Star Wars for Beginners

Star Wars is an American multimedia franchise. It began in 1977 with the release of Star Wars and has been expanded with the films The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of The Jedi (1983), The Ewok Adventure (1984), Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985), Star Wars: Episode I: the Phantom Menace (1999), Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of The Clones (2002), Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of The Sith (2005), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and is set to expand with Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), Untitled Han Solo Movie (2018), Star Wars: Episode IX (2019) and Untitled Star Wars film (2020) and at some point was planned to be expanded with Untitled Droids film (cancelled), and Untitled Wookiees film (originally scheduled for 1980; cancelled) and has been expanded with the television series Star Wars: Droids (1984-1986), Star Wars: Ewoks (1984-1987), Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003-2005), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2014), LEGO Star Wars: the Yoda Chronicles (2013-2014),Star Wars Rebels (2014-2018) LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales (2014), LEGO Star Wars: the Freemaker Adventures (2016-), LEGO Star Wars: the Resistance Rises (2016), Star Wars: Forces of Destiny (2017) and Star Wars Blips (2017) and at some point was planned to be expanded with Star Wars: Underworld (originally scheduled for 2009; current development status unknown), Star Wars: Detours (current development status unknown) and Untitled Younglings Star Wars: the Clone Wars spin-off (cancelled; storylines later adapted into Star Wars: the Clone Wars Season 5 Episodes 6-9 "The Gathering," "A Test Of Strength," "Bound for Rescue" and ,"A Necessary Bond") and has been expanded with various books, video games, comics, and promotional material.

The franchise depicts the various adventures - as well as political power struggles - of various characters. While the setting is futuristic, most material begins with the line, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” In the saga, humans coexist with robots - known as “droids” - and various alien species. In the unnamed fictional galaxy, a mystical energy field known simply as “The Force” resides within all life-forms and certain individuals who have an abundance of microscopic life-forms known as “midi-chlorians” in their bloodstream are able to harness its power to perform various supernatural feats, such as telepathy, telekinesis, hypnosis, and enhanced agility.

The main characters in the saga are the Jedi Order, who use the Light Side of the Force, an aspect of the Force that uses compassion and peace, and the Dark Lords of the Sith, who use the Dark Side of the Force, an aspect that feeds off of anger and hate. The main story in the saga is the conflict between the two, mirrored by political events on a galactic scale. Other organizations that use and/or worship the Force include the Gray Jedi, the Dagoyan Masters, the Knights of Ren, The Nightsisters, the Nightbrothers, the Ordu Aspectu, the Guardians of the Whills, Luke Skywalker’s Jedi, the New Jedi Order, the Sith Empire, the Inquisitorius, the Phirmists, several users of the Light Side who have been declared Jedi by exiled Jedi Masters despite existing after the Jedi Order was destroyed, such as Ezra Bridger and Luke Skywalker, the Je’daii Order, Jedi Academy, the Force-Wielders, the Force Priestesses, the Haruun Kal, the Jedi-Bendu, the Caretakers, the Imperial Red Guard, the Praetorian Guard, Ossus Academy, the Sith Clones, and the Cult of Malmorro. Ahsoka Tano is notable for frequently using the Light Side, despite refusing to belong to any of the organizations mentioned above. Force-sensitives who do not frequently use either side of the Force include Leia Organa, Mattis Banz, and Maz Kanata. The Bendu was an alien being who embodied the concept of the Force not always being specific to one side.

The story centers around the Skywalker family, a family who have exceptional Force-sensitivity. The main arc is the rise to power, fall to the Dark Side, and eventual redemption and death of Anakin Skywalker, mirrored by political events on a galactic scale. Other Skywalkers include Shmi Skywalker, Anakin’s mother, an unnamed clone of Anakin, Cliegg Lars, Shmi’s husband, Aika Lars, Cliegg’s deceased wife, Owen Lars, Cliegg and Aika’s son, Beru Lars, Owen’s wife, Padme Amidala, Anakin’s wife, Luke Skywalker, Anakin and Padme’s son, Leia Organa, Anakin and Padme’s daughter and Luke’s sister, Luuke Skywalker, Luke's clone, Bail Organa, Leia’s adoptive father, Breha Organa, Leia’s adoptive mother, Han Solo, Leia’s husband, Ben Solo, Han and Leia’s son, Jaina Solo, Han and Leia’s daughter, Jacen Solo, Han and Leia’s son and Jaina’s twin, Anakin Solo, Han and Leia’s son and younger brother of Jaina and Jacen, Mara Jade Skywalker, Luke’s wife, Ben Skywalker, Luke and Mara Jade’s son, and Cade Skywalker, a descendant of Luke in the distant future. And no, they can't fly.

The story of the saga spans 25,166 years, with the earliest media being Dawn of the Jedi, a Dark Horse Comics series, with the latest being Legacy, another Dark Horse Comics series. Years in Star Wars are typically recorded as fixing around the Battle of Yavin, the climax of the 1977 film Star Wars. Dawn of the Jedi is 25,032 years BBY - before the Battle of Yavin - and Legacy is 134 ABY - after the Battle of Yavin.

Another important feature of the saga is lightsabers: weapons consisting of a usually metal hilt and a kyber crystal, a special kind of crystal which could power an energy blade of blue or green. In some rare instances, it would become another shade, including bluish-white, purple, yellow-green, yellow, black, white, and muddy yellow. Poor care could cause a lightsaber to turn an undesired color. Dark Side users would either bend a kyber crystal to their will using the Force, causing it to “bleed,” giving their lightsaber a red color, or use a synthetic kyber crystal, which would also produce a red hue. It was possible for a Light Side user to “purify” Sith lightsabers made using the latter process, turning them their original color. An example of this is when Ahsoka Tano purified the Sixth Brother’s lightsabers, turning them white. Organizations that use lightsabers include the Jedi Order, the Dark Lords of the Sith, Imperial Stormtroopers, Rebel Soldiers, Sith Knights, the Ordu Aspectu, Luke Skywalker’s Jedi, the New Jedi Order, the Ninja, the Knights of Ren, the Nightsisters, the Sith Empire, the Light Side users declared Jedi by exiled Jedi Masters, despite existing after the Order’s destruction - examples include Ezra Bridger and Luke Skywalker - , the Inquisitorius, and Clan Vizsla. Individuals who have used lightsabers include Cassie Cryar, Han Solo (briefly), Princess Leia Organa (briefly), Maz Kanata (who never actually used the lightsaber she came across, just waited for someone to hand it down to), FN-2187 “Finn,” Rey, Rowan Freemaker, and Fritz “Starfarer” Donnogan. Lightsaber variations include double-bladed lightsabers, double-bladed spinning lightsabers, Lightswords, eight-bladed lightsabers, crossguard lightsabers, lightsaber-blaster combinations, curved-hilted lightsabers, short lightsabers, training lightsabers, lightsaber pikes, collapsible double-bladed lightsabers, two piece lightsabers, and the Darksaber. A red power brick called “Super Silly Sabers” could make the energy blade into the shape of flames, a fairy wand, a trident, Mjolnir, a golf club, a chainsaw, a club, a wrench, or a dual-bladed axe. A red power brick called “Disco Sabers” could make the blade repeatedly cycle between various colors including blue, bluish-green, green, orange, pink, purple, red, and yellow. Other Force-related artifacts included Jedi and Sith holocrons, recording devices that could only be opened by the Light Side of the Force and the Dark Side of the Force, respectively.