In the wake of the continuing Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the annexation of Ukraine’s territories, science fiction movie legend Mark Hamill has compared Russia to the Empire in Star Wars.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February earlier this year, provoked international condemnation. Much of this condemnation came from global leaders and political figures, but big names in the entertainment industry were also vocal, in an attempt to use their influence to educate the Russian people about the truth behind the invasion.
One of those international stars who have been at the fore of supporting Ukraine and condemning Russian action is Mark Hamill. Hamill is now an ambassador of the United24 project, which was established by Ukraine and describes itself as “the main venue for collecting charitable donations in support of Ukraine”. Of course, Hamill is best known world over for his time in the Star Wars movie series as Luke Skywalker, as well for his voice acting.
Now, speaking on the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg BBC politics show, Hamill has compared Russia, and its actions, to the Empire in Star Wars. The actor said “[President Zelensky] did reference the [Star Wars] movies, and it’s not hard to understand why. Star Wars was always a fairy tale for children, and fairy tales are morality tales of good versus evil, where good is clearly defined and evil is clearly defined. It’s not hard to extrapolate an evil Empire with Russia invading a sovereign nation.”
The comparison will resonate with a lot of people across the globe, as the Empire – and its leaders – in Star Wars are some of the most definitive villains in fiction. Hamill will be hoping that his status as a generation-spanning movie star, and visibility on the war in Ukraine, means that Russian people will listen to his perspective, and see past their country’s propaganda.
The new Star Wars series Andor is exploring the Empire, and the Rebellion, in more depth than it has ever been seen before. To read more about the new TV series, check out our review of Andor episode 4.