Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope for the Hero’s Journey
Why A New Hope was one of the greatest Hero’s Journeys of all time
One of the most iconic renditions of the classic storytelling style, the “Monomyth” or “Hero’s Journey”, is exemplified in the immensely popular film, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. This use of the Hero’s Journey and its three basic steps, the Initiation, Departure, and Return, has sealed Star Wars and its following sequels and renditions as one of if not the definitive Hero’s Journey in the public American mind. Several features and details of the film supported this outline of the Monomyth, such as by creatively and effectively building surprisingly relatable characters, threatening villains, and an immersive world and experience combined with a masterful use of plot. As quite literally the first of its kind, everything seen in the film is entirely new and fresh for the audience.
The film, and the Initiation of the Monomyth, begins with the Princess Leia Organa giving something mysterious to the droid R2-D2 and eventually being captured by the intimidating Stormtroopers and dreaded Darth Vader. This creates an immediate sense of curiosity as to what’s really going on, these people’s real identities, and an effective introduction into a vastly detailed and simply ”alien” setting. However, we only meet our hero and begin the true Hero’s Journey when we see him in his ordinary home.
The hero in this case is Luke Skywalker, known at the beginning of the story only as a simple farm boy who feels restless with his home on the dust planet Tatooine yet with some unknown lineage. Early references to his father and his similarities to Luke (such as not being suited to the farm, desire to see the galaxy, and desire for adventure) make it clear that there is something a little more than ordinary to our hero and begins to make the audience engaged in his story. This is further enhanced when he “happens” to purchase the droids involved earlier in the fight with the Stormtroopers and discovers a secret message to the Mentor figure, Obi-Wan Kenobi, whom Luke only knows as “Old Ben Kenobi”. This beginning continues to draw in the audience and draws out the beginning tension with the story to deepen the sense that this message, Leia, and the event on her ship must be extremely important. As the story progresses, Luke frequently shows his desire to experience more than just his humble origins, which the audience can certainly empathize with because of the dreary portrayal of them. He also stays true to showing his devotion and loyalty to his friends, making him equally trustworthy to the audience.
Obi-Wan settles quickly into his role as the Mentor, frequently giving Luke advice and clearly knowing more of what’s happening than he lets on. This, and how he is extremely confident in everything he says and does, makes it clear that he really does have wisdom and that Luke (as well as the audience) really should listen to him. As there is a very clear villain seen from the beginning in the Stormtroopers, Darth Vader, and Grand Moff Tarkin, this helps the audience trust Obi-Wan, Leia, and anybody else directly opposing said villains. Obi-Wan tells Luke that he really did know Luke’s father, and that Luke was destined to be a Jedi Knight “like his father”. This proves that Luke has a much greater destiny than we see at the beginning, however still leaves the audience unsure of what that really is. Luke initially turns him down, but when he finds his farm destroyed and family massacred, he says “There’s nothing left for me here…. Take me to Alderaan.” Here, it shows the very real and very present danger of the Empire, with its nearly-inhuman Stormtroopers and clearly evil Darth Vader.
After locating Han Solo and Chewbacca and leaving the planet on the Millennium Falcon, the Departure phase is complete. Luke has found his mentor, who has proven himself time and again to be correct on just about everything with mystical powers he promises that Luke can develop, given a vague path to follow to become a “Jedi Knight”, and now has some direction to do so.
With the Departure complete, Luke and his newfound friends move onto the Initiation part of the story. During this time, Obi-Wan takes time to teach Luke the basic “ways of the Force” and how to use a lightsaber. This defines the mystical Force and the Jedi for Luke, who improves seemingly rapidly, and allows the audience to begin to understand not only the setting but also the difficulty of the task ahead for Luke to become a true Jedi Knight. By helping the audience begin to understand the context, they feel as though they are learning and growing with him in his journey, a perfect use of the Monomythic journey approaching its climax.
The group then has the very evil nature of the enemy reaffirmed, as well as the very real danger they face in opposing them, when Grand Moff Tarkin uses the Death Star to destroy Alderaan. When Luke and the others get pulled into the Death Star, the first trial begins in earnest. They are posed with escaping the Death Star, and when they find that Princess Leia is going to be executed soon, Luke insists they save her, showing his heroic nature despite all odds for really the first time.
The following trial sequence takes about 20 minutes of screen time, and a large part of it is spent in recurring battles with the Stormtroopers or in the trash compactor, all of which are scenes with intensity and danger, keeping the energy high and tense. This serves to make the audience once again feel the very real peril the heroes are in and hope, with Han, that it really will be worth it and they’ll make it out. When Luke sees Obi-Wan seemingly let himself be killed by Darth Vader, this is the climax of the scene and he witnesses firsthand what he’s really up against. Once again, Darth Vader is shown here to be a ruthless and simply evil villain with no remorse for his actions, giving even more validity to Luke and his cause of heroism.
Having cleared his first few trials as part of his Initiation to achieve his destiny, Luke follows Leia to the Rebellion to find out what this was all truly about. Now the ultimate object of the Hero’s Journey is known — to destroy the Monomythic Death Star by means of a tiny hole in the top that will detonate the entire thing, a seemingly impossible task. Again, this sequence takes around 20 minutes of screen time, most of which is spent seeing how many Empirical fighters there are and how many Rebels die trying to destroy the Death Star, showing just how monumental this task is. When it comes time for Luke and his squad to finally make the attempt, nearly every other person that has been given screen time thus far has been killed. Even Darth Vader joins the fight as the ace pilot who has done most of the killing, a dangerous villain on the ground and in a ship.
Luke appears at first to be left all alone to finish the monomythic task, but when his doom is almost sealed by Darth Vader, Han Solo redeems himself and returns as the hero the audience had been hoping he really was, saving Luke and nearly killing Darth Vader. Luke then hears some final words from his Mentor Obi-Wan, telling him to “Use the Force, Luke!” every time he tries to use the computer to help him hit the target . Luke then accomplishes the objective — he successfully destroys the Death Star, using his newfound powers in the Force and heeding the always true counsel of his Mentor. He and Han earn the favor of the Princess and of the Rebel Alliance and is hailed as no longer the simple farm boy from Tatooine, but instead the Rebel Hero who took down the Empire nearly single-handedly.
In the Return phase of this story, it is compressed into only a few minutes at the end, when Luke can revel in his accomplishments with Han and Leia and the other Rebels. The object of the monomyth was given so much attention and time and difficulty, that when it is finally over the victors (and audience) feel only relief and triumph as our heroes celebrate and see the rewards of their victory. Luke is able to dwell in both of his newfound worlds — that of a Jedi Knight in training, Rebel hero, and capable pilot, and simple friend to those around him. He has seen considerable growth throughout the story and taken the necessary steps to fulfill this part of his journey and achieve his objectives. This Hero’s Journey has been finished.
