My earliest memories revolving around the Star Wars franchise stem from the early 2000s, around the time that those controversial and highly debated prequels were released. My brothers played every available film from the franchise on a continuous loop in our basement rumpus room and I had been gifted my very first lightsaber (which I adorably called my “life-saver”... you know, like the candy?). After catching a few sporadic scenes here and there, I eventually fell in love with the series and did my costume makeup like Padme every chance that I got. And I was not the only one.

Though it can have its problems at times (what fandom doesn’t), the Star Wars fandom is one of the biggest fandoms on this here planet and that is an impressive feat. This fandom has stood the test of time and has spent the better part of the 20th century turning itself into a household name. And with such a long-standing series, fans are bound to develop their own queries, opinions, and theories between the release of the films. And if you know anything about me then you’d know that I love fan theories.

I love seeing fandoms take shreds of information and piece them together until they believe that they have created the perfect puzzle piece to close that plot hole or solve that unanswered question. And in order to join these two loves together, I have curated an article dedicated entirely to numerous Star Wars fan theories that have popped up over the past few decades.

Rejected: Are The Jedi's The True Villains?

This theory explains how the Jedi’s are actually the true villains of the series. This is due to the fact that they are attempting to bring balance to the force (I mean, it’s what they based their entire organization on) but their strict laws border on oppression. The film Attack of the Clones goes into detail about how strict and intense the Jedi can be. An example of this being that it is basically illegal for a Jedi to have any romantic entanglements as it was thought to increase the chances of someone turning to the dark side.

Real: Padme Was Being Mind Controlled

With Ewan McGregor right there, fans have tried their darndest to find a single reason why Padme would have ever gone for Anakin. And they have found it: a forced romance. Basically, this theory states that Anakin uses the ways of the force to convince this woman to fall in love with him. And it works….sort of. Rather than simply falling in love with him, she is put into a hazy brainwashed state that her body was trying as hard as it could to fight against. This fight drained her life force entirely in the end.

Real: Leia Was A Shield

Since recent films released into the franchise and added to the canon of the universe confirms that Leia had an element of the force, many fans have begun to theorize that her ability to use the force appeared earlier in the series. There is a theory floating around the interwebs that states that she was the reason why the stormtroopers could never land a single shot. The theory explains that her need to protect everyone manifested in the form of a shield and protected the gang as they escaped and fought for the good side.

Rejected: Jedi Mandated Population Control

This theory states that one of the more intensive acts committed by the Jedi is the fact that they have enacted their own method of population control. There is a theory that states that the Jedi council combs through the children training to join their ranks and eliminate any child that shows an affinity or ability to turn towards the dark side (and that Anakin was simply powerful enough to hide this and sneak by). This theory seems to further the idea that the Jedi were truly the real villains all along.

Real: What Caused That Asteroid Field?

There is a theory floating around that says that the asteroid field that the characters flew through were actually not originally asteroids but rather the remnants of a destroyed entity. But no one can seem to agree on what that entity was before the destruction. Some believe that it was the remnants of Alderaan, though the placement does not entirely match up. Others believe that the asteroids were made up of the remaining pieces of the test planet that would eventually lead to the Death Star. Version 1 of the star, so to speak.

Real: Storm Troopers Do Not Have Bad Aim

You know that infamous inside joke that the internet shares based upon the bad aim that the Stormtroopers have due to their inability to land a single shot? Well, this theory which has been circling around the interwebs for some time claims that the main characters were protected by the force that lay deep inside them as it formed a sort of shield. Another theory states that they were purposefully trying not to land any shots in order to capture them in one piece in order to bring them to Vader for a little family reunion.

Rejected: Jar Jar Binks Is A Sith Lord?

To summarize as briefly as possible, this theory states that it was originally intended for Jar Jar to be a sith lord but negative reception changed that plan. This theory is backed up by the fact that Jar Jar is an exceptionally skilled warrior and proficient at combat (while having no reason to be), has an in-depth knowledge of things relating to the dark side that he should be ignorant to, and the odd fact that Palpatine and Jar Jar maintain a friendship into Episode III.

Real: Obi-Wan Lied About Not Knowing R2D2

Okay, so there is simply no way that Obi-Wan did not know/recognize R2D2 and C3PO. Simply no way. He literally spent the entirety of the prequels chumming it out with those two so why does he not recognize them now? The most obvious reason for this was that he was lying. But why lie? There is a fan theory that believes that the reason that Obi-Wan lied was that telling the truth would have revealed too much to Luke far too quickly and that the boy needed to be eased into things.

Real: Ewoks Find Humans Delicious

I mean, yeah? They are bears. But the question is whether or not they eat them because they need to or because they want to. This theory states that the latter is true. This theory is based on the fact that they seem all too eager to grab themselves a snack when the characters land on their planet. It is important to note that humans are not a part of their natural diet. Which leads one to believe that they are a long-awaited treat, like birthday cake, that the Ewoks delight in having the privilege to consume.

Rejected: Vader Could See All Futures

Note: this theory does not take the sequels into consideration. This theory explains that Vader was, more or less, powerless in the long run as he was simply a puppet in the eyes of fate. Once he harnessed the power of the force, he saw all timelines at once, all possible outcomes for each and every single action he (and those around him) could make, and he chose the path of least resistance without alerting the dark side of his intentions. He did what he did, even if he did not want to because he knew that he had to secure the best for his children.

Real: Will Kylo Get His Redemption Ark?

The first episode of the sequel run of the series has set Kylo Ren up to be the clear antagonist with Rey as the hero. However, Lucas is fond of big twists and secret enemies so many fans have posed the theory that Kylo will receive a redemption arc as he does not seem as committed to the dark side as previous villains. Many believe that he will renounce his ties to the dark side and link himself up with Rey and friends in order to help defeat the monster that his actions had created.

Real: K2SO Was The Last Of His Kind

K2SO is a unique droid who appeared in Rogue One, a film which ended roughly fifteen minutes before the first film in the series/franchise. Fans have remarked that no other droids which look similar to him appear in the rest of the series. Many have speculated that his actions in his film caused his entire line to be eliminated. And production was immediately ceased, favoring other types of droids instead and leaving this line to rust forever.

Rejected: Is Chewbacca a Spy?

Now, I personally find this theory a bit silly but it was featured on several different forums online so I felt like it needed to be mentioned. Some people within the Star Wars fandom believe that Chewbacca, for whatever reason, is a spy for the rebels. In fact, this theory states that it is, in fact, Chewie who is the head of the smuggling operation rather than Han and that the Millenium Falcon is truly his ship (which is why it appears in Episode III). Now, whether or not this is true is up for debate but the idea of Chewie being the brains of the operation amuses me.

Real: Luke And Leia Weren't Always Related

Though it is important to note that Luke and Leia have been related for decades now, some fans believe that it was not always the intention of the series for them to be siblings. Some believe that the twins were meant to be romantically linked in original drafts of the film but the rewrites needed for later films lead to plot and character changes which turned them from prospective lovers into sister and brother. This theory is based entirely upon the chemistry that filmgoers at the time insisted existed between them in the original film when it existed as a stand-alone.

Rejected: Will Rey Be The Next Villain?

Many fans believe that Rey’s affinity towards the force and tragic backstory will turn her into the main villain of this run of the series. The simple reason for this being that Rey seems to be the “new Luke” so it would be a fascinating plot twist for her to be the new Vader instead and use her natural talents for evil. While this is not a theory that I tend to align myself with due to the fact that I love my golden Rey of sunshine with all of my heart, I have to admit that it would be interesting.

Real: Vader Did Not Know About Leia

This theory states that Darth Vader had no idea that he even had a daughter until he read the information in Luke’s mind after their family bond was revealed. I mean, he knew that Padme was with child and that the child that she bore was his. However, according to this theory, there was no way of him knowing about the second child. Therefore, when he stole her at the start of the first film, he had no idea he was reunited with his own child.

Rejected: Who Is Snoke?

There are literally dozens of theories revolving around the character of Snoke. It seems like every week brings a new backstory to the character. Everyone wants to know who the character is and everyone has their own theory. Snoke has somehow become the Gargoyle King (for you Riverdale fans out there) of the series as everyone is being “outed” as his true identity. Some of the characters that have been assigned as Snoke’s true identity are Palpatine, Jar Jar, Kylo Ren (talking to himself), Yoda, Darth Maul, Count Dooku, a random Stormtrooper, and even Mace Windu.

Real: Lucas Is Luke

In the book, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen named the most beautiful, talented, accomplished, and sought after character after herself. And many fans believe that George Lucas did the exact same thing with the character of Luke. I mean, he named the hero of the entire series after himself… in a way… and that is both cheesy and kind of amazing. I mean, when we write characters, we always put a bit of ourselves into them. So why not make the best character in the entire universe your fictional clone?

Rejected: Hux Will Change Sides

There is a new and popular theory that states that Hux will change sides before the sequels are over. He is currently part of the first order (the new and improved version of the dark side) and many fans believe that he will join the resistance before the series has concluded. This theory is based upon the fact that he utterly despises Kylo Ren. Though this leads me to believe that if Kylo swaps sides that Hux might even hunker down on the dark side just to spite Kylo. Other fans question his commitment to the dark side and its duties based on his demeanor.

Real: Rey Is Not A Skywalker

This theory was created before it was revealed that Rey is just some random kid but when she was first introduced, every single person and their pet gopher believed that she was Luke’s daughter. Now that that has been disproven, dozens of other theories have sprouted up trying to explain her heritage because people refuse to accept that she is just some random kid. Theories on her origins include that she is a Solo, a Kenobi, Boba Fett’s kid, or even a random Storm Troopers kid. People seem really desperate for her to be related to somebody...anybody...