A couple weeks ago, I saw the teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. One shot captured me instantly: Rey, Finn, and Poe overlooking the shattered remains of (presumably) the second Death Star. Those few seconds made me more excited for the trilogyโs conclusion than Palpatineโs laughter and the other action-packed glimpses.
Why?
Because of the rich symbolism.
Writers tend to view symbols as literary tropes to develop a storyโs theme. However, symbols not only deepen theme, they enhance the audienceโs enjoyment of a story.
Symbols arenโt abstract concepts, but embodied ideas that cause readers to form an emotional attachment to a storyโs themes, characters, settings, and events. The recent Star Wars films serve as an excellent case study. Although J. J. Abramsโ and Rian Johnsonโs application of symbolism isnโt perfect, we can learn from the best and worst aspects of their techniques in each film.
The Force Awakens: Emotionally Resonant Symbols
J. J. Abrams, director of The Force Awakens, understands that symbols have the ability to set a sceneโs tone and move audiences.
Darth Vaderโs helmet has become iconic in pop culture since the original trilogy. When Kylo Ren speaks to its mangled shell, that conjures up memories of a broken source of evil that gives viewers chills.
On Jakku, the downed Star Destroyer lends more to the atmosphere than decoration, though Iโm admittedly fascinated by ruins. Stranded in a desert, the Star Destroyer emanates deadness. Jakku is a dead planet, and the desolate scenery conveys this theoretically as well as emotionally.
When we compare these scenes to others in the film, a pattern emerges. The casino planet, the Resistance planet, and Lukeโs planet overflow with life, whereas corrupt planets are devoid of it. Instead of a duel on the wintry Starkiller Base, imagine a climax where Kylo and Rey fight in a jungleโperhaps similar to the battle on Takodana earlier on. The scene would feel entirely different, because symbols generate a distinct aura that invokes emotions.
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I could analyze other symbols, such as Anakinโs lightsaber or Finnโs blood-smeared helmet, but I think Iโve proved my point. If youโre using symbols merely for their thematic meanings and arenโt capitalizing on emotional triggers, your approach is wrong. Though The Force Awakens has the advantage of borrowing symbols from previous episodes, we can glean two concrete lessons from its tactics.
1. The Symbols Need to Matter to the Characters
Prioritizing emotional impact over thematic significance may seem like an odd strategy, but symbols that are infused with emotion radiate the most power. Moreover, designing symbols is often easier if you progress from emotion to theme rather than the reverse. Standard symbols like colors, directions, and celestial bodies are difficult to correlate with characters. Although not necessarily bad, these symbols are generally weaker. Thatโs why many of the key symbols in The Force Awakens are built on personal connections to the characters.
Examples of symbols with emotional relevance include Darth Vaderโs helmet and Anakinโs lightsaber from Star Wars, Spidermanโs suit in Raimiโs Spiderman 2, the scarlet letter in The Scarlet Letter, the green light in The Great Gatsby, the rabbit farm in Of Mice & Men, and the Ring in Lord of the Rings. All of these elements carry emotional weight because the characters care about them. When choosing symbols, begin with an object or place that characters either love or hate and work from there.
2. Use Symbols to Set the Mood
Intriguing symbols are pointless if theyโre absent from the story. Expert storytellers understand how symbols influence a readerโs perception of a scene and manipulate his senses accordingly.
If youโve correctly established the protagonistโs emotional connection to the symbol, readers should mirror her reaction to it. This allows you to create atmosphere. Abrams achieves this with shattered spaceships and character relics. Once youโve added an emotional layer, youโll be able to incorporate symbols into the backdrop if youโre intentional about it.
The Flaws in Abramsโ Approach
Although the symbols in The Force Awakens are emotionally engaging, many are thematically shallow. Anakinโs lightsaber, for instance. The frame of the shot and the awe it arouses implies that itโs important. But what does the weapon symbolize? Your guess is as good as mine. (Johnson attributes meaning to the same symbol in The Last Jedi.)
Sometimes Abramsโ symbols serve more as embellishments than threads in the storyโs theme. Part of the issue is the lack of a core theme in The Force Awakens. Nonetheless, the symbols are heavy with emotions and sparse in meaning. That weakness leads right into my next point.
The Last Jedi: Thematically Revealing Symbolsย
I realize that discussing The Last Jedi on the internet is liable to cause disputes, but Iโm not interested in stirring anyone up. Regardless of whether you liked how the film affected the franchise, Rian Johnson displayed skill in his development of themes (I wrote about this in greater detail on my blog).
A central theme in The Last Jedi is the death of the past, and it tinges character dialogue and decisions in addition to the storyโs main symbols.
Vader isnโt the only character with a symbolic maskโKyloโs mask represents his desire to emulate Vader. Snoke tells him early in the film, โYouโre not Vader; youโre just a child with a mask!โ Kylo responds by destroying his own mask, which announces that heโs abandoning Vader as his idol. Instead heโll chart his own path.
To evaluate a more controversial treatment of symbols, look at Anakinโs lightsaber. When Luke tosses it over his shoulder, he inadvertently enraged many fans (and I agree that this was an unseemly action), but it demonstrates that heโs forsaking the past. Then, when Rey and Kylo eventually break the lightsaber in Snokeโs throne chamber, the past is dead whether the characters like it or not. To win in the present, they need to stop relying on ancient weapons.
Several other symbols reiterate this fact, such as the burning of the Jedi temple tree and the twin sunset at the end. Johnson primarily utilizes symbols to convey the filmโs major themes, and we can gain two additional insights from his methods.
1. Integrate Symbols into the Storyโs Theme
Once youโve selected a symbol for its emotional impact, you need to tie it to your storyโs theme. Johnson does this expertly with each symbol in The Last Jedi by alluding to the past. While the symbols in The Force Awakens have been extracted from previous films, it falls short in this area because it has no overarching theme to reinforce.
The form of the thematic connection will vary, but once youโve sewn the pieces together, youโll only need to drop hints about the symbol in descriptions, character thoughts, or dialogue to ingrain its meaning into readersโ minds.
2. Intersperse Symbols Throughout Character Arcs
Iโve recommended creating symbols from emotional connections first, but a symbolโs capacity to illuminate theme is actually its most valuable quality. Donโt squander your storyโs thematic potential like The Force Awakens. Consider how you can accentuate your storyโs theme and unfold a symbolโs meaning through a characterโs interaction with it.
Johnson obliterates most of the nostalgic symbols that appeared in The Force Awakens, though he preserves a few, like the Jedi books, to reveal that the death of the past isnโt the storyโs message, and a ghost beats Kylo at the end. In Spiderman 2, Peter discards his suit to signal his walk away from responsibility. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester tries to glorify her scarlet letter, then attempts to get rid of it, and finally accepts it, representing her arc over the story. And in Lord of the Rings, multiple characters are forced to choose whether to succumb to the Ringโs temptation.
Symbolic usage will differ from story to story, but remember that symbols arenโt window dressingsโthey should be components hardwired into your storyโs theme.
The Flaws in Johnsonโs Approach
Although Johnson supports the filmโs theme with symbolism more than Abrams did, his symbols largely fail to evoke emotionsโor at least the right emotions.
Lukeโs flippant rejection of the lightsaber is intentionally jolting. But, when a weighty symbol is dismissed, it deserves a big scene preceded by buildup. Without that, it feels like a joke at the audienceโs expense. Luke doesnโt value the symbol, and viewers wonder if the filmmakers donโt either. This symbol subversion was handled better during Kylo and Reyโs fight later in the film.
The tree library is another example of this problem. When Luke sets it afire, the burning is clearly supposed to be symbolic. Yet, at least personally, I’m not disturbed or saddened. Why? Because the tree is a new symbol, and the scene that introduces it has a dark, mysterious vibeโwhich doesnโt reflect the hope Rey seeks in the Jedi order. That may be how Luke views the Jedi. But Rey and the audience donโt share his perspective yet. The tree is laden with thematic significance and empty of emotional resonance.
The Rise of Skywalker, the Future of Symbols, and You
The trailer for The Rise of Skywalker gives me hope that the prominent symbols of the new Star Wars trilogy will continueโand Iโm crossing my fingers that theyโll use the shattered Death Star effectively.
Whether youโre looking ahead to The Rise of Skywalker or your own book, symbolism can increase the audienceโs enthusiasm for a story. Thus, I want to stress one final rule.
Donโt Waste Opportunities
The Force Awakens neglects thematic impact and The Last Jedi neglects emotional impact. Symbols can help readers experience a story from both anglesโbut only when you invest time as an author. Crafting symbols that combine the emotional weight of The Force Awakens and the thematic meaning of The Last Jedi is the goal you should be aiming for.
What symbols are currently present in your story? And what symbols could you add? Donโt overlook chances to bring your storyโs theme to life and leave a profound impression on readers.

Josiah DeGraaf is the summit & marketing director at Story Embers and the program director of The Young Writer. He writes because heโs fascinated by human motivations and loves to take normal people, put them in crazy situations (did he mention he writes fantasy?), and then force them to make difficult choices. Someday he hopes to write fantasy novels with worlds as imaginative as Brandon Sandersonโs, characters as complex as Orson Scott Cardโs, character arcs as dynamic as Jane Austenโs, and themes as deep as Fyodor Dostoyevskyโs. In the meantime, you can find him teaching young writers at the Young Writer’s Workshopย or writing short stories atย his websiteย as he works toward achieving these goals.
Thanks for this great article, Josiah! I really like your analysis of how the new SW trilogy (so far) have dealt with symbolism and their relations to theme/s. It’s quite sad how TFA missed so many opportunities – I felt like it left me hanging by introducing all these great symbols, yet not developing them. On the other hand, TLJ was better than TFA but still flawed – in the ways you have delineated. I really hope they’ll make it worth it for us in this last one coming up, and maybe redeem some of the doubts in the more skeptical original SW fans. ๐
Yep–I feel you on all of that!
STAR WARS!!!!!
I cannot wait for The Rise of Skywalker.
Really helpful, thanks!
You’re welcome, Sandrina!
Ah! Thank you for this very interesting and helpful article. I am a major Star Wars geek myself, and I enjoyed learning from some of my favorite movies. ๐ Symbols have been one of the harder things for me to write, but this cleared some things up.
You’re welcome, Jewel! Glad to hear it helped clear some things up for you. ๐
Great article, Josiah! This was such a great analysis. Learned a lot of new things here ๐
Thanks Nicole! Glad you found the analysis helpful. ๐
Thanks so much for this post, Mr. Josiah! I appreciate how you analyzed several symbols Star Wars with specific examples.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you found it helpful. ๐