Star Wars: The Force Awakens Family

Han had a kid, messed him up, and split. Luke compounded the messing up of said kid and split. Said kid is extra super mad at both of them, and he's going to show them who's boss. Leia gets to be the grown-up and deal with the fallout.

Sounds like a typical sitcom family to us.

Seriously, family has always informed relations in the Star Wars saga (remember the oft-misquoted "I am your father" or that creepy Luke-Leia kiss?), and The Force Awakens is no different. We see the fallout that comes in the next generation as the heirs of Anakin Skywalker struggle over his legacy and who will have the final word on the whole light side/dark side thing.

Questions About Family

1. How does family bind the characters in both good and bad ways?
2. Are families solely biological here or are friends considered family in The Force Awakens universe?
3. How does family obligate the characters to do things they might not want to do?

Chew on This

The characters here are defined by their blood and can't escape family.

Family means what the characters want it to mean, and it applies to whom they choose instead of to whom they're related.