Star Wars always seems to be the default for nerd culture in my experience. If you’re into gaming, books, and computers, then you must be into Star Wars.
I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing, as Star Wars certainly deserves all the glory that came to the franchise, given the amount of effort that went into it and the number of people it’s introduced to science fiction. But this does give Star Wars something that not many fandoms have. In my experience, devoted fans of Star Wars have no trouble pointing out its flaws, plot holes, or contradictory moments.
If there is one thing “Nerds™” enjoy more than defending their own fandoms, it’s pointing out the flaws in the fandoms of others. I’ve mentioned many times in my life that the best way to honor your fandom is to embrace its flaws. But Star Wars seems to already be there. I can almost promise you that most of these comics were created by huge fans of the franchise.
A lot of people think of the original trilogy as the source of all glory, the three films that can do no wrong, but even the biggest fans can tell you that the trilogy has its problems too. At this point in time, I don’t think anything I or any other Nerd™ can say about it will ruin its glorious reputation. So enjoy these comics that will leave you questioning the original trilogy!
30 Ghost Rules
The idea that there are ghosts in Star Wars at all is pretty laughable, although one shouldn’t start picking apart what is or isn’t allowed. Force be magic and all that. But the idea that Anakin should look healthy and young while the people who stayed loyal to Luke and the good side of the force is a real injustice.
A more reasonable fan theory for this is that these ghosts are projections of Luke’s subconscious, instead of actual ghosts.
He sees people as he saw them and how he saw chooses to see them. If this is the case, then fine. If, however, they are actual ghosts, then Anakin should not be forgiven with last-minute redemption. He should be punished by having to spend his eternal ghostliness disfigured and shamed. Or at least let Yoda look as he pleases.
Comic by Dorkly.
29 Useless Armor
If there is any evidence to support Darth Vader’s loyalty, it’s the fact the Sith often look like they were never really trying. Demonstrated by the Storm Troopers ridiculously flimsy armor. Even in space-times, that armor would be hot, unpleasant and heavy. Especially since these are the “bad guys” who traditionally don’t give a damn about their employees. So, if you’re going to put yourself through that for pretty much your entire day, one would hope the armor was at least effective. But it’s not.
If you threw acorns at these guys they’d probably fall down defeated! With all the spaceships and lasers, one would think they would invest some time and money into giving their soldiers effective armor. It certainly doesn’t give the dark side a lot of morale.
28 What Happened To Daddy?
Honestly, after watching the prequel trilogy, I can’t understand why Obi-Wan didn’t just tell Luke the truth. He was trying to explain the force to this kid and how important it is, but there are also evil people who will use it wrongly.
Sharing the story of his father’s corruption would have been a great way to explain the importance of the force as well as gaining Luke’s trust.
Besides, this would have been a more comfortable way to find out who your father was, then after a long and horrid battle. I know I’m oversimplifying things, but if Obi-Wan had to lie, this lie would have been miles better than the lie he actually used. It asks fewer questions and is, in a very broad sense, what really happened.
27 Why Are We Here?
This is more amusing than anything else. These days the terms “omg” or “lord” is used in shock or surprise, for joy or terror, by just about anybody, regardless of their religious status. It's something that's just kind of universally used at this point, but all sorts of people. And that's fine!
This comic makes me laugh as people often associate scientific advancement with atheism, and the world where Star Wars takes place is pretty advanced. There are faiths in the Universe and Leia occasionally uses the phrase “lord.” I read this and think of people sending their thoughts are prayers to people in need. If Lord Vader has faith that some deity is helping his mission, well, all the power to him, I guess.
Comic by James F. McGrath.
26 So Much Life
Let’s assume that the majority of the Stormtroopers were press-ganged into their position. A reasonable thing to assume given, as we’ve already covered, their armor is absolutely terrible. Mind you, not even the best armor could have protected them from this scenario!
It important to remember that even the good guys have made some rash decisions.
Granted, I can’t think of a more effective way to defeat the dark side than blowing up the Death Star. I just wonder if the voices of these children that they left behind haunt the “good guys” as they sleep at night. They sit on their doorsteps wondering if their parents are ever coming home! I guess it just shows that no victory comes without a price.
25 Armor Tips
This comic may be discussing the games more than the actual trilogy, but you can’t deny that this is something that is ever-present in the Star Wars franchise. I’m not going to pretend that it’s just Star Wars' problem (although Lucas’s infamous “underwear in space” comment speaks volumes). This is something that is present is a lot of video games and films and something that really should end.
Basically, female armor is very different to male armor. It’s often more fitted to the person, showing off more of their figure, but is often very selective. While in the setting the female seems as resistant to attack as the males, her armor only really appears to protect certain parts of her body. Good thing bad guys are such bad shots...
Comic by Isriana.
24 Lost Time
Okay yes, everybody, this isn’t the actual line. At this point, I think more people smugly know that the actual line is “No, I am your Father,” rather than the misquoted and more popular “Luke, I am your Father.” Guess your feeling lucky punks. I guess no, Luke wouldn’t have reacted like this, but it would have been a nice gesture on Darth Vader’s part. If nothing else, he owes his Aunt and Uncle so much money!
There is something very enjoyable about the way we humanize this moment through memes and comics.
Like how maybe Vader wanted to reconnect with Luke and start their family again. It brings them back into our world and gives them our real-world experiences. But in all seriousness, if Anakin wants redemption he should get his son the birthday presents he deserves!
Comic by Dorkly.
23 Target Practice
The only thing more frustrating than watching a Storm Trooper in full body armor fall down after one shot is watching them repeatedly shoot at the good guys and never once hit them.
Bad guys in movies are terrible shots! The Moria scene in The Lord of the Rings where hundreds of goblins are shooting the fellowship but none of them manage to hit any of them? But Star Wars is really guilty of this. Most of the time the good guys don’t even bother to get out of the way, the bad guys just miss! Surely the Death Stars basic Storm Trooper training contains some target practice! Perhaps there is a deeper meaning here; maybe they don’t want to hurt anyone and disagree with the war. That’s what I’m going with, anyway.
22 Swordplay 101
There is something incredibly discouraging about the way these guys fight. There is a lot of hitting the glowing sticks against glowing sticks, pushing, shoving and removal of things. But as any small child who’s found a stick will tell you, one good stab will surely, and with no chance of a comeback, render your enemies no more.
While this can leave the rest of you vulnerable to attack, it is a sure-fire way of finishing off your enemy.
Star Wars never seems to get the hang of this. When the battles with the dark side could mean the saving of many other lives, a more effective fighting style goes a long way. It’s a very pedantic thing, but its certainly something worthy of a little commentary.
21 Robot Talk
This is probably my biggest pet peeve about Star Wars. It’s a great series of films full of dramatic and emotional moments. But when that bloody robot starts squeaking and everybody acts as if it’s normal, it just feels childish and very out of place.
Some of our primitive machines can speak human language, but for some reason, this advanced droid can’t!
Secondly, all of his squeaks are very similar! Maybe C3P0 could understand him given that he is also a robot and could have some kind of translation drive that interprets other robots automatically, but as a human don’t tell me that these noises mean anything to you. And don’t tell me that they mean something different to the noises he made earlier! That’s just silly!
20 Special Ghosts
Okay, so I talked about ghosts earlier, but didn’t go into much detail. Jedi ghosts or “Force Ghosts” are different from regular ghosts (which frankly makes the “Luke’s Mind” argument all the flimsier, but let’s just move on). A force spirit, while not being able to technically harm others, they can travel at will and still use the force. I’ve never understood, probably through stupidity, why this would make you more powerful.
But from the perspective of your enemies, freezing you would be a lot more effective.
They have the technology to keep you frozen in time for all eternity, a fate worse than being a Force Spirit. So why not do that? Sure, they can be rescued, but just make sure to keep them locked up tight or throw them out into the vast vacuum of space.
Comic by Dorkly.
19 We’ll Be Fine
I’ve got to admit, these films were the last time Family Guy properly made me laugh. I know a lot of people still like the show, but I personally think these films would have been a great way to end things.
This is something that’s true of a lot of films/books/franchises. Nobody actually thought the fellowship was going to perish in Moria. Everybody knew Harry, Ron, and Hermione would be safe during their encounter with Sirius Black. I doubt even the smallest child really thought Anna was going to be frozen forever. When all the main characters are in a situation, it’s very unlikely that something is going to hit them and blow them up forever. It’s not something that can really be avoiding in storytelling, but it does make situations a lot less dramatic.
18 One Big Difference
It’s very frustrating how Stormtroopers can be defeated so easily despite their thick, heavy armor. It’s even more frustrating when Clone Troopers, having very similar looking armor to the Stormtroopers, appear much more capable and powerful.
This is the vast future/past of space where materials are being developed all the time and good materials can suddenly become available.
The ways of developing one set of armor won’t always be available. But if that is that case, then why don’t the Stormtroopers become any more competent? Surely some of the things that make the Clone Trooper armor so amazing could be applied to Stormtrooper armor, or technique could have been improved. I guess armor strength really depends on plot convenience.
Comic by Generalraam.
17 The Truth Hurts
As I said earlier on this list, I can’t personally see any reason why Obi-Wan didn’t tell Luke the truth as a warning. If you act like a jerk, I’m going to do some pretty weird things. Be warned and don’t mess with me.
People have theories that this all comes from a deep respect for Anakin that Obi-Wan still had, despite his betrayal.
He wanted Luke to remember his father as he was not who he became. Which is all well and good for Obi-Wan but not so great for little Luke! If Luke had known the whole truth, then he might have figured out that Darth Vader was his father, which admittedly would have made this moment a lot less dramatic, would have been a better way to do things.
16 How To Look The Part
This again could be said of pretty much any dramatic moment in film history. The taking off of a cloak or coat is a sign that things are about to get serious. Capes or cloaks are worn throughout the franchise, not just the original trilogy. They’re worn by Jedis and by the Dark Side, which is a little questionable itself as I can’t understand why various people living in various parts of the galaxy would have incredibly similar fashion sense. But also, because capes are worn, particularly by Obi-Wan, regardless of what the weather is actually like. Considering the vast changes in weather between planets in our solar system, we can assume the weather is very different on various planets in Star Wars. But still, the only excuse for taking your cape off is dramatic build-up.
15 Being Responsible Parents
I’ve honestly never been that annoyed that Luke kept the Skywalker name. Although it wasn’t a great hiding tactic, they didn’t think he’d be anywhere where Darth would look. It’s stupid, but not a big deal. What I personally think is stupider is that they hid his twin sister far better than they hid him.
Maybe I’ve missed something glaringly obvious, but I can’t understand why separating them did any good for the kids.
Why couldn’t they both be raised under the Organa name as royalty of Alderaan? If they didn’t want Vader to find either of them, then why give one of them a different name and have them adopted outside the Skywalker family, but not the other? There is an argument to be made over which path was ultimately safest, but when making the decision surely one seemed better than the other.
Comic by Dorkly.
14 Warning: Pointless
Science Fiction often seems to me to be entirely populated by pointless buttons. On spaceships, weapons and, in Darth Vader’s case, on his person. It’s absolutely bizarre. His suit does a lot of cool things and we are told a lot about how Vader functions, but I can’t personally say that I ever saw him press one of those buttons.
They might as well make popcorn for all I know.
What is weirdest about the whole thing, in my opinion, is that the buttons aren’t in a great position for him to access himself. Darth Vader is someone who likes to be in control (obviously) so if he had buttons that controlled his suit, then surely, he’d place them on his wrist or somewhere where he could have better access to them. Having them on your chest gives others easier access than yourself.
Comic by Jim Benton.
13 The Job
This isn’t so much a plot hole or a question as it is speculation. Whenever I walk through a mall or an office there is someone cleaning, as big buildings take a while to clean properly and with a lot of people going through, it’s hard to keep it clean. We all know this.
But while there are “cleaning droids”, the areas in Star Wars are much larger than malls or offices. And often so white! Surely, they’re harder to keep clean and maintain, especially with all the battles. I like the idea that the Troopers are on some kind of cleaning schedule, occasionally being put on dusting duty. While this might look a little safer than guard duty, the penalty if something valuable is broken is stupidly high.
Comic by Racel J Pierce.
12 The Duties Of A Protagonist
In big epic franchises such as Star Wars, the protagonists are normally the absolute worst. Not just Luke Skywalker, but characters like Frodo and Harry Potter are notable examples. Despite being the main characters, they are often totally unrelatable and bland compared to their companions and show few personality traits.
The cop-out argument here is that protagonists are generic heroes.
This is so members of the audience can place themselves in their position and reimagine themselves as the heroes. But this doesn’t really work as protagonists make decisions and act independently. The audience doesn’t get to decide Luke’s actions or reactions to the scenarios he is thrown into. What you’re often left with instead is someone with inconsistent reactions, as the above comic shows someone very bland.
Comic by Dorkly.
11 Careful With That!
Lightsabers are very powerful weapons and it’s proven over and over again how easily one can make a clean cut during a duel. It’s probably something one should hand over to a new pupil after a long and sensible discussion about what it can do, possible after some practice runs with a stick.
Not just because he is “old enough.”
Obi-Wan hands the lightsaber to Luke before he even explains to him what the force is, not bothering to give any details about the weapon. While Obi-Wan is sensible enough to get out the way while Luke starts waving it around like a child, he could easily have broken something or hurt himself. Of course, nothing terrible did happen, but it easily could have, making it a very questionable move on Obi-Wan's part.
Comic by Jim Benton.