Aligning ” Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “Star Wars” Conclusion Part Final

Disclaimer: This essay randomly moves into and out of summarizing these two stories as one plot and as two. For example, sometimes Luke and Aang are referred to as “the protagonists” and at other times referred to as “the protagonist.” Maybe it’s lazy editing, or maybe I’m trying to make a point. I’ll let y’all decide.

Finishing up our series of essays with overlong titles, it’s time to put everything together. The plots for Avatar and Star Wars have been laid bare, the allegories have been investigated, and the side characters have been matched. At the end of the day, while they take place in vastly different settings, Star Wars and Avatar share an archetypical main character, the same two archetypical villain roles, the same three act structure which follows the same pattern, the characters arrive at the same moments at the same times, and (as we’ve already seen) even the supporting characters fill the same roles. They tell the same story.

Beginning with the type of story, and I know it’s been a while since I’ve used this term, what we have here is a familiar “I Am The One” plot. To refresh, an “I Am The One” story is about a world threatened by a powerful, malevolent force and the only hope for salvation is found in the hands of one individual who wields a unique power, skill, or weapon. This is one of the most popular types of story in the fantasy genre. Other examples include The Wheel of Time, Harry Potter, The Matrix, and Dragon Age: Origins (where my term of choice “I Am The One” comes from. Check the soundtrack).

Both Luke and Aang wield a unique power, the former using The Force and the latter using the Avatar State and serving as the link between humanity and the spirit world. Both are faced with malevolent forces that wield overwhelming military power (The Empire and The Fire Nation) and both are tasked with defeating the head of this power (The Emperor and The Fire Lord). And at times, both are offered guidance by spirits. However, neither was ready at the outset to face their destiny. Both had to go through training, face trials and setbacks, and grow into their roles.

But how did they grow? Let’s talk about the plot of the two series. Both begin with our protagonist in a backwater part of their universe, somewhat oblivious to the scale of the conflict going on around them. They come into contact with a group of friends who help them throughout the saga. Of these friends, one serves as a caretaker for the group and a romantic interest, one acts as a quick-thinking, puckish rogue, and another is a big, furry creature. Together they fly around, working against the antagonists at times and eluding them at others.

What antagonists you ask? Oh, you already know. A standout figure who serves as an agent of our big, malevolent force and menaces the hero’s group from the start until he eventually finds redemption. Behind him is the leader of our malevolent force who remains in the shadows until the time arrives for the hero’s final battle. But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself.

Along the way our hero encounters various teachers who provide him guidance in maximizing his power and pushing him along the road to his destiny. The Avatar must master the four elements and the Avatar State, while the Jedi must master The Force. And one teacher won’t do. Be it through death, or simply not being able to provide a broad enough perspective, a hero in these types of stories is always in need of more mentors.

So the hero arrives at a main base of the resistance only to discover that they’ve been tracked there by the full military might of their enemy. A great battle ensues and when all hope seems lost, the hero uses his power (pretty much through accident, or not fully understanding what he’s doing) to save the day and end the first part of the trilogy with victory. The antagonist is left drifting away to regroup and prepare for their revenge in part two.

Part two is all about hardship in the cases of Aang and Luke. Things start with them being held captive and having to use their powers (again without fully understanding it) to get out of whatever mess they’re in (referencing the Wampa Cave and the episode “The Avatar State” for Luke and Aang respectively). At various points in this part the hero faces ‘The Mirror,’ a trope in these types of stories which features the protagonist facing their darkest attributes, their fears, and coming to accept them.

The hero also has to leave his group for a time to begin training to master his unique power. All is going well, except that in the hero’s absence, his friends fall into the hands of the antagonist and his training is interrupted by a vision. Despite the warnings of their teachers, Aang and Luke abandon their training to go save their friends only to find they’ve stumbled into a trap. Despite all he’s learned, the hero is defeated and nearly killed, only to be saved by the friends he tried to save in the first place. The second part of the trilogy ends on the somber note of defeat.

After the setbacks of part two, the conclusion of our two sagas features the gradual build to the inevitable confrontations between the hero and their nemesis. Part three begins with the cleaning up of the mess left over from the end of part two, be that saving Han Solo or escaping the now conquered Earth Kingdom. Following these initial challenges, everyone regroups and prepares for their final attack on their big, malevolent force.

From here, despite differences in pacing, the heroes still follow the same up and down path. The initial plan goes awry (be it on the Day of Black Sun or the Empire capturing Han and the strike team down on Endor). However, everyone is able to regroup and strike back as things devolve into a series of battles on different fronts to defeat the big, malevolent force once and for all. The antagonist who had been menacing the hero from the beginning finds redemption and helps the hero fulfill his destiny. The hero confronts the head of the malevolent force, a character that is talked about but not really shown until this concluding part. And one by one, all of the battles go the good guys’ way. Everything ends with a party as everyone is reunited and peace has been restored to the universe.

So are Avatar and Star Wars the same story? Yes and No.

Wait. What? I’m kind of undermining my own argument aren’t I?

Hear me out.

While they follow the same archetypical story, and feature similar character types, it isn’t entirely fair to call these two “the same.” The base elements are more similar than other “I Am The One” stories and both can be interpreted as allegories of World War II and other contemporary conflicts. But they’re not the same. One is animated, the other is live action. One is a space opera, the other is fantasy. One is a trio of movies, the other is a television series. There are differences in character types. As I suggested in my last piece, there aren’t really Star Wars equivalents for Azula and Iroh, and even Toph doesn’t line up cleanly.

BUT, as I’ve been trying to highlight, they both feature a hero who acquires a group of colorful allies and goes on a quest to hone his skills and eventually meet his destiny. While the filler content varies, the protagonists arrive at the major moments in their plot at the same time. Both stories allow their heroes to fail (mostly in part 2). Both stories reward the hero for attempting to do things others don’t think possible regarding their final battles. And both feature the redemption of the main antagonist.

So are they the same? No. Star Wars is Star Wars and Avatar is Avatar (except when it’s not as in the case of a particular James Cameron film). But do they tell a familiar story with similar elements when compared to each other? Yes. And that’s not a bad thing. I find it interesting that two of the greatest examples of their respective mediums share a lot in regards to their plot and characters. Imitation of a successful story is only natural and it’s how we got to this point in storytelling with familiar structures. When things aren’t altered enough, it feels stale or ripped off. But alter the concepts and add to what was already there and you might find yourself crafting your own best-selling “I Am The One” story.

And after hearing that Final Fantasy XII’s plot is often compared to Star Wars, I may have to check it out. Who knows? We might not be done with this series just yet…

But for now we are. Thanks for tolerating a month of space opera and a family cartoon. I’ll be getting back to more spontaneous content next week. We shouldn’t be seeing the likes of a lengthy essay series for a while.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get back to practicing my tsungi horn.

You know it occurs to me I didn’t even get into the shared use of leitmotifs in the music of the two sagas…

Don’t worry. That was a joke.

Plotting “Avatar: The Last Airbender, Book III: Fire”

The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can tough the voice of hatred without being harmed. Since beginning-less time, darkness thrives in the void but always yields to purified light… In the era before the Avatar, we bend not the elements, but the energy within ourselves. To bend another’s energy, your own spirit must be unbendable, or you will be corrupted and destroyed.

Before we begin with the plot, let me get something off my chest: The finale episode has some of the best red-blue contrast of any visual art piece ever. Alright. Down to business.

The final season of The Last Airbender begins with Aang waking up aboard a Fire Nation ship, with hair on his head, and very confused. The season can best be said to be divided into three parts: The lead-up to and actual Day of Black Sun, Zuko’s redemption, and Sozin’s Comet. While we can say Return of the Jedi takes place in three acts, they don’t quite line up with Avatar’s. Even the final season of The Last Airbender is riddled with setbacks and plot twists. While many expect the final acts of fantasy sagas to be steady climbs to the climax, this is not the case here.

Recall, if you would, the end of Book II, where the kids suffered catastrophic defeat at the hands of Azula and Zuko in Ba Sing Se. Zuko reverted to his old bad self, Iroh is now a traitor and prisoner of the Fire Nation. Oh! And Aang got shot full of lightning and was actually killed in the Avatar State until Katara brought him back to life using water from the spirit oasis.

So this is defeat right? In Star Wars, the losses suffered at Cloud City were personal. While it was bad for seven of our main characters, the Rebel Fleet just kept chugging along, eluding the Empire. In Avatar, our heroes haven’t just suffered personal defeats (and they have) but a strategic defeat as well. The strongest part of our anti-Fire Nation alliance has been conquered.

But we still have the Avatar (sort of). The first chunk of this final season features everyone in our group of good guys trying to get to a rendezvous point before the Day of Black Sun, when a solar eclipse will prevent firebending for a small window in which a small strike force can break in and defeat Fire Lord Ozai.

This opening third spends almost as much time focusing on Zuko and his reintegration to Fire Nation society as it does Aang and the gang and the misadventures that occur on their way to the rendezvous point. In many ways, the focus on the first third is on Zuko and his character’s growth as we don’t learn much about Aang at this point. Basically, it is revealed that Zuko has been welcomed back by everyone, he has his father’s respect, and he is once again the heir to the Fire Lord’s throne. And he is miserable. He is haunted by his betrayal of his uncle and by his belief that the Avatar isn’t dead. Furthermore, his travels have changed him in such a way that he can’t go along with the Fire Nation any longer considering its plans for the day Sozin’s Comet returns.

But more on this later!

The most important part of the first third is the parallel journeys Aang and Zuko go on in “The Avatar and the Firelord.” Aang learns the fate of Avatar Roku and his failings for being indecisive as a childhood friend of Fire Lord Sozin while Zuko learns he’s a direct descendent of Roku (on his mother’s side).

The day of the invasion arrives without too much trouble. Aang tries to confess his love for Katara, and all seems to be going well. They share a kiss, but Katara isn’t so sure of her feelings, especially in the face of the battle that’s going to unfold. But Aang can’t wait for them to talk it out, there’s an invasion that needs to happen.

On the day of the eclipse, the kids and their remaining allies muster for their invasion of the Fire Nation, and all is going well until it becomes clear to Aang that the Fire Lord had anticipated the attack and is nowhere to be found. The attack stalls, the Fire Lord escapes and the tables are turned with the last of Aang’s allies being captured in another strategic defeat for the group. So that’s it right? No Avatar State, no allies, no means to master Fire Bending. Game over.

Not so fast.

In the fighting, Zuko finds his father and informs him that he is going to aid the Avatar. The weight of his guilt has finally got to him and he has decided to set out and find redemption. Meanwhile, Iroh takes the same opportunity to escape his prison and sets out to regroup with his group: The Order of the White Lotus.

Start Act 2.

This act is largely focused on Zuko joining the group, earning their trust one by one, and teaching Aang firebending. Zuko helps Sokka rescue his father and some friends from a high security Fire Nation prison, helps Katara find closure regarding the death of her mother, and questions Aang’s belief that killing is never the answer considering he’ll have to face the Fire Lord.

I actually don’t think there’s too much more to add about this section. I will note that the final regular episode is a fantastic parody of the series in its entirety, in addition to Katara revealing her doubts to Aang about his hopes in a relationship with her. It basically boils down to teenage drama.

Start Act 3.

The final, massive episode begins surprisingly low-ki, with a day at the beach. Zuko’s as shocked as we are that everyone’s just goofing off. Turns out that Aang wanted to take more time to master the elements before facing the Fire Lord. Also, it seemed like a good idea to not face Ozai during the day of Sozin’s Comet when the firebenders would be at their maximum strength. It’s at this point that Zuko reveals that the Fire Lord plans to use the power of the Comet to do to the Earth Kingdom what Sozin did 100 years ago to the Air Nomads. The good guys are having their hand forced.

In actuality, everyone seems ready for the final confrontation save for one person: Aang. And he’s unprepared in a way you might not think. It’s not his skills that he doubts, it’s his value in human life above all. He is unwilling to kill the Fire Lord despite his crimes. Never mind Aang’s personal background that gives him the right in the audience’s eyes to do as he pleases with his enemy. But that’s not what this show is about.

Two days before the return of Sozin’s Comet, Aang wanders out into the night to a mysterious vanishing island, leaving everyone else confused. They set out to find him and when that fails, Zuko leads the group in a quest to find ol’ Uncle Iroh. The gang wanders into the camp of The Order of the White Lotus, an international group of “old people” that exists for the sake of cultural exchange and transcending the divisions of the four nations. Zuko and Iroh are eventually reunited in one of the most powerful scenes the series has to offer. However, Aang remains lost and Iroh can only offer the advice for the group to seek out their own destinies. So Katara and Zuko travel to the Fire Nation to deal with Azula. Sokka, Toph, and Suki (close friend of Sokka’s who we met in season 1 and spent a good deal of time captured by the Fire Nation) go to intercept Ozai’s fleet in transit to the Earth Kingdom. And the Order sets out to liberate Ba Sing Se.

Aang comes to on the island, a little confused himself as to how he got there. He takes the time to meditate and speak with his past lives, seeking advice on how to deal with the Fire Lord. Every single one, including those from the same spiritual background as him, tells him he must be decisive and kill the Fire Lord. On the day of the Comet, Aang discovers he hasn’t been on an island, but rather aback a Lion-Turtle, an ancient creature from the time before the Avatar who teaches Aang the secret of spiritbending. More on this to come.

Finally we’re back in familiar territory: a whole bunch of climatic confrontations. We’ll begin with the Order of the White Lotus. We’ll discuss more about Iroh’s backstory and the significance of him reclaiming Ba Sing Se when we look in more detail comparing the side characters of the two sagas we’ve been talking about. In short, Iroh had believed himself destined to conquer the Earth Kingdom as a Fire Nation general. His attempt ended in failure and humiliation, but now he knows his destiny is to reclaim it from the Fire Nation. Considering the Order of the White Lotus is made up of masters of elemental bending and great warriors, retaking the city proves relatively straightforward.

Sokka, Toph, and Suki barely manage to catch the fleet just as its leaving and stowaway aboard one of the ships, eventually tricking the crew and taking control of the ship. They then use it to cut a swathe through the fleet’s formation, effectively stopping it before it can do too much damage. But, they are still outnumbered and it actually looks like their efforts are going to end in self-sacrifice for the greater good when Suki is able to save the group with some nifty air-ship sailing.

The most intriguing of the four final fights proves to be Zuko’s and Azula’s Agni-Kai (firebending duel). In my opinion, it’s the strongest moment (or series of moments) in the entire saga. Azula begins to lose her grip on reality, succumbing to paranoia on the day of her coronation and realizing that her ability to command fear is nowhere near the same as her enemies’ abilities to command loyalty. While Zuko and Azula are relatively evenly matched, Zuko has just the slightest edge, able to use Azula’s mental state against her. But Azula is able to use Zuko’s ally against him by targeting Katara. Zuko leaps in front of Azula’s attack to save her, and suddenly Katara finds herself in the duel. Using trickery and the aqueduct running under the city, she binds Azula and captures her. Then using her healing powers, she saves Zuko.

On to the full climax: Aang vs. Ozai. At first, it appears Ozai has the edge as Aang seems to be holding back. Then again, he’s unable to achieve the Avatar State which would be the state of his full power. This fight has a couple elements of deus-ex-machina to it. The first of which is during the fight, Aang has his chi (which had been locked up thanks to Azula’s lightning bolt at the end of Season 2) loosened and he’s once again able to attain the Avatar State. At this point, he clearly has Ozai beat, able to wield all four elements with the power of a master while Ozai only has access to one. With Ozai defeated, the time has come for Aang to finish the fight but he refuses to kill the Fire Lord. Instead he engages in spiritbending, the act of manipulating the energies in an individual. He’s able to take away Ozai’s firebending leading to our second act of deus-ex-machina as it all plays out very suddenly. This would be the first appearance of spiritbending in the Avatar lore, and while it appears more in the future and plays a major role in The Legend of Korra, here it seems like a copout.

HOWEVER, that is not to say that it is unfitting for the series to resolve itself this way. Throughout the entire series, we’ve been subject to the belief that so long as one keeps persevering, solutions can be found. Aang remained true to himself and his beliefs, and in doing so was able to find a way others didn’t think possible. Even in his final battle with Ozai, Aang was faced with the prospect of defeat, but through carrying on and refusing to give up, he found a way to victory.

And that’s what the entire series has been about: finding a way when none appeared possible. The entire series features defeat after strategic defeat for our main characters, but they always found a way to turn it around. Even in each of their final battles, our heroes face the prospect of defeat, and when all seemed lost, they were able to turn it around in ways that we’d expect of a kid-friendly show, but that don’t feel out of place or overly forced.

But wait! There’s more. The world may have found balance and peace, but what about our main characters?

Iroh reclaims his tea shop in Ba Sing Se, Zuko is crowned the new Fire Lord and promises to help rebuild the world his forefathers destroyed. Everyone else seems to be getting along well. Ozai’s in prison, Sokka and Suki get together, and Toph keeps on being Toph and awesome. Oh, and Aang and Katara finally realize their feelings for each other and live the rest of their days together in peace. It’s a soft emotional end that brings everything together and gives everyone closure a la Return of the King (except for one little thing I honestly don’t consider important enough to take up even more of your time).

And there you have it. One of the greatest (if not THE greatest) animated series of all time. Obviously it’s aimed at kids, but the characters are complex enough for adults, and there’s a timeless message to it all that applies to everyone. Like To the Moon, it doesn’t take itself too seriously and it receives my recommendation for ANYONE who loves a good story. It can be a little hard to find for free (legally) sometimes, but I gladly spent the money a few years back to get copies of all three seasons.

So if you ever find yourself in my area code, stop by for tea. We’ll have ourselves a good ol’ Avatar marathon. To be fair, tea would stretch into dinner, a late night snack, breakfast the next day, and so on. If you don’t have that much time, the Star Wars trilogy takes considerably less time.

Plotting “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back”

“A plot twist now,” The Walrus said, “Is what we chiefly need: traitors and lightsabers besides are very good indeed. Now if you’re ready, readers dear, we can begin to read.”

Despite the victory at the end of “A New Hope” for the Rebels, we’re left in an interesting place for our protagonist and his arc plot. Luke’s teacher, Obi-Wan is dead and for the moment, his growth is stalled. Since we last saw him he has moved up through the ranks of the Rebel Alliance, but in terms of meeting his destiny, he’s a long way off. Fantasy trilogies often follow this division of their three parts: exposition, set back, and final battle. While not all follow this pattern, plenty do. It instills in the audience dread with the knowledge the story writer isn’t afraid to have his heroes fail.

Let’s get into the setting: in our same galaxy far, far away a long time ago. While the Death Star was destroyed, the Imperial fleet quickly descended on the Rebel base and pursued them across the galaxy. Luke Skywalker leads a group of these Rebels, including Han Solo, Leia Organa, C-3PO and R2-D2 to find a new planet to establish a home base. They decide on the ice world of Hoth. Having sensed Luke’s strength in the Force when he destroyed the Death Star, Darth Vader makes it his personal mission to hunt Luke down.

We begin with the Empire dispersing millions of probes into space in an attempt to locate the Rebels. One of them lands on Hoth. Luke, out on a scouting mission, goes to check it out but ends up getting mauled by a local abominable snow beast. 5 minutes in, and our hero is already having a bad day. It’s kind of a theme in this film. Han, back at the base, learns that Luke never came back and heads out into the snow to search for him. The rapid approach of nightfall means that he can’t use a speeder or ship.

Meanwhile, in our local denizen’s cave, Luke has been strung up to wait for his turn to be eaten. His lightsaber, his only hope for escape, is just out of reach. Using the Force, he’s able to retrieve it and escape out into the freezing night. After collapsing he encounters the ghost of Obi-Wan who informs him he must seek out Yoda, Obi-Wan’s old teacher. Han arrives, sets up shelter, and the two are rescued in the morning.

Already, we’ve been told what’s going to happen to Luke in this movie. This film is going to be about his growth in the Force and as a Jedi. He isn’t an ordinary member of the Rebel Alliance and it’s about time he stopped acting like it.

Remember that probe droid from the beginning? Well, it finds the Rebel base and alerts Vader and the Imperial fleet. Next thing we know, we’re engaging in one of the coolest battles in the entire saga. At the cost of many lives, the Rebels escape, but are scattered. Luke and R2 head off to find Yoda in the Dagobah system, while Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and 3PO struggle to escape the pursuing Empire because the Millennium Falcon has a broken hyperdrive (device that allows for the achievement of faster than light speed).

And this is where things slow down. Luke finds Yoda who reluctantly begins to teach him the ways of the Force, the Jedi, and the Dark Side. Yoda discovers that Luke is incredibly strong with the Force, but lacks control and focus. Over the course of his training Luke faces ‘the mirror’ which is actually a trope in the “I Am the One” plot.

The mirror is a test a hero undergoes and faces the possibilities of what they can do with their power should it be used for evil. It is meant to demonstrate how perilous the balance is between good and evil, especially for one who wields power. Ideally, the hero accepts these possibilities and uses them to gain a deeper understanding about themselves and better resist the temptation of using their power for nefarious gains.

In short, while facing the mirror, Luke encounters a vision of Darth Vader and the two engage in a brief lightsaber duel. Luke wins, beheading the vision. When he removes Vader’s helmet, he only sees his own face. This is a deeply significant moment for the entire saga as the prequel trilogy spends all it’s time setting up Anakin (who eventually becomes Darth Vader) as the same type of hero as Luke. For much of their journeys, Luke and Anakin follow the same path. There’s just one crucial branch in their path that send their destinies to such different places.

Meanwhile, Han and gang take refuge on Bespin at Cloud City. Han reunites with his old friend Lando Calrissian and gets him to help repair the ship.

Meanwhile, back on Dagobah, Luke receives a vision that Han and Leia will be captured by the Empire at Cloud City. Yoda informs him that he’s seeing the future and that the future is ever in motion. Luke makes up his mind that he has to abandon his training for now and has to go save his friends. Even Obi-Wan appears to try and dissuade him. They warn Luke that he will be tempted by the Dark Side of the force and that he’s at an incredibly vulnerable time in his training. Just beginning to understand his power, but not far enough along to fully control it.

MEANWHILE, back at Cloud City, sure enough the Empire arrived before Han and Leia and set a trap in order to lure Luke to the city and Darth Vader. Han is given over to a bounty hunter to return to Tatooine and that crime lord we mentioned way back when. Leia and the others are to be taken by the Empire. Luke is on his way to rescue them.

The face-off is ready, now we just wait for the moment. Luke versus the person who not only killed his first teacher, but who supposedly also killed his father. This battle between a hero and their nemesis midway through their training is crucial. It provides a sense of how far they’ve come, how far they have yet to go, and the potential for them to meet that final destiny. Dare we add it to our trope list for this story arc? We dare, we dare.

Luke arrives and is led by the Empire to Vader’s trap where the two begin their duel. But before we get to that, let’s talk about what happens to Leia and the others. Lando, tired of being double crossed by Vader, turns on the Empire and helps Chewbacca, Leia, and 3PO escape. So, amusingly enough, it turns out Luke didn’t need to save his friends. Now, ironically he’s going to be locked in a battle to save himself.

The lightsaber duel takes place in three parts. The first part is Luke, kind of taking Vader by surprise, and eluding the initial trap. His confidence gets built, he gets to thinking he can take Vader. The second part features Vader demonstrating the power of the Force. He actually straight up beats Luke down without having to raise his lightsaber. At this point Luke’s probably realized he’s outmatched and has to try to escape, but Vader heads him off. In their one on one duel, Vader crushes him, and finishes the fight by disarming Luke and taking off his hand.

It is at this moment, Vader reveals to Luke (SPOILER) that he didn’t kill his father, Anakin Skywalker. He is Anakin Skywalker. He offers Luke the opportunity to learn from him, dethrone the Emperor and rule the Empire alongside Vader. Luke resists, and bails on the whole affair.

From this point, it’s really just wrap-up. Luke uses the force to signal Leia and he ends up getting rescued by everyone else. Lando’s people did manage to fix the hyperdrive and everyone gets away (barely). Luke is left in a mental battle with himself over Vader’s revelation. Everything ends with him getting a new robot hand and everyone begins to plot their rescue of Han from the crime lord Jabba the Hutt.

And that’s it. Massive sequel bait. Do they save Han? Will Luke be able to face Vader again? What about this Emperor we hear about? All these questions and more will be answered on the next exciting episode of Dragon Ball Z… err…. Star Wars.

Yeah.

Star Wars.

Plotting “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope”

“The time has come” the Walrus said, “to talk of many things: of rebels, the Force, and TIE Fighters, of Emperors and X-Wings, and why storm troopers are terrible shots, and whether Biths can sing.”

Though it doesn’t say so in the title, consider this an intro to the “I Am the One” arc plot. These plots are characterized by a character (the protagonist) being forced away from the life they knew, typically by a violent event, and through various means and powers he/she become the savior of the kingdom, world, galaxy, and so on. The protagonist is dependent upon guides or teachers to help them reach their potential. And in many instances, the main character is dependent upon friends and allies, who don’t just provide aid in the hero’s quest, but often provide a lot of color to the story. The most interesting characters often aren’t the protagonists, but the more ‘ordinary’ side characters. The arc plot is also often characterized by setbacks. If this type of story were a line graph, it’d be an upward moving line spiced with downward spikes every now and then (or the inverse if you prefer tragedies).

Let’s begin with the setting: “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.” What more do you want? Because we’re covering these films in the proper release order, all we know right now is that it’s a period of galactic unrest. The imperial senate is being dissolved and the Empire has constructed a space station with enough firepower to destroy an entire planet. A group of freedom fighters (or terrorists if you’re an imperial sympathizer) known as the Rebel Alliance have just scored their first major victory, stealing the schematics to this battle station (the Death Star).

So we’ve been thrust into a new universe, and all that’s thrown at us is one big proper noun: The Death Star. Even terms like ‘Empire’ and ‘Rebel Alliance’ make sense to us. Everything is sci fi and different, yet familiar. Even the Death Star can be understood simply as a super weapon, a nuke if you will (we’ll get into Cold War allegories later).

Believing those stolen plans mentioned above to be in the hands of one Princess Leia of Alderaan, we join the Empire as it’s in hot pursuit of her ship near the desert planet of Tatooine. Leia is taken prisoner, but not before she uploads the Death Star plans into a droid by the name of R2-D2 and ejects it to the desert planet below. It is at this time we encounter the main antagonist of the original trilogy: Darth Vader. And holy crap is this guy menacing. The first look we have of him is him strangling the ship’s captain and throwing him against a wall with one hand.

This is an important prologue. Immediately after the opening scroll we’re thrust into the action. We’re not bored with how this world works, that comes later. In the meantime: lasers, political intrigue, and scary bad guys. The audience is thrust in face first, with no time for questions. Questions break immersion.

Meanwhile, down below, R2-D2 and his counterpart droid C-3PO are wandering through the desert with R2 obsessing over a mission to deliver the stolen plans to one Obi-Wan Kenobi. Despite R2 speaking only in beeps and whistles, 3PO (who is fluent in over 6 million forms of communication) is able to banter with him in an amusing way. R2 is very headstrong (again, for a character that doesn’t speak, the fact that audiences know this about him speaks to some pretty impressive screenwriting) while 3PO is more cautious and calculating. The two are separately captured by scrap and droid collectors.

This film never throws too much at you, and that’s important in a massive arc plot like the “I am the One.” Desert planet: plausible. Scrappers wandering around looking for income: makes sense, what else are you going to do? Presence of a bigger conflict between Empire and rebels in this empty, lawless place? Almost nonexistent.

MEANWHILE, in some other part of Tatooine, Luke Skywalker (our main protagonist) is finally introduced. And to be blunt, he’s kind of a whiney teenager. This is what I was hinting at above when I said the side characters are more entertaining than the main. Princess Leia opens the movie with the space equivalent of a police chase and gun fight, C-3PO and R2-D2 get a lot of banter and character development, and Luke just wants to hang out with friends and join the rebellion, never mind his uncle and aunt who work VERY hard to keep a moisture farm going.

Those scrap sellers from before turn up for their weekly sale and after some negotiations, Luke and his family get their hands on R2 and 3PO. They head out to meet with Obi-Wan (who Luke knew as Ben Kenobi) and he invites Luke to join him and the droids on a journey to Alderaan to get the plans into the rebels’ hands. At first, Luke turns him down. Then imperial storm troopers show up looking for the droids with the plans and destroy the farm and kill the aunt and uncle. With nothing left on Tatooine, Luke accepts Obi-Wan’s offer to travel with him.

Oh yeah, Luke gets his hands on a lightsaber (an ancient weapon used by Jedi since time immemorial) that happened to belong to his father before he was killed by Darth Vader. Enter Obi-Wan as the role of Luke’s mentor. On the way to Alderaan, he begins teaching Luke the ways of the Force and the Jedi.

But how are they getting to Alderaan you ask? Enter the smuggler Han Solo (he shot first by the way) and the wookie Chewbacca, on the run from a crime lord on Tatooine. But before they can reach Alderaan, it’s destroyed by the Empire and the Death Star. They arrive in time however to get captured by the Death Star. After some snooping, they discover Leia is being held captive on the Death Star.

From this point on, it’s all tension and lasers.

The gang splits up. Obi-Wan goes to deactivate the tractor beam that’s holding their ship there, while Luke convinces Han and Chewbacca to help him rescue the princess, and R2 and 3PO work the battle station’s computer terminals. In short, they’re successful, though on the way back Obi-Wan is confronted by Darth Vader and the two engage in a lightsaber duel. Luke, Han, et al arrive just in time to see Vader cut Kenobi down. Everyone else escapes and flees to the rebel base located on the fourth moon of the planet Yavin. Conveniently enough, the Empire had a tracking beacon stowed aboard their ship and follow them to the rebel base.

With the plans in hand, the rebels launch one final desperate attack to destroy the Death Star. Luke joins the fighters while Han collects his reward for rescuing Leia and bails. So all is going somewhat poorly until Han shows up at the last possible second and saves Luke from the pursuing Vader. Luke uses the force and sinks the one in a million shot that destroys the Death Star. At the award ceremony we get the sense of the beginnings of a wonderful relationship between Luke, Han, Chewbacca, R2, 3PO, and Leia.

End of “Episode IV,” aka part one, aka “A New Hope,” aka the original Star Wars.

This episode is really just exposition. We see where all of our characters come from and we see how they come to team up. Our hero is forced from home and with the help of a mentor and a bunch of other people takes on this great evil (or not, again, if you’re an imperial sympathizer). Luke is honestly the least interesting character in this movie. Everyone else has history, backstory, intrigue while Luke has spent his entire life sheltered on Tatooine with his aunt and uncle. Han and Chewbacca got tied up with a crime lord who now wants their heads, Leia was an imperial senator turned traitor, Obi-Wan fought in the Clone Wars (whatever those were right?), and even 3PO and R2 served the rebellion against the Empire.

But what happens next? Patience friends. Believe it or not, first we’ll cover the first season of the Avatar: The Last Airbender before we get to talking about “Episode V.” Why? Stick around and find out!

For further viewing: The movie dummies. The older the copy you can find, the better.

Weekday (not-so) Shorts: “I Am The One” vs. “Spirited Away” Arc-plots

With my “Spirited Away” arc-plot analysis setting to make a return in the coming days (either Friday or Monday, we’ll see) and the eventual analysis series on the “I am the One” arc-plot coming soon (I promise), I figured I’d take this lazy day before Thanksgiving to explain the differences between the two. The main themes we’ll focus on now are character tropes, manner of plot progression, and goals.

Theme #1: The Characters

We’ll begin with the “Spirited Away” protagonist because that’s what I’ve been talking about the past couple months. These characters are usually living in a (more or less) ideal situation. Be it living in a tropical paradise with friends and family, being the star player of the local sports team, or just living with your relatively well-off family (citing Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy X, and Spirited Away respectively), the protagonist doesn’t have much reason to want to leave their current situation. However, there is a subconscious dissatisfaction with the status quo. Sora wanted to see other worlds, Tidus couldn’t stand living in the shadow of his old man, and Chihiro didn’t like the thought of moving towns. In general, these characters are ordinary people living in a more or less ordinary world only to be ripped away and flung into a fantastical world with overwhelming odds stacked against them while they desperately try to get home.

Regarding the “I am the One” protagonist, this is a hero of destiny. While they may come from the same humble origins as the “Spirited Away” protagonist, these heroes are imbued with some unique power. Harry Potter could use magic, Luke Skywalker had the Force, and Aang was the last of the airbenders (citing Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Avatar respectively). In these instances, a return to ‘home’ and the status quo is generally impossible thanks to these powers. Additionally, the characters may have no desire or ability to return home. Harry didn’t want to go back to the Dursleys, Luke didn’t want to go back to Tatooine, and Aang was incapable of going back to his people. And all of this is ignoring the specter of destiny that hangs over these characters. Harry Potter was destined to defeat Voldemort, Luke was destined to defeat Darth Vader, and Aang was destined to restore balance to the world. These destinies make the return to the status quo impossible, because their destinies mean changing the status quo.

Theme #2: Manner of Plot Progression

As I’ve rambled on and on in my three pieces on Spirited Away, Final Fantasy X, and Kingdom Hearts, the nature of a “Spirited Away” plot is an episodic one. The story is often filled with misadventures and tangents that both divert the character from their goal and yet invariably bring them closer to it. Be it by providing experience, getting the protagonist a useful item, or connecting them with a character who can help, the purpose of adversity in the “Spirited Away” arc-plot isn’t always obvious at first. It isn’t clear how to ‘get home’ initially. The protagonist has to do many, many tasks before the path home reveals itself.

“I am the One” protagonists (thanks to the specter of destiny) travel a much more straightforward road. This isn’t to say there aren’t sidetracks and setbacks in these stories, there certainly are, but from the jump the final goal is clear: Defeat the “Dark Lord,” save the world, rescue the princess, etc. Almost all apparent sidetracks are about acquiring more power, mastering some new technique that will allow the hero to defeat their nemesis when the time comes.

The difference here can be very slight. “I am the One” protagonists embark on side-quests to acquire greater power so they’ll be ready when the time comes. “Spirited Away” protagonists embark on side-quests because they don’t know which side-quest is really the main quest (to put it in adventure game terms).

Theme #3: Goals

The goal of a protagonist who has been “Spirited Away” is straightforward: get back home. However, this long term goal is often interrupted by more urgent short term goals that may or may not have any bearing on the character’s ability to complete that long term goal. Chihiro has to help a River Spirit. Why? Because she’s working for Yubaba so she won’t be turned into a pig like her parents. How will helping said River Spirit get her home? I don’t know.

The goal of a protagonist who “Is the One” is to defeat their nemesis and/or save whatever needs to be saved. Almost all short term goals are means to achieving the long term goal. Aang must defeat the Fire Lord. But first he has to master the four elements, and prevent the Fire Nation from conquering more nations, and acquire allies for this fight, etc.

“Spirited Away” arc plots are almost like puzzles, where the protagonist(s) spends his/her time learning about whatever world they’re in, collecting influence and support so that when the time comes, they can put the pieces together and get home. “I am the One” arc plots are more akin to adventure games (at their very core, when plot is removed): gathering strength and resources so that when the time comes to fight the antagonist, the protagonist is ready.