The Nature of Governing Bodies in Star Wars and Their Similarities to Soviet Russia

When watching Star Wars, it becomes apparent that Luke Skywalker’s method of rebelling against the Empire is similar to his father’s methods of revolution. Thus, a question arises: why is it that Luke did not succumb to his father’s offer of joining him, so that they might, “rule the galaxy as father and son?”

This essay aims to investigate the essence of the different power structures that oppressed Luke and Anakin.

In Albert Camus’ The Rebel, Camus discusses the idea that a rebel is someone who, “demands respect for himself,” from the powers that have enslaved him (Camus #8). In this way, Luke and Anakin are very similar. Anakin, suspicious that the Jedi Council is holding him back from accessing his true potential in the Force, converts to the dark side and, in turn, becomes Darth Vader. Luke, a young moisture farmer on Tatooine, is so bored of his life there that he would do anything to get away – even if that means joining the Imperial Flight Academy. He later becomes excited when C-3PO admits to his and R2-D2’s involvement in the Rebel Alliance, possibly hinting at his wish to be involved in the cause.

An essay by Adam Barkman and Kyle Alkema, “Guardians and Tyrants in the Republics of Star Wars and Plato” calls the nature of the Old Republic into question. By comparing the Jedi to Plato’s “Philosopher King,” Barkman and Alkema assert that the Republic may not have crumbled, “if the Jedi had had more power in ruling while still serving the people.” (Barkman and Alkema 148) However, the essay fails to address the fact that it was the rigid structure of the Jedi Council itself that served as the impetus for Anakin Skywalker’s descent into the dark side of the Force.

Finally, The Galactic Empire proves that it is incredibly similar to the totalitarian regime of the Soviet Union. As Veronika Skochilova discusses in her essay, “Dynamics of the Axiological and Ideological Dimension of Russian Political Life of the 1990s,” it was, “The mass appeal of the ideas of liberal democracy, democratic institutions and practices opposed the Soviet model and caused spiritual and axiological foundations for conflicts and tension,” (Skochilova #147-8). A similar trait can be found in the fall of the Galactic Empire.Continuing with this notion, the rise of the Rebellion and the subsequent establishment of the New Republic are both incredibly similar to the transition to democracy and capitalism in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. Like the citizens of Russia in the 1980s, the members of the Rebel Alliance were tired with the oppressive nature of the Soviet government, and thus rose up against the system and, with the help of Luke Skywalker, brought down the Emperor and Darth Vader (Return of the Jedi). The only difference is that, initially, the Soviet Union originally sought methods of governmental reform under Gorbachev. The reforms ranged from small changes, such as Gorbachev assuming the title of “President of the Soviet Union” as opposed to “Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party,” to completely changing fundamental governing ideals through the employment of perestroika (economic rebuilding) and glasnost (openness/governmental transparency). However, these reforms were not good enough, and, in 1991, a coup d’état was attempted, which resulted in Gorbachev stepping down from office. Under the newly appointed President Yeltsin, the communist dictatorship of the Soviet Union was abolished, and in its place came the newly established Russian Federation.

While the nature of their own rebellions was very similar, Luke Skywalker did not give in to Darth Vader’s proposition to join the dark side and rule the galaxy with him because the oppressive regime of the Galactic Empire had influenced his training as a Jedi. His specific goal was rebelling against the Empire itself and killing Darth Vader. As such, it is important to examine and compare the power structures that oppressed both Luke and Anakin Skywalker, and analyze how they shaped their ultimate destinies: Anakin, the supposed “Chosen One” who lost his way, and Luke, the farmer who becomes the most powerful general in the Rebel Alliance.

The Jedi Order is arguably the main object of Anakin’s rebellion. Throughout the prequel trilogy, the Jedi Order is depicted as engulfed in stringent rules that have been in place for centuries. The clearest example of this is when Anakin is first presented to the Council as a prospective candidate for training under Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan Kenobi reminds Qui-Gon that, because Anakin is too old, he surely will not be able to become a Jedi because the council will not allow it (The Phantom Menace). However, Anakin’s later acceptance as a Jedi sparks controversy, because the risk of his turning to the dark side is greater because of his age. Thus, the Council puts Anakin under close observation, essentially forcing him into the same entrapment that he experienced as a slave on Tatooine. A great example of this, in particular, is when Anakin and Obi-Wan are searching for the bounty hunter who attempted to murder Padmé in Attack of the Clones. When they go to the bar on Coruscant, Obi-Wan makes Anakin do the work for him while he has a drink.

Another clear example of this enslavement stems from the very fact that Anakin must refer to Obi-Wan as his “master.” While this is not particular to Anakin, the word must have had a different connotation to him than to the other Padawans. Similarly, in Revenge Of The Sith, after Anakin is accepted as a member of the Jedi Council as the personal representative of Chancellor Palpatine, he quickly realizes that this decision is just a way for the Council to spy on him. The Council fears that he has become a puppet of Palpatine, and therefore, they do not make Anakin a Jedi Master, and his position on the Council is only nominal. In this way, the Jedi Council proves that, while it serves the public, it is an entirely oppressive system that seeks to control all aspects of its followers’ lives.

The Republic, on the other hand, shows itself to be a particularly ineffective governing body in the Star Wars universe. During the Phantom Menace, when Queen Amidala approaches the Senate to ask for help against the invasion of her home planet, Naboo, her request is met with backlash from the Trade Federation, a conglomeration of planets that forces their agenda upon any policies adopted by the Senate. Since the Federation is, in effect, leading the Invasion of Naboo, their control over the bureaucracy shuts down any attempt to help the Naboo fend off the attack. As Palpatine says to Amidala, “The Republic is not what it once was. The Senate is full of greedy, squabbling delegates. There is no interest in the common good” (The Phantom Menace). Thus, through his manipulation, Palpatine is elected Chancellor of the Senate and, during the Clone Wars, extends his term to twelve years in order to oversee the end of the crisis. With no one to trust in the Jedi Council, Anakin Skywalker turns to Palpatine as his mentor, as he still has faith in the Republic and in the Senate. Through Palpatine’s indoctrination, Anakin pledges himself to the dark side of the Force, becoming Darth Vader. With the Senate under his complete control, Palpatine appoints himself Galactic Emperor and begins to destroy the Republic once and for all. Thus, the feeble democracy of the Republic and the restrictive authority of the Jedi Council shape Anakin’s descent into evil.

In the original trilogy, the Galactic Empire serves as the dominating power structure. The Empire rules through complete totalitarian control of the galaxy, imposing a reign of terror and brute force to coerce its citizens to comply with its wishes. This is most clearly seen in A New Hope when General Tarkin happily announces to his cabinet aboard the Death Star that the Emperor himself has dissolved the Imperial Senate. As he puts it, “The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.”

When a small band of rebels decides to challenge the authority of the Empire, Vader and Palpatine set on a bloody excursion in an attempt to eradicate them. Upon capturing Princess Leia, Vader and Tarkin use a number of methods in order to find the location of the rebel base, including torture and forcing her to witness the destruction of her home planet, Alderaan, by the Death Star.

Thus, the Empire shows itself to be a cruel and oppressive regime.

The Galactic Empire can also be seen as an allegory for the Soviet Union. Camus states in The Rebel that, “The servile rebellions, the regicide revolutions, and those of the twentieth century have thus, consciously, accepted a burden of guilt which increased in proportion to the degree of liberation they proposed to introduce” (Camus #14). In other words, in every act of revolution, the oppressed group will inevitably become the oppressor. If one was to examine the possibility that, in the prequel trilogy, the Sith were the oppressed group that revolts against the Republic to form the totalitarian Galactic Empire (which then is defeated by the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic is formed), it becomes clear that there is a distinct similarity between the Galactic Empire and the Soviet Union. In Russia, the Bolsheviks were oppressed by the feudalistic society that was led by the monarchy in 1917. Thus, they led the bloody revolution against the monarchy and established a new form of government, the Central Committee of the Communist Party, the main governing body of the newly created single-party dictatorship. However, under Stalin, the Committee soon became just as oppressive as the original monarchy had been, particularly seen in the series of purges that Stalin conducted on innocent people in Russia who were supposedly supporters of his main opponent, Trotsky. This method of totalitarian rule is nearly identical to that of the Empire, as is evidenced in the destruction of the Jedi Order and the murder of all Jedi, including the Younglings, at the hands of Darth Vader (Revenge of the Sith).

When Luke Skywalker approaches Obi-Wan Kenobi for training after the death of his aunt and uncle, the nature of the Galactic Empire informs Kenobi’s methods for training Luke. Since the Jedi Order no longer exists, the rules that governed the practices for Jedi training are no longer in effect. As such, he does not object to the fact that Luke is “too old” for training, unlike when he trained his father. In addition, it is implied that the decision to train Luke is for practical reasons. While it is never stated, it is clear that Obi-Wan intends to train Luke as a Jedi with the purpose of aiding the Rebel Alliance in defeating the Empire and killing Darth Vader, not just as a way of life. Therefore, both he and Yoda hide from him the fact that Darth Vader is, in fact, his father, as they fear that he will not be able to face him and bring an end to the Empire if he knows the truth (Return of the Jedi). In this way, the Empire proves to be so oppressive that it forces Yoda and Obi-Wan to take a risk in training Luke Skywalker, as he is clearly their only chance in defeating Palpatine.

Thus, through close scrutiny, it becomes clear that Luke Skywalker did not succumb to his father’s invitation to join him in ruling the galaxy because his training as a Jedi was for the sole purpose of killing Darth Vader and restoring the Galactic Republic. The tyrannical nature of the Empire was so cruel that it informed Luke’s training as a Jedi. Therefore, it is important to consider whether or not one should always stick to the rules, or if a dire situation requires one to act otherwise. What if, for example, the Jedi Order had taken a risk on training an older padawan before Anakin Skywalker was even born? How would that have influenced their decision?  It is also imperative to reflect on the idea that Luke Skywalker is a true embodiment of Camus’ idea of the rebel, especially in his ultimate decision not to kill his father. Does this aspect of the Star Wars narrative prove that rebellion can be nonviolent? Perhaps this was Lucas’ main message behind Star Wars, a product of an era of violence and the Cold War.

Works Cited

Barkman, Adam, and Kyle Alkema. “Guardians and Tyrants in the Republics of Star Wars and Plato.” The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy: You Must Unlearn What You Have Learned. By Jason T. Eberl and Kevin S. Decker. N.p.: Wiley Blackwell, 2016. 148-56. Print.

Camus, Albert. The Rebel. N.p.: Penguin, 2013. Print.

Skochilova, Veronika G. “Dynamics of the Axiological and Ideological Dimension of Russian Political Life of the 1990s (the 25th Anniversary of the 1991 Soviet Coup D’État Attempt).” Vestnik Tomskogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta, no. 413, Jan. 2016, pp. 145–148., doi:10.17223/15617793/413/22.

Star Wars, Episode I, The Phantom Menace. Dir. George Lucas. Sony Classical, 1999. DVD.

Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Dir. George Lucas. 20th Century Fox Film Corp., 2002.

Star Wars, Episode III, Revenge of the Sith. By George Lucas. Dir. George Lucas. Prod. George Lucas and Rick McCallum. 20th Century Fox, 2005. DVD.

Star Wars IV: A New Hope. Dir. George Lucas. Lucas Film Ltd, 1977. DVD.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Dir. George Lucas. Lucasfilm LTD, 1980. DVD.

Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi. Dir. George Lucas. Lucas Film Ltd, 1983. DVD.