A handsome young man of modest origins with a passion for justice and an urge for a purpose. A corrupt system controlled by an evil overlord who wants nothing but complete destruction of those who defy him. A beautiful princess in need of saving. Star Wars represents the classic hero’s journey in its utmost standard form. There’s a reason why Star Wars became such a popular representation of long-form media: who wouldn’t want to root for a hero?
Star Wars follows Luke Skywalker’s journey to become a hero, outlined by Joseph Cambell’s set of 17 stages. Star Wars: A New Hope begins the Star Wars Saga and introduces the character we will grow to root for - a young man who will be forged by his hardships to emerge stronger and wiser. While one could apply Cambell’s stages to the overarching series of the Star Wars Saga, one can also see these stages through the series’s first movie.
Luke Skywalker lives in the ordinary world: the planet of Tatooine. It’s monotonous and mundane but it’s safe and all he’s known. His entire life is disrupted when he cleans a robot with a very special message. This robot is R2-D2, and the message it displays acts as the call to Luke’s adventure: Princess Leia needs help from a mysterious Obi-Wan. When Luke eventually finds Obi-Wan, he turns out to be Luke’s very own physical representation of supernatural aid. Obi-Wan, or Ben Kenobi, provides him with the tools he needs to begin his journey into the unknown. Luke receives through the gift of a lightsaber, the knowledge of his father, and an insight into the force. All of these pieces of information, as well as Obi’ Wan Kenobi himself, allow Luke to finally step forth into a strange new world.
It takes Luke a while to become accustomed to the oddities of the unknown world. There are dangerous people out there who want to kill him, including the Big Bad of the story: Darth Vader, a merciless dictator of the galaxy. Luke evades many near death occurrences through his approach through his personal road of trials. Of course, not without help. Along the way he meets Princess Leia, in a surreal, powerful moment. While he gains more aid throughout his journey (Han Solo!) and loses some as well (Ben’s “death”) Luke Skywalker finally achieves the ultimate end goal of his journey: saving the world with Darth Vader’s defeat. An Ultimate Boon indeed.
