The Bad Batch viii Introduction xviii Part I Episodes I–III 1 1 “Another Solution Will Present Itself”: The Phantom Menace, Daoism, and Doing without Trying 3Russell P. Johnson 2 Bioethics Wars: Fear and Fallacy in Revenge of the Sith 11Thomas D. Harter 3 “A Pathway to Many Abilities Some Consider to Be Unnatural”: The Natural Law Ethics of Star Wars 20Matthew Shea, Joel Archer, and Daniel Banning 4 Mothers, Daughters, Rebels: Women’s Bodies in Star Wars 30Aikaterini-Maria Lakka Part II Clone Wars, Rebels, and The Bad Batch 41 5 Order 66: The Fragility of Moral Autonomy in The Clone Wars 43Timothy Challans 6 “Corporations Do Not Rule Us!”: The Separatist Freedom Movement and the Struggle for Justice 52Mohammed Shakibnia 7 “No One Rescues Droids”: Rebels on Race and Racism 62Steve Bein 8 Individuality and Identity: Are Clones Literally a “Band (or Batch) of Brothers”? 73Patricia L. Brace 9 The Failure of Jedi Ethics: The Jedi Betrayal of Ahsoka 82James Rocha and Mona Rocha 10 Of Graffiti and Kalikoris 90Daniel P. Malloy 11 A Long Time Ago? Time and Time Travel in Star Wars 99Philipp Berghofer Part III Rogue One and Solo 109 12 Building the Death Star: Complicity in Moral Evil 111Jason T. Eberl 13 “Rebellions Are Built on Hope”: The Creative Democratic Force of Rogue One 122Terrance MacMullan 14 Han Solo: The Corellian Evasion of Philosophy 132Kevin S. Decker 15 Friendship, Love, and Sex with Droids in Solo: “How Would that Work?” “It Works” 143Nick Munn and Dan Weijers 16 La L3-37 Continue: Droid Rights and the Problem of Legal Personhood 152Joshua Jowitt Part IV Episodes IV–VI 163 17 The Non-dualistic, Redemptive Metaphysics of the Jedi 165Michael Baur 18 Just How Many “Lukes” Are There in A New Hope, Anyway? 174Roy T. Cook and Nathan Kellen 19 Force and Geist: Hegel Watches The Empire Strikes Back 183Umut Eldem 20 “I Know There Is Good in You”: Luke, Anakin, and Confucian Filial Piety 192Eric Yang Part V The Mandalorian 199 21 Should You Eat Baby Yoda? 201A.G. Holdier 22 Grogu’s Little Way: The Binds of Power and the Bonds of Love in The Mandalorian 209Jeffrey P. Bishop and Isabel Bishop 23 Beneath the Helmet, Beyond the Way: The Mandalorian and Moral Decision-making 218Noam Ebner 24 Paradox of Faith: The Way of Din Djarin and Kierkegaard 228Patrick Tiernan 25 Reading the Mind of Din Djarin: The Music of The Mandalorian 236Lance Belluomini Part VI Episodes VII–IX 245 26 Awakening Race, Culture, and Ethnicity in a Galaxy Far, Far Away 247Edwardo Pérez 27 The Last Jedi’s Despair: Did Episode VIII Ruin Luke Skywalker? 257David Kyle Johnson 28 Deleuze, the Force of Becoming, and The Last Jedi 268Corry Shores 29 Passionate Love, Platonic Love, and Force Love in Star Wars 276James Lawler 30 The Rise of Rey Skywalker: The Importance of Community and Friends in Star Wars 284James M. Okapal Index 293

Should droids be free? Should clone troopers? What political and ethical ideas ground resistance and rebellion? What’s wrong with the way women are portrayed in Star Wars? Does Han Solo have a philosophical worldview? Was Galen Erso responsible for the destruction of Alderaan? Should you eat Baby Yoda? “This is the Way.” In Star Wars and Philosophy Strikes Back, the Way wends through entirely new adventures in the Star Wars galaxy far, far away: not only the films of the Skywalker saga, but also Rebels, The Bad Batch, Rogue One, Solo, and The Mandalorian. Like the creators of these films and television series, the authors in this book harness the magical mix of humor, action, empathy, characterization, adventure, and fan service that constitutes Star Wars. In addition to thorny metaphysical questions about the nature of time and free will, this volume highlights the staggering cultural impact of George Lucas’s universe. The newest Star Wars narratives tackle ethnicity on alien worlds and how love and sex with a droid like L3-37 would work (“It works”). The connections between the Separatist Freedom Movement and the struggle for social justice in the USA in the 21st century are brought to light. And philosophical second looks at Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi prove there is much more to this controversial entry in the Skywalker saga. Thirty-six philosophers, both sages and scoundrels among them, examine the full range of deep questions throughout the Star Wars chronology—from The Phantom Menace to The Rise of Skywalker and beyond. “They have spoken.” To learn more about the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, visit www.andphilosophy.com