By Warner Cabaniss

When the quarantine first began, I found myself immersed in Star Wars material out of pure boredom, but I ended up reawakening the pure enjoyment and nostalgia for this franchise. I’ve been watching the same three original movies continuously to this day, and I cannot try to hide my appreciation for these films, nearly 40 years after their debut. The original Star Wars films, widely regarded as the greatest trilogy in cinema history, are enjoyable for people of all ages. The great plots, cinematography, soundtrack, and legacy make the original trilogy more enjoyable with each additional viewing. Originally, it was believed that Star Wars would not be much of a success and not much would come of it, but that changed very quickly after the release of the first film.

Originally titled just Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope, was the top box office hit of 1977 and started off the Star Wars saga with a summer blockbuster. With a cast that included Mark Hammill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher, the story of Luke Skywalker and the rebels’ struggle against the Empire was born. The first Star Wars film tells the story of Skywalker (Hamill) and his shared struggle in the fight against the Empire, which has spread pain and suffering across the galaxy. Luke’s journey starts out with trying to find his sister, which was not revealed until later, and ends with the destruction of the Death Star, the Empire’s notorious base.

Original Star Wars poster For A New Hope. Photo credit: Pete Vilmur.

The sequel, 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back (now known as Episode V), is widely regarded as the best of the original trilogy, picks up right where ANH ended. The original trilogy film with easily the most surprises, Episode V is generally the fan bases’ favorite one, and that includes my father. This film features Darth Vader’s revelation that he is Luke’s father; the most sinister man in the universe is the father of the most admired. This creates Luke’s struggle between the light and dark sides of the force, one that is further probed in the following film.

And finally, there is 1983’s Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. My favorite movie of the three, ROTJ concludes the original trilogy and completes Luke’s character arc. Starting off this film, Luke must save his friends on his home planet of Tatooine from a notorious drug lord slug. Once completed, he meets back with Yoda to complete his Jedi training. This is where Luke confirms that Vader is his father, while also learning that his possible lover is also his sister. Yikes. The movie concludes with Luke facing off against Vader and the Emperor, where Vader kills the Emperor in order to save his son, but evidently ends up killing himself in the process. Luke succeeds in his mission to return his father to the light side of the force, right before his death. The trilogy ends with the empire’s destruction and peace across the galaxy.

When asked which movie is his favorite and why, John Ballowe (‘21) favors The Empire Strikes Back, “because it shows Luke’s journey to becoming a Jedi but also [includes] the reveal of Vader being Luke’s father.” Henry Mountcastle (‘21) agrees, but for a much simpler reason: “ because Lando [Calrissian, played by Billy Dee Williams] is my favorite character.” This is why the original trilogy is so great, because people can love the same movie for different reasons. 

Star Wars is an exceptional watch for anyone because of the depth in which you can watch the movies. There is such a substantial amount of material that a devoted fan cannot get bored, yet the plot is so simple that someone who has never watched any of the films can follow it, while still staying intrigued.

The original Star Wars trilogy also had a large cultural impact following its release. After each film raked in the highest income in movies in their respective year, merchandise and collectables became a growing commodity. A year after A New Hope’s release, it generated nearly 100 million dollars in revenue, based only off the selling of toys. Over the next 35 years, the Star Wars franchise would generate up to 3.5 billion dollars in revenue off toys alone, and not to mention profit off of books, video games, and other reboots of the franchise. 

Original Star Wars action figures. Photo credit: Thomas Delatte.

Star Wars took the world by storm when it first appeared and doesn’t look like it will be stopping soon. After Disney made billions from each of its most recent movies, they announced this year that there will be many highly anticipated TV releases coming in the next few years. As The Mandalorian has had booming success over the past two years, it is expected many of the new upcoming series, such as Obi Wan Kenobi and Lando, to have similar success as seen in the past.