One of the key things that marks the Disney era of Star Wars out from what came before is its willingness to put everyday heroes front and centre: a shuttle pilot, a stormtrooper, an engineer etc. Compared with the Jedi, senators and royalty that dominate so much of […]
To say that Star Wars means a lot to me is an understatement. My daughter’s middle name is Amidala, my wife walked down the aisle to ‘Across the Stars’ and my home is filled with various merchandise, collectables and memorabilia. Even in the off weeks where my fandom […]
If, as Churchill proclaimed, “history is written by the victors” then any account accepted by a cultural majority is a prescribed and biased narrative. Individual accounts of the same events rarely align, but on the national scale this becomes much more sinister. Taking charge of an information stream […]
Names in Star Wars range from the ridiculous to the sublime, combining marketing fun and in-jokes – Elan Sleazebaggano, I’m looking at you – with the pantomime stylings of Sidious, Grievous and Tyrannous. From a linguistic perspective, many names across the saga offer subtle clues and insights […]
“I must be allowed to speak,” Luke Skywalker demands of Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi. Historically peacekeepers and diplomats, the voice and spoken word are as important to the function and philosophy of the Jedi as their lightsabers. Having already struck out in anger against […]
