When it comes to discovering all there is to know about this legendary phenomenon, to paraphrase Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Ultimate Guide to Star Wars is the magazine you’re looking for. A long, long time ago – 1977, to be exact – in cineplexes not that far away, one of the most exciting and enduring franchises in entertainment history soared off into the stratosphere. Star Wars came onto the scene as an unheralded science fiction saga, following the adventures of a naïve kid and a determined princess who join forces with a cocky bounty hunter and some plucky robots to save the universe from ultimate evil. This space opera bubbled with the lively energy of an old-fashioned movie serial but stood out from everything that had come before it by speaking a language all its own, with strange new words and phrases like “Wookie” and “Jedi” and “the Force.” Pick up a copy and have all you love about Star Wars in one place, and learn a few things you didn’t know.
Modern Mythology • Over its 45-year history, the Star Wars franchise has been unique. No other pop-culture phenomenon has been held so close to the hearts of so many people
BIRTH OF A GALAXY • Before he created Star Wars, George Lucas had an even more ambitious goal. He wanted to blow up the ways of Old Hollywood
Young Rebel • George Lucas’ own coming-of-age story was the inspiration for his earliest work as a filmmaker
A Force • With Star Wars, George Lucas set out to make the kind of movie he wanted to see. Along the way, he ended up transforming the entire industry
Creating Magic • To bring his imagination to life, George Lucas needed to invent new tools for filmmaking
TIME Capsule • A look back at TIME’s feature on Star Wars: A New Hope, from May 1977
BUILDING A FRANCHISE • What started as a tribute to Flash Gordon quickly grew into a billion-dollar multimedia behemoth
The Saga Continues… • The success of Star Wars gave George Lucas the independence to produce more movies in the series that followed his vision—but they didn’t always live up to fan expectations
A Toy Story • Before 1977, toys based on movies were not much of a business. That changed in a big way because of Star Wars
The 45 Greatest Moments in Star Wars History • No science-fiction franchise has been more influential (sorry, Star Trek fans!)
The TIME Star Wars Covers
TODAY, TOMORROW AND BEYOND • After 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, the Star Wars franchise took a moment to pause, then pivoted toward the future
How The Mandalorian Changed the Future of Star Wars • Creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni blazed a new path forward on streaming
Coming Soon to a TV Near You • Following the success of The Mandalorian and more, additional streaming shows set in the Star Wars universe are on the way. Here’s what to expect
What About the Movies? • When will the Star Wars franchise return to theaters? The answer is unclear, but some movie projects are in development
TIME The Story of Star Wars
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