10 Things To Know About Star Wars
Unless you’ve been living in the outer rim, you know the iconic Star Wars film series just welcomed its newest installment, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. While some of us know more about a long time ago in a galaxy far far away than present day here on earth, others may feel a bit lost in space. Whether you’ve seen every film a hundred times, saw an episode or two here and there, or you know virtually nothing about the series, here are 10 things to know about Star Wars.
1. Storm Troopers are terrible shots
If you’re ever held at gunpoint by a storm trooper, don’t worry about it. These imperial soldiers may be baddies, but they are notorious for their terrible aim. Despite being covered in armor from head to tow, it takes next to nothing to kill them, and they make their target maybe 5% of the time.
2. Light sabers are either blue, green, or red…unless you’re Samuel L. Jackson
Arguably the best part of being force sensitive is the kick-ass laser sword that comes with it. Light sabers come in 3 colors based on the kyber crystal that powers them- green and blue for good guys, red for bad guys, unless of course you’re Samuel L. Jackson, then you can have a purple one. Why? Why not, he’s Samuel L. Jackson, he can do whatever he wants.
3. Be prepared for dismemberment
One of the most common results of a light saber duel is someone losing an arm. Sometimes two arms. Or their legs. Or a head. Or literally half of their body.
4. I hope you like sand
When not on a ship or active battle on some miscellaneous planet, there’s a reasonable chance the setting is some sort of desert. Both Luke and Anakin Skywalker hail to the desert planet of Tatooine, and even Rey is from the hot and sandy junk planet of Jakku. Sand is a pretty prominent occurrance in the films, but some of us aren’t huge fans.
5. Boba Fett is cool. Period.
The mysterious bounty hunter only has about 4 lines, and gets about 6 minutes of screen time, spent wearing a helmet that completely covers his face. And he is one of the most fiercely loved characters in the entire franchise, or any franchise.
6. Jar Jar Binks is lame. Period.
For everything Boba Fett is, Jar Jar is the complete opposite. He’s obnoxious in voice, dialect, appearance and mannerisms, and we see entirely too much of him. All of this and more make the gungan the most fiercely despised character in this, or any, series.
7. Han shot first
One of the most iconic scenes in the entire Star Wars universe is the canteena scene in Episode IV: A New Hope. Here we meet space scoundrel Han Solo, held at gunpoint by Greedo the bounty hunter in the dodgiest bar of the planet. This duel has undergone some modifications in later releases of the film in order to make Han seem less ruthless, but the truth remains that, at least originally, Han shot first.
8. Language barriers don’t exist in space
The demographic of Star Wars is an extremely diverse one. Tatooine alone is home to humans, countless models of droids, as well as furry, slimy and/or scaly space species, all with their own unique language. This, however, doesn’t seem to hinder characters’ ability to communicate in the slightest.
9. Wookie discrimination
(Chewbacca is one of the most beloved characters in the franchise, not only for his badass and simultaneously adorable demeanor, but because he’s a crucial member of the rebel team.)Even in space there’s racism, in this case against the furry and fearsome Wookies. Despite his significant role in taking down the Death Star, Chewbacca, the most beloved Wookie there is, still doesn’t receive a medal like his human friends. He gets to stand next to them while they get honored for doing the exact same thing he did, but thats it. Bogus.
10. These ARE the droids you’re looking for
Sure Luke, Leia, and Han may seem to be the stars of the show, but look a little closer and you’ll see that its the droids who really save the day, just without any of the credit. C3PO, BB-8, and of course R2-D2, are the true unsung heroes of Star Wars.
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Hey, I’m Maddie Rice, a globe traveling, Disney loving, volcano hiking, trilingual adventure addicted townie and student at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign! I am forever in defense of the underdog, am incurably curious, and have developed quite a love of telling stories. That all may sound a bit all over the map, but hey, people do things.