"Star Wars" has a vibrant following, bringing people from different generations, nationalities, and ideologies together with our love of the galaxy far far away. I’ve had the privilege of being active in many "Star Wars" communities, sharing theories about the new lore, the direction of the new films, and just about any little thing I love about the series.
Some of the most popular articles I have ever written have been about the “Star Wars” license because of the brand’s massive social media groups. When you have an insight about the series nobody else noticed, or you have a fun new idea to talk about the franchise, people notice.
But what has fueled these groups and their massive followings? Here’s why.
5. "Star Wars" engages a broad demographic.
The basement-dwelling nerd stereotype in no way accounts for all kinds of "Star Wars" fans. This franchise is made up of blockbuster movies, best-selling video games, comics, books, and merchandise of anything you can imagine. Chances are you know who Darth Vader is even if you’ve never seen “Star Wars.”
The film, and their aesthetics are timeless, and as such, fans have the potential to connect with a large variety of people, whom they might forge longstanding friendships with. I’m not suggesting that you go on the "Star Wars" forums to look for your soulmate, but it happens. If anything, you can share your love of this franchise with millions of other like-minded people, and that feels good.
4. It’s not complicated.
Anyone can understand the basic "Star Wars" lore. Jedi Knights versus Sith Lords. Republic versus Separatists. The Resistance versus the First Order. Sometimes there’s clones, sometimes bounty hunters, assassins, and Sith Acolytes. This isn’t game of Thrones, there is usually always a good side and a bad side.
The films are pretty straightforward, as to the lore. This is true even of the "Star Wars" prequels, which while they are a narrative mess, they do communicate the world of "Star Wars" quite well.
While there is a sprawling lore outside the movies, you don’t need to commit long hours to learn the story. Resources like Wookiepedia, "Star Wars: Insider," and the "Star Wars Encyclopedia" condense thousands of pages of comics and books as well as hours of gameplay of even the most obscure "Star Wars" properties for your reading pleasure.
3. The community isn’t mean.
The internet is full of trolls, haters, and people itching to tell you to kill yourself. I haven’t had that experience in any "Star Wars" community I’ve been a part of.
Yes, I’ve had hot debates over the most obscure pieces of lore, but the discourse has never crossed the line into malice.
I think this is because these communities are connected by love. We all share a common interest, and there’s no need to disrespect someone who loves the same things you do, even if it’s for different reasons.
I bet there are dark recesses of this community where this is not true, but I’ve yet to encounter them.
2. Sometimes the smallest things have the biggest impact.
"Star Wars" was one of the first franchises where I really recognized the Minor- Major character trope. A Minor Major character is a character that is important to the story, but has very little screen time.
Virtually every force user (especially in the prequels) is a Minor-Major character. They don’t appear very much in the movies, but their stories are fleshed out in books, comics and video games, creating a complex narrative web of the three products.
This is true even of items, and artifacts, leading to some pretty cool theory opportunities.
Is Kylo Ren’s helmet reminiscent of Darth Revan’s? Was that a Sith holocron in the finale of "Star Wars: Rebels"? What does this mean going forward? Did Kylo Ren learn something from Revan? Will Ezra (protagonist of Rebels) turn evil? There are so many ways "Star Wars" producers can throw fans a bone teasing what’s to come.
1. It’s driven by passion.
Nobody joins a "Star Wars" community because they don’t want to. Everyone is there by choice, because they are passionate about this IP. You can theorize all you want. You can also passively read cool things you didn’t know about the franchise. You can search for merchandise that fits your needs, and you can enjoy a plethora of fan made content that sometimes surpasses its source material in terms of quality.
You can be engaged with the series however you want. Nobody will judge you. "Star Wars" is cool, and it’s fun to talk about. These communities are built on love and fueled by passion. Who knows? You might be the next person to write a viral theory about this property that binds us all together.
