i love how the old jedi order spent three whole movies saying that once someone has embraced the dark side there’s no chance they can be redeemed, but luke skywalker looked at the man who chopped off his hand, participated in the torture of his twin sister and best friend, and pursued him and his friends across the galaxy with the intent to kill them and said “yeah i can fix this” and then he fucking did
Everyone likes to talk about how staid and archetypal Star Wars is. And it is. Sort of. It lives in those archetypes and understands them but them allows its characters to ignore them when it suits them or when its interesting to do so. The wise and noble Jedi are fallible and cowardly. The slick, suave cowboy is really more of an awkward screwball, the damsel in distress/love interest is also a major leadership figure in the rebellion who knows her way around a blaster and doesn’t take shit. The prophecy was either complete bullshit or totally correct … from two different certain points of view. It goes on like that. And I’d say that you can do that with most stories, and you can, except that it seems to be so consistent and intentional in Star Wars. It’s a film that’s designed to look like the perfect hero narrative from a distance and in retrospect … but that’s much more alive while you’re watching it. That comes alive in little ways.
It’s not a timeless universal archetypal relic … that’s just it’s chosen aesthetic.
this is straight up one of the best things that’s ever been added to this post
I think what gets me the most (that is, gets me choked up just thinking about it) is how the ultimate final battle isn’t the hero overcoming the villain through remarkable physical strength or prowess (in fact, that’s the very thing that nearly tips him over the edge from his status as hero), but getting through to him with unconditional love and compassion. He accepts that he may not be able to change the villain. He tosses his weapon aside. He lets himself get tortured. He steadfastly adopts a passive, peaceful stance.
It’s such a great contrast from the first film, where his moment of heroism is defined by overcoming the villain through power (in addition to a bit of spirituality and faith, but they play lesser roles than they do in the following entries). It’s ultimately a love-conquers-all-story dressed up in space battles and laser swords.