What Are the Top 7 Reasons Why We Love Star Wars?

How is it that we never tire of Star Wars?  What is it about this franchise that keeps us not only interested, but actively obsessed?  I'm asking you, Gen Clever...  Give me seven reasons why the moment the second teaser trailer for The Force Awakens hit the Internet, our hashtags, profile pics, and social media statuses immediately became Star Wars themed.  

Image courtesy of koratmember at FreeDigialPhotos.net

1.  The Force.  The Force is the thing that other space movies and adventure franchises lack.  Love and skill will only get a young hero so far.  The Force is that element of potential we all 'search our feelings' to find.  The Force is why I take T’ai Chi classes.  The Force is to be respected and feared, like fire.  Fire can warm us and light our way, but fire also burns and destroys.  The Force is basically G-O-D to a Star Wars fan. 

2.  Lightsabers.  Obi-Wan said it best: "This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. A more elegant weapon for a more civilized age."  Lightsabers cut, burn, melt, stab, deflect, and remove any pesky appendage that might get in the way.  They are of the Force, and in order to be used masterfully, require an intimate understanding of the Force and also perhaps the time and skill to complete the Lightsaber Building 101 course presumably taught at the Jedi Academy.  While some (Han Solo) would say "ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side", if you can weild a lightsaber, you'll never have to worry about someone sneaking up on you in the dark.

3.  The sounds that space makes.  The ships, the lasers, the droids, the creatures, and the lightsabers clashing create an endless happy dance for our ears.  Whether it’s a John Williams Overture, or the Doppler Effect brilliantly generated by sound engineers, Star Wars sounds are phenomenal and unlike any other!  They are also unlike the sounds of actual space, which would make for a terrible waste of surround sound!

Artwork by Akira Yashiki

4.  The ships.  Star Wars has an exhausting array of spaceships. Small, large, fast, deadly, we got ‘em.  Live on a ship, blow up a ship, infiltrate a ship, hide a ship, or race a ship. The Millennium Falcon is the Mack Truck of ships; a little mud on the tires and a driver that’s all heart underneath the scruff.  Meanwhile the Empire’s Star Destroyers are more sterile than a hospital clean room.  I’m in a long term ship with these ships.  I couldn't help it even if I wanted to.

Image Courtesy of FreeMediaGoo.com

5.  The Clothes.  Stay with me.  Not the hair, the clothes!  Robes and tunics are awesome.  Hooded robes are even more awesome!  Somewhere between a robe and a kimono, we have the samurai-like apparel that Jedi Knights wear.  There are also capes and boots.  CAPES AND BOOTS!  No one in Star Wars wears flashy colors or silly patterns, (with Padme Amidala being the occasional exception).  We all wanted to Cosplay Star Wars before Cosplay was even a thing we had heard of.     

 6.  Bad guys that are SO GOOD.  We suffered through some terrible cinema knowing that our devotion would later be repaid.  We love watching Anakin go Darth.  We love to hate on Jabba the Hutt.  We fear the Crimson clad Imperial Guard, and they’re just the Emperor’s lackeys!  They've got nothing on the Emperor himself.  Not to mention Boba Fett, Grand Moff Tarkin and all those 'wretched scum' at Mos Eisley…  What’s not to love to hate?

7.  Droids Droids Droids!  You need expertise?  There’s a droid for that.  If you ever find yourself trapped in a trash compactor with three of your closest friends, you’d better hope you have a droid as part of your posse.  In fact, R2-D2 saved the day more times than Yoda says ‘hmm’.  And let us not forget that it was C-3PO who convinced Luke to encourage his uncle to purchase R2-D2 from the Jawas after Owen initially decided R2 was 'not the droid he was looking for' and chose R5-D4 instead.   How much teddy bear fluff would be on the Endor forest floor if R2 had never come into Luke’s possession, had his restraining bolt removed, and fatefully led Luke to old Ben Kenobi?  Think about that for a minute.

It is these seven reasons (and infinitely more) that keep us watching, reading, listening, repeating, purchasing, and lovingly incorporating the Star Wars universe into our own.  It is these reasons that allow us to forgive and/or overlook characters like Jar Jar Binks, or the controversial Greedo scene ‘reshoot’.  This franchise has changed us, become a part of us, and for these reasons we will celebrate every May the Fourth and spend our hard-earned duckets to go see The Force Awakens at the theater on opening night, and probably several nights thereafter.  May the Force be with us, always.

I own no rights to Star Wars, the franchise, it's merchandise, Disney, or anyone or thing that has to do with it.  The text written here is my own original thought, work, and opinion, shared with love. Photos in this post belong to their original owners (not me) and are captioned with appropriate credit and used with permission.  No copyright infringement intended.  I only offer my humble rambling opinion.  Thank you.