While Star Wars fans all over the World wait for the next news story, any story in regard to Episode 7 it seems that the next major event for Episode 7 would be the title and then we can stop calling it Episode 7.
So what do we know about Episode 7, well not a great deal just yet but here is what we do know. It is set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, in which Vader is destroyed and Anakin returns to the good side, the Emperor is also killed but in theory could return as a force spirit in the same way Obi-Wan does. Either way the Empire itself is not completely destroyed but has lost its leadership.
So going by the names mentioned, and don’t be surprised if the title ends up being none of these, lets speculate on their possible meaning.
A New Dawn- This could mean a New Dawn for the Jedi, the birth of a new republic or a new Sith dawn?
Return of the Sith- Quite self-explanatory really the Sith return after 30 years of everyone believing they no longer existed.
Rise of the Jedi- This would likely mean a rise in the Jedi numbers with things looking more like they did before the great Jedi purge.
The Ancient Fear- This title is the current favourite on the rumour mill but what does it mean?
Is the Ancient fear the fear of the Sith or of the Empire returning? The strongest rumour, as that is all everything really is at this point is that the potential title is a reference to the villainous character expected to be played by Max Von Sydow.
So while we wait for news of the Episode 7 title let’s examine the meaning behind the previous six titles and how they corresponded to the events of that particular film. Whatever the new title will be and although it’s meaning can be speculated on and don’t worry it will be, its true meaning can really only be revealed or perceived after the film has been viewed.
A New Hope
The interesting thing about this title is it didn’t arrive until 1978, one year after the film was released, although George Lucas had always planned to make more than one film he wasn’t sure if he would ever get that chance but when he realised that he would get that opportunity the title or subtitle ‘A New Hope’ was added.
So what does the title mean? We’ll the new hope is of course Luke Skywalker especially as Lucas said at the time that Luke was what the whole story was really about although he changed this to Anakin at the time of the prequels!
So why Luke is the new hope is not really difficult to work out, the Jedi are all but extinct, a line muttered by Grand Moff Tarkin to Vader and Luke becomes the ‘New Hope’ when he starts his Jedi training and summons the ‘Force’ to help destroy the Death Star. A New Hope could also refer to Leia too had we known that she was also a Skywalker at this time.
The Empire Strikes Back
Probably the easiest title to work out, not that any of them are particularly difficult but after the Death Star was destroyed at the end of A New Hope the Empire show their full might tracking down the rebels on Hoth and destroying their base sending them fleeing into space. The only thing that went wrong for the Empire was Luke escaping Vader although he lost a limb in the process, yes the Empire did really strike back.
The book originally written to proceed the first film was entitled ‘Splinter of the Minds Eye’ although the events of this book are completely different to what we see in Empire.
The Return of the Jedi
Originally titled Revenge of the Jedi *until Lucas decided A Jedi would not seek Revenge, this film is almost an opposite of Empire. However the title relates to Luke’s defeat of Vader and his realisation that “I am a Jedi like my Father before me”. The Jedi have returned even if it is just the one.
*They even put posters out with the title ‘Revenge of the Jedi’, and the originals are worth anything between $500-$1000.
The Phantom Menace
After waiting 16 years for a new Star Wars film fans were left puzzled and perhaps a little disappointed by this title. As good as a character Darth Maul was he is not the Phantom that title relates to that accolade goes to Senator Palpatine and his alter ego Darth Sidious. Palpatine manipulated or menaced the senate from the inside and Sidious from afar and started a chain of events that would change the Star Wars universe forever.
Attack of the Clones
This is a slightly strange and confusing title as the clones, who are still a part of the Republic are forced into action but perhaps not in the same way the title suggests. With all the reference to The Clone Wars and Yoda’s line of ‘Begun the Clone Wars has’ should the film not have been called ‘The Clone Wars’ or something along the lines of ‘Rise of the Clones’?
Revenge of the Sith
This title is even more obvious than ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and Revenge is certainly a trait that a Sith would have. Before the Sith ‘Rule of Two’* the Sith ruled the galaxy in numbers but it is now the Jedi who have a large army even if they don’t reference themselves as an army.
‘Execute Order 66’ certainly evens up the numbers and the Sith truly have their revenge.
* The Sith ‘Rule of Two’ states that only two Sith can exist at any one time, hence the Yoda quote at the end of The Phantom Menace ‘Always two there are’.
Whatever the title of Episode 7 ends up being we won’t know its true meaning until December 18th 2015 when the film is finally released.
Zennie Abraham