Didi Skywalker with her assortment of lightsabers. Photo: Supplied

From interstellar adventures to one of the most iconic villains ever, Star Wars has dominated pop culture to an extent that its influence is undeniable.

May the 4th be with you - Figure 1
Photo Maritzburg Sun

“May the fourth be with you”, a play on the popular phrase “May the force be with you” has become synonymous with May 4, each year, where countless fans around the world celebrate the franchise.

KwaZulu-Natal also has its own bundle of fans who follow Star Wars with vigour and passion.

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One such fan is Didi Skywalker, from Durban, whose love for the popular franchise was enough for her to add “Skywalker” to her name.

The name is of the protagonist of the original trilogy, Luke Skywalker. She said that her obsession started when she was in primary school.

I don’t exactly remember every detail, but I was in primary school, and I remember they showed a small piece of it on the TV, and I was like ‘wow that’s so cool’ and since then, it’s been a thing.

She also spoke about the many iconic moments throughout the franchise.

“For me the most iconic scene was in Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith, where Obi Wan and Anakin had their moment and Obi Wan said ‘you were my brother Anakin, I loved you’,” she said.

She added that she owns three lightsabers which came from the Saber Vault SA and that Star Wars is not just a fiction movie to her, it has a message as well.

“Star Wars is a story about hope and the power of good. It teaches you lessons that we can apply to ourselves. Personally, it teaches lessons about facing your own fears, the danger of giving in to anger and hatred, and the power of self-belief and importantly the value of wisdom,” she said.

Pietermaritzburg resident Luke Rathilal said that Star Wars was something he grew up with and it has influenced his life. The movie franchise was introduced to him by his father.

I remember going out to watch The Phantom Menace as I wasn’t born during the period of the original trilogy. I really enjoyed the thoughts and quotes in the movie like the sayings from Yoda and Obi Wan. I believe it helped me develop my thinking and problem-solving in life.

“When I was younger, I tried my hardest to awaken my ‘force powers’ to no avail, yet,” he said.

Lifelong fan Kyle Rivers said that his love for the franchise started when he was a child.

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“My love started as a young child when I went to see the first new movie. It was like a cowboy movie in space. It was mind-blowing. To eight-year-old me, finding out. Almost everything I’ve done over the years has been influenced by Star Wars in some way; I have Star Wars running through my veins,” said Rivers.