Something That Always Bugged Me...

Now maybe I'm not as quick or wise as the rest of you here, and I'm not too observant as the rest, but in ANH, when whoever that guy is prepping everyone for the DS attack (the old guy, maybe some general or something) (told you I wasn't quick), the old guy finishes and says "May the Force be with you!".

So, like, I thought only Jedi say that, and I also thought, like, the Jedi were extinct by that time, and only Ben and Luke would be saying that phrase, so how did the old guy pick it up?

 

The Rebels knew the Republic made a mistake killing all of the Jedi, and they acceptted that fact. And it was like saying good luck, or break a leg, so they said "may the Force be with you" as a upriser, because they knew that the mission of the Death Star destruction was dangerous.

 

The "old guy" was old enough to remember the final days if the Republic and probably still held the Jedi Knights in high, pre-Imperial esteem.

 

It's just a slang term.

It's like "good Luck", or "remember the Alamo!"

 

Exactlly!

 

The Anti-Empire Rebellion were always one of the few who still believed that the Jedi never commited treason, so they would hold them in high esteem. Maybe the thinking was that there were some who had higher midio counts but werent trained because there was no one to spot or train one. Otherwise it could just be a minor plot hole.

 

...it was a common saying

Of course killing off "old ben" was a last minute change and the origional script had obiwon giving the breifing, it could just be that they never changed the script for the breifing, only the character

 

its definitely not just something that jedi say. yeah its like good luck like someone said

 

What I've always wondered is exactly why Han said it to Luke just before the battle started. I mean, Han had already said he didn't believe in "hokey religions" such as the Jedi, so why would he recite their motto? So, did say it just because he thought he should, or had he started to "see the light" by that point and said it because he really honestly meant it? Just a curiosity I've always had.

 

I think he was just trying to make it right with Luke, he really hadn't actaully seen with his own eyes any evidence of the Force yet.

 

You can say 'God bless you' to someone who sneezes, even if you're an atheist. Heck, you can even MEAN it too, as in '(Your) God (should he exist) bless you!'. I'm pretty sure Han does it in that latter sense...a sort of 'I know this whole Force thing is important to you, kid, so may it be with you.'

As for Dodonna, I have to agree with some of the earlier posts. I'm guessing that he was involved enough with the Jedi to see what the Force could do and how good they really were. The Rebels in general seemed to use the phrase (Ackbar invokes it too). Whether they're all using it because they truly believe the Jedi were not some traitorous group of vile sorcerors (as those who have accepted the Imperial propoganda like Motti do) or whether it's simply a rally cry of sorts because it represents an old opposition group to the Emperor from history, is debatable, but I feel its closer to the former.

You don't need to be a Jedi to believe in the Force. It would be as if Christianity was banned. Anyone who follows the belief underground could still involve a 'God be with you' without being a priest.

 

I think it just entered the galactic slang and hasn't left yet.

 

Ackbar also says it to the fleet in RotJ. It seems to be the Star Wars version of "God bless you" or "Godspeed", which are expressions that even atheists use.

Listen to how he says it. He sounds like he still thinks it's silly, but he knows that it means something to Luke, so he says it as a token of friendship.