10 Star Wars Theories That Make Appalling Sense
Alternative theories that suggest a secret, and often much darker, history of the Star Wars galaxy.
For all its fans love it, Star Wars doesn't always make the most sense. It’s the tales of starfaring derring-do and the grimy, real and colourful universe that keep them coming back, not the finely-tuned plotlines.
For the most part they’re happy to be carried away by the flow of sassy droids, laser swords, and exploding spaceships. Star Wars isn't ‘hard’ science fiction where spacecraft and blaster pistols need realistic physics, and its fantasy-in-space voice means fans can always say ‘it was the Force’ whenever something doesn't make sense.
Perhaps if someone look a little too close, though, things make little enough sense that they are forced out of the cosy world of salty smugglers and gutsy princesses, and remember Star Wars is a work of often flawed fiction.
Of course, geeks being the creative weirdos they are, there are plenty of theories that help paper over the logical gaps in the Star Wars series. Some of them make a frightening level of sense given how much explain perplexing plot holes and inconsistencies. And some of them force us to rethink everything audiences thought they knew about Star Wars.
10. The Force Awakened To Try Again
The similarity of The Force Awakens to A New Hope are numerous and at times glaring, from the desert planet origins of the hero to the masked Dark Jedi villain, planet-nuking plot device and cute trundling droid. This theory explains the similarities not just as a deliberate attempt by the filmmakers to capture the appeal of the original movie, but as the Force restarting its plan to set the galaxy to rights.
The original trilogy saw Luke, ordained by the Force, rising to become a Jedi and destroy the evil galactic Empire. But for some reason, he failed. Either he didn't do the job properly, or the Force had something entirely different in mind for him.
So The Force Awakens sees the Force trying again with the same ingredients - isolated young hero, dashing pilot ally, elderly faded Jedi mentor and the same cocktail of Light Side, Dark Side, conflict and destiny. The Force isn't just an invisible power source for space wizards - it is an intelligence moulding the events of the galaxy towards it own desired conclusion.
In this theory the Force is cyclical, and will go through the same loop as many times as it needs to get it right. Who know how many times it has created the saga before, or even if this will be the last one?