Star Wars And The Hero'S Journey

The Star Wars saga created by George Lucas was, by his own admission, influenced and guided by Joseph Campbell’s monomyth theory. The monomyth theory was outlined in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, written by Campbell. In the book, Campbell outlines the Hero’s Journey, a narrative cycle he developed from his research into mythologies and fairy tales from around the world.The Hero’s Journey consists of three distinct phases. The Departure, in which the Hero must embark on their adventure, discover the larger world, and confront new enemies. The Initiation, in which the Hero must undergo trials to prove their worth. Finally,there is The Return, in which the Hero returns to the world of the non-heroic in order to solve the crisis that instigated the journey.This paper examines how George Lucas uses the Hero’s Journey throughout the original Star Wars trilogy, consisting of ANew Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Return of the Jedi, and how George Lucas reinvents film and TV tropes.George Lucas’ stated purpose is to create a new mythology to address contemporary moral, spiritual, and cultural quandaries. Understanding his work and its legacy fosters deeper insight into current cultural mores