There seems to be an underlying trend in all the new Star Wars, no matter the media, and that is exploring the ancient history and culture of the Galaxy. This is not shoved down our throats as the main arc in any story but it also isn’t exactly subtle. Today we’re going to explore examples of this and what it means for future stories.
We have mentioned how the history of Jedi and the darkside seem to be an important part of the movies, but we haven’t really spoken about HOW important this seems to be in all of the new Star Wars material being released.
There are multiple references to Luke tracking down Jedi lore and the first Jedi Temple, and artifacts from the comics featuring Shara Bey to the novel Bloodline. The Aftermath series has shined a light on Palpatine’s own investigations into the history of the Darkside. This has all led the galaxy to its current state where the First Order has come from the shadows of the Unknown regions and where Palpatine’s darkside origins hunt was to Luke and Rey on the world that hosts the first Jedi Temple.
Rogue One is taking us to where the Force may have begun and another world on which the first Jedi were in Jedha. In Rebels we see influence of an old Sith Temple and an old Jedi temple on our main character. All in all novels, comics and movies are using the importance of the history of the force as a backdrop to the current situations.
I fear nothing. All is as the Force wills it…
The Force Awakens introduced us to the concept of the Church of the Force, and that there are followers, such as Lor San Tekka, who also seek out ancient Jedi lore. Indeed, Lor San Tekka is presented in such as way as to provide intriguing hints of a backstory searching for such lore. Could this backstory some day be part of a very exciting off-shot TV, comic, or even movie endeavors?
So if the history of the force is being used as a backdrop we have to ask why? I think the answer lies in two new characters of Lor San Tekka and Chirrut Îmwe. Both of these characters are spiritual followers of the force that are not necessarily Force-sensitive. They represent the tone of the Force in these new movies. There is an emphasis on the spirituality of the Force from light side, and I suspect an emphasis on how the Force can be used on the Darkside. This is the duality of the new Star Wars, not as much evil vs good, but Spritual vs Secular. How can I use the Force to help others or help myself. This will also be the central struggle with both Kylo and Rey, and their choices based on the knowledge they obtain through these paths.
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