, and Han are the only members who are not Force-sensitive. The Skywalker bloodline, alongside the Palpatine bloodline, are the two bloodlines that are the strongest with the Force.
Jeffrey Jacob Abrams is an American filmmaker and composer. He is best known for his works in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. Abrams wrote and produced such films as Regarding Henry (1991), Forever Young (1992), Armageddon (1998), Cloverfield (2008), Star Trek (2009), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Abrams' films have grossed over $4 billion worldwide, making him the ninth-highest-grossing film director of all time.
The Star Wars science fiction media franchise is acknowledged to have been inspired by many sources. These include Hinduism, Buddhism, Qigong, philosophy, classical mythology, Roman history, Gnosticism, Zoroastrianism, parts of the other Abrahamic religions, Confucianism, Shintō and Taoism, and countless cinematic precursors. Creator George Lucas stated "Most of the spiritual reality in the movie[s] is based on a synthesis of all religions. A synthesis through history; the way man has perceived the unknown and the great mystery and tried to deal with that or dealing with it".
The Star Wars sequel trilogy is the third trilogy of the main Star Wars franchise, an American space opera created by George Lucas. It is produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The trilogy consists of episodes VII through IX, chronologically following the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy, serving as the final act of the "Skywalker Saga". Lucas had planned a sequel trilogy as early as 1976, but canceled it by 1981. He produced only the first six episodes, and for a time described these as comprising the complete story. The sequel trilogy concept was revived when the Walt Disney Company entered negotiations to acquire Lucasfilm in 2011. Lucas produced new story treatments, but these were largely discarded. Both the acquisition and plans to produce the trilogy were announced in late 2012.
George Lucas's epic space opera multi-film Star Wars saga has had a significant impact on modern popular culture. Star Wars references are deeply embedded in popular culture; references to the main characters and themes of Star Wars are casually made in many English-speaking countries with the assumption that others will understand the reference. Darth Vader has become an iconic villain, while characters such as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2 have all become widely recognized characters around the world. Phrases such as "evil empire", "May the Force be with you", "Jedi mind trick" and "I am your father" have become part of the popular lexicon. The first Star Wars film in 1977 was a cultural unifier, enjoyed by a wide spectrum of people.
Sheev Palpatine is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He first appeared in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back as The Emperor. He is also known by his Sith name, Darth Sidious, which was first used in the novelization of the 1999 film The Phantom Menace.
The Force is a metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the Star Wars fictional universe. "Force-sensitive" characters use the Force throughout the franchise. Heroes like the Jedi seek to "become one with the Force", matching their personal wills with the will of the Force, while the Sith and other villains exploit the Force and try to bend it toward their own selfish and destructive desires. The Force has been compared to aspects of several world religions, and the phrase "May the Force be with you" has become part of pop culture vernacular.
Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced in the 1977 film Star Wars, and later appeared in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), The Force Awakens (2015), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Harrison Ford portrays Solo in all five films. In Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), a younger version of the character is played by Alden Ehrenreich. In the animated web series Forces of Destiny (2017–2018), Solo is voiced by A.J. LoCascio and Kiff VandenHeuvel. Ford was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Solo in Star Wars, and won the award for his performance in The Force Awakens.
Kylo Ren is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced in The Force Awakens (2015), the first film of the sequel trilogy. He subsequently appeared in The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). He also appears in the animated series Star Wars Resistance (2018–2020), and the television specials The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special (2020) and Lego Star Wars: Terrifying Tales (2021). Ren is portrayed by Adam Driver in all three sequel trilogy films.
Supreme Leader Snoke is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He is an artificial being created by Emperor Palpatine who is aligned with the dark side of the Force. He was introduced in The Force Awakens (2015) as the Supreme Leader of the First Order and the master of Kylo Ren. He subsequently appeared in The Last Jedi (2017), in which he is killed by Ren. In the films, Snoke is a computer-generated character performed by Andy Serkis using motion capture.
Captain Phasma is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by English actress Gwendoline Christie. Introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), the first film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Phasma is the commander of the First Order's force of stormtroopers. Christie returned to the role in the next of the trilogy's films, Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and in the animated television series Star Wars Resistance (2018) and several video games. The character also made an additional appearance in Before the Awakening, an anthology book set before the events of The Force Awakens.
Rey is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. She was created by Lawrence Kasdan, J. J. Abrams, and Michael Arndt for The Force Awakens (2015), the first installment of the sequel film trilogy, and is primarily portrayed by Daisy Ridley. Rey also appears in the film's sequels, The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019), and related Star Wars media.
The development of Spock, a fictional character first introduced in the American science fiction television series Star Trek, began prior to the start of the series. The first known mention of Spock was in a discussion between Gene Roddenberry and Gary Lockwood, where the latter suggested Leonard Nimoy for the role. Roddenberry agreed with the suggestion, and Nimoy became the first choice actor for the part. However, Roddenberry was required to audition other actors for the role. It was offered to both DeForest Kelley and Martin Landau before Nimoy. Nimoy disliked the prosthetic ears he was required to wear, and there were concerns from the studio that they made him appear satanic. Roddenberry fought to keep the character in the second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" after the rest of the main cast was dropped from the initial pilot, "The Cage".
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