With Kenobi's solo series revisiting the early days of the Empire, it might be time to revisit the place where the saga began. When most fans hear the term "classic Star Wars" images of X-wings, lightsabers, the Death Star, and the heavy breathing of Darth Vader are the first things that come to mind.

It was a time when audiences were engrossed in the never-ending conflict of good and evil where great battles were waged across the galaxy. Giant space stations, mystical energies, and lightsabers defined the age of the original trilogy. The era of the Rebellion is the one that not only defined the Star Wars saga, but re-imagined the sci-fi genre as a whole.

UPDATE: 2022/09/24 19:56 EST BY SHAWN S. LEALOS

Andor takes Star Wars fans back to the era right before the Rebellion, which played out in the original trilogy. This era started shortly before Rogue One and continued until after Return of the Jedi when the Empire finally surrendered. However, one thing about this era of movies for fans was that it was mostly scrappy heroes trying to beat an overpowered evil military force. In both the prequel trilogy and the sequel trilogy, fans recognized that things were not always seen in terms of black and white. Andor continues to look in that period, and show that things in the Rebellion era of movies was not always as it seemed.

The Force is Pure & Good

The medal ceremony after the Battle of Yavin for Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Chewbacca in Star Wars A New Hope

In the Rebellion-era Star Wars movies, the idea of The Force was almost like magic for the heroes. Darth Vader has powers of his own, but his is always considered the Dark Side of the Force. However, the main idea is that The Force in the Rebellion era is a force of pure good and Vader manipulated The Force for himself into something darker.

This all changed in the prequel series. Before the Rebellion, the Jedi Warriors were no better than the Senators and council members, often disagreeing and bickering. The Force was supposed to be good, but was just as political as anything else. The Rebellion era glossed over that fact.

The Empire is Pure Evil

Stormtroopers in Cloud City in Star Wars Empire Strikes Back

Much like the Rebels were the good guys and there was never any doubt, the Empire was pure evil and there was nothing good about them at all. However, that is not the truth when it comes to this war. Much like in any war, there were good and bad on both sides.

In the Rebellion-era movies, there was never any sign that stormtroopers or anyone who worked with the Empire had a conscience or morals. With that said, as the later movies showed, many people thought the Rebels were terrorists. This was never shown in the Rebellion-era movies.

Society is Mostly Poor

Star Wars' Tatooine sunset

One thing that the prequels and sequels showed was that the Empire had a lot of people on their side. This was because they did two things. They controlled the media, and they made the people who supported them very wealthy. However, in the Rebellion-era movies, there was little to no wealth to be seen.

Yes, Lando Calrissian had a nice set-up, but almost everyone else seen in the original trilogy lived in basic poverty. The planets in the Star Wars universe seemed mostly terrible when it came to living conditions. The Empire seemed to keep everyone destitute to remain powerful, but that clearly wasn't true when the franchise rolled on.

The Samurai Influence

Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: A New Hope.

The prequels brought a lot of political intrigue into the movies. The sequels delivered a lot of sci-fi action, while attempting to replicate the themes of the Rebellion-era movies. However, one thing that really stood out in the original trilogy was its homage to Samurai movies from the past.

The Jedi Warriors were clearly a form of rōnin, and the first Star Wars movie itself was a loose remake of a Japanese samurai movie called The Hidden Fortress. In both movies, the rōnin/Jedi reluctantly returned to help save a princess and get her back to help fight in a war for her kingdom. Even the lightsabers were stand-ins for the Japanese samurai swords.

A More Classic Age

Star Wars A New Hope poster

The original Star Wars trilogy had white many would consider a very vintage look. Even in 1977, much of the machinery, technology, and other aesthetics felt like something from another time, but not necessarily futuristic. Seeing as how the sci-fi serials of yesteryear inspired George Lucas, this might've been done with a distinct purpose.

Essentially retro-futurism before the term even existed, everything looks like it has had frequent use. Even the bright and shiny new machinery aboard the Death Star looks like it was operated by a team of experts. Through the use of this aesthetic, Lucas establishes that this is a world that has existed for a long time.

A Long Time Ago…

Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars A New Hope

All Star Wars movies begin with that iconic phrase "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…" this is the first context clue that what the viewers are preparing to watch is something of a mythic epic. It's not in the universe they know, and they're in for something that will absolutely blow their minds.

From the opening seconds of the film, Star Wars presents itself as a fantastical space opera that's larger and grander than the standard sci-fi adventure. This isn't just a one-off diversion, but a peek into a world with cultures, history, and established lore. Even before the sequels were written, the galaxy had a lived-in look that gave it a sense of substance.

The Art Of War

A squad of stormtroopers as seen in Star Wars A New Hope.

Although it can certainly be easy to forget this fact thanks to the spaceships, lightsaber duels, aliens, droids, and other classic Star Wars imagery, the saga is a war drama at its core. War is part of the title, and the motifs of military, battles, weaponry, and other instruments of the trade are prominently featured in the original trilogy.

It's not akin to something like Apocalypse Now, but armies of rebels and troopers are seen in all-out fire-fights as they wage war for control of the galaxy. If the setting was changed to something more grounded in reality, it would be a piece of Oscar bait depicting the graphic realities of war.

Malicious Machines

Darth Vader in Star Wars A New Hope

A common theme seen in the original trilogy that tapers out with each new addition to the series seems to be how technology can be both a force for good or evil in the galaxy. Although C-3PO and R2-D2 help get the blueprints of the Death Star to the rebels, the machines and weapons of war held by the Empire are prime examples of the dangers of an overabundance of tech.

A better example would be Darth Vader and his cybernetic suit, and how "he's more machine than man now ." Droids, holograms, and starships might be a dream come true for some, but they can also affect the fate of the galaxy.

Ravaged And Savage Planets

Luke Skywalker with Tatooine's sky at sunset in the background in Star Wars: A New Hope

It might be because the Empire has such a hard iron grip on the planetary territories throughout the galaxy, but so many planets seen in the era of the rebellion are often ravaged and hostile environments. Mos Eisley on Tatooine is a wretched hive of scum and villainy, the ice planet of Hoth is filled with carnivorous snow monsters, and the swamps of Dagobah are riddled with creatures lurking beneath the mire.

For a universe filled to the brim with technological marvels like starships, blasters, and protocol droids, it's surprising to see just how many dangerous environments there are. That being said, it does add to the sense of adventure felt with the original series.

Here There Be Monsters

A rancor roaring in anger in Star Wars

One thing the era of the Rebellion had that seems to be lacking in more modern interpretations, outside the prequel or the animated series and spinoffs, is the number of giant monsters prevalent in the universe. Spaceship dogfights and lightsaber duels are all well and good, but it's been so long since there's been a fight with a Sarlaac or giant space worm in the feature films.

The original trilogy brought fans creatures like the Rancor, the Sarlaac pit, and other beasts from beyond the stars. In fact, there hasn't truly been a giant monster encounter in the main franchise since the sea creatures outside the Gungan city. There's always a bigger fish, after all.

Intergalactic Melting Pot

Mos Eisley Cantina Band from Star Wars

Another thing that needs to make a return to more modern Star Wars adventures is the number of alien lifeforms seen mixing and mingling with the humanoids. It wouldn't be incorrect in saying that humans are the minority in the galaxy far, far away. Except for a certain few, most of the main cast are humans.

And in a realm full of dozens and dozens of alien creatures, species, and hybrids, there should be a lot more alien representation in the main cast. Non-human heroes like Chewbacca and the droids are certainly memorable, but they've been in supporting roles since the new Star Wars eras walked onto the screen.

Ragtag Heroes

Han and Chewie in Mos Eisley Cantina in Star Wars

Everyone loves an underdog story, it's practically been that way since biblical times, and there are few better examples in all cinema than the rebels of the original Star Wars series. Except for Princess Leia, the core members of the rebellion are made up of a Force-sensitive farm boy, a smuggler in Han Solo, a bear-dog alien, and a pair of clunky droids with some eccentric personalities. Not exactly galactic military material.

That can essentially be used to describe the Rebel Alliance as a whole. These aren't soldiers ready for a fight, they're simply an organized group ready to pick up a blaster to oppose the Empire's tyranny.

Clean Cut Villains

Star Wars' Tarkin and Darth Vader.

Where the heroes are ragtag underdogs, the villains of Star Wars are the crisp, cut, and professional messengers of war. Although they're the most feared force of power in the galaxy, they do fit a certain stereotype for a fascist regime. Tarkin and his enforcers are no-nonsense uniformed officers, and the stormtroopers are the standard-issue armored goons that march through the galaxy on their quest for domination.

The villains are all professional, immaculately trained, and on a mission to squash out any form of rebellion under the Empire's rule. They have the biggest weapons, the most experience, and the deadliest forces under their command, which only makes victory all the sweeter when the rebels come out on top.

The Power Of The Force

Yoda Uses the Force Star Wars Empire Strikes Back.

Before fans got a larger dose of Jedi in the newer films, the Force was a more mysterious and unexplained phenomenon, even with an entire trilogy to build its lore. It's more than just the mystical energy of the universe where a Jedi can draw his power, it's almost like a spiritual element that saturates the franchise.

The Force is much more ambiguous than it would become in later films, not that that's a bad thing. The repeated mantra of being "one with the Force" or "may the Force be with you" is treated as something of both power and reverence, giving it a much more mysterious nature that helped define both it and the franchise as a whole.

Next: The 20 Most Powerful Sith