Star Wars: How to Write Character Arcs

Star Wars has some of the most iconic characters in cinematic history. In this video I examine how to write and create memorable characters and compelling stories through characters arcs.
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[@ThinkStory]

🍿 Want more Screenwriting Videos? Check out my playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLY9KJ1cFVs7hcQCA0WMUJLQTCzmg8zcTB 🍿

[@nicholasheal5925]

Hey when are you gonna talk about character arcs in Empire Strikes Back?

[@stuartrichardson9004]

I love your videos and find them really well done - terrific writing on the narration - very clear and consise - and wonderful visual illustrations. One minor note: You are delivering a lot of information quite quickly - so take a PAUSE when you complete a sentence or a thought to let it sink in with us. It sounds like the audio is sometimes cut togehter and I think it's cut together just a little tight. We ARE engaged and totally interested - so you can afford to slow down on your delivery just a little so that we can keep up. : )

[@nicholasheal5925]

@@stuartrichardson9004 lol im embarresed as FUCK fucking end myself lol

[@anthonyramsey4346]

Wow, how old is this? You’ve got 173,000 subs now, congratulations. Make that 173,001.

[@woodzwxrks593]

Bro you got like 350k now lmao

[@appledough3843]

Zuko Ghost: Banished by his father. Want: To restore his honor. Lie: Capturing the avatar will restore his honor. Need: To realize that only he himself can restore his honor.

[@nukritik2933]

Exactly 👏👏👏

[@adudeontheinterweb6571]

god did not rest on the seventh day. he created Zuko's redemption arc

[@EdNorty]

Yep.

[@appledough3843]

@JacobofhouseTravillski Arguably the arc period. Who else has a better arc and development? Meruem from HxH?

[@JoelEmberson]

Luke: How did my father die? Obi Wan: 49 Times we fought that beast...

[@elizabethlamb6437]

...your old man and me. It had a chicken head with duck feet and a woman's face too.

[@NightFoxx99]

Haha. Love that song.

[@Sarboi7]

Ah a man of culture as well...

[@swiss_cheese_0167]

@@elizabethlamb6437 Aw, that's rad!

[@cameronsharp9218]

A similar video explaining tragic hero/negative arcs would be much appreciated ;)

[@ThinkStory]

I was thinking of doing one on that actually. Or one on the 3 types of character arcs: positive, negative, flat/static. Stay tuned and tell your friends about the channel :)

[@cameronsharp9218]

Think Story Perfect :)

[@shadowspector3611]

I definitely need one of these videos to explain how to do it. In writing a backstory for a villain and I want the to start out completely perfect but events turn them evil but I'm not sure how to do it efficiently.

[@vilkristproductions6772]

@@shadowspector3611 do what they did to captain america a.k.a the same thing in video but with negative outcome

[@likestriangles]

@@ThinkStory I know it's been two years, but I would reallllly love to see a video about different types of arcs

[@LucasGCasas]

13:50 "your secondary characters don't need to fulfill all of these [want, need, lie, ghost]" That's exactly what I was trying to figure out! I'm convinced, thanks for the great video!

[@noahandzillaschannel7034]

As a future and hopeful upcoming writer, I would just like to thank you for making this masterpiece of a video. I’ve never realized these things before but I’ve actually been using them all the time and now I know how to develop them in order to make good characters.

[@mr.krepshus1467]

Thank you so much for this🙏

[@natashaestes154]

The links' appearances at the end being timed with the music was most satisfying. Great & helpful info, of course, but that made it perfect.

[@JC111414]

I guess thats why I'm invested more on Luke than Rey. His motivations and backstory are clear, and his change is the perfect balance.

[@ReySkywalker2]

Rey actually has far more of a well written character arc.

[@JC111414]

@@ReySkywalker2 can you elaborate?

[@ReySkywalker2]

@@JC111414 Luke, whilst he is a strong character, has a very simple story. That’s not a bad thing so maybe saying that Rey is more “well written” is irrelevant. They’re both well written but Rey has a far more nuanced and profound arc with complexity to it.

[@JC111414]

@@ReySkywalker2 I guess so, but I felt that Luke struggled more and lost more than Rey. Both stories are pretty straightforward, and also very similar. Is just how you write them that makes the difference.

[@masha22092000r]

​​@@ReySkywalker2 Rey has no arc whatsoever. She is always 100% perfect. She picks up a lightsaber and is instantly better than Kylo. She is a better mechanic/pilot than Han despite zero experience. She doesn't train, doesn't make mistakes, doesn't suffer. Abrams tried to give her something in Ep.9 but that's too little too late - she was already establiahed is perfect. You were asked to elaborate what her arc is. Obviously, you didn't - because there was none. You are obviously a fan of the character - that's fine. I like the prequels as they are the first SW I saw, but I will never say that Anakin/Padme romance is better written than Han/Leia - it's not.

[@halinasarapata5611]

Fun Fact (and I say it just because it is cool and, in my opinion, worth noting): the refusal of the call is not Vogler's idea, but the concept Vogler borrowed from the structure of the Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell :) Nevertheless, Vogler adapted this element (and the majority of campbellian theory) to make it fit for screen-writing. :D

[@RSTAR2009]

As a long-time STAR WARRIOR & an aspiring screenwriter this video is invaluable. Thank you for this

[@kevinrudloff7608]

Your videos are absolutely amazing! I love them all. They are entertaining and I´m learning a lot from them. Thank you so much for your work!

[@TheIggyTech]

"In the soon to be smash hit....Solo" lmao good lord

[@shanosummesteros9563]

Thought the same thing :D Think Story is insightful as far as writing is concerned but a good judge of cinematic trend he is not.

[@goji253]

@@shanosummesteros9563 Has anyone ever told you the story of Darth Sarcasm the easily noticeable? I suppose not. It is not a story a Jedi would tell you.

[@shanosummesteros9563]

@@goji253 I generally like my sarcasm served with some indicator it is sarcasm and not genuine train of thought, just so I can tell the difference, you know. But yea, it makes a lot of sense that he was being sarcastic.

[@goji253]

@@shanosummesteros9563 His voice itself had a pretty sarcastic undertone. Just listen to it again it's rather noticeable.

[@theartofstory9487]

What a great series! I just discovered your work! Looking forward to diving in!

[@ThinkStory]

Thanks! I'll check out yours too!

[@Tousicle]

Love the video but I would comment that at 9:50 Luke isn’t battling his self doubt. In the beginning he is reluctant because he believes in his lie but as the story progresses and more so as soon as they meet Han he is competitive and confident for being a pilot and never again does he doubt himself. Instead I believe his need is to trust something outside himself, the force and to stop testing himself. He is constantly trying to test himself and the opposite of that is trust. That’s why he isn’t testing the device to help him navigate and blow up the Death Star and trusts (here they call it force or instinct when really it’s just) something outside himself. (Also that three count doesn’t say anything about his confidence just his ability at the present moment to do it as he has other priorities)

[@MrEffectfilms]

Great video, the only thing I personally disagree on is in Episode IV Luke's decision to go with Obiwan on the adventure should have been more a choice of his own choosing than it ultimately was. Because we don't know much about Uncle Owen right now he is ultimately nothing more than an obstacle in Lukes way, and because of that when he is killed the only one truly felt bad for was Luke and Aunt Beru, she actually wanted Luke to leave, not because she didn't love him or care but because she was willing to understand that Luke just wasn't a farmer and was willing to let him go, Owen was not. Despite how the scene is played for tragedy it feels like an obstacle has been removed for Luke than him choosing a risky adventure of his safe boring home life. I think an easy fix here would have been to have Luke decide to confront his Uncle and tell him that he is leaving and there's nothing else to be said and not let Uncle Owen try to stop him. This way when Luke comes back to save them he would still have the tragedy of their deaths but this time he would have felt like he gave up his own family for the sake of an adventure and possibly struggle with that for the rest of the movie, as it is he gets over it rather quickly and by the time we get to space it's all but forgotten.

[@biglogan6142]

I love this ... your explainations dovetail very nicely with several other theories on character arc and construction I've heard and read ... I am great at world building and plot, but not with character so this is extremely helpful!!!

[@totallyanonymousbish9599]

This so helpful yet sooo complicated omg

[@moth8190]

i love this. thank you so much for this its super informative and it'll definitely help me in my writing journey

[@eya3741]

This video needs more views ! You explained this better than body else, thanks so much it helped a lot. Those video essays are really entertaining and very educational, keep making them.

[@ThinkStory]

I love these comments! They keep me wanting to make more videos. Thank you!

[@scrabdusanproductions2104]

This is one of my favorite videos on the internet.

[@prosper7368]

Excellent, excellent, excellent content my friend. Keep it up and much thanks!

[@ThinkStory]

Thank you! It's comments like this that keep me going.

[@CocoForBird]

I just found this. This is so helpful, thank you.

[@mariaf303]

This is too good quality to have so few views!

[@ThinkStory]

Thank you! I think it's because my channel is pretty new, but I hope to gain more followers and pump out more videos. In the mean time, feel free to tell your friends :)

[@plootyluvsturtle9843]

these videos are godly you are making my writing process a lot easier and a lot harder

[@moviesmagicandmore12]

Really interesting stuff. Thanks for the upload!

[@FPdesignfab]

Thanks. Good stuff. I looked for some writing inspiration this morning and found it here.

[@EthansQuest]

Fantastic video! You would be a great professor. Valuable information is presented in a clean and helpful way. Kudos!

[@Leto85]

Thank you very much for this clear to understand yet indepth description of a subject that could be so incredibly difficult to understand. I'm shocked your video had so less views! Well, at least you've got me as another subscriber to your channel. I'm looking forward to see more. You've talked briefly about Luke's overarching arc (that's the best term I can come up with for it) that goes throughout all three the films instead of just one. I was looking for something like that when compared to the enneagram method to create character growth throughout a story that covers multipe books or films. The enneagram examples I've seen only cover one movie or book at a time. If you take requests, would you make a video about how overarching arcs work, in comparison to arcs that cover one book within that same series? I think Harry Potter would be a great example for this.

[@JoshArgentine]

Thanks for this helpful piece of work!

[@kankles6569]

Just found your channel. I'm trying to get into fiction writing and your videos are SO GOOD.

[@Koliflower]

Dude these videos are soooooo good! I just watched your need vs want video and I feel like I know so much more about character building!!!! hell yeah! I'm gonna go write a really shitty (but fun) first screenplay!

[@FranciscoOlvera94]

Great videos, there's a lot of good information here I wish you the best, keep it up!

[@ThinkStory]

Thanks Frank! Hoping to come out with more.

[@buh2604]

Thank you so much for sharing this type of content

[@AsherPlus]

Who are the 2 maniacs who disliked this video masterpiece!

[@ThinkStory]

Fans of the prequels my guess :P

[@user-or8ql3fe5v]

And you are god damn right. Another 100500 video on youtube, that is sucking off originals and is trying to show Luke as some god-level character, when he is basic "everyman" protagonist with no strong personality, while trying for 100500 time to bash on prequels, when their story is much deeper than "good guys defeat bad guys with the power of plot armor" of the original trilogy, and their characters arent just stereotypes, that you can find anywhere. Also, in the beginning of the video you tried to imply, that OT characters are "remembered" and prequel characters are not, but its also bullshit, because everyone knows who Anakin and Obi-Wan are, everyone knows who Qui-Gon and Mace Windu are, everyone knows Maul and Palpatine - again, false. In general, your understanding of character arcs and themes is so flat and basic. Making fun of prequel politics for being "complicated", and then spewing some bullshit about ghosts and lies, that doesnt even work. I am pretty sure, not a single one great creator ever thought about these things, when creating good characters. And I can certainly say, that if you actually use this system in writing, you will create lifeless, boring characters. There is no "system" to creating great characters. You just need to have good imagination, good writing skills and to put your soul into them. But, considering how Hollywood didnt create any good, original movie franchises since Lord of the Rings, I guess americans forgot, what the words "imagination" and "soul" even means... Thats exactly why you sit here and talk about 40-years old characters. Because you cant do anything of your own. If american movie industry will continue to rot with sequels/remakes like this, asian movies and anime will take your place as the "mainstream". Because they sure as hell arent afraid to make new things.

[@amandanield5380]

people who don't understand and don't want to be told that writing is harder then they think.

[@AIgorith]

@@ThinkStory I mean prequels aren't necessarily bad. I enjoyed them.

[@marshallemmet1366]

add a 3 to the front of that

[@AxleMyths]

This video helped a lot. Thank you

[@Jason-ov9gx]

amazing video!!! Verry helpfull and understandable, sending love from Brazil!!!

[@MarkowskyArt]

Another great video! I'd be interested to hear you expand on the point you make at the very end (13:06). This concept of decisions being rewarded and punished based on their relationship to the character's need/truth is quite fascinating! Well done!

[@ThinkStory]

I could totally do a video just on that! I'll add it to my list of videos to do next.

[@MarkowskyArt]

Much appreciated! Your video series is excellent and I want to encourage you as much as I can to keep up the momentum!

[@ThinkStory]

Thanks man! Best thing you can do is share the vids and let your friends know :)

[@guylstephenson]

Brilliant explanation! "I'd like some more please."

[@oceanlizard]

Wow this helped a lot. THANK YOU

[@AdrianHilder]

Great video. Always helpful to have a different perspective on matters of writing craft I already know to re-enforce the knowledge.

[@arturoacuna6175]

This channel was so good.

[@sif_2799]

Thank you so much, such a good video

[@Casedilla73]

I really appreciate how whichever character element that is being talked about at a certain time is highlighted at that time, so if I forget, I can just look down.

[@Wonderfeel__]

amazing - thanks 🙏🏼

[@RSTAR2009]

Another reason why that "I'm Your Father" hit home so hard because of the extreme CONTRASTS yet SIMILARITIES of Like and Darth Vader's characters

[@MediaBrighton]

Amazing video, thank you

[@grossbrosparodies9610]

Awesome vid. Great job.

[@anookishexception7234]

I just found your channel and I absolutely love it. Can you do a video about characters personality vs their character?

[@TheMikster95]

Omg 2:45-2:50 So true I wish every YA author listened to just those 5 seconds! You're story is meaningless if there's no message you're trying to convey

[@carl.from.accounting]

i think its the best plot twist ever because it makes sense, and is subliminally hinted at multiple times throughout both the movies runtimes.

[@randomcommenter7343]

Hey, just earned a new sub! Great video.

[@filiporvik2782]

Same here.

[@Kjejul]

Excellent!

[@lindsay3357]

I was thinking about Solo and how it addressed his Ghost, while you were going over Han's arc.

[@sidoutb5092]

What i understood is the "ghost" is an event in the past, it motives the "want", and it feeds the "lie" which is a resolution in the future, the "lie" itself is an obstacle of the "need", the "need" is what the character really need to understand or achieve in this world.

[@lw4412]

Here from Reddit.. Incredible.

[@rezziey8435]

I came from the writer subreddit too, and I agree!

[@Flougdd]

0:30 what a punch x) excellent

[@SquaredbyX]

I've always looked at Premise as the Promise of your story. More akin to the log line. Developed this impression from 'How to Write a GD Novel'.

[@noam2261]

More videos like this one please!

[@PanupatChong]

I just got a chance to watch Into the Spider-verse today and damn... it resonated so much to what you're saying here. The leap of faith. It's the same NEED concept.

[@FellVoice]

You should do one of these based on why the sequel trilogy films don't work.

[@char-_]

I never really got into Star Wars... It’s weird bc I love science fiction. I don’t hate it, but I don’t like it. I wish I could tho bc I know it’s a great series with amazing characters that it’s helping me make my own characters.

[@jonathanbowling2904]

And that's perfectly fine! I'm a huge Star Wars fan and your opinion is valid.... From a Certain Point of View ;) . Actually I am not the biggest Star Trek fan or Harry Potter fan, but I don't hate either. I just never got into it, but I respect people who enjoy both. I think Star Wars, despite being sci fi, is more fantasy in space. So I consider it more fantasy than Science Fiction, but that ain't gonna stop me from buying the merchandise!

[@Bennahr_Fett]

Good don't, dont give disney your money to let them asss fuck it any more then its already been.

[@michalsirotek9766]

Great thanks!

[@amead78]

Awesome video.

[@VioletAasimarOfficial]

"Boom! You got an arc!" *android explodes*

[@bradebronson8835]

I need a video of this that explains the 4 categories spanning all three movies of a Trilogy. Seems like for the most part, Want, Need, Lie, Ghost is fully established in the first movie of many epic Trilogies. Luke in Star Wars, Neo in The Matrix, Frodo in Lord of the Rings....etc.

[@piperj4978]

Thank you for these videos, you are fantastic. You mention you "could do a whole video on creating empathy in characters: (at 7:15 or so lol) . - if you have time sometime, would you mind doing such a video on empathy? Either way thank you again, these videos are so illuminative and helpful. :)

[@SJ-rh2xu]

brilliant video, have watched a few times to try to take it all in. Just one bit I'm trying to understand - would you say that the obstacle to the character's need = the character's lie, or are those separate things altogether?

[@ThinkStory]

This is a great question. Yes, the obstacle for the character's need is the lie. For example, Han Solo's NEED is to understand that friendship and honor is more important than greed. This is in direct opposition to his LIE which is his belief that the way to survive in the universe is money and looking after ones self. I highly recommend picking up Weiland's book "Creating Character Arcs" which goes into greater detail and has more examples.

[@ginotarabotto]

Superb. Thank you! "Something about taxes" lol

[@frenchtoastman5822]

I remember Jar Jar and how he should have been the Phantom Menace

[@RSTAR2009]

Years ago it was a SERIOUS internet trend that Jar Jar Binks was a powerful Sith Lord in disguo

[@youngan2]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, yet Luke's acceptance of the Call to Adventure (when he declares to Ben that he wants to go with him to Alderaan and learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like his father) resolves the film's First Plot Point and so signals the very last and final scene of the FIRST Act, which propels the story forward and into (but is NOT in itself the beginning of) the SECOND Act.

[@ShaneA1994]

You should make this type of video for Han, Leia, Obi-Wan, Anakin/Vader, Kylo

[@jonathanakerele8006]

This video was really cool and thorough. As a writer, I liked all the character elements discussed that make up a good story. It's just too bad this video was released in 2018 and not in 2012 or 2013 so J.J. Abrams could see it before starting that latest Star Wars trilogy which has sparked so much controversy first for rehashing a previous episode (The Force Awakens copying A New Hope) shot for shot and second for it's awkward and mismanaged story and character behaviors in its sequel (The Last Jedi) which sparked a lot of online hate so I imagined the third movie will be somewhat underwhelming not financially but probably socially as far as acceptance and likeability of the story among most of the hardcore fan base who was around for the original trilogy in the 1970s and 1980s.

[@christianvincentcostanilla8428]

Star Wars legends

[@GraphicReviews]

This is seriously underrated, shame most of this guy’s content is recapping TV shows

[@wasifiqbal9984]

You made me love Luke more than I've ever loved him.

[@wulphstein]

Great! Can we forward this to Disney?

[@ReySkywalker2]

Disney writes amazing character arcs

[@Bennahr_Fett]

@@ReySkywalker2 PPFFFF.... BAHAHAHAHHH .. laughs in *reya the last dragon, sequel trilogy Rei, and Raulph breaks the world*

[@ReySkywalker2]

@@Bennahr_Fett What? What?! 😭 “rAlpH bReaKs The wOrlD” 🤡 Not only is that not the name of the film but that’s a damn kids cartoon film ffs. Moreover, it’s spelt REY and she is objectively an incredible character. It’s a fact.

[@cameronsharp9218]

Still intrigued by this video and I hope you can answer some more of my questions :) How specifically do Luke’s Need and Lie carry over into Empire and Jedi? Do they change with each film or does the arc stay consistent throughout the trilogy?

[@ThinkStory]

It's a great question! I'd need more time to fully think about it, but I think it has something to do with his training with Yoda. He needs to overcome something if he's going to be a successful Jedi. I'd probably say some trilogies the need changes and others it doesn't. In Thor for example, his changes, but in Lord of the Rings (Frodo), it remains constant.

[@ThinkStory]

I might do a video on this in the future.

[@cameronsharp9218]

Think Story Okay great! Keep up the awesome work :)

[@lityfity4197]

bruh, nice video.

[@chen-chan8650]

Please do a video on dialogue

[@kate1703]

Sheldon Cooper would really like this video

[@SMouse646]

What is this Last Jedi you speak of. The Skywalker saga ended at Return of the Jedi

[@LightningStrikes66]

SMouse Booth agreed...

[@sammygeorgakopoulos8148]

So are we suppose to characters in the same way lukes, being reactive, and then being proactive? Aren't characters suppose to be proactive from the gecho, without the actions looking unbelievable, and breaking the suspension of disbelief? I'm worried about being the same...

[@kaicrenshaw6288]

You should have given other movie examples

[@ryanratchford2530]

Is there much a difference between the want vs the lie? I can’t really think of a significant separation

[@BoyKagome]

You can be driven by want that's still true, and wants are often fulfilled at the end. But you have to realize your need to get your want. Now you're right, sometimes your want changes when you overcome your lie. Hercules wanted to be a god, but he needed to be with Meg. So he surrendered his deity to be with her.

[@baylee8659]

I love you.

[@yinpayofficial1063]

The LIE is one character art it's a normal character going into the realm of good and it can also be a good character that goes into the bad. There are millions of combinations go with character arts and I see and understand the one you're going the route of especially seeing you first had with Luke Skywalker

[@lebondi2752]

First, sorry for my bad English, second, what if i want to do a character that doesn't change in s good way? Like he starts with problems and he is in his way to change but something bad happend and he goes to that old problem again

[@helium-379]

RIP Starwars once again

[@robschneider8310]

Are you a professional writer?

[@darthmaul3733]

*hey hey hey there is a big mistake the droid didnt attack on the wookies

[@bettersteps]

I thought Solo was a pretty good flick. I know I'm in the minority here but that's what I think. I enjoyed it and consider it one of the better Star Wars movies. The new ones lack the magic of the Lucas originals. Rouge One was good too. Very well done.

[@rockingtundra2830]

Does every protagonist have to have all 4 though? If that’s so, then every single character arc would probably be predictable as all hell, right?

[@ytubeanon]

hmm, Solo's ghost would be his debt to Jabba? It's kinda weird that we use Star Wars as an example of good storytelling as Lucas was using Campbell's the Hero's Journey, but then you look at the quality of his prequels and even armed with all of this storytelling knowledge it didn't make a good movie... same for all these directors, The Last Jedi was criticized for not really having a story arc, in fact the director threw everything out JJ Abrams had left behind in favor of momentary "surprise twists" that backed him into a corner... (also inspiration and imagination are key)

[@pampazapp4169]

Okay

[@user-vw6xp5nl6t]

Obiwan actually IS Lukes 'Self' - This is why he is his mentor. His 'self' already contains all the wisdom he needs to reach his goal... he just needs to trust this source of truth.

[@grandmasterchris9666]

General feeling for most people on Star Wars: Originals: love Prequels: hate Sequels: indifference

[@SimmerCK]

Me. Originals: love Prequels indifferent Sequels: hate with the fire of Tattooine's twin suns.

[@herbalwolfooo5413]

Yeah, I'd personally swap the Prequels and Sequels

[@briancatoni7000]

First six: love R1:like Solo/tfa: indifferent Tlj:hate We'll see where 9 lands

[@mpnuorva]

@@briancatoni7000 My guess is indifference for 9

[@briancatoni7000]

@@mpnuorva yeah probably indifference or hatred, I'm only going to see it out of morbid curiosity to see how it ends and because it's John Williams last Star Wars film after that I think I'll stick to other sources of canon(including legends), it'll be nice to be able to read any random Star Wars book without worrying if it conflicts with current canon or not

[@boncret]

every kid should watch the 3 original star wars in its early years

[@sammygeorgakopoulos8148]

Is a character's ghost the same as a character's flaws?

[@ThinkStory]

No, the ghost is an event that shapes the character's outlook on the world while the flaw is internal. A ghost can influence your character's flaw however. For example, if an immigrant kills your parents you may hate all immigrants and not be accepting of others. That ghost (murder of parents) influenced the flaw (stereotyping all immigrants as murderers/non-acceptance).

[@phiwa1000]

the real ghost is linked to the real lie that his father was a 'navigator on a spice freighter', which is bigger than the lie that his father was dead. It is because his father's occupation is what Luke's journey is about. Even if his father was dead, he can still believe he is more than a farm boy if he learns that his father was once a jedi. And how many wants does Luke have? to be a jedi or to save princess leia?