A long time ago, George Lucas took us to a galaxy far away where good and evil fought for supremacy in the form of the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire. He gave the world new heroes in the form of young Jedi Luke Skywalker, feisty rebel leader Princess Leia, the lovable scoundrel Han Solo as well as an iconic villain in Darth Vader. The first trilogy of Star Wars films, released between 1977 and 1983, were their story, which was followed by a prequel trilogy (which many fans want to forget) between 1999 and 2005. Here’s what you need to know before you watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens — set roughly 30 years after the events of the 1983 film — on December 25.
THE ORIGINALS
STAR WARS: Episode IV — A NEW HOPE (1977)
We are thrown into the heart of a galactic civil war where Rebel Alliance leader Princess Leia steals and hides plans for the Galactic Empire’s Death Star in the droid R2-D2 before she is captured by Darth Vader. Luke Skywalker comes across the droid in Tatooine and finds the message. He follows the droid to meet Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Knight, who tells Luke that his father was a Jedi, killed by Obi-Wan’s pupil who went to the dark side of the Force, and gives Luke his father’s lightsaber. They hire Han Solo, a smuggler, his first mate Chewbacca and their ship the Millennium Falcon to take the plans to Alderaan but finds the planet gone. The Falcon is captured. Obi-Wan is killed in a lightsaber duel with Vader, while Luke, Han and Chewie rescue Leia and escape to the secret rebel base on Yavin IV. As the Death Star prepares to destroy Yavin, Luke, with the help of Han, brings the Death Star down.
STAR WARS: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Three years after the events of the first film, the Alliance has a new base on Hoth, which is attacked by Galactic forces. Han, Leia and Chewie escape in the Millennium Falcon, while Luke escapes in his X-Wing fighter to Dagobah, where he becomes a pupil of Jedi Master Yoda.
Vader hires bounty hunter Boba Fett, who tracks down the Millennium Falcon in Cloudy City. Han and Leia are betrayed by Han’s friend Lando Calrissian, who hands them over to Vader. Luke feels his friends are in danger and leaves Dagobah to help them. Vader carbon-freezes Han and hands him to Boba. Leia and the others, helped by Lando, escape in the Falcon. Luke duels Vader and is outmatched. Vader severs Luke’s right hand and reveals that he is Luke’s father. Luke is rescued by the Falcon. He is later fitted with a robotic hand, while Lando and Chewie go looking for Han.
STAR WARS: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983)
Luke, Leia, Chewbacca and Lando launch a mission to rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt, after which Luke returns to Dagobah while the others go back to the Rebel Alliance. Luke finds a dying Yoda who confirms that Darth Vader is his father Anakin Skywalker and learns that Leia
is his twin sister.
The Alliance learns of the building of a new Death Star, overseen by Emperor Palpatine, and plans an attack. Luke tells Leia about their relationship. He confronts Vader and tries to turn him from the dark side of the Force but fails and is taken to Emperor Palpatine.
Han and Leia take a strike team to destroy the shield generator on Endor, while Lando takes the Falcon and leads a fleet to attack the Death Star. Palpatine tempts Luke to join the dark side; Luke fights a lightsaber battle with Vader but refuses to kill him. Vader redeems himself by saving Luke when he is attacked by Palpatine but succumbs to his injuries. The Death Star is destroyed and Luke cremates his father’s body. Leia tells Han that Luke is her brother and the two share a kiss.
THE PREQUELS
STAR WARS: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999)
Set 32 years before the incidents of A New Hope, the film sees Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi negotiating with the Trade Federation to end the blockade of the planet of Naboo. The Jedi are attacked under the orders of Darth Sidious, a Sith Lord, who also attacks Naboo. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan escape to Naboo where they rescue Queen Amidala. They meet a young Anakin Skywalker on Tatooine and feel his strong connection to the Force. The Jedi council refuses to let Anakin train, sensing a vulnerability to the dark side of the Force. But Qui-Gon vows to train Anakin himself. Frustrated by the corruption in the Senate, Amidala returns to Naboo with the Jedi. She convinces the Gungan to battle the Trade Federation, while Anakin unwittingly is drawn into an aerial battle in which he destroys a Federation droid control ship that helps turn the battle around. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon take on Darth Maul, in which Qui-Gon is fatally injured but Obi-Wan kills Darth Maul. The Jedi council promotes Obi-Wan to Jedi Knight and allows him to train Anakin.
STAR WARS: Episode II — Attack of the Clones (2002)
Set 10 years after the events of Episode I, we see the Galaxy plagued by civil war with renegade Jedi Knight Count Dooku convincing a number of planetary systems to secede from the Galactic Republic. An attempt to assassinate Amidala forces Anakin to protect her while Obi-Wan goes to investigate the assassination. Obi-Wan stumbles upon the creation of a Clone Army and then locates the Separatists. On a mission to rescue his mother from the Tusken Raiders, Anakin finds she’s been tortured and killed. He avenges by killing all Tuskens. When Obi-Wan is captured, Amidala and Anakin try to rescue him but get captured too. They are saved by a Jedi army. Obi-Wan and Anakin take on Dooku but lose. Obi-Wan is injured and Anakin’s right hand severed in the fight. Yoda saves them and Dooku flees. The Jedi acknowledge the start of the Clone Wars, while Anakin and Amidala secretly marry.
STAR WARS: Episode III — REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005)
Separatist commander General Grievous kidnaps Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, and Obi-Wan and Anakin go to rescue him. They fight a lightsaber battle with Count Dooku who is killed by Anakin. Palpatine appoints Anakin to the Jedi Council but they don’t accept him, making Anakin doubt them.
Amidala tells Anakin that she is pregnant and while he is excited at first, he becomes plagued by visions of her death at childbirth. Anakin and Palpatine grow closer and the latter entices him with the dark side of the Force, revealing himself as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Anakin pledges himself to Palpatine, who dubs him Darth Vader. Vader lays waste to the Jedi Temple and the Separatists, while Palpatine dissolves the Republic, creates the Galactic Empire and appoints himself Emperor. When Obi-Wan learns of Anakin’s treachery, he warns Amidala who goes to meet her husband. When Anakin discovers Obi-Wan on board, he chokes Amidala unconscious. After a lightsaber battle with Obi-Wan, Vader is left to die while Obi-Wan escapes with Amidala, who gives birth to Luke and Leia. Palpatine finds Vader badly burnt but alive and brings him back with cybernetic limbs and a respiratory suit. Luke is given to his step family, while Senator Bail Organa adopts Leia.
Whose comeback are you looking forward to most in Star Wars: The Force Awakens? Tell t2@abp.in
