Many people claim to be a Star Wars fan, but the problem is we all have different definitions of what a Star Wars fan is. I will try to break down the differences and state what I believe a fan is so that others will understand where I am coming from. Also, please note what the word Fan means and where it comes from. Fan is shorten form of fanatic. If you do not consider yourself a fanatic then you are not a fan.

If you only love the original trilogy you may call yourself a fan of the original trilogy, but does that make you a Star Wars fan? If you happen to like all the movies, of course, some more than others you are a fan of the Star Wars movies, but does that make you a Star Wars fan? I believe there are a lot of Star Wars movie fans. In fact, most who call themselves Star Wars fans have only watched the movies and don’t know much of what makes up the Star Wars universe. This is not a bad thing, but does it make you a Star Wars fan, maybe, but not a true or hard-core Star Wars fan.

A “True” or “Hard-Core” Star Wars fan is not someone who has only seen the movies. They read comic books, novels, watched cartoons, played RPGs and video games, and collect toys or other memorabilia. Why does this matter? Well, a lot of people watch and like movies, but not everyone is considered a fan of those movies. Today more than ever comic book movies have made it big and mainstream and a lot of people watch those movies, but does that make all those people comic book fans? No, and most comic book movie fans will state they are only fans of the movies, not the actual comic books. That is why a real fan of a comic book may hate a comic book movie that many love. A perfect example of this for me is the X-Men movies. I love the X- Men comic books and very specific characters because of their personality, but the movies focus on certain characters because of who the actors are and the characters are portrayed wrong. Mystique never did any selfless acts in the comic books, there was always a hidden motive and because of that, she is not a hero or an inspiration to other heroes like portrayed in Apocalypse.

Harry Potter has a huge fandom and that is not defined as the people who have watched the movies. No one would even question it. Everyone knows that Harry Potter fans read all the books. They all have Pottermore accounts and long for every new tidbit of information JK Rowling gives. So why is Star Wars different? Real hard-core fans are what keep something alive. They go to the movies, buy the DVDs, buy the collectibles and create hype for the new thing to come out. True fans have made an investment into it and their view on what they love is much deeper than someone who casually likes the same thing.

But today, since The Last Jedi has come out, many have spoken up about the movie and they are all saying they are true fans, but that is not true. Many casual fans are defending the movie and you can tell when they say, “it is just a movie.” So then why is it so important to say that? If it is just a movie to you, then you are not a Star Wars fan and should not feel that your opinion holds weight. I know those people are mad at me for saying this, but it is true.

I don’t care strongly about the Star Trek universe. I am not a Star Trek fan and my opinion on the TV shows or movies hold no weight. I liked the new Star Trek movies, but from what I see the true fans hate it and I will never say they don’t have the right to state it. It is their passion and I believe that anything Star Trek made should be focused to give them what they love and add to it to bring in newer people. But unlike the garbage, I heard someone speak, Star Trek fans are not all dead. Their fandom gets passed down to their kids just as Star Wars has.

So as you can tell my reason for asking what a Star Wars fan is to explain not everyone who says they are a fan is one. That is okay, but no one should say they are a fan of something if they are not, or they should at least clarify what they mean. Because the idea that Star Wars fans are split on the movie The Last Jedi is not correct. Movie fans like it, but real fans of all that Star Wars is, hate it. There is no way possible that a hard-core Star Wars fan could like it because it contradicts what Star Wars is on so many levels. Likewise, JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson need to stop calling themselves Star Wars fans because they don’t know much about how Star Wars works and they proved this when they use the “force” in the new movies. They have no clue what it is or how it works. Likewise, so many don’t understand what balance in the force is. But I will discuss this more in another post on what Star Wars is.