May the Fourth is the official “Star Wars” day around the world, as fans of the franchise gather to celebrate their fandom on a day that sounds like the mantra of the Rebel Alliance in their fight against the Galactic Empire.
One of the earliest records of “May the 4th” used in popular culture was in 1979, as described here by author Alan Arnold while he was chronicling the making of The Empire Strikes Back for Lucasfilm:
FRIDAY, MAY 4
“Margaret Thatcher has won the election and become Britain’s first woman prime minister. To celebrate their victory her party took a half page of advertising space in the London Evening News. This message, referring to the day of victory, was ‘May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations,’ further proof of the extent to which Star Wars has influenced us all.”
There are so many amazing lines from the Star Wars saga that we couldn’t fit them all. So here are our top 10 favorites:
- Leia: “I love you” Han: “I know” – Harrison Ford famously improvised this wonderful line in The Empire Strikes Back, as he is about to be frozen in carbonate.
- Obi-Wan: “That boy is our last hope” Yoda: “No, there is another.” – The revelation that another Jedi might still be living as Luke leaves Dagobah, in The Empire Strikes Back.
- “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for…” –Obi-Wan uses that old Jedi mind trick, in Star Wars.
- “Remember – the Force will be with you, always.” –A ghostly Obi-Wan’s final line to Luke, in Star Wars.
- “Jyn, if you’re listening, my beloved, so much of my life has been wasted. I try to think of you only in the moments when I’m strong, because the pain of not having you with me. Your mother. Our family. The pain of that loss is so overwhelming I risk failing even now. It’s just so hard not to think of you. Think of where you are. My stardust.” –A ruined Galen Erso speaks directly to his daughter Jyn via hologram, in Rogue One.
- “It’s a trap!” – Admiral Ackbar works out the obvious during the final space battle, in Return of the Jedi.
- “I have a bad feeling about this!” – Spoken in all of the first seven Star Wars movies, and almost in Rogue One, in which K-2SO is interrupted just before he can utter the line.
- “Do or do not. There is no try.” –Yoda encourages Luke to stop messing about and make with the telekineses already, in The Empire Strikes Back.
- “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.” –Leia’s hologramatic introduction, in Star Wars.
- “No, I am your father!” – The greatest twist in Hollywood history. Vader reveals to Luke that his daddy is a terrifying, shiny black death-cyborg, in The Empire Strikes Back.
Lastly, as Star Wars Day was created by the fans, it is truly their day. They are probably hosting Star Wars marathons, sharing greetings on social media, cooking Star Wars recipes — there is no wrong way to celebrate May the 4th, and each year we’re amazed at the creative ways that fans mark the occasion. With Star Wars alive like never before, we hope you’ll join in this year. Here is the trailer for the Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Precog Media 