Star Wars takes place in a vastly massive galaxy that is far, far away and a long time ago. For more than thirty years, the Star Wars universe has captivated millions of devoted fans and followers. From its science fiction roots to the varied cast of characters (and the actors that play them), there are many themes to Star Wars fans can find themselves to be fond of. One notable theme is the mixed population of races and species George Lucas created to inhabit his universe in order to represent his belief that all forms of people should co-exist peacefully.
Read on as I take a small peak at the race relations that govern the Star Wars universe.
Throughout the two Star Wars trilogies, many species and races are seen. Obviously, a mix of races live amongst one another. A prime example of co-habitation is the planet that proves to be crucial in both of the trilogies: Tatooine. There are six different species living on Tatooine: Humans, Hutts, Jawa, Tusken Raiders, Toydarians, and Sarlacci, yet they are all able to co-exist with one another. During a scene in The Phantom Menace, Anakin Skywalker is repairing his pod racer when his friends come to see him. It’s made apparent that neither Anakin nor his peers are judgmental to each others’ races, despite how ugly some of them appear to be.
This lack of judgment parallels the nature of human children in the “real world” at a young age. Instead of being pre-occupied with another child’s race, religion, or social class, children are just concerned with playing together and having fun. While obvious differences still lie between various groups, the underlying emotion is that of entertainment and just having a good time.
The harmony between different backgrounds does not end with the children, however; the elders of the races seem to co-exist as well. An example of adult species being in sync with one another can be seen with the Jedi Order in Attack of the Clones. In an attempt to rescue Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padme, the Jedi help defend them from droids in a Roman Coliseum-esque scene. They come in all forms, both human and alien alike. The connection they each share as Jedi is much more important than any other distinguishable quality, whether they be puppet, bald, green, or any number of discerning characteristics.
Furthermore, the governing body of Galactic Senate consists of many different species as well. Again, a parallel can be made between Lucas’ Republic and the United Nations with people of different backgrounds and cultures chosen to represent their homeland. For example, Padme, a Human, was the representative of Naboo before Jar Jar Binks, a Gungan, replaced her due to external circumstances in Attack of the Clones. The Senate contains 1,024 floating platforms, each of which contained a senator representing a sector of the galaxy. In fact, there is no real sense of racism or prejudice between the various races, with the only major sources of disagreement lying primarily in political and ideological differences.
With Star Wars, Lucas was able to craft a universe with no prejudice amongst its people. While “peace and harmony” is far from being attainable, what is shown through the Star Wars movies is a vision of co-existence in which many can agree with. Lucas wasn’t afraid to make vastly different life forms and have them interact with one another in such a civilized manner that it stands as a form of life that should be strived for.
