A Hero's Journey In "Star Wars" Eyes | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

A Hero's Journey In "Star Wars" Eyes

The Monomyth that has been retold for centuries has never reached a wider audience than the myth that is "Star Wars".

450
A Hero's Journey In "Star Wars" Eyes
Heroes Wikia

What makes the "Star Wars" saga truly stand out from other science fiction films is how it's more than a story... it's a myth. "Star War"s plays out more like "The Odyssey" or "The Epic of Gilgamesh" than "Independence Day" or "E.T." George Lucas openly admits that he was heavily influenced by mythology and especially by his close friend Joseph Campbell, an comparative mythologist. Campbell proclaims that there is a Monomyth, an overlying story that is found in mythologies around the world. One of these Monomyths is the epic "Hero's Journey". Examples of this journey can be found in the "Lord of the Rings", "the Epic of Gilgamesh", "Moby Dick", and my personal favorite, "Star Wars".

Understanding the Hero's Journey will not only make reading mythology easier and more interesting but it will serve as a metaphor for the struggles every human being faces to achieve their meaning in life. The hero on the spotlight is Luke Skywalker, let's see his journey from a farm boy to a hero within 10 steps.

Note: This is a condensed version of the cycle. The average is 12 steps but some range to over 17.

1. Ordinary World

Luke feels isolated on the desert planet of Tatooine. All his friends have left him and he lives a monotonous life as a farmhand for his uncle's moisture farm. He feels unhappy that he can't leave, but our young hero could never guess the sequence of events that would transpire within hours of buying two seemingly normal droids.

2. Call to Action

While cleaning the driods C3PO and R2D2, Luke stumbles upon a message from a princess. She is begging for the aid of Obi Wan Kenobi in a desperate mission. Confused by this brief and urgent message Luke is given the first call to help the alliance.

3. Refusal of the Call and Meeting a Mentor

After Luke chases after a rogue R2D2 and finds Ben Kenobi, he learns of the entire message sent by the princess. Luke also learns more about his father who was a former pupil of Kenobi as a Jedi Knight before the rise of the Empire. Kenobi then asks Luke to join him on his mission to the distant planet of Alderan and learn the ways of the force like his father. But Luke submits to the backlash he would receive from his aunt and uncle at the farm. He declines Kenobi's offer and begins preparations to return to his moisture farm.

4. Crossing the Threshold

When Luke returns home he finds a nightmarish situation. In realizing who the droids had been purchased by, the Empire found his moisture farm and murdered his aunt and uncle. Luke with a deep feeling of grief, channels his anger towards the Empire to return to Kenobi. Luke was going to Alderan and taking the first steps to becoming a jedi like his father.

5. Tests, Allies, and Enemies

Luke, Kenobi, and the two droids enter Mos Eisley Spaceport to find a pilot that could take them to Alderan. At a cantina bar, Luke already encounters tests among belligerent aliens and escaping the planet of Tatooine with his newfound friends, Han Solo and Chewbacca. The crew is also being targeted by a seemingly ever present foe known as the Empire.

6. Entering the Innermost Cave

When Kenobi frightfully utters, "that's no moon," Luke and his friends are preparing for a big change on their quest. The planet of Alderan has been obliderated and they are now entering a space station crawling with Imperial soldiers and the menacing Vader. Our Hero must be cautious.

7. The Ordeal

Kenobi has shut down the tractor beam to allow for Luke and the Flacon crew (plus the Princess) to escape. With the presence of his former apprentice being a danger for Luke, Kenobi duels Vader in the docking back. Luke watches the fight at a distance while his friends board the Millenian Falcon. When Kenobi realizes the crew is safely on board, he raises his light saber and allows Vader to cut him down with a swift swing. Luke feels distraught after the death of his mentor but gathers himself to secure a safe escape from the Death Star.

8. Reward (Seizing the Sword)

Luke's reward for escaping the Death Star with the Princess and the secret plans is his acceptance into the Rebel Alliance, a group of freedom fighters with sights on dismantling the Empire. While he may have already received his "sword" from Kenobi, he now takes the reigns of an X-Wing starfighter.

9. The Road Back

Rather than return home, Luke sets his sights on taking a trip back to the Death Star but with different intentions. The goal is to destroy this machine of oppression before it destroys the rebel base. This isn't going to be an easy fight and not everyone will make it back alive.

10. Resurrection


Luke faces almost impossible odds with Vader on his tail and the fate of an entire rebellion based on the accuracy of his shot. Rather than rely on his technology, he receives a supernatural message from Kenobi to use the force. Luke then utilizes his newfound power (the force) to destroy the Death Star and save the alliance. He is no longer the whiny farm boy on Tatooine but a hero who is taking his first steps to becoming a Jedi.

The hero's journey can be applied to so many other novels, tv shows, and movies that it is absolutely fascinating how society loves this monomyth. I feel that this trend will not change in the future and I'm glad of it. The Hero's Journey is instantly accessible and will serve as a source of motivation for future generations. What other sources do you see the Hero's Journey in and what makes "Star Wars" so special to you?





Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

98063
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

16590
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

15847
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments