Star Wars Archetypes

On May 25th, 1977, the world was introduced to Star Wars. Star Wars: A New Hope is a scientific fantasy film written and directed by George Lucas. This movie was the first of its kind, due to the inclusion of extensive special effects and the captivating realm it was set in. No other movie had expressed such creativity in the way that George Lucas did in the first installment of the Star Wars franchise. With such a variety of intriguing creatures, from Wookies to droids, the film became an extreme success.

The movie follows the adventure of Luke Skywalker, a farm boy from the planet of Tatooine, after he and his newly assembled group of companions go on a journey to save Princess Leia, the leader of a rebel group, during a Galactic Civil

War. Luke Skywalker becomes a hero in a quest bestowed by Princess Leia and his new master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, as he faces the challenges necessary to defeat the evil Empire and destroy the most dangerous weapon in the galaxy, the Death Star.
Luke Skywalker’s actions are explained by a literary process called the Hero’s Journey.

The Hero’s Journey is a ten-step adventure, created by Joseph Campbell, that a heroic character must embark on a quest that employs a selection of archetypes. Carl Jung, a highly acclaimed psychologist, defined archetypes as universal patterns in all stories and mythologies regardless of culture or historical period. There are three categories of archetypes: character, symbolic, and situational. In these categories are multiple specific archetypes, which Star Wars depicts and easily explains. George Lucas’ film, Star Wars: A New Hope, uses an assortment of archetypes to illustrate and emphasize the threats Luke Skywalker must overcome while completing the Hero’s

Journey.
Taking place during a Galactic War between the Empire and the rebel alliance, Luke Skywalker, a young boy living on the desolate planet of Tatooine, begins his journey in the conscious realm, a state of mind and being where the hero has yet to be challenged; the first step in the Hero’s Journey. His state of safety and consciousness are present while he is on land, especially while on his home planet. It is when he receives the call, defined as the invitation to begin a quest, that leads him to delve into the unconscious realm.
In this episode, there are four different events that take place before Luke Skywalker accepts the call. One is C-3PO’s mention of the rebellion, which sparks Skywalker’s interest. C-3PO is a droid from the rebellion who has traveled to Tatooine with another droid, R2-D2. The second, is a hologram of Princess Leia asking for help. This hologram is received inadvertently by Skywalker through R2-D2, though it was intended for Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi. A Jedi is a person trained to guard peace and justice in the universe with a mystical power known as the force.
The third event occurs after Skywalker meets the Jedi knight, Kenobi. Kenobi invites Skywalker to travel to Alderaan with him, for that is the planet on which they will find help for Princess Leia. At this time, Skywalker declines to travel with Kenobi, for he does not want to abandon his guardians; his aunt and uncle, who are the only known family members he has. At this point in time, Skywalker is not ready to undertake the quest yet.
The final event of the call, the one that convinces Skywalker to accept the quest, is the death of his aunt and uncle. Skywalker is thus introduced as The Hero, a protagonist whose life is a series of well-marked adventures and one who has unusual circumstances regarding his birth. This event is known as the Unhealable Wound, in this case a psychological wound that cannot be fully healed. Without his family or home, Skywalker decides he has no reason to stay on Tatooine. Therefore, a distressed Skywalker leaves with Kenobi, C-3PO, and R2-D2 to travel to Mos Eisley, a city where Skywalker, Kenobi, and the droids hope to find transportation to Alderaan.
Once arriving in Mos Eisley, Kenobi and Skywalker set off in search of a pilot.

In what is known as the “pirate city”, Kenobi warns Skywalker that he must be careful, for the city is full of vile creatures. Obi-Wan Kenobi is developing into Skywalker’s mentor, an older and wiser figure who teachers their pupil how to survive. In this dangerous city, Kenobi heads to a place he knows will have a pilot, Mos Eisley Cantina. Once again, Kenobi warns Skywalker to be cautious, for Mos Eisley Cantina is a dangerous place. Not without violence, Kenobi and Skywalker manage to find a pilot, a smuggler named Han Solo who has a Wookie for a co-pilot. Wookies are intelligent, yet aggressive, bipeds that are characterized by being extremely tall and hairy. Solo tells Kenobi and Skywalker to meet him in Docking Bay 94 as soon as they are ready to leave. Since Skywalker and Kenobi are prepared to leave, they exit Mos Eisley Cantina and begin to make their way to the docking

bays.
Later, Skywalker and his hunting group of companions; an archetype described as a group of loyal companions willing to face hardship and ordeal in order to stay together, arrive at Docking Bay 94. There, Han Solo is waiting with his ship, the Millennium Falcon. This ship is the threshold, a gateway to a new world which the hero must enter to change and grow. To enter the threshold, the hero, Luke Skywalker, must defeat the threshold guardians. Which, at this time, is a group of Stormtroopers, the loyal minions of the Empire with orders to capture and detain Kenobi, Skywalker, and the droids. Skywalker proves himself worthy of passage by defeating the Stormtroopers and boarding the Millennium Falcon. Once Skywalker has entered the ship, he has crossed the Threshold; the fifth step in the Hero’s Journey.
Aboard the ship, Skywalker prepares to leave Tatooine, the only home he’s ever known. He is about to depart; the fourth step in the Hero’s Journey, which is the act of leaving one’s safe surroundings to face the challenges that have been bestowed upon the hero. As soon as Skywalker leaves Tatooine, he will be in space. This transition illustrates the departure from land to space, yet also the passage from the Conscious Realm to Unconscious Realm. The Unconscious Realm is a state where one is faced with obstacles outside of the safety of their home or haven where they learn to grow intellectually, emotionally, and physically.
These challenges take place in the sixth step of the Hero’s Journey; Task, Trials, and Tribulations. To begin with, Skywalker must face tasks, or endeavors that must be completed. A few examples would be discovering a way to deliver the Death Star’s blueprints to the rebels, how to escape the Death Star, and how to save Princess Leia from the Empire. Once overcoming these tasks, Skywalker will face many trials, which are more daunting tasks. For instance, this would be Skywalker’s desire to destroy the Death Star.
Lastly, Skywalker must face a tribulation, which is an emotional or physical blow that one must overcome to finish their quest. Luke Skywalker’s tribulation would be the death of his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kenobi was murdered by Darth Vader, who had once been a Jedi until he was seduced by the dark side, while seeking a way to escape the Death Star. Darth Vader is the devil figure, or a person who is evil incarnate. Yet, Darth Vader can also be described as the shadow; a worthy opponent with whom the hero must struggle with in a fight to the end.
Through these harsh events, Luke Skywalker becomes emotionally and physically stronger. He experiences a Transformation of Consciousness; the seventh step in the Hero’s Journey. The Transformation of Consciousness is when one develops the ability to use new mental capabilities by acquiring new skills and mastery over their mind and body. Skywalker is able to complete this by understanding the ways of the force. This is shown once the rebels have received and analyzed the plans to the Death Star and when the rebels have devised a plan to attack. They created a scheme that involved pilots flying in one-person ships, and then shooting a missile down one of the Death Star’s main shafts. After an abundance of attempts made by other pilots, it finally comes down to Skywalker. Skywalker must make the shot or all hope is lost.
While aligning his weapon and preparing to shoot, he hears the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi, “trust in the force.” This is an example of supernatural intervention; spiritual beings intervening on the side of the hero, because Skywalker is receiving aid from the spirit of Kenobi. Skywalker puts away all of the equipment he had planned to use and opens his senses, then fired. Skywalker destroys the Death Star by using and trusting in the force to guide the missile into the shaft. The destruction of the Death Star is the eighth step in the Hero’s Journey, the Ritual. The Ritual is what the hero must perform or accomplish before they can return to the Conscious Realm.
After completing the task, the nearly superhuman feat the Hero must perform in order to accomplish the quest, Luke Skywalker travels from space to a rebel base on the planet Yavin. Once Skywalker is on a planet again, he is back in the Conscious Realm. This is called the Return, the ninth step in the Hero’s Journey. This is transition from Unconscious Realm to the Conscious Realm.
Ultimately, Luke Skywalker completes the final step in the Hero’s Journey, Sharing, by taking part in a medal ceremony. Princess Leia awards Skywalker with a medal for his bravery and courage. She is depicted as the White Goddess in this scene; the White Goddess is a good, beautiful maiden. Leia is cloaked in an all white, flowing dress. The color white portrays purity and innocence. Leia is not the only character to always wear white. Luke Skywalker wears an all white or beige outfit. This is indicating the true light and goodness he has. However, on the other hand, there is Darth Vader. Vader wears all black, and it shows the darkness and evil that is in him. These colors visually show the situational archetype, the Battle Between Good and Evil; this is a battle between two primal forces. Throughout the movie, it is the rebels versus the Empire and Luke Skywalker versus Darth Vader. In the end, the rebels persevered and triumphed over the Empire. With this victory, he has fulfilled the Quest. He brought a new hope to the universe.
Throughout the film, Luke Skywalker goes through many hardships in order to complete his Hero’s Journey. He loses his home, his mentor, and ultimately, his former identity. Yet, he also vanquishes the evil villain, is rewarded, and is “resurrected” into a better, stronger man than he was. With the assistance of a variety of archetypes, George Lucas was able to create an engrossing story that captured the heart of viewers by illustrating the journey of a young boy into adulthood. Star Wars: A New Hope is a film that employs archetypes to demonstrate and explain the perils Luke Skywalker must conquer while traversing the Hero’s Journey.