15+ Star Wars Facts to Take You to a Galaxy Far, Far Away

The Star Wars 45th anniversary is a perfect reason to rewatch the whole series… not that you need a special occasion for that.

Not to brag but we’re Jedi masters in Star Wars trivia. Just ask us about Yoda and you’ll get a two-hour lecture on the flora of Dagobah.

Today, we’ve compiled some of the most enthralling and obscure Star Wars facts just for you. They will have you ready to ace that geeky pop quiz in no time.

So, let’s dawdle no longer and brave that jump into hyperspace!

Star Wars Facts That You Probably Didn’t Know (Chosen by the Force)

• Star Wars is the second highest-grossing movie franchise of all time.
• Disney acquired Lucasfilm for $4 billion.
• George Lucas drew inspiration from Akira Kurosawa and J.R.R. Tolkien for his magnetic space opera.
• May 4, a.k.a “Star Wars Day,” had unlikely (and political) origins.
• The Mandalorian is the most-watched streaming series in the US.
• “The Force Awakens” brought in more than $2 billion.
• R2-D2’s first version was much grumpier.
• Chewbacca and Indiana Jones have shared history.

Star Wars Franchise Facts

In Yoda’s words: “much to learn, you still have.” Let’s start with the basics.

1. Star Wars is loved by the whole world.

(Source: Splinter)

Star Wars is one of the most successful franchises in the world, a safe haven and a beam of inspiration for its numerous fans.

Exactly how loved is it, though? Let’s see what the Star Wars movies’ popularity by country tells us.

Star Wars is a source for nostalgia for Europe as the Old Continent is definitely a fan of the prequels.

The US and Russia, on the other hand, favor “The Last Jedi” and “The Force Awakens,” respectively. Australia is in line with Europe for its preference for “The Phantom Menace,” while Canada and China rely on traditionalism by preferring “The Empire Strikes Back” and “A New Hope.”

Fun facts about Star Wars: Initially, the original trilogy was banned in China. However, the franchise is now easily breaking box office records there. 

2. How much is Star Wars worth?

(Source: Investopedia)

Get ready for some really impressive numbers!

Star Wars is the second highest-grossing film franchise and the fifth when it comes to media franchises. Ever! 

Just its box office earnings amount to $10 billion, its revenue to $70 billion, while the average box office for a Star Wars movie is a staggering $860 million.

Disney has got its hands on a true gold mine, huh?

3. How much did George Lucas sell Star Wars for?

(Source: IndieWire)

Speaking of Disney… 

Most people were really unhappy and disapproved of the purchase deal, seeing it as disrespectful and a way to milk a “cash cow.” Lucas himself described his decision as “painful.” However, it certainly looks like he was well comforted — $4 billion worth of comfort, to be exact.

It’s not all bad news, though. At least for  Disney+, that is, for which The Mandalorian is a huge success. A number of other TV series and games have been announced for us to look forward to.

Let’s lighten the mood with yet another…

Fun fact about Star Wars: Lucas’ original vision for the newest trilogy included Darth Maul as the main bad guy and Princess Leia taking on the “Chosen One” cloak.

4. Star Wars was inspired by myth and pop culture alike.

(Source: Wookieepedia)

George Lucas drew inspiration for Star Wars from more than one place. He most frequently credited Akira Kurosawa’s Edo-period drama “The Hidden Fortress,” Joseph Campbell’s “A Hero with a Thousand Faces,” and even “Flash Gordon,” the space opera.

A colorful mix, to say the least. Spice it up with some “Lord of the Rings” mythos-making and you’ll get one of the most spellbinding space hero adventures of all time.

5. What was Star Wars originally called?

(Source: The Telegraph)

This is a tougher one—definitely part of the more unknown facts about Star Wars. The initial title was “The Adventures of Luke Starkiller as taken from the Journal of The Whills.” Rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?

We might be used to it but “Skywalker” and “The Force” sound much, much better. Don’t you think?

Star Wars Lore Fun Facts

By now, your appetite must be whet for more thrilling trivia. Get ready for another portion of really cool Star Wars facts!

6. The soundtrack foretells who will turn to the Dark Side.

(Source: IGN)

The franchise’s OST, genius and unforgettable as it is, has some incredible “theme within theme” ideas.

We can hear “Anakin’s Theme” incorporating foreboding elements of the “Imperial March”—that ominous sound playing every time Darth Vader shows up.

Similarly, “The Last Jedi” closes with children singing a song that insidiously winks at Emperor Palpatine’s theme. Both insertions forebode the characters’ eerie future to go on to rule the Dark Side, and are another testament to John Williams’ incredible talent as a composer.

7. Star Wars probably saved the LEGO brand from falling into obscurity.

(Source: ToyPro)

Star Wars and LEGO go back more than 20 years. 

LEGO has certainly profited a lot from this relationship as its big increase in earnings is thanks in part to strong demand for its “Star Wars” collection. 

R2-D2 is the LEGO figure you’ll most likely stumble upon. Its collection, however, is most extensive and really particular. 

The Yoda and Ewok (those bear-looking fluffballs) figurines, for example, were among the first to have relatively short legs. Also, The Death Star piece is truly remarkable as it allows you to play out any single scene from the original trilogy that features the massive killing machine.

8. “May the Fourth be with you!”

(Source: USA Today Tech)

May the 4th is the perfect day to dust off that lightsaber hidden in your closet and show the world your inner badass Jedi-ness. 

The “Star Wars” day was conceived totally by accident, though. A curious tidbit from Star Wars history has it that the original pun accompanying every May 4 celebration was not coined by Lucas. Ironically, we have the UK Conservative Party to thank for that. 

They put out a newspaper ad congratulating Margaret Thatcher on her victory as the new Prime Minister with the words “May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations!”.

Turns out, Conservatives are quite liberal with their puns.

9. “The Mandalorian” is the most-watched streaming series in the US.

(Source: Insider)

Although it has only 16 episodes to date, “The Mandalorian” dethroned “The Office” and its impressive 201.

“The Mandalorian” was streamed for 1,336 billion minutes between December 14 and 20 in the US alone. “The Office” trailed behind with a total of 1,311 billion.

Star Wars Movie Stats

Time to review some real-life Star Wars statistics speaking to the lasting triumph of the franchise on the big screen and in our hearts.

10. Episode IV was essentially one of the first blockbusters.

(Source: Quartz)

The budget for the first Star Wars movie ($11 million) might look quite modest to you now but let’s not forget we’re talking about the 70s. 

Modest or not, however, nothing prepared Lucas and company for what was about to happen. “A New Hope” is still one of the most financially successful movies of all time with almost $900 million at the box office. 

Talk about a lucrative profit from a movie many believed would flop.

11. Star Wars movies are on the (financial) up.

(Source: MovieWeb)

If you are wondering which Star Wars movie made the most money, then you’re in luck. Out of three trilogies and nine movies, the most financially successful one is “The Force Awakens.” The movie apparently awakened people’s nostalgia, as well, and broke a new record for the franchise. 

It grossed $247.9 million just on its opening weekend, accumulating a $2 billion total box office worldwide.

It ranks fourth in the list of highest-grossing movies of all time behind “Avatar,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “Titanic.”

12. 2,000 tons of sand were transported to the “Rogue One” set.

(Source: Metro)

The “Rogue One” facts are definitely among the most interesting you might stumble upon.

The sand was transported by 200 trucks and was used to make the Scarif planet a beachy paradise. 

Did you also know that the team used period lenses to mimic that original-trilogy look and feel? Or that British rapper Riz Ahmed filmed 500 takes of a single scene for his audition, and ultimately landed the role of the rebel pilot Bodhi Rook. It seems the cast were as thrilled and restless as fans were. 

13. Star Wars’ most memorable scenes in history are…

(Source: ScreenRant)

It’s extremely subjective but let’s see what the critics are saying about it…

*drum roll*

The three best Star Wars scenes are:

1. The celebration on Endor at the end of the “Return of the Jedi.”
2. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan fighting droids with lightsaber parrying.
3. Luke stumbling upon the remains of his destroyed home and family.

One might say the last one is somewhat macabre for a Top 3 list, though. 

Star Wars Facts About the Characters

Next on our Star Wars facts everyone should know is trivia about some of the most lovable and not-that-lovable but surely iconic characters in movie history.

14. That time when R2-D2 was one bad cookie.

(Source: BestLife)

If you search the web for Star Wars quotes, you won’t get farther than a simple “Beep Boop Beep” from R2-D2. The adorable droid wasn’t always a tin cutiepie, though.

According to one of those weird Star Wars facts few know of, the original 1974 script had R2-D2 speaking in plain English using long sentences. 

He would harbor quite the nasty attitude towards his often-whining companion, C-3PO. R2 would refer to his comrade as a “useless philosopher,” “dim-witted,” and “emotion-brained.” Ouch.

We certainly prefer the R2-D2 version we grew up with.

15. “Is Yoda a monkey”?

(Source: CinemaBlend)

Come on!

It’s amazing, and a tiny bit offensive might we add, how many people have wondered this. But it’s even more amazing how they are not that far off the mark. 

Yoda is certainly not a monkey but he was close to being played by one. The idea was eventually dropped in favor of a green puppet.

Another fun fact about Star Wars: “The Mandalorian” Grogu (yes, we are talking about baby Yoda) is also a puppet. Admittedly, CGI was used in more complex scenes, but for the most part Grogu is portrayed by an animatronic doll.

16. Did Han Solo shoot first?

(Source: ScreenRant)

There are plenty of Han Solo facts floating in hyperspace as fans adore Harrison Ford’s daredevil character. The Millennium Falcon’s pilot boasts a long and infamous CV.

Han had worked under Jabba as a smuggler for quite some time, umpired a space race, had a fake wife at one point, and was supposed to be… green. Thankfully, that last part got scratched out of the screenplay.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, Solo did shoot Greedo, the bounty hunter, first. After a few edits, Lucas made it seem that Han acted in self-defense. Fans of the series still continue to fight over which is true, though.

17. Chewbacca and Indiana Jones share a common ancestor.

(Source: MF)

Sure, not literally. But the inspirational predecessor of both Chewbacca’s hairiness and Indiana’s memorable name was Lucas’ Alaskan malamute dog. 

Indiana was one lucky doggo. He would ride shotgun in Lucas’ car, with people often mistaking him for a human. 

Chewie’s name, though, was inspired by the Russian word for dog (“sobaka”). 

Other curious Chewbacca facts include the making of his fur costume. It was stitched together from yak and rabbit hairs and at some point featured a cooling system.

18. Darth Vader’s menacing voice was modified with a scuba regulator.

(Source: TellTales)

Prepare to be blasted with a plethora of Darth Vader facts! Because who doesn’t like a brooding, dark-caped, tragic anti-hero?

Vader was probably conceived by the Force or midi-chlorian life-forms scurrying through his mother’s cells. Wonder where Lucas got the inspiration for that one from…

Originally, Vader wasn’t even supposed to be Anakin, Luke’s father. We are glad this got dropped as it would have eliminated one of the most famous tropes in movie history.

What about Vader’s looks? His notorious helmet was inspired by Samurai tradition. As for his red-glowing lightsaber—it was crafted with a flashgun and windshield wipers to hold it in place.

Wrap Up

Much like the daring Millennium Falcon, we have scoured the farthest rims of the galaxy… the Google galaxy, that is, to share with you some of the most fascinating Star Wars facts out there. 

Hopefully, your hoard of geeky knowledge has been enriched. If you’re feeling nostalgic but long for new content, we suggest you try the latest Star Wars series—"The Mandalorian" and “The Book of Boba Fett."

May the Force be with you!