Hero S Journey

Nick Elsasser
12/2/14
Konz Per 7
Star Wars Hero’s Journey
Star Wars Episode IV strongly correlates with Joseph Campbell's Hero’s Journey in every aspect of it. The Hero’s Journey starts out with the departure stage. In this stage there are several smaller stages starting with the call to adventure. In the movie
The call to adventure starts out with Luke Skywalker. Luke has recently purchased two drone named C3PO and R2D2. While doing maintenance on R2D2 a secret holographic message pops out from the robot and the message is of a princess saying that she needs rescuing and help. The next stage is the refusal. Luke originally refuses that call to adventure because he feels he needs to stay and help his foster parents on their farm. Luke later accepts the call because he comes back home one night to find his foster parents dead and he wants revenge. The next stage is supernatural aid. Luke gets aided by his droids C3PO and R2D2. He later meets an old man named Obi Wan
Kenobi who trains him to become a jedi and to use the force. Obi Wan also gives Luke a lightsaber as his jedi weapon. The next stage is crossing the first threshold. Luke is leaving everything behind at his old farm and traveling to Mos Eisley. Guarding the threshold are the Imperial storm troopers. Luke must pass these guardians by sneaking past them and making a quick escape in Han Solo’s spaceship. The final stage of the departure is the belly of the whale. In this stage Luke is leaving behind an unfulfilling adulthood. He is now ready to become jedi and he is doing so because he feels forced into doing to get revenge on the Galactic Empire.
The next section in the hero’s journey is the initiation. The first stage in the initiation is the road of trials. In this stage Luke finds himself on the the Death Star which is the Empire's planet destroying battle station. Luke navigates through the halls of the ship fighting off stormtroopers and trying to rescue the princess. The next stage is meeting with the goddess. Luke finds the princess and falls in love with her at first sight.
The next two stages temptation away from the path and atonement with the father are

together in the movie. In these two stages Luke sees Obi Wan battling with Darth Vader and then Luke wants to stay back to help save Obi Wan which is the temptation from the path. Darth Vader then mercilessly kills Darth Vader while Luke watching which is
Lukes atonement with the father. The next is the Apotheosis. In this stage Luke and the rebel Alliance have secured detailed information about the Death Star and they use the information to find a weak spot in the Death Stars defenses. The final stage in the initiation is the ultimate boon. In this stage Luke becomes a fighter pilot which was his dream from when he was little.
The final section is the return. The first stage in the return is the refusal of the return. Luke refuses to return home until the Death Star has been destroyed and he has restored peace. The next stage is the magic flight. In this stage Luke is flying down the trenches of the Death Star with Darth Vader in pursuit of him. The next stage is rescue from without. In this stage Luke is being trailed by Darth Vader but Han Solo comes and shoots Darth Vader’s ship rescueing Luke from certain death. The next stage is crossing the return threshold. In this stage Luke fires his torpedoes into the weak spot in the Death Star and is able to blow it up saving the galaxy so he can return home. the next stage is master of two worlds. In this stage Luke comes back to the rebel base and is awarded with medals for his bravery and courage. The final stage in the return is freedom to live. Luke is able to relieve his fear of the Empire because the Death Star was destroyed and their leader Darth Vader was missing in action.