These 11 elements ofStar Warssuggest that Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill’s description of the franchise as"a fairy tale dressed up as science fiction"was entirely accurate.Star Warsmovies and TV showshave long been considered quintessential examples of science fiction. In fact, since the beginning of the franchise (and certainly in the years since),Star Warshas massively influenced and even defined what this genre looks like on the screen. Yet,Star Wars’categorization as science fiction may not completely capture the genre these movies represent.
Mark Hamill describedStar Warsas a fairy taleduring an interview, explaining,“It’s like a fairy tale. You’ve got a farm boy, you’ve got a pirate, you’ve got a princess, you got a wizard, it’s a fairy tale dressed up as science fiction.'“Hamill’s assessment was absolutely correct, not only because of the princesses, pirates, farm boy, and ‘wizards’ he describes, but also because of various other points of connection.These 11 fairy tale elements inStar Warsprove that Mark Hamill’s surprising assessment ofStar Warsas more like a fairy tale than science fiction was dead on.
“A Long Time Ago” Is A Version Of “Once Upon A Time”
Star Wars Opens In A Way Quite Similar To Most Fairy Tales
Although not all fairy tales begin with"Once upon a time,“it is a phrase heavily associated with fairy tales.Star Wars’opening line,“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away"is a variation of this line. Notably, though, this variation comes with the twist regarding the galaxy being far, far away, signaling thatStar Warsis still science fiction.
Presumably, this wording was intentionally linked to this fairy tale opening. It also set up the idea thatStar Warswas never going to intersect with ‘real life,’ be it Earth or an overlapping timeline with human history, which is something that was very important to George Lucas.Star Warswas intended to be a fantasy and an escape, not a representation of the real world.Star Warshas maintained that setting, even as shows likeStar Wars: Skeleton Crewhave introduced remarkably Earth-like planets.
Every Planet In Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Explained
Star Wars' latest TV show, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, is clearly not afraid of trying something new, as evidenced by the show’s brand-new planets.
The Skywalker Saga Stars Queens And Princesses
Leia And Padmé Were Both Royal (In Different Ways)
Some of the most common character types in fairy tales are queens and princesses, which have been seen time and again in movies, especially in fairy tale-driven franchises such as Disney.Star Warshas its own notable queens and princesses, beginning with Princess Leia inA New Hope. The prequel trilogy then revealed that Leia had royalty in common with her biological mother, although not in the way one might expect.
Although Leia was Princess of Alderaan, receiving a royal title through her adoptive mother, Breha Organa, Leia’s biological mother, Padmé Amidala, had been elected Queen of Naboo. As Mark Hamill himself mentioned, though,Star Warshas done princesses quite differently than many other fairy tale stories. In the same interview, Hamill explained:
“How about the princess? You know she’s not a damsel in distress, and she takes over her own rescue and grabs the gun from Luke and Han. You call this a rescue? Give me that gun.”
Nevertheless, just like so many fairy tales, queens and princesses are front and center inStar Wars.
The Jedi Are Knights
Star Wars' Jedi Even Have This Title Within The Movies And Shows Directly
Yet another major character type in fairy tales is the knight, whichStar Warsalso has. In fact, withinStar Warsmovies and TV shows, the Jedi are directly referred to as Jedi Knights. This connection goes beyond just a name, though.Like the knights in fairy tales, the Jedi were valiant warriors, there to protect others. The Jedi of the prequel trilogy took this similarity one step further, becoming soldiers for the Republic.
Of course, this identity is a bit complicated, as the Jedi were also meant to be peacekeepers. The Clone Wars dragged them into battles that ran counter to what they were meant to be and symbolize in the galaxy, which arguably contributed to their downfall. Nevertheless, it’s clear thatStar Wars’own knights share plenty in common with fairy tale knights, including with the Jedi swooping in to save a queen inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace(though she, like her daughter, proved she could handle herself).
Pirates Are Becoming Even More Prominent
Skeleton Crew Has Just Opened Up The World Of Pirates In Star Wars
Pirates have long been part ofStar Wars, although for quite some time, they have been much more prominent in the books than they have been on screen.Star Wars: The Clone Warswas the first show to really show more about pirates in the galaxy far, far away. However,Skeleton Crewhas just truly changed the game when it comes to pirates inStar Wars, not only through Jude Law’s pirate character Jod Na Nawood but also through major updates such asthe pirate empire Port Borgo.
Pirates have long been part ofStar Wars, although for quite some time, they have been much more prominent in the books than they have been on screen.
Like pirates in fairy tales,the pirates inSkeleton Creware driven by selfish desires for incredible wealth, and they seem to uphold pirate codes, similar to what has been seen in countless fairy tales. This is how Jod manages to take control of SM-33, when he forces Fern to yield as captain. This is a thrilling update for the franchise, as it could mean that movies and shows will now begin to have a greater focus on pirates, shifting away from the Jedi and the Sith.
Jabba Is Basically An Ogre
Jabba The Hutt Fits The Bill For Fairy Tales' Ogres
Jabba the Hutt is easily one of the most unsettling characters inStar Wars, which is true both because of his appearance strongly resembling a slug and because of his treacherous and creepy behavior as a crime lord. Most obviously,the way Jabba the Hutt treated Leia Organa and his many other enslaved dancers makes him an incredibly odious character. Jabba is therefore aStar Warsvariation on fairy tales' ogres.
Ogres are known to be terrifying, often violent creatures, and are even at times depicted eating human beings (including children). This is what madeShreksuch a major deviation from this fairy tale creature, as he was at first gruff and standoffish but ultimately became charming. The same certainly cannot be said of Jabba the Hutt, who was cruel and disturbing right to his bitter end—which gave Leia the perfect revenge.
Star Wars Has Dragons
The Krayt Dragon Is Yet Another Fairy Tale Connection
The fairy tale genre is clearly defined by its characters, as dragons represent yet another character type in fairy tale stories. In fairy tales, dragons are frequently fire-breathing, flying creatures depicted with large wings and in vibrant colors such as red or purple. While dragons may not share all those traits inStar Wars,there are dragons in theStar Warsfranchise as well.
The krayt dragon—which is actually an umbrella term encompassing several reptilian creatures inStar Wars—first appeared inA New Hope, although only in its skeletal form. Krayt dragons have since had appearances in myriadStar Warsshows, books, and movies, most prominently inThe Mandalorian. Again, the krayt dragon ofStar Warsmay not share all that much with fairy tale dragons in terms of traits or appearance, but it is nevertheless another major fairy tale element included in theStar Warsfranchise.
Anakin Is A Cinderella Story (Gone Wrong)
Anakin’s Story Has A Rags-To-Riches Element, But It Doesn’t Have A Happy Ending
Anakin Skywalker’sStar Warsarc has been linked to a number of other stories and tropes, such as the fallen angel. However,Anakin’s narrative arc, especially in the prequel trilogy, is a type of Cinderella story. Like Cinderella, particularly the Disney version of the story, Anakin has a rags-to-riches arc, which, in Anakin’s case, includes going from an enslaved child on Tatooine to one of the Clone War’s greatest heroes andthe Chosen Oneof the Jedi.
Unlike Cinderella, though, the conclusion of Anakin’s story is not a happy one. InCinderella, the titular protagonist ultimately escapes her abusive step-mother’s house and finds the love of her life, becoming a princess after living as little more than her family’s servant. Anakin’s prequel trilogy arc ends with him losing everyone he loves and cares about and becoming an evil version of himself. Although his story ends in a better place inReturn of the Jedi, that is after decades of suffering and Darth Vader carrying out unspeakable acts.
The Sequels Changed This To A Certain Degree
Although theStar Warssequel trilogy made some major changes to this ending, initially,the originalStar Warstrilogy had a ‘happily ever after’ ending. By the end ofReturn of the Jedi, Anakin Skywalker had been redeemed, the Empire had been defeated, Luke and Leia knew they were siblings, the Jedi had returned, and Han and Leia were finally together. There was also plenty of hope for the future, as it seemed almost certain the Jedi would be rebuilt and the Republic would return.
Technically, that is what happened. The New Republic was established, and Luke Skywalker got to work establishing his own Jedi Temple. However, the sequels revealed that Luke’s Jedi Temple had been destroyed and his students had been killed off, andStar Wars: The Force Awakensdepicted the New Republic being wiped out by Starkiller Base. These updates are part of what made the sequels so controversial, although the original trilogy nevertheless fits with a fairy tale ending.
The Force Is Basically Magic, Jedi Are Wizards, & Sith Are Dark Sorcerers
Mark Hamill’s Comments About Star Wars Characters Ring True
As Mark Hamill said,there are plenty of parallels between the key characters and concepts inStar Warsand those are fairy tales. Some may bristle at the idea, but it’s true that the Force is more or less magic. Yes, it is a force that binds all living things together, which doesn’t necessarily equate to magic, but the variousForce powers inStar Warsprove that there are magical qualities to the Force.
Some may bristle at the idea, but it’s true that the Force is more or less magic.
Likewise,Hamill was correct when he identified the Jedi as a variation of wizards. In his comment, he referred to"a wizard,“no doubt meaning Obi-Wan Kenobi, as he was talking aboutA New Hopespecifically. In that movie in particular, Obi-Wan does come across as a fairy tale wizard, being someone who is older, with a mysterious nature and deep wisdom. Given that description of the Jedi, it makes sense that, as the Jedi’s darker counterparts, the Sith would be dark wizards or sorcerers.
Even Death Isn’t A Barrier For Good (Or Evil)
In fairy tales, people are often able to come back from the dead, such as inSnow White, when the prince kisses Snow White back to life (although there’s debate about whether she was truly dead in the first place). Nevertheless,fairy tales have long established that death isn’t always the end.Star Warshas played by the same rules for quite some time, although that has gotten the franchise into trouble from time to time.
This was first true in the originalStar Warstrilogy, with the introduction of Force ghosts. This was generally a more accepted form ofStar Warscharacters ‘returning’ from the dead, but the franchise has since bent the rules of life and death even further, including with the very controversial resurrection of Emperor Palpatine inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Other characters, such as Darth Maul and Boba Fett, have also returned after seeming to have died.
The franchise has since bent the rules of life and death even further, including with the very controversial resurrection of Emperor Palpatine.
