The Symbolism Behind the Lost Limbs of 'Star Wars'
A symbolic castration.
Solo: A Star Wars Story has finally hit theaters the world over, and to celebrate the latest chapter in the Star Wars franchise, the creatives over at ScreenPrism have released a new video analysis. With George Lucas‘ literal approach to the saying “Disarming an opponent,” the eight minute clip posted above takes a look back at the most famous and complex Star Wars tropes: characters’ hands and arms being cut off by opponents. The pivotal character Luke Skywalker famously loses his hand to Darth Vader in the iconic The Empire Strikes Back scene, and in almost every Star Wars film, we find at least one character loses an arm or a hand.
The clip also provides a deep analysis behind the symbolism to all these lost limbs: how losing your arm means losing your power, a transformed identity, and symbolic castration. Watch the full video above and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
In related news, Solo: A Star Wars Story has been named the most expensive Star Wars movie made thus far.