As all sci-fi fans know, May the Fourth is Star Wars Day.
Soon after the 1977 release of A New Hope, fans began to treat it as a special anniversary. Cinemas screened the films and fans dressed up as their favourite characters.
For Star Wars junkies, 2025 is a very special year—10 years since The Force Awakens, 20 years since Return of the Sith, and 45 years since The Empire Strikes Back.
The Empire Strikes Back is considered one of the best-ever Hollywood sequels, often ranked alongside The Godfather Part II, Aliens, and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
It picks up the story at the end of A New Hope when trainee Jedi Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and his band of rogues Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) succeed in destroying the Death Star.
The tale is one of nonstop action and lively set pieces as Luke goes from the snowy Hoth to the swampy Dagoba before a showdown in the futuristic Cloud City with the malignant Darth Vader (David Prowse/voice of James Earl Jones).
During his time in Dagoba, he learns more about the Jedi Order from his mentor Yoda (Frank Oz). Yoda teaches Luke to harness his powers—but also warns him that committing himself to being a Jedi is a lonely path.
While not explicitly linked to a particular religion, a sense of spirituality runs through the entire Star Wars saga. This is particularly felt in The Empire Strikes Back.
The Jedi Order is clearly a religion in the Star Wars universe, with schools, a religious order, and doctrinal disputes.
The Force is more magic than grace but clearly the filmmakers were drawing a parallel. A Jedi feels a connection between all things, both living and inanimate. To me, this is a bit like being aware we live in a world in which everything has been created by God.
Creator George Lucas drew his inspiration for Star Wars and the Jedi Order from many places, including his own Methodist faith, Eastern religions, and Joseph Campbell, who was an influential student of world mythology.
The spiritual side of Star Wars make sense because it is nurtured in the soil of a Christian culture.
There are lots of parallels. For instance, Luke must sequester himself from his loved ones and walk a separate path if he wishes to become a true Jedi. It’s a kind of religious vocation. And then, Jedi Knight Luke, like a Christian martyr, is willing to be brutalised and die for what he believes in.
Christian ideals imbue Galactic politics as well. When the Rebel Alliance goes to war against the Empire, it fights for human rights and human dignity against a brutal, power-hungry dictator. The “hero’s journey,” a term popularised by Campbell, is a titanic struggle of the forces of light against the powers of darkness.
In The Empire Strikes Back, Vader is not afraid to use underhand tactics to advance his nefarious goals and mission, and is indifferent to torture and murder, even to his own (spoilers!) son.
The Empire Strikes Back ends with the Empire ascendant and fans fearful for the Rebel Alliance. Yes, good triumphs in the end, but the struggle in the middle will be dark and dangerous.
The Empire Strikes Back was released before I was even born, but it still packs a powerful punch, partly because of its spiritual centre. It’s not just about the thrill of Han Solo outrunning the Imperial Fleet in his Millennium Falcon; it’s demonstrating just how much effort, sacrifice, and commitment are required to live in accordance to your ideals.
May the Fourth be with you!
The Empire Strikes Back is rated M and is available to stream on Disney+.