Star Wars may be the most popular media series about Star Wars, but the franchise’s fact-checking leaves a lot to be desired. Here are five things Star Wars gets dead wrong about Star Wars.
1. Jedis wear khakis, polo shirts and boat shoes, not robes and tunics
Anyone who knows Star Wars knows that Jedis dress business casual. And yet, throughout Star Wars, not a single Jedi Knight is seen wearing a pair of Sperrys and a Lacoste polo tucked into J. Crew khakis? Why Star Wars went out of its way to show them in robes and tunics is a question for George Lucas, who clearly didn’t care about staying faithful to Star Wars while creating Star Wars.
2. The Force only works for opening cans, and is pretty much useless otherwise
One of the most egregious misconceptions Star Wars has perpetuated about Star Wars is how useful The Force is. At the absolute most, Force-sensitive individuals can open cans quicker than other people—and that’s about it. Meanwhile, Star Wars would have you think that Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Supreme Leader Snoke use The Force in combat, which is literally laughable. If The Force is strong with you, you can pop open a can of beans with your mind, but don’t count on it coming in handy when someone is shooting a Blaster in your direction. C’mon, Star Wars. That’s Star Wars 101!
3. Yoda is shown living independently in the swamps of Dagobah, but he’s actually the foster child of an infertile couple in Denver, Colorado
Apparently, Yoda’s relationship with his foster parents, one of the most celebrated storylines in Star Wars, didn’t make it into Star Wars for budget reasons. While that’s understandable, most Star Wars fans hoping for an accurate portrayal of Yoda’s life in foster care have probably abandoned the franchise at this point. Over and over, Star Wars shows Yoda living alone in a swamp hut—a major creative liberty, given the modern, Denver-based family Yoda is supposed to be a part of. Honestly, does whoever make Star Wars know a single thing about Star Wars? Because choices like this make it seem like they don’t.
4. All Stormtroopers are traditionally wheelchair-bound
Okay, if you aren’t bold enough to depict thousands of Stormtroopers rolling around battlefields in wheelchairs, as they famously do in Star Wars, maybe don’t make Star Wars! Showing them strolling about on two feet is just a middle finger to the Star Wars that made Star Wars possible. Show Star Wars lore some respect, Star Wars!
5. Lightsabers are medical tools for spaying and neutering Ewoks
You’d get laughed out of the galaxy if you actually fought with a lightsaber in Star Wars. Hey, we get that they look cool and someone over at Star Wars made an inspired creative choice, but in the Star Wars universe, running into battle with a lightsaber is like running into battle with a veterinarian’s forceps. It might be a less baffling inaccuracy if Star Wars even once showed a Jedi neutering an Ewok with a lightsaber as a small nod to Star Wars, but nope. While we enjoy Star Wars as much as anyone, if you want to actually learn about Star Wars, Star Wars is the last place you should be getting your Star Wars information from!
