The Stormtrooper Paradox

The Force awakens does something that fundamentally changes

how we understand Star Wars or

Rather it should

Fundamentally change how we understand Star Wars

Strangely the filmmakers seem unaware of the rather profound

implications this new narrative has for the rest of their cinematic universe

in fact one of the major plot points in episode seven

inadvertently sets up something of a stormtrooper Paradox

To explain what I mean by

that I want to focus in on two scenes near the very beginning of Force awakens that signal this

shift in the Star Wars mythos

First we see a stormtrooper bleeding

for a franchise about intergalactic war very little blood is ever shown on screen and

When it is it holds a special significance.

I love you

[Hands up!]

In this case the bloody fingerprints mark this particular soldier as important

Second a short time later we see that same stormtrooper

Take off his helmet to reveal a human face and one clearly disturbed by recent events

The removal of a mask to expose someone's true humanity is a recurring motif in the star wars series

And we've seen hundreds if not thousands of stormtroopers before, but we've never seen one with a face

both of these scenes communicate that under their iconic armor

Stormtroopers are people people with feelings and who feel pain both

physically [and] emotionally

the result is that the force awakens does something no other movie in this long-running franchise has ever done before

it humanizes

stormtroopers

To understand why this revelation is so important and how it impacts the rest of the star Wars mythology;

We're going to need a quick history lesson in

the Star Wars cinematic universe

Stormtroopers are the army of the galactic empire. They're an intergalactic military force

synonymous with space imperialism and oppression

They're said to be brutal precise and loyal soldiers who have undergone extensive military training on

these

blast points, too accurate for Sandpeople

Only imperial stormtroopers are so precise

Now despite their role as foot soldiers of intergalactic authoritarianism [opan gagnam style]

Storm troopers

have become some of the most recognizable pop culture icons on Earth