With a certain geeky enthusiasm (once again), I bring you my review, from a parts perspective, of the Star Wars films, or at least the three main trilogies. These include: A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and The Return of the Jedi (1983). These original three films actually constitute Episodes 4, 5, and 6 respectively. They tell the story of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo as rebels who fight the Galactic Empire led by Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader.
We also have the “prequels” (Episodes 1, 2, and 3 respectively): The Phantom Menace (1999), The Clone Wars (2002), and The Revenge of the Sith (2005) which tell the story of Anakin Skywalker and the fall of both the Republic and the Jedi Order. And, more recently under the Disney banner we have the “sequels” (Episodes 7, 8, and 9 respectively): The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019) which tell the story of Han and Leia’s son Kylo Ren (AKA Ben Solo) of the First Order taking on Rey, Finn, and Poe of the Resistance.
In these nine films, there’s a lot to cover so I won’t even begin to approach the many comic books, novels, video games, additional adjunct movies, and TV shows that add to this incredible world created by George Lucas and many contributors who have expanded upon this vast and diverse universe. I could of course write a novel on the many psychological and literary elements in these films, but I will focus on what I feel is relevant to understanding and critiquing these films from a Christian parts work perspective.
Star Wars and Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey
George Lucas used Joseph Campbell’s the Hero’s Journey (from his classic book The Hero with a Thousand Faces) as inspiration for the story structure and character development of the Star Wars films. Joseph Campbell was an anthropologist who studied the world’s many mythologies to identify common patterns with common themes. Campbell was also inspired by Carl Jung, the depth psychologist and psychoanalyst who brought us the collective unconscious, and who identified archetypes such as the persona (our outward presentation to the world), the shadow (our repressed desires and weaknesses), the mother, the orphan, the hero, the magician, the jester, the wizard, the explorer, the sage, the creator, the caregiver, the rebel, and the lover among others.
Carl Jung also identified the anima/animus concept which is the balance between the masculine (logic and problem solving) and the feminine (empathy and emotional connection) elements of the psyche. And as I outline in my book Litanies of the Heart, these archetypes can be understood as parts of the self-system that all of us have in some form or another. I argue that we love the Star Wars movies (and others that also follow the Hero’s Journey such as The Lion King, The Matrix, Harry Potter, and The Chronicles of Narnia) because they speak to or resonate with our own inner journey, following the pattern of the Hero’s Journey, and our own parts who identify with various archetypes.
Acts and stages of the Hero’s Journey
In the Hero’s Journey there is always a main protagonist who goes on an adventure, faces a crisis, emerges victorious, and returns home transformed. Classic examples include Odysseus from The Odyssey and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the story of Moses and even Jesus Himself generally follow the Hero’s Journey. Here are the three acts and the seventeen stages of the Hero’s Journey:
- Departure
- Call to adventure (On one hand Luke wants to leave Tatooine to go to the Academy but he is also being called by R2D2 and Ben Kenobi to go on this adventure)
- Refusal of the call (Luke has to take care of the farm and so resists the call)
- Supernatural aid/meet with mentor (Luke meets Ben/Obi Wan and receives the lightsaber)
- Crossing of the first threshold (This begins when Luke enters the bar with all the strange aliens, but takes hold when he leaves Tatooine on the Millennium Falcon).
- Initiation
- Road of trials / tests / belly of the whale (the hero confronts his demons and the journey now overcomes the hero as he loses control and discovers a deeper and unknown part of himself, this occurs in the Death Star)
- Meeting with the goddess / approach the inmost cave (when the hero meets its “opposite” as Luke or Han with Leia, Anakin with Padme, or Kylo with Rey, this sometimes involves a “divine” marriage. The woman here often represents all that can be known/wisdom)
- Woman as temptress/ordeal (this is not necessarily a woman per se but any challenge such as Satan tempting Jesus)
- Atonement with the father (e.g. Luke / Darth Vader, Ben Solo / Kylo and Han Solo)
- Apotheosis (highest point of development, for example when Luke becomes a Jedi. With Jesus this can be the Transfiguration and then more permanently the Resurrection)
- Ultimate boon / reward (this reward for achieving their goal changes the hero and expands their consciousness and/or sense of self)
- Return (not every stage here happens in every Hero’s Journey story)
- Refusal of the return (the hero doesn’t want to return to his old way of life or his old stomping grounds)
- Magic flight / road back (this can happen quickly as when Dorothy returns home from Oz or Bilbo returns to the Shire)
- Rescue from without/resurrection (the hero returns to reality and the living)
- The crossing of the return threshold/return with the elixir (the hero faces being home again and shares what they learned with others)
- Master of two worlds (the hero is no longer the same and he is able to achieve a higher level of consciousness and a deeper wisdom about life)
- Freedom to live (the hero is now free to live how he wants with his new acquired wisdom and perspective on life)
Luke Skywalker’s Hero’s Journey
Given time and space constraints, I cannot outline every one of these stages as it relates to Star Wars, but I’ll provide a few insights. In the original Star Wars movie, A New Hope, Luke Skywalker receives the call to adventure and must leave his home with Obi Wan Kenobi (his mentor who teaches him about the Force and gives him the lightsaber) along with the droids and his new partners Han Solo (the rebel) and Chewbacca, and cross the first threshold (leaving the planet Tatooine).
Luke enters the Death Star (the belly of the whale) which is his main test. Later in The Empire Strikes Back he goes to Dagobah to train with Yoda (an exiled elderly Jedi Master) where he also enters a cave (another belly of the whale) to face his own demon (Darth Vader) within himself.
Ultimately, Luke destroys the Death Star and returns home victorious. The hero undergoes training and becomes a Jedi Knight as seen at the beginning of The Return of the Jedi. His transformation is complete, however, when he confronts his father (Darth Vader) which is the central moment in his hero’s journey. The hero experiences atonement as he abandons his own self and trusts in his father’s (in this case hidden) goodness and mercy. Freedom in the universe is restored when the Empire falls, and the Rebels are victorious.
Jesus’ Hero’s Journey
Jesus’ call to adventure begins at his birth. He is literally being hunted by Caesar Augustus and St. Joseph must lead the escape with Mary and Jesus to Egypt. There the Holy Family crosses a threshold into the unknown. Later another call to adventure begins when St. John the Baptist declares the coming of the Messiah and baptizes Jesus in the Jordan. Jesus never refuses his call, but he does seem to struggle with it in the Garden of Gethsemane. God continually supports Jesus and sends an angel to strengthen him in this agony. Jesus experiences trials before the Sanhedrin and before Pilate.
Jesus crosses the first threshold as he enters His passion. His crucifixion and death are His belly of the whale experience. When He says, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46) He abandons Himself to the Father. He crosses another threshold when he enters hell and frees the captive righteous souls there. His apotheosis involves His own Resurrection, Ascension, and Kingship. His work brings salvation to all of humankind. And so, we see, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection follows the Hero’s Journey in a most perfect way.
One important way in which Jesus’ Hero’s Journey is different from any other hero is the fact that Jesus is not so much on a personal journey but a mission, and He does all this not for Himself or His own growth and development, but for everyone else. His “boon” is really our boon – eternal life. Jesus’ goal was to reconcile us with the Father, to bring about a restored relationship.
At the end of the day, the Hero’s Journey, whether it is about Jesus or Anakin Skywalker, is ultimately a fall-redemption story. This is an inherently dualistic story meaning that there are two clear modes of reality, usually good versus evil or the material in contrast with the immaterial or spiritual world.
In the Star Wars films, there is a theme that someone who is the “chosen one,” initially Anakin Skywalker, will bring balance to the universe. Later this might be Luke or Rey (or Rey and Kylo together) but in the end no one person or institution (the Republic, old or new, the Empire, or the First Order) brings harmony to the galaxy.
Systems thinking
From a Christian parts perspective, I look for systemic implications. The work of Christ is about transfiguring the universe and bringing about the Kingdom of God. This involves an end of injustice and oppression. As a parallel process, each individual is in need of Christ as well for inner personal conversion, transformation and sanctification.
In the Star Wars films, there is attention given to both the larger (macro) system and the individual (micro) system. The Return of the Jedi ends with the galaxy liberated from Imperial despotism. The sequel films are about liberating the galaxy from the Nazi-like First Order. Meanwhile, several characters grow and change personally. Han Solo, for example, goes from being a self-interested smuggler to a General fighting for the Rebel cause. Luke goes from being a naïve and whiney adolescent to a confident and mature Jedi Knight. Both the world at large and every individual person is called to move from darkness to light, from evil to good, and from internal conflict or chaos to integration and internal unity.
Non-dualistic thinking and the “Force”
Eastern religions tend to emphasize a non-dualistic philosophy which says that everything in reality is a manifestation of pure consciousness and everything in the universe is interconnected. Any divisions or separations are actually just illusions. Many things that Yoda (and to some extent Obi Wan as well) says support a non-dualistic approach to life. Richard Schwartz’s “no bad parts” philosophy is ultimately non-dualistic.
This takes us to a discussion of the “Force” in the Star Wars universe. The Force is described as an energy field that exists in and around all living things. In the prequels the idea of midi-chlorians is introduced which exist in living cells; a higher midi-chlorian count gives some people greater access to its power. It isn’t quite pantheistic (in pantheism, the universe and nature are identical to God), but perhaps panentheistic (the belief that God is everywhere or that the divine penetrates every part of the universe and nature). This would correspond with Schwartz’s view of SELF which is a collective and universal Self in all things. Some people are “Force-sensitive” and have special abilities (such as telekinesis, healing, mind control, and mind reading) that come from the Force. With special training some Jedi (e.g. Qui Gon, Obi Wan, Anakin, and Yoda) learn how to continue to exist after death as Force-ghosts.
Despite being described in non-dualistic terms, the Force still has a light and dark side. The non-dualistic view would say that this division between light and darkness is just an illusion. Enlightenment happens when you transcend this polarized way of thinking and being.
Strictly speaking, Christianity has a nuanced form of non-dualism. Gnosticism is the heresy that would present good and evil as equal powers. In orthodox Christianity, however, evil is actually the absence of good.
But from a Christian perspective, the Force is still problematic. It is not God or a theistic supreme being, nor does it pretend to be. In Christianity, God is personal and relational, but in the Star Wars universe, like in Buddhism, there is no mention of God or a Supreme Being and the Force is impersonal. The Force has more in common with the Hindu notion of Brahman (a binding unity in everything that exists) than anything in Christianity such as grace. The Jedi order corresponds better to Buddhist monks than Christian ones. The Force, and spirituality in general in Star Wars has more in common with Eastern religions than it does with any of the monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, or Islam.
Good and evil in Star Wars
It is an interesting contradiction that in the Star Wars universe one can see a clear dividing line between good and evil. The Empire led by the Emperor and Darth Vader are clearly evil. The Third Order led by Snoke and Kylo Ren are clearly evil. Emperor Palpatine or Darth Sidious, who appears in all three trilogies, is the ultimate evil antagonist.
Yoda, Obi Wan, and Luke Skywalker are clearly heroic good characters seeking truth and justice.
And yet, there is much talk about “balance” in the Force between light and dark. This harkens to the Chinese concept of yin/yang where good/evil, female/male are dynamically complementary, interconnected and interdependent. One polarity cannot exist without the other. This is an inherently anti-dualistic philosophy. The yin represents the female and passive principle, and the yang represents the male and active principle. Star Wars plays with this concept but never actualizes it. The twins, Luke and Leia never together bring true balance to the galaxy (at least not for long or on screen), and Kylo and Rey never achieve it either.
Instead, the series relies on the, honestly, more Christian concept that good must triumph over evil. We see this most explicitly in episode 6, The Return of the Jedi, where Luke ultimately brings about the redemption of his father, Darth Vader.
In the prequels, however, we see the idealistic Jedi Order fall prey to the machinations of Chancellor Palpatine who is secretly a Sith Lord. We see the Jedi become more and more involved in politics and ultimately become part of the Republic military, unwittingly working for Palpatine/Darth Sidious who is plotting to end democracy and become an Emperor. And then, in the sequels, after the redemptive story of The Return of the Jedi, we see that the new Republic cannot hold onto peace and order, and we see the evil First Order triumph against the Resistance at the end of The Last Jedi.
Star Wars and Christian parts work
Ok, how does this relate to a Christian parts work perspective? It is all about macrocosm and microcosm. The idea, inspired by St. Maximus the Confessor and St. Bonaventure primarily, that Christ has come to transfigure the entire universe. It is His mission to bring about the Kingdom of Love that will transform all of creation and every creature in it. It is a mission to bring the spiritual immaterial world of the Holy Trinity into communion with the material world. This grand and cosmic program is also happening in each and every human heart. Christ is working within each one of us to heal and restore and renew and transcend each one of us from the inside out.
God’s Kingdom of Heaven is not a balance between good and evil. It is Love itself infiltrating every aspect of existence. It is about truth, beauty, and goodness resplendent in the world and in each and every heart.
As a child I was mesmerized not only by the special effects and the cool storytelling of the original three Star Wars movies, but I was inspired by what felt right and motivating to me – a message of good conquering evil, of hope inspiring heroism, of love and redemption, friendship and courage, truth and goodness. These are the stories and messages of the Hero’s Journey, the stories present in all the world’s best mythologies and the story of Moses leading the people from slavery to freedom, and ultimately the story of Jesus bringing about redemption for all mankind.
Idealistic? Perhaps.
But it is why we want to see a bright and heroic Superman not a dark and disillusioned one. It is why the message of the Spider-man films, “with great power comes great responsibility” speaks to our hearts. It is why we are moved by the courage and self-sacrifice of Oskar Schindler in Schindler’s List or why we want to see Will succeed in Good Will Hunting.
Star Wars characters, archetypes, and parts’ identifications
And this takes me to the characters of Star Wars. I believe that the first three Star Wars films were successful in part because of the ensemble cast. When there is a complementary and dynamic ensemble cast, it resonates with the audience. Why? Because in each one of us is an idealistic naïve do-gooder part like Luke Skywalker, a rebellious self-centered rascal like Han Solo, and a principled no-nonsense (and entitled) fighter like Princess Leia. We relate to each of the characters from different parts of our own self-system. We enjoy seeing them interact, play off each other, struggle together, grow, learn, and bond. In the end, Luke, Han, and Leia are a team, a family, connected and bonded. This is what are self-system strives for and longs for. We strive for this internal unity despite our internal differences.
In one respect it is why the prequels did not capture the hearts of the audience as well. We didn’t relate to (or want to relate to) the precocious nine-year-old Anakin or the bumbling fool that is Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace. Neither did we relate to the creepy hormone driven 19-year-old Anakin in Attack of the Clones. Perhaps we related to the idealistic and honorable Obi Wan Kenobi but probably only from a polite distance. After all, he couldn’t see what was right in front of him, a Darth Vader in the making. The best movie of the prequels, The Revenge of the Sith, featured Obi Wan Kenobi facing off with Anakin in a Dante inspired hellish landscape where Obi Wan in anguish says, “You were the chosen one … you were meant to destroy the Sith, not join them.” And in the end, Obi Wan says, “I have failed you.” We have a part that relates to a man who believed in the goodness of his friend, and fought for truth and justice, only to be betrayed.
Perhaps here, in The Revenge of the Sith, we have several examples of inner conflicts. We see the inner conflict of Anakin as he must decide between the light or dark side of the Force. But perhaps we see the two parts, the Anakin part and the Obi Wan part, at war with each other. Anakin is the part that is talented and has ambition and emotion, impulsivity and passion. Obi Wan, meanwhile, has loyalty and determination, righteousness and dispassion. Sure, there is a clear good versus evil struggle here. But as the more mature me reflects on this situation; two new thoughts emerge.
A lack of interior integration
First, the pride that Anakin inhabits, was thrust on him. From childhood he was called the “chosen one” and he never really had a choice but to enter the Jedi Order which involves a life of service and celibacy. No one really listened to him or understood him. And most grievously, no one that could have ended the enslavement of his mother and prevented her unnecessary death, did so. His concerns were not as important as the organization’s.
As a result of this, Anakin was tormented by the loss of his mother and the potential loss of his secret (and pregnant) wife. And speaking of that love, he was in an untenable position where he both wanted to be a Jedi Master, and he wanted to be a husband to Padme. He found himself living a double life. There was no way he could have both and be “whole” as a person. He was divided – unintegrated. He went with his heart which also made him vulnerable to Darth Sidious’ (Palpatine) manipulations.
A loss of spiritual focus
Second, the members of the Jedi Council failed to see the evil that was so close because they became too enmeshed in the politics and military activity of the Republic. They lost their spiritual focus. And in so doing they also lost their ability to see Anakin as a real human person. They were rigid and dismissive of him and his feelings while Palpatine seemed to care about them and offered him a solution to the concerns that were most important to his heart. The Anakin part (passionate) could therefore not be reconciled with the Obi Wan part (dispassionate).
We know Anakin has a tremendous trauma history (we don’t know anything about Obi Wan’s past from the films) and we know that he needs what all trauma survivors need: affirmation, security, safety, and connection. The Jedi Council in failing to promote him to Master despite all his good works, fostered resentment while Palpatine fostered distrust of the Council’s motives. Instead of choosing the perceived dismissive father, he chose the evil but seemingly attentive and affirming one.
Inconsistencies in the Star Wars series
If I turn my attention to the sequels (episodes 7, 8, and 9), the waters get a bit murkier. In The Force Awakens, we have the powerful scene where Kylo Ren (Ben Solo, the wayward son of Han and Leia) kills his father Han Solo. This may speak to any parent who feels rejected by their child and it may speak to any child who has felt conflicted in their feelings of love and hate toward their parent. We don’t find out until The Last Jedi just how much the decision to kill Han torments Kylo. We also learn that Luke Skywalker considers killing his nephew Kylo at his Jedi camp because he perceives the great evil in him. This is very disturbing, in my opinion, and on many layers, to any Star Wars fan. But from a parts perspective, people commonly have parts that want to eradicate other parts considered to be pure evil.
In IFS, we learn that there are no bad parts, which is true to a point. The failure on the part of Luke is that he has no belief, no hope, that Ben Solo can be redeemed. As a fan, this strikes me as wrong because this is the same guy who was willing to die to prove that there was still good in his father, Darth Vader. Darth Vader was responsible for millions of deaths but at the time Luke contemplates assassinating Ben, the future Kylo Ren had committed no crimes. In my view, Luke’s failure to love Ben, leads to Ben Solo becoming the very thing that Luke feared, a brutal murderer. When we fail to love our most difficult and problematic parts, we only encourage their impulses toward extreme roles.
In The Last Jedi when Kylo Ren connects with Rey, they discover they are presumably the two most Force-sensitive beings in the galaxy. Kylo makes the choice not to allow Snoke to kill Rey (in much the same way Vader doesn’t allow the Emperor to kill Luke in The Return of the Jedi) and they fight the Imperial guards together. Kylo refuses, however, to join the Resistance with Rey and she refuses to leave everything behind, start everything anew, and rule the galaxy together. The “yin/yang” of Kylo and Rey are at odds again and more war ensues.
Although a rather convoluted, rushed, and derivative film, The Rise of Skywalker manages to accomplish a redemption for Kylo Ren/Ben Solo through the self-sacrifice of his mother Princess Leia. The yin-yang non-dualistic theme gives way to a pure good versus evil dynamic where Darth Sidious becomes “all Sith” and Rey becomes “all Jedi.” Rey’s efforts, although successful in destroying Sidious, leads to her death. Kylo shows up and sacrifices his life in exchange for hers. After nine movies where there is talk about “balancing” the Force, we still end up with a story about good triumphing over evil.
Despite flaws, the Star Wars movies which span over 40 years, offer not only high fantasy fun and adventure, but a great opportunity to discuss philosophy and religion, politics and anthropology, and of course, parts work psychology. May God be with you!
Christ is among us!
Dr. Gerry Crete is the author of Litanies of the Heart: Relieving Post-traumatic Stress and Calming Anxiety Through Healing Our Parts which is published by Sophia Institute Press. He is the founder of Transfiguration Counseling and Coaching, Transfiguration Life, and co-founder of Souls and Hearts. Check out all Dr. Gerry’s movie and TV series reviews in our “Parting Thoughts” archive.
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Recent article on addiction citing Litanies Of The Heart by Dr. Gerry
Bruce McPherson of the “Get Up, Get Out, Get Sober” website has a December 17, 2024 article titled Can Healing Begin By Accepting Our Contradictions – Litanies Of The Heart By Gerry Crete which is worth the read for those interested in parts and addiction. For those who are interested in the integration of parts work and 12-step programs, their Healing Our Jekyll/Hyde Divided Self may be of interest.
The new year, the PartsFinder Pro, and the Resilient Catholics Community
How curious are you about your own parts? Would you like to get to know the parts in your own system better?
For years, my Souls and Hearts staff has been working on finding the best ways for you to work on your human formation, informed by IFS and grounded in a Catholic worldview, to overcome the natural impediments to flourishing. Dr. Peter and his team have been developing the PartsFinder Pro for four years. The PFP is a series of 18 instruments, brought together and interpreted in an entirely new way. It doesn’t focus on identifying pathology or diagnoses or treatment planning as would be the case for psychological assessment.
It’s very different.
The PartsFinder Pro is about helping you to flourishing in loving yourself, your neighbor, and God. How? By helping to shed light on who your parts are, the burdens they carry, and the roles they play in your system.
The PFP takes about two hours to complete; and from it, you’ll get a six-page, personalized, customized report – a report that not only describes 3-5 exiled parts, 3-5 managers, and 3-5 firefighters, but also discusses how these parts interact – which ones are aligned with each other, and which are polarized against each other, to help you make sense out of your internal experience. You can download PDF sample reports for a fictitious man and woman.to see what these reports are like.
The PartsFinder Pro is part of the application process for the Resilient Catholics Community, which reopens for new members for the month of February. We use it to help match you with your companion as well. RCC members take the PFP again after their Foundations Year to assess progress and for ongoing information and direction.
The RCC is changing the lives of so many Catholics – not only its members, but also those who its members love – check out the RCC here for stories of our members, and how they have come to flourish in love.
Do you guide others?
Catholic priests, spiritual directors, therapists, counselor, coaches, and other who accompany others in formation – you know you need to remove the beam from your own eye before looking at the specks in the eyes of those you accompany.
Learn about how to apply IFS concepts to your personal life, all in a way that is grounded in an authentic Catholic understanding of the human person in the Formation for Formators Community. Find out more here. New groups start in February and March of 2025, and are filling up. Dr. Gerry is leading an advanced group, based on his book. Put a deposit down now to hold your seat.
Pray for us
As always, we ask that you pray for us in Souls and Hearts, our members and our staff. We depend on your prayers. Please pray for us. We are praying for you.