Star Words

Next, we were interested in one particular word prevalent throughout Star Wars — ‘Force’. The phrase “may the Force be with you” has become an ingrained part of popular culture, but what exactly is ‘the Force’?

The Force is not only a metaphysical power, but also an energy throughout the Star Wars universe. Created by George Lucas to show the choice between good and evil, in Star Wars we see Jedi utilising the ‘light side’ of the Force while the Sith take advantage of the perilous ‘dark side’.

The word ‘Force’ is used a grand total of 95 times throughout the series. Perhaps surprisingly, considering its title, the word is used the least in 2015’s ‘The Force Awakens’. This is due to this film simply hinting at the idea of the Force rather than delving fully into it: Rey is only just beginning to discover and harness her powers. Also, most fans watching at this recent point already understand the concept of the Force, so it doesn’t require explanation.

Following on from this, it is understandable that the film in which we see the Force referred to most frequently is 1977’s ‘A New Hope’. As the starting point of the whole series, it was during this film that the idea of the Force was first established and explained to the audience — contributing to the word appearing 21 times.