What Species are "People" in Star Wars?

[Willfrid Somogyi]

One big plot hole seems to be the fact Star Wars is set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away and yet somehow there are humans. Can anyone tell me whether they are actually humans or whether they just have an extremely uncanny resemblance but are in fact another species, is there concrete evidence of this?

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

They'd be well beyond the span of a typical race if they were the same species as Earthly humans. Plus Lucas was emphatic that they'd never reach Earth. So we'd have to go with parallel evolution. Seems the midichlorians like intelligent species, they made so many. In that environment I think something close to humans would have a good chance of evolving. (100% pure SWAG on my part, of course.)

 

[Willfrid Somogyi]

They'd be well beyond the span of a typical race if they were the same species as Earthly humans. Plus Lucas was emphatic that they'd never reach Earth. So we'd have to go with parallel evolution. Seems the midichlorians like intelligent species, they made so many. In that environment I think something close to humans would have a good chance of evolving. (100% pure SWAG on my part, of course.)

I suppose the fact they speak English is just pure conicidence XD

 

[Jonathan Scott]

I suppose the fact they speak English is just pure conicidence XD

Ah, that's just the TARDIS making everything sound and look right by telepathy.

Oh, wrong show!

At least one science fiction show (but I can't remember which) explained such things away by saying that for purposes of telling the story, images as well as sounds have been automatically translated in order to make them more comprehensible to the audience.

 

[Drakkith]

I suppose the fact they speak English is just pure conicidence XD

The language and concepts are translated by the camera into a form we can understand here on Earth. Or maybe it's just the force.

Edit: Dang, Jonathan Scott beat me to this!

 

[Willfrid Somogyi]

The language and concepts are translated by the camera into a form we can understand here on Earth. Or maybe it's just the force.

Edit: Dang, Jonathan Scott beat me to this!

Ah, that's just the TARDIS making everything sound and look right by telepathy.

Oh, wrong show!

At least one science fiction show (but I can't remember which) explained such things away by saying that for purposes of telling the story, images as well as sounds have been automatically translated in order to make them more comprehensible to the audience.

I think Lucas' scrolling pre-text should have been used to explain these instead of some civil war backstory.

 

[James Holland]

I suppose the fact they speak English is just pure conicidence XD

they speak galactic basic.
and write it too
not all species can actually speak it but most understand it.

 

[newjerseyrunner]

They aren't humans, they have genetic differences, most notably their cells have Midi-chlorian, which ours do not. They can also breathe on planets that would kill us. I just assumed they are a species that went through a similar evolution to us.

 

[rwm4768]

I've always wondered how you end up with a name like Luke Skywalker in a world completely separate from our own. Skywalker I'll accept because it's pretty common in fantasy and science fiction to give English translations of names. But Luke? That makes no sense.

 

[Bandersnatch]

@Willfrid Somogyi are you saying only humans are 'people' in Star Wars? No Bothans, Wookies, nor the 'it's a trap' fishmen? I sense some disturbing level of imperial specieism here.
Hold on a second, Kylo Ren, is that you masquerading as a regular person again?

 

[Willfrid Somogyi]

@Willfrid Somogyi
Hold on a second, Kylo Ren, is that you masquerading as a regular person again?

You got me!

 

[Willfrid Somogyi]

most notably their cells have Midi-chlorian, which ours do not.

You can't prove that, I've got the force man! We just can't detect them yet

 

[James Holland]

I've always wondered how you end up with a name like Luke Skywalker in a world completely separate from our own. Skywalker I'll accept because it's pretty common in fantasy and science fiction to give English translations of names. But Luke? That makes no sense.

named after the vegetable?

 

[James Holland]

@Willfrid Somogyi are you saying only humans are 'people' in Star Wars? No Bothans, Wookies, nor the 'it's a trap' fishmen*? I sense some disturbing level of imperial specieism here.
Hold on a second, Kylo Ren, is that you masquerading as a regular person again?

* moncalamari

 

[Andrew Wright]

It's important to remember that when watching Starwars, we are watching a "reconstruction" of the real events ;)

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

One commentator came up with an interesting idea: Are ALL the Sturmtruppen human? As they are "recruited" is it possible that more than one species is used?

 

[James Holland]

they are all human mostly coz the empires racist/speciesest
but some are female

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

they are all human mostly coz the empires racist/speciesest
but some are female

But wouldn't they be more likely to use non-"humans" as cannon-fodder then?

 

[James Holland]

Storm troopers are not the core infantry
they are a cut above like the marines so aliens may be allowed in less elite groups but not stormtrooper

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

Storm troopers are not the core infantry
they are a cut above like the marines so aliens may be allowed in less elite groups but not stormtrooper

I'm not so deep into the whole mythos to know there were different levels of troops.

 

[James Holland]

I AM !

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

I AM !

I don't speak Klingon or Elvish, either. I'm not very good at being a nerd.

 

[James Holland]

Klingon forgivable. but ELVISH? how. next you will say you can't read dwarfish and call Mithrandil Gandalf

 

[Jonathan Scott]

... and call Mithrandil Gandalf

Do you mean Mithrandir, his name in Elvish, or is the spelling Mithrandil also used?

 

[James Holland]

both spelling are used
but mithrandil is his spoken name by a lot of races that don't speak elvish

 

[Jonathan Scott]

both spelling are used
but mithrandil is his spoken name by a lot of races that don't speak elvish

Thanks; I never had time to read more than The Hobbit, and that was probably over 50 years ago.

 

[James Holland]

i'm glad to have helped

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

both spelling are used
but mithrandil is his spoken name by a lot of races that don't speak elvish

Is that The Common Tongue?

 

[James Holland]

no its more nobility and rulers that name him in such a way

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

What does the First Order call him?