Duel of the Canons
The Faith-Based Split Between Star Wars Fans
Countless columns, YouTube videos, and podcasts have been published about how “the culture war” has created a split in the Star Wars fanbase. These pieces often center the “debate” around an actor’s tweets, a director’s tweets, and on rare occasions, something actually about the films, shows, books, video games, and comics.
In my view, the people making this argument are being shortsighted. It places far too much focus on what the creatives behind the series say instead of what they create, or for that matter, destroy, as well as how those creative choices shape fans’ views of the series. The culture war discourse does not come close to answering questions like: (1) Which sources are worth borrowing inspiration from?; (2) How thematically connected stories should be?; and (3) What is the right level of continuity between eras of time centuries or millennia apart? It also does nothing to help flesh out or make sense of the underlying mechanics and value systems of a galaxy with dozens of factions, tens of thousands of inhabited systems, quadrillions of citizens, and endless stories.
Instead of petty modern issues, the strongest disagreements that split Star Wars fans are based in faith, with much more in common with debates that started in 1517 (if not earlier), rather than 2017. When Disney eliminated the old Expanded Universe (EU) from canon in 2015, it had much the same effect on the Star Wars fanbase that Martin Luther’s 95 Theses had on the Catholic Church.
I’m not the first person to think about Star Wars in terms of faith. Hannah Long wrote an excellent article for Arc Digital on this subject, which I highly recommend that you read. She is absolutely correct that Star Wars is about faith. The question is, which faith?
I hope to build on Hannah’s article by looking at the two primary faiths that animate Star Wars fans, as well as how those faiths’ differing views on canon and sainthood led to the debates currently dividing the fanbase. Although the two faiths have very different views on where the series should go — not to mention where it has already gone — I believe that while it’s no sure thing, reconciliation between the two is possible, and is in fact already underway.
It (almost) goes without saying that splitting any group of people — let alone a group as large as Star Wars fans — into two groups will mean I miss a lot of overlap, as well as people don’t fall neatly into either category. However, I think this classification is best as it is both workable and covers a substantial majority of the fanbase.
The Two Faiths
What are the two main faiths that Star Wars fans have, which beliefs comprise those faiths, and how do those beliefs conflict with each other? To answer the first question, the two faiths are loosely based in Catholicism and Protestantism, or rather the two religions’ respective views of canon and sainthood.
Most Protestants (with Anglicans and Methodists as notable exceptions) believe in sola scriptura. This is the belief that the Bible itself is the lone source of infallible authority, as scripture gives humanity everything necessary for its salvation. Proponents of sola scriptura also believe that the Bible tells them to reject tradition, as evidenced in biblical passages such as Matthew 15:2–6.
The Star Wars equivalent of this is solum tegumentum, or only a screen (not a perfect translation, but since the Romans didn’t have movie theaters, it’ll do). To these fans, if it’s not in a movie or sometimes a TV show, it’s not canon and should be disregarded, both by fans and by creatives at Lucasfilm. While different Protestant denominations have strong disagreements with each other, those disagreements are always about the text — or in this case, the film — says, not whether a certain text or film is canon.
It’s not necessarily that Protestants believe that non-biblical sources have no utility at all — many of them write and speak quite a bit —but rather that outside books and preaching (as well as video games and comics in the case of Star Wars) should be clearly secondary to scripture. To them, this standard keeps the true storyline front and center, and just as importantly, not confused nor corrupted.
The various Protestant denominations have differing beliefs regarding sainthood, but both the major schools of thought differ substantially from the Catholic definition of sainthood. Some denominations view all faithful Christians as saints, while others reserve the title for people who have proven themselves to be particularly righteous. Regardless of which view of sainthood is held, the substantial majority of Protestants agree that the veneration of Saints is idolatry.
Taking unintentional inspiration from this view, Protestant fans put the characters in the films first and foremost among the hundreds of major and minor Star Wars characters, as their stories tell them everything anyone needs to know to understand and appreciate the galaxy.
Compared to Protestants, Catholics take a much more expansive view of canon. In addition to the Bible, they view written and oral tradition as canon, including the sayings of Jewish Prophets not written in the Bible, as well as the Law of Moses. Catholics also believe the Bible gave the Church the authority to interpret scripture through ecumenical councils, as the Apostles — including Saint Peter, who founded the Catholic Church — acted authoritatively at The Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15:6–30.
Star Wars Catholics take a similar approach, using a variety of different sources, namely the books, comics, and video games of the EU to better understand the galaxy as a whole, as well as the people in it. Although Catholics of both sorts take a more expansive view to canon, not everything is accepted. Real-life Catholics have apocryphal gospels, while Star Wars Catholics often don’t view the made-for-TV Ewok movies and 1980’s Marvel comics as fully canon.
The Catholic Church has a considerably stricter process regarding sainthood which takes years and actual miracles to complete when compared to Protestantism. Upon their canonization, the saint receives several honors, often including a feast day and patronage. (St. Jude for children, St. Francis of Assisi for animals, etc.) The saint is also publicly venerated, which in the Catholic sense means being honored and revered by the Church and its congregation. Canonization also allows the Catholic faithful to pray the intercession of the saint, with God acting through the saint to aid the supplicant.
Even though most Catholic saints lived centuries or even millennia after the events of the Bible, they are still held in extremely high regard. I would argue that a few of them, namely Ambrose, Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, are at least as influential to Catholicism as several of the Apostles were.
While I would hope that no Star Wars fans pray to their favorite EU characters, many of them are nonetheless held in the same esteem as the characters from the films. Among many other examples are Delta Squad from the Republic Commando video games and book series and Galen Marek from The Force Unleashed.
These core tenets greatly affect how Star Wars fans of both faiths view the old EU, including why the Protestants were so in favor of getting rid of it, while the Catholics wanted it to remain canon just as badly.
Protestant Fans’ Views of the EU
Protestant fans look at the old EU and see a bizarre, often-contradictory mess. There’s a lot of truth to that claim. The early EU was a rivalry between Del Rey Books (The Thrawn Trilogy) and Dark Horse Comics (Dark Empire) for the most compelling post-Endor story, with the competing timelines not lining up well at all.
They see numerous EU properties where the Jedi and Sith don’t only break the standard of Force power set by the films, but outright contradict the films’ core narratives of good and evil. EU properties sometimes portray the Jedi as feudal warlords, showcase selfless Sith like Darth Marr, and even sometimes question the goodness of the Force.
They see characters venerated who had nothing to do with the films, living centuries before or after them. These characters may be well-written and deep, but they still owe everything to the characters from the films and shows, as the Star Wars galaxy wouldn’t even exist without them; indeed, many of these characters’ archetypes wouldn’t exist without the films either.
They see feats by random Force users that make the Jedi and Sith of the films — many of whom are supposed to be the most powerful ever in the galaxy — look pathetic, such as Darth Nihilus draining an entire planet of the Force or Ganner Ryhsode killing thousands of Yuuzhan Vong warriors with just his lightsaber and the Force in his heroic last stand.
They see these feats as grandiose Michael Bay-style bullshit (a belief which is sometimes true) partially due to the Protestant view of sainthood. This view holds that while saints may be particularly virtuous people, they can never be on par with the Apostles and other key biblical figures. Translating this to Star Wars, Protestant fans believe that as much as EU characters in Star Wars may be strong and have good stories to tell, they cannot hold a candle to the truly canon characters regarding power or importance. For example, Yoda is the paragon of Jedi goodness and power and Darth Sidious is the most powerful Sith lord ever (some would even say he is “All the Sith”). Anyone who puts EU characters like Satele Shan or Tulak Hord above their film counterparts is effectively a heretic, though that word isn’t used for obvious reasons.
They also see a lot of works which are simply not that good, from books like The Crystal Star to video games like The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes. To them, flawed works like these are a feature, not a bug of a universe that’s well, expanded. Their solution is to have a clear, limited set of works in canon that are only made by a select group of universally acknowledged masters — though it is currently a matter of debate if Rian Johnson and J.J. Abrams should be considered on the same level as George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. If having a clear, quality, unified, and correct story means getting rid of the EU in one fell swoop like Disney did in 2015, so be it.
Catholic Fans’ Views on the EU
While Protestant fans view the EU as a mess that needed cleaning up, Catholics view it as beautiful mayhem, appreciating how the mess of characters, themes, and storylines can create a unified galaxy.
The EU has its fair share of “popes,” whose writings and interpretations of the galaxy help form the support structure of canon like papal encyclicals. These include, but are far from limited to: Matthew Stover, James Luceno, Karen Traviss, and Timothy Zahn. Each of these writers greatly expanded on the characters from the books and films, the underlying political and cultural framework of the galaxy, the nature of the Force, or all three. While none of them have direct ties to the films and shows, they are extraordinarily influential regardless.
The disparate narratives of the EU also fit much better within the Catholic view of canon. Catholicism is much more accommodating of Greco-Roman pagan traditions than Protestantism. The Catholic Church has adopted aspects of Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy through Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas respectively, as well as adapting pagan places of worship — including even the Pantheon — into churches.
This belief that opposing narratives often contain something of value aligns well with how the EU treats dark side characters. While almost nobody would claim that Darth Bane, Darth Tenebrous, or Vergere is morally good, all three characters still have positive qualities, be it foresight, inventiveness, or self-sacrifice against impossible odds.
As mentioned earlier, most of the books and comics in the new canon are primarily focused on the characters from the films and shows. This is contrary to the EU, which had its fair share of characters who fans loved even more than the characters on the screen. While it is not easy to be named a “saint” in the Star Wars galaxy, with many EU characters either flopping or merely being liked, a few characters have earned that status. From the Imperial spy-turned-smuggler-turned-Jedi Mara Jade to the terrifying mastermind Darth Bane to the enigmatic Revan, the EU’s saints are every bit as powerful and complex as the characters in the films and shows.
Much like how the Church Fathers, St. Thomas Aquinas, and others impacted Catholicism at least as much as many of the apostles, EU characters often shape Catholic fans’ views of the Star Wars galaxy more than the characters in the films and shows. As a Star Wars Catholic myself, Kreia, Jaina Solo, and Revan shape my view of the series at least as much as Luke, Palpatine, and Ahsoka do.
With such strong differences in belief concerning what comprises canon and which characters matter most, it’s no surprise that creatives and fans with differing faiths often clash with each other.
Differences at Lucasfilm
How do these two faiths affect the people who actually make Star Wars? At this point, the Protestants largely run the show. Or more accurately, the movies, at least for now. While they have divergent visions, there’s no doubt that J.J. Abrams, Rian Johnson, and Kathleen Kennedy are all Protestants.
As Hannah Long noted in her article, J.J. Abrams is little more than a televangelist, a man who precisely imitates his much more gifted “father” George Lucas — think Franklin Graham or Jerry Falwell Jr. minus the latter’s extracurriculars — whose work ends up being a pale imitation of the original. As for Rian Johnson, he said he didn’t consider the EU when making The Last Jedi, where he set out to deconstruct the Star Wars mythos, but just ended up deconstructing the fanbase instead.
Kennedy, on the other hand, has gone even further than the two directors. Despite being President of Lucasfilm — the closest you can get to being the Star Wars Pope — Kennedy alienated the franchise’s Catholic faction, outright denying that much of the EU even existed in 2019, when she told Rolling Stone that “Every one of these movies is a particularly hard nut to crack. There’s no source material. We don’t have comic books. We don’t have 800-page novels.” While Kennedy has partially walked back that statement, it’s nonetheless stunning to hear she had that mindset while the sequel trilogy was being made.
That’s not to say that there are no Catholics working at Lucasfilm. Dave Filoni certainly is, with Long’s article mentioning his love of Tolkien, the arch-Catholic of modern fiction. In addition to that sentiment, Filoni has also tried to re-incorporate older characters and storylines from the EU into the new canon. He made Grand Admiral Thrawn, perhaps the most popular character from the EU, into one of the main villains in Rebels. He brought Darth Bane (albeit a lamer-looking version) back in The Clone Wars. He even had plans to introduce Revan and the extra-galactic Yuuzhan Vong into The Clone Wars before George Lucas shut him down.
Jon Favreau also belongs on that list, with he and Filoni seemingly working towards a re-imagining of the Thrawn trilogy with The Mandalorian and its not-yet-released sister shows. Not to mention that season two of The Mandalorian included several key EU plot points, namely the revival of Boba Fett and the Dark Troopers Program. Favreau also included little EU-based details such as the Mandalorian’s disintegrator rifle being from the old holiday special, the HK-series of assassin droids from the Knights of the Old Republic video games, and the hint that all members of Yoda’s species are Force-sensitive.
As for George Lucas himself, he’s somewhat in the middle, but leans towards the Protestant side. Lucas was involved some with the old Expanded Universe, signing off on some ideas and not others, as well as helping to develop some of the video games (though “help” may be a bit of strong word here). However, Lucas has also stated that the Expanded Universe was never canon to him in the same way that the films were. He is also well-known for his strong dislike of certain EU characters, such as Luke’s wife Mara Jade.
While these differences have almost certainly led to some disagreements at Lucasfilm, I very much doubt the rumors that imply these differences will lead the sequel trilogy being thrown out. The Protestants have no desire to do so, and I doubt the Catholics, even if they ever got enough power, would want to sort out the mess of erasing a giant amount of canon yet again. Because of these consequences, the main clash between the faiths will take place in the fanbase, rather than the writers’ room.
The Clash in the Fanbase
The differences between the two faiths have led to quite a few heated disagreements between fans over the direction of the series. While there are near countless disagreements in this vein, I offer three specific ones here: The collapse of the Empire after Palpatine’s fall down the Death Star II’s reactor shaft, Rose’s comment in The Last Jedi that arms dealing was “the only way to get rich” in the galaxy, and Rey’s divergent origin stories in the sequel trilogy.
In the EU, the Galactic Civil War ran on for roughly 20 years after Return of the Jedi, with the New Republic taking decades to defeat dozens of Imperial splinter factions in thousands of star systems across the galaxy, from the bustling, overcrowded Core to the scattered, sparsely populated worlds of the Outer Rim.
Compare that to the current canon timeline, where nearly the entire Empire is either destroyed or forced into the Unknown Regions within just a single year. Their remaining forces, led by warlords such as Moff Gideon, are often incapable of fielding a single Star Destroyer.
To many Protestants, this is sensible, as the only thing appearing to hold the Empire together in the films is its centralized power. Grand Moff Tarkin said as much in the original Star Wars when he discussed how the Death Star was needed to keep local governors in line. In fact, we never even see an Imperial force led by anyone but Tarkin, Vader, or Palpatine in the films.
Catholic fans, on the other hand, find this absurd. According to EU sources, the Empire had tens of thousands of Star Destroyers — several times the number of rebel capital ships — not to mention the resources of thousands of worlds and a highly loyal population numbering in the hundreds of trillions in the Galactic Core, which is where most of the galaxy’s wealthy lived. Even with a substantial amount of Imperial self-sabotage, a force that large being nearly annihilated in such a short time defies belief.
A second fault line between the faiths is based off one of Rose Tico’s lines in The Last Jedi. While Rose and Finn are scoping out Canto Bight’s opulent casino looking for a contact, Rose tells Finn that the building must be full of arms dealers because “there’s only one way to get that rich.”
This line rings mostly true if you’re a follower of solum tegumentum, since almost every wealthy person or organization — Jabba the Hutt, Palpatine, the Trade Federation, etc. — has gotten wealthy off violence, extortion, or some other form of trickery.
Rose’s statement drew the ire of many Catholic fans. To them, there are countless ways to make money in the Star Wars galaxy, with dozens of trade routes connecting thousands of unique planets with very diverse populations. People get rich selling everything from power converters to bacta to protocol droids to star yachts. Not only that, but the Republic was demilitarized for a millennium before The Phantom Menace and had a golden age within that time period, so some other businesses must have been viable.
My third and final example of creative decisions which split the Star Wars fanbase surrounds Rey’s lineage. While the debate over this has been covered ad nauseum, I view the dividing lines differently than most.
Some in the media talked about the split over Rey’s parentage as those who thought she should be from nowhere as a deconstruction of the mythos (Johnson) or have family ties to key characters like in the original trilogy (Abrams). This was a clash between differing Protestant sects with the Catholics fully on the sidelines, not understanding why there was even a debate.
To the Catholics, it was laughable that anyone thought a Force-sensitive protagonist not having famous parents was a big deal. Kyle Katarn’s parents were farmers; Bastila Shan’s parents were down-on-their-luck treasure hunters in the Outer Rim; Darth Bane grew up with a single father on a desolate mining colony.
Catholics also thought that Abrams was being dogmatic and trying to make a near-exact copy of the original trilogy, while Johnson was desperately trying to be edgy without having done any of the reading. Both of them didn’t understand that the decision was pretty inconsequential given most EU characters’ origin stories. What mattered infinitely more than the identities Rey’s parents was how their story intertwined with hers. Apparently, Abrams and Johnson were too busy arguing over something unimportant to write an origin story that even made sense, let alone was compelling.
My concern with the third argument is that it seems like the two factions don’t even have common ground about what should be debated, something the Protestants have, even when they vehemently disagree. With the Catholics and Protestants not merely disagreeing, but often seeming to speak different languages. With this problem in mind, is there any chance for balance in the Star Wars fanbase, or even between the creatives who work on the series?
New Hopes
Despite the splits caused by the sequel trilogy, some of Disney’s Star Wars properties have brought the two sides closer. For example, the final arc of The Clone Wars — The Siege of Mandalore — is universally loved, albeit for different reasons. The Protestants such as Hannah Long(I group her with them since she only mentioned the films and shows in her piece) liked it because it brilliantly showed how Ahsoka differed from Anakin in the face of tragedy.
Catholics loved the Siege of Mandalore as well, not only because it was so well-executed, but because it was grounded within the wider universe. It echoed — or in Lucas’ terms rhymed — with the stories of Meetra Surik and Revan, both Jedi who left the order due to the Council’s hypocrisy, only to eventually join back up in one form or another. While both of their stories differ from Ahsoka’s, the Siege of Mandalore’s plot and themes are still grounded in what we know of the galaxy, the Jedi, and the Order’s mavericks.
A second, smaller example occurred in the season one finale of The Mandalorian, during Moff Gideon’s monologue about the repeating blaster he has pointed at the heroes’ position. He goes out of his way to name the E-web blaster, detailing what it did to the Mandalorian’s home planet. Both sides loved Gideon’s dialogue and demeanor, but Catholics (myself included) particularly enjoyed the details, remembering missions in the old Rogue Squadron III video game where players have to take down nests of E-web blasters. It goes to show that a little creative latitude can go a long way in bridging the gap.
These agreements, both large and small, show that there is a chance that the two faiths can be reconciled.
In addition, Lucasfilm’s most recent initiative called The High Republic shows some promise. The joint book and comic series is set hundreds of years before The Phantom Menace, meaning that the characters and plot will not have to be closely tied to the films, though certain Jedi who are in the films, namely Yoda, appear in the series. It is also very strictly under Disney’s control, something which wasn’t always the case with George Lucas and the old EU. There is also going to be a TV show tie-in called The Acolyte, though the show likely won’t release until 2023. If the High Republic books, comics, and show do well, it will give the Catholics a portion of the expanded universe they’ve been clamoring for, while keeping the Protestants happy by making sure that the storyline isn’t contradictory.
A remake of the legendary 2003 video game Knights of the Old Republic is also in the works. This project probably has the most potential of mending the fanbase, but is so early in development that there is not yet much to comment on.
With all of these positive signs, what would peace — at least a relative one — between the two faiths look like? And what steps would it take to get there?
Galactic Westphalia
It took the Thirty Years’ War — with decades of on-and-off fighting before that — for Catholics and Protestants to make peace with each other under the Treaty of Westphalia. We can only hope that the split in the Star Wars fanbase doesn’t last as long. Thankfully, people on both sides are at work trying to reconcile the two faiths.
In order to make the Catholics happy, the Protestants need to not only acknowledge their existence, but give them some creative latitude. Kathleen Kennedy, who will be staying at Lucasfilm past her current contract’s expiry later this year, does seem to have improved in this area, albeit with a very low starting point. The question is whether she will allow not just Favreau and Filoni, but other Catholic creatives working at Lucasfilm to incorporate EU elements in ways that are actually meaningful, instead of just writing “Mara Jade lives” in Aurebesh on a theme park bathroom stall as a tease.
And while the Protestant executives have their fair share of work to do when it comes to reinvigorating canon, the Catholics have just as much. Instead of just complaining about how the old EU was better, Star Wars Catholics should push for the best parts of the EU to make it back into canon, at least parts that would fit (sorry Solo twins; I love you guys, but it won’t work). They should also understand that there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle when it comes to Disney’s canon.
Several notable Catholics have accepted this view, namely Michael Stackpole, who wrote EU classics I, Jedi and the X-Wing series. Promisingly, Stackpole himself got a shoutout from Patty Jenkins, who is directing the new Rogue Squadron movie. She called his work “inspirational.” A small gesture, but a noticeable step in the right direction considering Kennedy’s and Johnson’s past comments.
Will Star Wars fans ever agree on everything? Of course not. But if the Protestants at the top give the Catholics working underneath them a little more latitude and a lot more respect, and the Catholics acknowledge that some of Disney’s changes are both permanent and for the best, Star Wars fans can finally finish this faith-based flame war and move on to the really important questions, like whether Mace Windu or Meetra Surik would win in a fight. For the record, my money’s on Meetra.
Freddie Bastiat is a futurist who’s a fan of Yoko Taro games, college football, and the restoration of the Byzantine and Achaemenid Empires. You can find him on Bluesky @bastiat-child.bsky.social
