Star Wars: 20 Inspiring Quotes About Hope

The entire Star Wars saga is built around the idea of hope. Without hope, we have nothing. George Lucas wanted his intergalactic saga of battle and betrayal, family and loss, and good and bad to reflect that. That’s why, when it came to retitling the first movie to fit into the gargantuan DVD box set it was eventually a part of, he subtitled it Episode IV: A New Hope.

A recurring theme throughout the original Star Wars movie is hope. Since the prequel trilogy ends with a loss of hope, the original trilogy follows on from it with “a new hope.” This theme continues to permeate the rest of the Skywalker saga, and now, it has spread its reach to various other Star Wars properties. Here are 15 quotes that truly drive this central hopeful theme of Star Wars home.

20 “I Am A Jedi, Like My Father Before Me.”

Luke Skywalker • Return of the Jedi

In the Emperor’s throne room at the end of Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker is briefly tempted by the dark side. After initially refusing to fight his father, the Emperor talks him into taking up his lightsaber and engaging in a duel. Following his defeat at Vader’s hands in The Empire Strikes Back, Luke manages to defeat his father the second time around. But he refuses to join the Emperor, instead insisting that “I am a Jedi, like my father before me.”

19 “A Thousand Generations Live In You Now. But This Is Your Fight.”

Luke Skywalker • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

The point of Star Wars: The Last Jedi seemed to be that Rey wasn’t the last Jedi after all, because the final scene teased a new generation of Force users inspired by the myths of Luke Skywalker. However, J.J. Abrams made sure that Rey actually was the last Jedi in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. As Luke’s Force ghost explains to her, she is now a vessel for the spirits of every Jedi Knight who ever lived. Before her confrontation with Palpatine, Luke tells Rey, “A thousand generations live in you now. But this is your fight.”

18 “I Choose To Live.”

Ahsoka Tano • Ahsoka

After nearly being killed by Baylan Skoll, Ahsoka Tano ends up in the World Between Worlds, where she’s reunited with her former Jedi Master, Anakin Skywalker. Her master seeks to teach her one last lesson and presents a fairly simple premise: live, or die. After revisiting moments from her past, most notably battles during the Clone Wars, Ahsoka still struggles to leave behind the pain and darkness of her child-soldier past. After fighting Anakin, however, Ahsoka makes the choice to live, to which Anakin insists “There’s hope for you yet” – because she’s chosen hope for a better life.

17 “Never Be Afraid Of Who You Are.”

Princess Leia Organa • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

It’s a shame that Rey and Leia didn’t develop a real on-screen connection until after Leia’s scenes had to be hashed together using deleted scenes from before Carrie Fisher’s death, because the two had a great dynamic in The Rise of Skywalker. When Rey starts to become concerned about her bloodline, Leia delivers some timeless wisdom: “Rey, never be afraid of who you are.” As the biological daughter of Darth Vader, Leia knows this feeling all too well, and she does what she can to encourage Rey as she takes her next steps.

16 “We Had Each Other. That’s How We Won.”

Lando Calrissian • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

When the Resistance finds itself hopelessly outmatched by the Final Order in The Rise of Skywalker, Poe wonders how the Rebel Alliance managed to overthrow the Galactic Empire with similarly threadbare resources in the original trilogy. Lando tells him, “We had each other. That’s how we won.” He’s ignoring the contributions of the Ewoks in the Battle of Endor, possibly because he was in space and missed their contributions, but the message is delightfully sentimental.

15 “We’ll Rebuild It. Isn’t That Our History?”

Din Djarin • The Mandalorian

As a man of very few words, everything Din Djarin says counts, and he proves that in this conversation with Bo-Katan Kryze. Faced with both the memory of her role in her people’s annihilation during the Night of a Thousand Tears and the challenge of bringing all these different groups and sects together, Din offers her encouragement. He refers to their people’s history, reminding her that their people have survived for thousands of years despite being on the verge of extinction. This gives her the hope she needs to lead the Mandalorians into battle yet again.

14 “Good People Will Fight If We Lead Them.”

Poe Dameron • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Before the climactic battle in The Rise of Skywalker, the Resistance is at one of their lowest points. With Leia’s passing and impossible odds, Poe is the one they look to for leadership. Poe gives a rousing speech to the Resistance pilots to rally their courage, saying: “Good people will fight if we lead them. Leia never gave up. And neither have we. We’re going to show them we’re not afraid. What our mothers and fathers fought for, we will not let die. Not today. Today, we make our last stand. For the galaxy. For Leia. For everyone we’ve lost.”

13 “We Are The Spark That Will Light The Fire That Will Burn The First Order Down.”

Poe Dameron • Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Based on this quote and a paraphrasing of it used in the opening crawl of The Last Jedi, some audiences thought that the title of Episode IX would be revealed to be The Spark of Hope. Of course, it wasn’t, but that doesn’t make Poe Dameron’s “spark” quote any less iconic. It might be the most memorable quote from the sequel trilogy, because it sums up the Star Wars saga’s core belief. The Resistance’s numbers may have dwindled, but what they’re doing still matters, because it will have a ripple effect of hope and inspiration. Without them, nothing would happen.

12 “We Have Hope. Rebellions Are Built On Hope!”

Jyn Erso • Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Jyn Erso is as great a beacon of hope as we’ve seen in the Star Wars saga. She may have just appeared in a side story “anthology” movie, but what she did in that movie was integral to the Rebel Alliance’s quest to destroy the Empire. She was responsible for extracting the Death Star blueprints and getting them to the Rebels. This was because she had the courage to pursue the plans even when she was told not to, taking a page out of Cassian Andor’s book by quoting his earlier words to her: “Rebellions are built on hope!“

11 “When Gone Am I, The Last Of The Jedi Will You Be. The Force Runs Strong In Your Family. Pass On What You Have Learned.”

Yoda • Return of the Jedi

Yoda is not sad to be dying in Return of the Jedi. He just tells Luke, “When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be. The Force runs strong in your family. Pass on what you have learned.” These are the final words of a hopeful character. Yoda isn’t upset with the state of the galaxy as he’s leaving it, because he knows he can trust the strong-willed kid that he just trained to set things right.

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When bad things happen again and Luke becomes an old man on his deathbed while the galaxy is in bad shape again, he can teach the next generation of Jedi to fix it, just like Yoda did. It’s the circle of life, and it’s Yoda’s time. He has hope that, in death, he’ll become a Force ghost and enjoy eternal life.

10 “That’s How We’re Gonna Win. Not Fighting What We Hate, Saving What We Love.”

Rose Tico • Star Wars: The Last Jedi

While not fighting what you hate and saving what you love instead is the worst way to win a war, the ethos behind Rose Tico’s closing words in The Last Jedi is in keeping with the hopeful ideology of the Star Wars franchise. You do have to fight what you hate, because that’s literally what a war is – but you have to do that at the same time as saving what you love, with the latter taking priority over the former. If you don’t protect those who are close to you, the enemy will get them while your back is turned.

9 “Live To Fight Another Day.”

Hardcase • Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The story of the clones is one of both heroism and tragedy, with the Galactic Republic’s clone army constantly, and willingly, sacrificing their lives for the cause they were quite literally created for. The clone Hardcase showcases this bravery on Umbara in Star Wars: The Clone Wars after his plan with Fives and Jesse goes wrong. Hardcase gives his life to manually destroy a ship that wins them a crucial, and brutal, battle, and as he encourages his brothers to escape with their lives, he urges them to “Live to fight another day, boys. Live to fight another day.”

This idea of fighting to live another day truly underscores the core essence of hope, in that the current fight ultimately leads to a better tomorrow.

These words are repeated many years later by Echo in Star Wars: The Bad Batch as he encourages Senator Avi Singh to flee Raxus. The senator, devastated by the idea of leaving his people behind in the midst of an Imperial occupation on his world, debates staying, but Echo uses these words to convince him to go. His people need him alive, and because of that, the senator must choose to live by getting to safety. This idea of fighting to live another day truly underscores the core essence of hope, in that the current fight ultimately leads to a better tomorrow.

8 “Obi-Wan? There’s Good In Him.”

Padmé Amidala • Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

Padmé Amidala is yet another tragic story in Star Wars, with her death being the result of Anakin Skywalker’s self-fulfilling prophecy in his quest to prevent it from ever happening. Regardless of Anakin’s fall to the dark side and the role it had in Padmé’s death, she uses her final moments to reassure Obi-Wan that there’s still good in him. While Obi-Wan, and most of the galaxy, thought Anakin to be dead at this time, Padmé maintained this hope in her husband that would ultimately come to fruition many years later, thanks to Luke Skywalker.

7 “In Every Corner Of The Galaxy, The Downtrodden And Oppressed Know Our Symbol And They Put Their Hope In It.”

Vice Admiral Holdo • Star Wars: The Last Jedi

This is Vice Admiral Holdo’s take on Poe Dameron’s classic “spark” quote, as mentioned before. She rejects his premise at first and simply demands that he follow her orders, but she later catches the bug of his intrepid determination and sees clearly that they are a “spark.” She says, “In every corner of the galaxy, the downtrodden and oppressed know our symbol and they put their hope in it. We are the spark that will light the fire that will restore the Republic. That spark, this Resistance, must survive.”

6 “This Is A New Day, A New Beginning.”

Ahsoka Tano • Star Wars Rebels

In several cases, the animated Star Wars TV shows have been more interesting and insightful than the movies, and this Ahsoka Tano quote proves that. In regard to hope, this quote has it down, because this is what hope is all about. It’s about looking forward, not looking back. Whatever terrible thing happened yesterday – whether the enemy defeated the heroes in a battle or a planet was destroyed by a space station (or your dad cut your hand off) – it doesn’t matter, because today is a new day, and with that comes a new beginning.

5 “There Is One Way Out.”

Kino Loy • Andor

Now considered one of the greatest moments in Star Wars history, Kino Loy’s monologue to the prisoners on Narkina 5 in Andor is charged with a breathtaking amount of hope. Having gained control of the prison they’re trapped within, despite the Empire’s attempt at tightening their fist, Kino encourages the prisoners to make their escape by fighting, climbing, and helping one another to the only way out. These words are chanted as the prisoners reach the upper level and earn their freedom, all encouraged by a man who knew he wouldn’t be able to survive his own escape.

4 “Never Tell Me The Odds.”

Han Solo • The Empire Strikes Back

Han Solo isn’t interested in the odds. If there’s a one percent chance of survival, he doesn’t want to know about it. He just wants to go in there, do what he has to do, and hope for the best outcome – and that’s just it: hope. That’s the driving force behind everything Han does.

Related Star Wars: Han Solo’s 10 Best Quotes

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This is why he can relate to people like Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi without believing in the Force; they all believe in hope. In Luke and Obi-Wan’s case, it’s the hope that balance can be restored to the galaxy. In Han’s case, it’s the hope that he’ll make it out of whatever situation he’s gotten himself into alive. It works on both counts.

3 “What Is It They’ve Sent Us?” “Hope.”

Princess Leia Organa • Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

At the end of Rogue One, all the new characters that we’ve come to know and love are wiped out in a catastrophic effort by the Empire to stop the Death Star plans from getting to Princess Leia on the Tantive IV. By then, however, it’s too late. They’ve accomplished their mission and Leia is above Scarif, receiving the plans on her ship.

Captain Raymus Antilles tells Leia, “Your Highness, the transmission we received.” He hands over the Death Star plans that have come through to Leia. Then he asks her, “What is it they’ve sent us?” Leia replies, “Hope.” This leads directly into the opening of A New Hope, making for a perfect transition between the two Star Wars stories – all while driving the franchise’s core theme home.

2 “Help Me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, You’re My Only Hope!”

Princess Leia Organa • A New Hope

This is the iconic message that Princess Leia records onto R2-D2’s hard drive before sending him to an escape pod with C-3PO and being captured by stormtroopers. Artoo and Threepio end up landing on Tatooine and falling into the hands of a farm boy who happens to be friends with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Most of the plot of the original Star Wars movie relies on sheer coincidence, but then again, that’s what hope is all about. Leia records that message in the hope that it will make its way to Obi-Wan – and miraculously, by the Force, it does.

1 “The Force Will Be With You, Always.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi • A New Hope

The Force is a feeling, a spiritual notion that surrounds everyone in the galaxy. It’s something that can be used for good to bring peace, as the Jedi have done, or used for evil to create destruction and disorder, as the Sith have done. Maintaining the balance of the Force is an uphill battle, and one that is never fully won, as Luke Skywalker learned the hard way. Rather than giving up, however, the Jedi and their allies continue to rely on the Force for strength, guidance, and, above all – in the true spirit of Star Wars – hope.