Everyone knows I’m obsessed with Star Wars – due, in part, to my 24 Star Wars t-shirts and the Princess Leia bobble-head in my room. I, however, like to think it has to do with more than just my merch. The Star Wars films are integral to who I am. These movies taught me to feel and wonder and rebel.
I don’t remember the first time I watched Star Wars. I feel as if I’ve always been watching it. I do remember the first time I watched Revenge of the Sith specifically; I was 8. I was sick with something, but we went to the movie theater anyway. I was constantly sniffling and on the verge of vomiting the whole time. I watched Anakin Skywalker, who I had seen grow up in my own short life, murder children. It was the scariest thing I’d ever seen on a screen and it still gives me chills twelve years later. I watched the clone army nearly wipe out the Jedi. Although I never actually threw up, I cried my eyes out. The Star Wars movies taught me catharsis before I ever knew what that word meant.
I ached when Leia watched her whole planet be destroyed in A New Hope, but I also found myself disturbingly curious. All those people. Most likely, they had no idea that everything they knew was about to be destroyed. Did it hurt? Does anything hurt when you cease to exist? Can you imagine an entire planet ceasing to exist simultaneously? What were they doing when they died? Someone was probably laughing, someone was probably eating, someone was probably reading their favorite book. They had stories; didn’t anyone care about their stories?
Star Wars showed me that stories don’t always have to go the way we think they will. Both Leia and Padme showed me that princesses were not just for saving, as Disney would have me believe. Princesses should be smart and tough to stand up for what they believe in. I’ll also argue until the day I die that Padme is one of the best sharp shooters in the whole universe. Leia Organa was not just a princess, but also a spy and later a general. She withstood being tortured to protect a cause she believed in. I saw different paths, different ways to fight for what’s right.
Sure, I had seen other movies, but these were the first ones I loved. This universe sucked me in and these characters reflected who I thought I was and who I thought I could be. The Star Wars moves are the reason I love movies. They let me think about movies the way I think about books: in terms of character development, story arc, and symbolism. They fostered my love of story-telling and adventure. Most importantly, the Star Wars movies serve as a constant reminder that everyone has a story worth telling and that no story should be forgotten.