Star Wars has existed in my life from the very beginning. Born in 1982, I first saw it long before my brain formed memories and it’s just always been a part of me. Its existence in the world at large has arguably had a bigger impact on pop culture than any other property, evidenced by the fact that so many other works of fiction reference Star Wars. Creators can imagine endless realities – but not a world without Star Wars.
Star Wars as a franchise exists in properties where actual aliens come to Earth, as in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, ALF, and The X-Files. Can we accept that there are intelligent, talking babies (Baby Geniuses), toys (Toy Story 4), or cars (Knight Rider) – why not? Superheroes, magic, the multiverse, and every other thing the Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought us – absolutely! But a timeline without Star Wars? Impossible!
This article isn’t trying to be comprehensive and, as far as I can tell, no single list exists – though there’s extensive ones on Wookieepedia. Rather, I began writing down Star Wars references years ago as I noticed them and decided to explore what it means that there’s so many in other works of fiction. Whether Earth harbors zombies (the book “World War Z”), vampires (True Blood, Twilight), ghosts (Ghosts), witches (Charmed), or even Time Lords (Doctor Who and spin-offs The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood), it also is home to Star Wars and its legion of fans.
The most direct examples depict characters watching the movies (That 70’s Show, X-Men: Apocalypse, Cheers, Up). Often it’s not plot-related but still an unmistakable sign that the franchise exists. Characters who put on a mask can’t help breathing like Darth Vader and/or uttering a line about being your father (Back to the Future, Will & Grace, Tommy Boy – who uses a fan instead). Others reference using the Force (Gargoyles, American Pie 2) or going to the Dark Side (Jarhead, The Devil Wears Prada). Lucifer is a TV series where the literal Devil leaves Hell to run a nightclub in Los Angeles and help solve crime. Buy that premise, no problem; it’s a delightful show. Right from the pilot episode, there’s references to Jedi mind tricks, which also show up in Supernatural and Hannah Montana. “May the Force be with you” is said in Cocoon and Ernest Saves Christmas and thanks to The Orville, we know that the line is still uttered in the 25th century.
If there’s anything remotely lightsaber-shaped, two people must crash them together and make “whoooo” noises (Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, True Detective). Wise characters are referred to as Yoda (Miss Congeniality, Seven) or Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sonic the Hedgehog, What A Girl Wants). Sidekicks are called Chewbacca (Armageddon, Blades of Glory), as are hairy characters, as in Bob’s Burgers and the book “Tough Guy” that’s part of Rachel Reid’s “Game Changers” series of romance novels about gay hockey players. Star Wars hasn’t gotten a mention yet in the TV show Heated Rivalry based on the series, but here’s hoping it happens in season two!
A love of Star Wars is often used as shorthand to establish a character’s geek cred (Castle, Superbad, Leverage). This often includes props straight out of my childhood bedroom and, let’s be honest, the office I’m sitting in as I write this. Action figures (Indian In The Cupboard, Live Free Or Die Hard), bedsheets (Poltergiest), and cups (The Princess Bride). There’s also Halloween costumes for kids (E.T., Psych) and adults (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls). While Leia’s Hutt slayer outfit appears as an object of desire (Friends, Chuck), I much prefer the cinnamon bun hairstyle (Full House, Tiny Toon Adventures).
Sometimes the Star Wars fans are played for laughs, the implication that maybe knowing so much about Star Wars makes you a loser (The Office, Grey’s Anatomy). Patton Oswalt’s filibuster in a 2013 episode of Parks and Recreation describes his ideal plot for the Star Wars sequels and comes remarkably close to predicting parts of those eventual movies (plus plot points for The Book of Boba Fett and even the MCU). The Big Bang Theory provided plenty of references, including a Force Ghost Bob Newhart as Sheldon’s childhood hero Professor Proton. Interestingly, the first reference to Star Wars in a fictional property may be an episode of The Bob Newhart Show that came out in October 1977. The Big Bang Theory also brought Carrie Fisher and James Earl Jones together for the first time; they met on the set of an episode.
References that come paired with members of the Star Wars family have a special impact. Mark Hamill sometimes plays himself at conventions (The Simpsons, 3rd Rock From The Sun), but even his variety of other roles, both in live action and animated properties, include references to Star Wars (Batman Beyond, V.I.P.). Matt Lanter (voice of Anakin Skywalker in The Clone Wars) references the Kessel Run in an episode of the wonderful time-traveling TV series Timeless. Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu) gets meta as Nick Fury and makes a Star Wars reference about Star Wars references in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Even creator George Lucas appeared as himself on an episode of The O.C., discussing the movies (and high-school dances) with the adorkable Seth Cohen.
I especially love references to Ewoks! I’ve never been ashamed of my love for them, but Barney from How I Met Your Mother finally gave me a source to cite – The Ewok Line. Those of us who were under 10 years old when Return of the Jedi premiered are “allowed” to love Ewoks. I was in fact born after May 25, 1973 and thus it is socially acceptable for me to say “Yay Ewoks!” Likewise, I already loved Steve Harrington in Stranger Things, but him listing “the one with the teddy bears” as his favorite Star Wars movie sealed the deal.
Another thing I love is rom-coms. Hallmark churns out nearly a hundred TV movies every year and many of them reference Star Wars! And since we’re talking Christmas movies, my very favorite, Netflix’s The Princess Switch, includes the prince (because of course there’s a prince!) playing with a lightsaber. This is part of the larger Netflix Christmas Universe or NCU, so Star Wars also exists in the Christmas Prince trilogy.
The only reference I can think of to a reality without Star Wars comes in the excellent DC TV show Legends of Tomorrow. Wacky time-travel hijinks ensue and lead a young George Lucas to drop out of film school. Without Star Wars and Indiana Jones, two of the team members never reach their superheroic potential, becoming instead a doctor and a yoga instructor. Part of the Arrowverse, this also tells us that the saga exists in the (TV) world of Arrow, The Flash, Constantine, Black Lightning, Batwoman, and Supergirl. Once the Legends put the timestream back in order, of course, with a short detour inside a trash compactor.
I’ve got a list of another hundred or so references, but am sure I missed hundreds more! I admit to having a blind spot when it comes to comics, anime, and plenty of other pop culture content. I also specifically excluded the countless parodies (Spaceballs, Robot Chicken – both excellent), homages (A LOT of characters say “I’ve got a bad feeling about this”), and pop culture grab bags like Ready Player One, Free Guy, and The LEGO Movie. All these prove is that creative people who made them were influenced by a galaxy far, far away. It’s much more telling to me when the imaginative stories and characters themselves exist in a world with Star Wars. Thankfully our reality does too!