Star Wars is one of the most renowned films in pop culture and the Star Wars series has managed to live on for generations. A reason for the continuing popularity of Star Wars is the wide array of characters and the diversity of each character in the films.
With so many species being introduced to us on screen, their combined count is still less than the number of humans in the films. Therefore, it makes you wonder why does Star Wars have so many humans?
A widely believed, and very plausible reason for there being a lot of humans in Star Trek is convergent evolution. However, it is not the only reason. In fact, there are multiple theories that can answer this question.
All the reasons Star Wars has so many humans:
Convergent Evolution
Convergent Evolution is a concept in biology that describes how due to evolutionary pressures and in regards to ‘survival of the fittest’, different species evolve in a way that they have similar genetics. In the Star Wars universe, it is possible that two such species interbred to produce what we now see as humans.
Suitable atmosphere
Another plausible theory suggests that most planets in the Star Wars universe had an atmosphere suited to humans. Therefore, there might be an abundance of oxygen on most planets instead of methane or nitrogen, which led to humans being able to inhabit several different planets.
Natural selection
Another evolutionary biology concept that explains why there are a lot of humans in Star Wars is natural selection. It is possible that on the planets inhabited by humans, they were able to survive better than the rest of the species and therefore, are in majority.
Easier to relate
A filmmaker’s main purpose is to attract viewers to the story they are putting forth, and therefore, they tend to include elements in their film that are easier to relate to for the audience. As such, George Lucas included humans as the main characters in the films and in abundance so that the audience could relate to the films.
Imagine if the main characters of the movie were all not human; would be very hard to watch such a movie, right?
Watch this video to learn more:
But Star Wars happened ‘a long long time ago’ and ‘in a galaxy far far away’?
Many fans struggle with R2-D2’s opening lines in the very first Star Wars; if the story happened – as R2-D2 says – ‘a long long time ago’, and ‘in a galaxy far far away’ how did humans make it in the film in the first place?
What you need to understand is that R2-D2’s opening lines of narration aren’t directed at us, the audience. They are directed at some alien historians of his time to who he is narrating the story he lived with the SkyWalker family.
So basically, the Star Wars story didn’t happen in our universe or our timeline. None of our history and none of our cultures can wrap around what happens in the story, and the two universes are entirely separate.
This was a smart decision by George Lucas, as the absence of any particular country or religion, or culture prevents any particular group from claiming ownership of the characters or story.
So, now you know why there are so many humans in Star Wars and can impress your friends with this newfound knowledge!
