Joseph Campbell's Mythic Influence on Star Wars

Joseph Campbell's

Mythic Influence on Star Wars

When George Lucas was crafting Star Wars, he wasn’t just building another world in space—he was tapping into something ancient and deeply human. At the core of the stories within the franchise, the influence of Joseph Campbell can be seen and felt. Campbell’s book The Hero with a Thousand Faces explores common patterns found in myths from cultures across the world. These patterns trace the arc of a hero who leaves the ordinary world, ventures into a realm of trials, receives wisdom or power, and returns transformed. Each Skywalker’s story in the Star Wars series follows this structure nearly step by step.

The Hero's Journey in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

At its heart, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is the story of a farm boy who rises to become a galactic hero. Luke Skywalker starts his journey on the barren sands of Tatooine, yearning for something more. When he encounters Obi-Wan Kenobi and learns about the Force, the wheels of destiny begin to turn. Tragedy—his aunt and uncle’s murder—pushes him to accept the call he initially resists. This moment marks what Campbell called “crossing the threshold”—the hero leaving the familiar for the unknown. Along the way, Luke gathers allies (Han Solo, Leia, Chewbacca), confronts enemies (stormtroopers, Darth Vader), and faces inner and outer challenges. His evolution from a naive dreamer to a capable Jedi mirrors the internal transformation that is central to Campbell’s Hero’s Journey model.

Archetypes that Populate the Mythic Story

Campbell didn’t just map the journey that Lucas used in constructing the story; he also described the roles characters play in the mythic structure. Star Wars is filled with these familiar archetypes as well. A few examples include:

Obi-Wan Kenobi

is a mentor, the wise elder who initiates the hero but cannot complete the journey for him. Like Merlin in the Arthurian legends, Obi-Wan embodies knowledge and sacrifice.

Darth Vader

is a shadow figure—the inverted mirror of the hero. Campbell noted that the hero must often confront a part of himself he fears becoming, and Vader embodies this threat.

Princess Leia

while breaking many traditional tropes, still plays the archetypal role of the goddess—offering hope, mission, and emotional grounding.

Han Solo

functions as the rogue or shapeshifter—a character whose loyalties are initially unclear, but who ultimately supports the hero’s cause.

These archetypal characters resonate because they’re wired into the collective psyche. Campbell believed that myths, across time and place, serve as maps for navigating the human experience. Star Wars plugged directly into that tradition.

The Force: A Metaphor for Spiritual Energy

Perhaps the most mythic element in Star Wars is the Force—an energy field that connects all life and offers power to those who attune themselves to it. This idea reflected Campbell’s own understanding of myth as a vehicle for expressing spiritual truths in symbolic language. The Force represents a universal principle—like chi, prana, or divine will—found in countless mythological and religious systems. Its light side emphasizes balance, mindfulness, and harmony, while its dark side is fueled by fear, anger, and aggression. Jedi training, then, doesn’t just include fighting but also spiritual discipline—just as the hero’s journey is not only about adventure, but also inner transformation. Yoda, in Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back, echoes the teachings of Zen masters, mystics, and mythic sages, urging Luke to unlearn what he thinks he knows and open himself to something deeper.

Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) in Lucasfilm's STAR WARS: AHSOKA, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved

(L-R): Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) with Night Troopers in Lucasfilm's STAR WARS: AHSOKA, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved

Lucas, Campbell, and the Legacy of a Modern Myth

George Lucas has been vocal about Campbell’s influence on Star Wars, particularly Episode IV: A New Hope. After struggling through early drafts of the story, he read The Hero with a Thousand Faces and found a structure that gave his ideas form and coherence. In a 1985 speech at the National Arts Club honoring Campbell, Lucas said,

“I wrote many drafts of this work and then I stumbled across The Hero with a Thousand Faces. … It was The Hero with a Thousand Faces that just took what was about 500 pages and said, here is the story … here’s the way it’s all laid out…After reading more of Joe’s books I began to understand how I could do this.”

Lucas ended his speech, calling Campbell his Yoda.

Campbell himself praised Star Wars for bringing myth back into popular culture. In the PBS documentary series Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth with Bill Moyers, Campbell told Moyers that “Star Wars has a valid mythological perspective. The hero is one who has given his life to something bigger than himself.” Campbell went on to describe the films as feeling timeless, speaking to human longing for purpose, identity, and transcendence. After Campbell’s death, Lucas would tell Moyers, “I think my last mentor probably was Joe … Joe Campbell, who asked a lot of the interesting questions and exposed me to a lot more of the cosmic questions and the mystery.” The Star Wars franchise has continued to expand—through prequels, sequels, and spin-offs—but the most powerful moments remain those that touch on these deeper truths. Whether it’s Anakin’s fall and redemption, Rey’s search for belonging, or even Grogu’s silent Zen-like gaze in The Mandalorian, the mythic influence of the saga continues to be felt.