A Star Wars mobile game could have shown who would side with the empire and who would side with the rebels.
Have you ever wondered how many people support the Empire or the Rebels in Star Wars, now you can find out. In the year In 2014, Star Wars Commanders, a free-to-play mobile game similar to Clash of Clans where we choose to control the Empire or the Rebels, was released.
Although the game was closed in 2020, a year after its launch it was possible to find out which side users chose for each country. Out of 5 million users, 52.41% chose the Empire, while 47.95% chose the Rebel Alliance. What’s really interesting is that we can see this data broken down by country. As shown in the images, users in most countries in the Northern Hemisphere chose the Empire, while those in the South chose the Rebels.
It is curious that there is such a clear division between the two hemispheres. Although the division between the two sides is not much, it is inevitable to see an imaginary line between North and South.
The Empire is a tyrannical and xenophobic faction that oppresses the galaxy and rules it with an iron fist, while the Rebels fight everything the former stands for with the goal of bringing freedom to the galaxy. Most users may not think that they represent each class when they choose them and decide for fun or pleasure. But it cannot be assumed that this choice is related to some cultural, social or political aspects of each region.
Star Wars and politics
Star Wars is one of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world. From movies and series, to video games, comics and books. Even so, there is no denying that Star Wars has a political element to it, despite being an entertainment or pastime for many.
George Lucas explained that the original trilogy was inspired by the Vietnam War, where the Empire, the greatest military power the galaxy has ever known, would be the USA, and the rebels fighting what they could would be the Vietnamese. In all political processes we see how democracy becomes tyrannical in its preliminaries. In fact, Order 66, the Great Jedi Purge, was inspired by events that took place during Nazi Germany, such as the Night of the Long Knives or the Night of Broken Glass.
Even with sequels like The Mandalorian or Ahsoka, we get to see the same mistakes that made The New Republic fail the Republic. We can see how much political corruption is still in force and how many of them turn a blind eye to the reality. On the other hand, in the Andor series we get to see firsthand what the inner workings of the Empire are like and how they can and do destroy anyone they deem a threat, even though we see them destroy. Alderaan.
In games like Star Wars Commander, people who vote for the empire don’t necessarily agree with its ideology; Many may choose it because they like the design, for pure fun, or because it’s “great military power”. The same thing happens with Rebels, but there is no denying that this mobile game is a sociopolitical study due to the division in the world. Perhaps one of the reasons why the North leans more toward empire is that historically, countries in the North have a history of colonialism and imperialism, while those in the South have endured it all.
what do you think? Do you think there is a reason there is such a divide in the world regarding Star Wars? You can chat with us and other people in the Telegram group.