It's almost here. Star Wars: The Force Awakens , the biggest movie in the history of movies (maybe), is finally blasting its way into theaters in just a few days. But there's something you should know before going to see it: You need to watch the original Star Wars movies first, or else you're going to be hopelessly confused. The Force Awakens isn't called Episode VII for nothing. You're going to want to know what led up to it. I mean, can you imagine starting the Harry Potter series on The Deathly Hallows? And I'm speaking from experience. The first Harry Potter film I ever saw was The Deathly Hallows: Part Two (I know, I know, I'm awful), and I had no clue what was going on. Plus, when I went back and watched the others in order, my experience was ruined, because I knew what would happen in the end. Don't let this happen to you with Star Wars.
You need to watch the old movies (though you can probably skip the prequels), both for the joy of the story and also so that you'll be seasoned in all things Star Wars when The Force Awakens opens. You don't want to be the only person among your friends who can't discuss parallels between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, do you? Of course you don't. So as a warning, here are seven things in The Force Awakens that will be super confusing for you if you don't watch the original Star Wars trilogy.
1. Han And Leia
It looks like Han Solo and Leia Organa may not be together in The Force Awakens -- at least, not at the start. You'll need to know why everyone is bummed about that. Theirs is the big love story of the original trilogy, so if they've broken up, you need to be as devastated as the rest of us.
2. Darth Vader
Darth Vader is dead, but he's definitely going to loom large over The Force Awakens. His melted helmet is seen in the trailer, along with new bad guy Kylo Ren saying he's going to finish what Vader started. Not only was Vader the chief villain of the original trilogy, but he was also the father of both Leia and Luke, and he reformed right before his death. All of these aspects of his character are likely to come into play in the new film.
3. The Force And The Jedi
There's a very good chance that the plot of The Force Awakens hinges on either Rey or Finn (or maybe both) being potential users of the Force. If you don't know what these words mean, then your eyes are likely to glaze over during a lot of important dialog. I mean, "Force" is right there in the title, so it's kind of a big deal.
4. The Battle Of Endor
The Force Awakens is set 30 years after the Battle of Endor, so it's likely to come up. The battle, which took place in Return of the Jedi, marked the beginning of the end of the evil Empire's reign. The Empire is no longer around in The Force Awakens, but its replacement, the First Order, is heavily influenced by them.
5. The Death Star
This weapon of mass destruction was an important part of two of the first three films, and it was clearly the inspiration for the Starkiller Base in The Force Awakens. It seems probable that the words "Death Star" are going to be thrown about in the new film, and since there's unlikely to be an actual Death Star in the movie, you're going to be lost if you don't know your history.
6. Luke Skywalker's Journey
The most persistent theories surrounding the new film revolve around Luke Skywalker being the father of Rey and/or having turned to the Dark Side. In order to understand the significance of these events, if they're true, you need to witness Luke's heroic journey in the original trilogy for yourself.
7. The Millennium Falcon
If you haven't seen the original movies, you'll wonder why the theater where you're watching The Force Awakens erupts at the sight of a ship, and then again when Han Solo appears inside said ship. This bucket of bolts is beloved, and you need to watch the old movies to find out why.
Obviously, you need to go watch the original Star Wars trilogy, if for some reason you haven't already. You've only got a few days left before The Force Awakens arrives, so get to it! You don't want to be the only person in the theater wondering aloud what a Jedi is.
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Images: Disney/Lucasfilm; giphy
