Max explores the history of Star Wars and looks ahead to the future of the saga. What will the next era look like?
Due to my organized nature, I often like to put certain years into different eras. Here’s how I envision Star Wars Eras from 1977-2021
Era 1: Adventures of Luke Skywalker era (1976-1977)
This is the precursor era to the beginning of Star Wars when Darth was still Vader’s first name and Obi-Wan was in his late 80’s. George was still working the bugs out of his storyline and the whole franchise had a fresh new car smell.
Era 2: Phenomenon era (1978-1983)
This is probably the most memorable era in Star Wars history as fans became fangs and they waited every 3 years, drooling with anticipation for the next installment.
Era 3: The Dark Times (1984-1991)
Star Wars essentially “ended” as the movie trilogy was done and another trilogy was at the time unthinkable. Star Wars only survived as a West End Games RPG and it seems the fire had gone out. That is until one man was brave enough to resurrect it.
Era 4: Literature Renaissance era (1991-1999)
Timothy Zahn wrote the Heir to the Empire series in 1991 and breathed life into a dead franchise by continuing the story and creating one of the most beloved non-movie Star Wars characters of all time; Grand Admiral Thrawn. For the following 8 years, some of the very best Star Wars literature was produced and Star Wars had more books than movies!
Era 5: The Prequel Era (1999-2005)
George Lucas returns and tells Anakin’s origin story. Many people in my age group will tout this as the beginning of their Star Wars.
Era 6: Uncertain era (2005-2008)
The movies ended again. What would fans do? Would there be another Dark Time? Keep calm and carry on. Star Wars novels were still produced every month and die-hard fans didn’t even notice a change.
Era 7: Clone Wars era (2008-2012)
Dave Filoni emerges on the scene and creates the groundbreaking Clone Wars 3D animation TV show. This is where a chasm forms among fans and polarized the franchise. Star Wars is regarded as not having the same luster and nobody had a clue where it would go next.
Era 8: Early Disney era (2012-2015)
Disney buys Star Wars from George Lucas for a cool 4 billion. They announce a sequel trilogy to debut in 2015 and wipe the slate clean in 2014. So much anticipation; but also so much hate.
Era 9: Movie Era (2015-2019)
So many movies. Forget the 3-year wait. Disney is booming with tons of success despite many fans jumping ship. Canon and Legends is the dividing factor and Disney seems unstoppable until it hits a wall with the Han Solo movie in 2018.
Era 10: Streaming Wars era (2019-???)
Star Wars moves back to the small screen but in the futuristic medium of online streaming shows. The Mandalorian sets a new standard for everything and essentially saves Star Wars. Until at least 2023; Star Wars will be all about streaming TV shows and will have tough shoes to fill with The Mandalorian.
The Mandalorian Chapter 14 (Image courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm)
What will future Star Wars Eras look like after The Mandalorian? Leave a comment below. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the future of the saga.
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Max Nocerino is a regular Staff Writer for TheFuture of the Force. He is a passionate Star Wars fan and loves the literature of the galaxy far, far away. Follow him on Twitter where he shares his love of the Force frequently!
