When thinking about power in Star Wars, the first thing that likely pops into people's heads is the Death Star. It's gigantic, foreboding, and it destroys planets with the same effort it takes to boot up a laptop. The Death Star represents the power of state and technology gone awry, but it is also only one kind of power presented in the film.
The other power is the Force, which balances the power to the Death Star as it represents the individual and the power of nature. In Darth Vader, we see an interesting contradiction as both powers—technology and nature; the state and an individual—within one character.
Questions about Power
- What character would you say is the most powerful character on the side of good in the film? Explain your answer.
- Next, what character do you think is the most powerful on the side of evil?
- Finally, compare and contrast these two characters and their respective forms of power. What does this tell you about the film's use of this theme?
Chew on This
Luke learns to use the Force by the film's end, but his uses of that power is more akin to Darth Vader's destructive ways than Obi-Wan's passive power.
The Force is natural power and the Empire uses a more technological power. To show this, the Rebels and heroes are seen in more natural settings like deserts and forests while the Empire is seen in large technological settings