In October 2012 Disney acquired Lucasfilm, the production company primarily known for the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. For a fraction over $4 billion, Disney therefore landed the Star Wars franchise, and promptly announced that it would be making three new films to complete the nine-film story arc originally planned by George Lucas in the 1970s. Various spin-offs are also expected.
The Star Wars franchise has been with us for 35 years, with the original film Star Wars (since renamed Star Wars IV: A New Hope) released in 1977. During that period of time we've had films, television shows, specials, reunions, and a lot of merchandise. But one thing has outlasted it all: the fans.
What follows are 10 Star Wars Twitter accounts that all Star Wars fans should be following. The list comprises a mix of actors, uber-fans, both official and unofficial websites, and parodies.
Official Star Wars @starwars
#ThisDayInHistory 1979 - A fire breaks out at Elstree Studios where the Empire Strikes Back was gearing up to begin soundstage shooting.
— Star Wars (@starwars) March 14, 2013
This is the official Star Wars Twitter account and is therefore closely related to the official Star Wars website. Many of the tweets refer to content on the main site, but there are also retweets of Star Wars news from other accounts as well as random facts from the history of the franchise.
Death Star PR @DeathStarPR
Did Darth Vader "kill" a bunch of Jedi with his "lightsaber", or did he "Make them one with the Force" with his "laser fun stick"?
— Death Star PR (@DeathStarPR) March 17, 2013
Imagine for a moment that we've all been hoodwinked, and that the Empire aren't the bad guys after all. Stranger things have happened. All Darth Vader and co. need is a top-notch PR company issuing friendly press releases and fielding calls from the rebel scum. Also a Web series on YouTube.
TheForce.Net @theforcenet
Luke's Change: An Inside Job:bit.ly/YNklre #StarWars
— TheForce.Net (@theforcenet) March 18, 2013
TheForce.net is one of the best sites on the Web, and this is its home on Twitter. As well as a stream of updates related to happenings on the main site, TheForce.net Twitter account retweets other content from around the Web and converses with fans.
Darth Vader @DepressedDarth
I'd rather listen to Chewbacca sing a Nickelback song than actually listen to Nickelback.
— Darth Vader (@DepressedDarth) March 19, 2013
There are several different Darth Vaders on Twitter, but Depressed Darth is the best one. Depression is no laughing matter, at least in the real world. But hearing the thoughts of a depressed Darth Vader, supposedly the most villainous villain in all of villainy, is ever so slightly amusing.
Yoda @yoda
Cleaned the place I live in I did. Call me Mary Poppins you will not. Hrrrrrm.
— Yoda (@yoda) February 22, 2013
Yoda is a firm fan favorite, especially when we were all able to witness the younger Yoda kicking ass in the prequel trilogy. He's also down with the kids, having his own Twitter account on which he posts whatever random thoughts pop into his head. In other words: Tweets, he does.
Carrie Fisher @CarrieFFisher
flabby buttocks
— Carrie Fisher (@CarrieFFisher) November 18, 2012
Carrie Fisher is many things: novelist, screenwriter, performance artist, actress. But she'll be best remembered for being Princess Leia long after she departs this mortal life. With that icomic gold bikini slave girl look she was the first crush of many teenagers. Her tweets often reference Star Wars.
Mark Hamill @HamillHimself
Christmas wouldn't be the same without the ultimate holiday special: Pee Wee's X-Mas Special. Like a fine wine it gets better with age!!
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 26, 2012
Mark Hamill is Luke Skywalker, mainly because his career somewhat stalled after the original Star Wars trilogy. Gaming geeks will also know him for his voice work in various video games, but he'll always be most fondly remembered for his part in these films. His tweets often reference Star Wars.
501st Legion @501stLegion
Happy birthday to long-time #501st Honorary Member @stevenbarnes1! #StarWars author, black belt & certified hypnotherapist!
— 501st Legion (@501stLegion) March 1, 2013
The 501st Legion describe themselves as the "World's Definitive Imperial Costuming Organization," and one look at their website makes it hard to argue with that. Essentially this is a group of people who dress up as the bad guys from Star Wars and attend events for free, only asking for a donation to be made to charity.
Dunc @clubjade
I got 99 problems but a desire to debate Star Wars canon ain't one, son.
— Dunc (@clubjade) March 18, 2013
This is the official Twitter account for Club Jade, perhaps the geekiest Star Wars site on the entire Web. The website is packed full of content related to Star Wars and the science-fiction genre as a whole. The Twitter account is just as geeky but has extra content from other online sources.
Ordinary Star Wars @OrdinarySW
I heard Adm. Piett call us bounty hunters scum. This from a guy who has to wear a uniform to work every day.
— Ordinary Star Wars (@OrdinarySW) March 12, 2013
While the events of the Star Wars movies were occurring, life continued on for those not directly involved. This Twitter account attempts to tell their story, with random tweets from random people in the Star Wars universe. It sounds dull but Star Wars fans will appreciate every single joke.
Conclusions
There are a host of Star Wars Twitter accounts, but this list represents the best of the best. If you want/need to find more to sate your need for geeky goodness, simply search for Star Wars on Twitter and keep scrolling until you find the droids accounts you're looking for.
If you find any more Star Wars Twitter shenanigans that you think is worth sharing, please comment below including a link. Or just tell us what you think of Star Wars, the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm, or anything else pertaining to Star Wars. Use the force space provided.
Image Credit: Eva Rinaldi