How a Myth Professor Helped Create Star Wars: The Hero's Journey Explained
Posted by Levi Gallant on Aug 18th 2025
By your go-to galactic blogger Levi G.
When George Lucas sat down to create Star Wars in the 1970s, he wasn't just dreaming up spaceships and lightsabers. He was crafting a modern mythology—and he had some help from a professor named Joseph Campbell.
The Universal Story Pattern
Campbell was a mythology scholar who spent his life studying stories from everywhere. Ancient Greek myths, Native American legends, African folktales, Asian epics... And here's what he discovered: underneath all the different details, the best stories humans have ever told are following the same basic pattern.
He called it "The Hero's Journey" or "The Monomyth"—basically like a recipe for storytelling that just hits different because it connects with something deep inside us. Think of it as the secret sauce of great stories.
Breaking Down The Hero's Journey
Campbell mapped out these stages that heroes go through, and once you see it, you can't unsee it. Here's how it usually goes:
1. The Ordinary World Your hero's just living their regular, probably kinda boring life. They're restless, maybe a little unhappy, but they haven't done anything epic yet.
2. The Call to Adventure Something happens that totally flips their world upside down. Could be a mysterious message, some kind of crisis, or meeting someone who changes everything.
3. Refusal of the Call First reaction? "Nah, I'm good." The hero gets scared, makes excuses, or just doesn't think they've got what it takes.
4. Meeting the Mentor Enter the wise old person—someone with special knowledge or maybe even magical powers who helps the hero out.
5. Crossing the First Threshold The hero finally commits to the adventure and jumps into this new world they've never experienced before.
6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies Time for some trial runs! The hero faces smaller challenges, makes some friends, and figures out who's got their back and who definitely doesn't.
7. Approach to the Inmost Cave The hero prepares for the major challenge in the special world. They might need to gather information, make plans, or steel themselves for what's coming.
8. The Ordeal The big scary moment. This is where the hero faces their worst nightmare or biggest enemy. Sometimes they even look like they're done for.
9. The Reward (Seizing the Sword) They survive! And now they've got something to show for it: maybe a magical object, some crucial knowledge, or serious personal growth.
10. The Road Back Time to head home! But it's never that easy. Usually the bad guys aren't done with them yet.
11. Resurrection One last test where the hero has to use everything they've learned. This is their transformation moment.
12. Return with the Elixir Hero comes home totally changed, bringing back something that helps everyone else. Mission accomplished.
Star Wars: The Hero's Journey in Space
If you're not familiar with Joseph Campbell's discussions with Bill Mayer at Skywalker Ranch about the hero's journey, here's how Luke Skywalker's story in A New Hope follows this ancient template:
Ordinary World: Luke's stuck on boring old Tatooine, doing farm chores and daydreaming about literally anywhere else.
Call to Adventure: He discovers Princess Leia's message hidden in R2-D2: "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."
Refusal of the Call: Luke finds Obi-Wan but says, "I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's all such a long way from here."
Meeting the Mentor: Obi-Wan drops some major truth bombs about Luke's dad, teaches him about the Force, and hands him that iconic lightsaber.
Crossing the First Threshold: After his aunt and uncle are killed, Luke leaves Tatooine for good and enters the larger galaxy.
Tests, Allies, and Enemies: Luke rescues Princess Leia, escapes the Death Star, and learns that Darth Vader killed his father.
Approach to the Inmost Cave: The Rebels analyze the Death Star plans and prepare for their desperate attack. Luke joins the mission knowing it's probably a suicide run.
The Ordeal: The Death Star approaches the Rebel base. Luke must make an impossible shot to destroy it, and his mentor Obi-Wan sacrifices himself.
The Reward: Luke learns to trust the Force and successfully destroys the Death Star.
The Road Back: Luke has won the battle, but the war against the Empire is just beginning.
Resurrection: Luke's transformation from farm boy to hero is complete as he's honored by the Rebellion.
Return with the Elixir: Luke saves the Rebellion and brings hope back to the galaxy. He's transformed from farm boy to hero.
Why Campbell's Ideas Were a Game-Changer
George Lucas has openly admitted that he might never have finished Star Wars without Campbell's work. Back in the '70s, he felt that young people had lost touch with meaningful stories—the fairy tales, myths, and legends that taught previous generations how to deal with growing up, facing fears, and figuring out who they're supposed to be.
Campbell's research showed Lucas that these stories weren't just entertainment—they're essential. They're like a roadmap for personal growth, and every culture has figured this out in some way.
When the Professor Met the Filmmaker
Joseph Campbell absolutely loved Star Wars when he saw it! He immediately understood what Lucas was doing—creating a modern myth using that ancient pattern. The two men became friends and even recorded these conversations at Skywalker Ranch. Those chats became the PBS series The Power of Myth, which introduced millions of people to Campbell's ideas.
Campbell said that Star Wars worked because it connected "the newest generation" with "the oldest heritage of the human race." It used cutting-edge special effects to tell a story that's been around forever.
You can watch the interview if you want to hear the professor himself.
Why Star Wars Still Works Today
This is why Star Wars keeps pulling in new fans, decades later. Sure, the special effects are incredible and the action scenes are exciting, but underneath all that flashy stuff is a story structure that works because it taps into something fundamental about being human.
We're all living our own hero's journeys. Leaving home, dealing with challenges, learning from people who've been there before, facing our fears, and hopefully coming back home a little wiser and stronger. Luke's space adventure is just an epic version of growing up and finding your place in the world.
Thanks to Joseph Campbell's insights, George Lucas didn't just make a cool sci-fi movie—he created a modern myth that still inspires people to embrace their own adventures and become the heroes of their own stories.
Ready to Begin Your Own Hero's Journey?
Every hero needs the right tools for their adventure. Just as Luke received his father's lightsaber from Obi-Wan—a weapon that connected him to his destiny and the larger mythos of the Jedi—you too can hold a piece of that legendary story.
At Korbanth, we craft luxury lightsaber replicas of the highest quality, designed for those who understand that some objects transcend mere props to become symbols of the heroic journey itself. Each piece is meticulously created to honor the craftsmanship and attention to detail that made Star Wars a timeless myth.
Whether you're a collector, a fan, or someone ready to embrace your own adventure, we invite you to explore what it means to wield a piece of cinematic history.
Visit us at korbanth.com and discover the lightsaber that calls to you.
May the myth be with you.
- Levi G.