“Star Wars” is one of the most iconic and beloved franchises of all time. While I am a fan myself, I must admit that I have been disappointed with its lack of good diversity.
Being that “Star Wars” was created in the 70s by George Lucas, a white man, I am aware that this franchise was never going to reflect the diversity of our society. However, I still wish that the franchise had more prominent and well-written characters of color.
While it starts with “A long time ago in a galaxy, far, far away…,” it does not always seem like the franchise is set in another galaxy and time period. Rather, it tends to feel like it is set only a handful of years and planets away from Earth with all of the white human protagonists it has. While I love characters such as Darth Vader, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cal Kestis, they all fit into this character description.
Mace Windu, Cere Junda and Lando Calrissian are notable Black characters in the franchise but make up the majority of them. As a person of color, I would love to see more minorities represented well in the franchise and receive more of a spotlight. The character of Finn is a good example of this.
Finn debuted in 2015’s “The Force Awakens” before being featured in “The Last Jedi” and “The Rise of Skywalker” in 2017 and 2019, respectively. He was initially a stormtrooper who defected from the Empire with the potential to be a Jedi before being relegated to a supporting character with uninteresting storylines as the sequel trilogy went on.
What makes this downfall worse is that Finn is a Black character that had the potential to be a key “Star Wars” protagonist and bigger character in the overall narrative of the franchise. Instead, he just became “the Black guy.” John Boyega, the actor who plays Finn, has been outspoken about this topic over the years since his “Star Wars” debut. Recently, Boyega called out “Star Wars” and its fanbase for the racism he experienced while being a part of the franchise and how overwhelmingly white it is.
“Lemme tell ya, ‘Star Wars’ always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space,” said Boyega. “It’s a franchise so white that a Black person existing in [it] was something.”
One of the most frustrating examples of “Star Wars” attempting diversity comes from “The Acolyte.” The show premiered on Disney+ in 2023 and is the most diverse “Star Wars” project ever. It starred Black actress Amandla Stenberg as twin sisters Osha and Mae in leading roles. Asian actor Lee Jung-jae portrayed Sol, her Jedi master, and was also a lead character. Even though the show had a lot of other minority and female characters, it is a big deal in itself that these three characters of color headlined a “Star Wars” show.
However, this was all the show had to offer in terms of diversity. The writing of “The Acolyte” was the worst part of the show and rightfully criticized by viewers. An example of this was when Mae went from simply not wanting Osha to leave their home and become a Jedi to suddenly threatening to kill her and accidentally causing their home to be on fire with little nuance.
It was established that she just did not want her sister to leave her but threatening to kill her right after expressing this was jarring. Another example of the show’s poor writing came from Sol’s motivations when it came to caring about Osha as his Padawan. It was never fully explained why he was drawn to her and where his love for her came from. Because of this, some viewers thought that he was obsessed with her in a creepy way.
True and good diversity in entertainment happens when good writing and stories accompany characters of color. Putting together a diverse cast is not enough. “Andor” is the perfect example of this and the direct opposite of “The Acolyte.”
Two of its most prominent characters are Cassian Andor and Bix Caleen, respectively played by Hispanic actors Diego Luna and Adria Arjona. “Andor” has been rightfully praised for its story and character writing. The motivations of each character are successfully communicated and the world of “Star Wars” is taken very seriously in a grounded way.
“Star Wars” is a great franchise that can be even greater by embracing more aspects of its world and the real world. Just because it is a long-running franchise that will continue to make money, that does not mean that it should be complacent when it comes to making its universe feel lived in.
This story was written by Christopher Hayden. He can be reached at christopher.i.hayden@marquette.edu.
