History Awesome / ANewHope

** The destruction of the Death Star is given extra gravitas after ''Film/RogueOne'' as it means that [[spoiler: Jyn, Cassian, Bodhi, Chirrut, Baze, K2 and all the rebels who died on the assault on Scarif did not die in vain.]]

!!Meta
* Let's just call it like it is: this is one of the most significant films in ''history,'' a GameChanger of epic proportions. It blew the SciFiGhetto ''wide'' open[[note]]despite ironically still remaining a major victim of it[[/note]] by proving that science fiction films could be more than cheesy RaygunGothic silliness and could actually be the biggest blockbusters the cinema industry could produce. It was the TropeCodifier of the SummerBlockbuster after ''Film/{{Jaws}}'' had been the TropeMaker 2 years earlier. It spawned a franchise that would span ''decades'' and become one of the [[Franchise/StarTrek two]] defining ones of the entire sci-fi genre. It's difficult to wrap your head around what incredible things came from this one film that [[AndYouThoughtItWouldFail not even its own creator believed would ever amount to anything]].
* Brian Jay Jones' biography of George Lucas describes how he first discovered just what a mark the film had made: he and his wife were having lunch in a diner, when they noticed that the movie theater across the street was getting absolutely mobbed by people desperate to get in. They both wondered what this hot new movie could possibly be, neither one dreaming that it could be the one they just finished until they headed across after finishing their meal and asked.
* Another anecdote in the same vein is told in the ''Empire of Dreams'' documentary. While attending the premiere of the film in Japan, 20th Century Fox head Alan Ladd Jr. was initially worried about the utter silence the film had received from Japanese audiences during screening... until he was later informed that in Japan, silence was the greatest compliment a movie could receive, meaning that ''Star Wars'' had hit it big there too. The box office returns further accentuated that.

** "I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner, now ''I'' am the master."

** A DyingMomentOfAwesome for Red Leader. Just after his failed run Vader is closing in on him and Luke shouts that his flight can come help. Red Leader simply orders him to begin his attack run on the Death Star. Given how distinct Vader's TIE Advanced is and how it's well-established that he can slaughter entire squadrons by himself, Red Leader knew full well that he was doomed and decided to distract the Sith Lord as long as he could.

* [[PreMortemOneLiner "I have you now."]] ([[BigDamnHeroes The Millennium Falcon intervenes a second later]]) " '''"[[ThisCannotBe WHAT?!]]''' '''YEAHOOOOOO!''' You're all clear, kid, now let's blow this thing and go home!" Welcome to the Rebel Alliance, Han Solo.

** One word, two syllables: '''Kaboom.''' This was on Luke's official first day of joining the Rebel Alliance. "So, I took out a squadron of stormtroopers on my first day. What did you do?" "Oh, nothing much. I just blew up the ''Death Star''."
*** Also, [[FridgeBrilliance you might not realise it at first]], but Luke was ''nineteen years old'' when he blew up the Death Star. ''NINETEEN YEARS OLD''. The Death Star was [[WesternAnimation/RobotChicken blown up by a bunch of freakin' teenagers]]!
** Just before the Death Star gets blown up, there's a very brief shot of Tarkin anxiously holding his hand to his mouth, as if he's just realised [[OhCrap how utterly boned he is]].

** Obi-Wan getting PapaWolf on two drunkard thugs in the cantina trying to pick a fight with Luke. At first, he tries to cool the situation down but when the pair get violent, thinking this old man will be an easy fight for them, without breaking a sweat Obi-Wan draws his lightsaber and quickly [[CurbStompBattle reduces them to screaming wrecks]], one clutching a deep slash wound in his chest, the other clawing at the [[AnArmAndALeg stump of his right arm]].

* [[PreMortemOneLiner "I have you now."]] ([[BigDamnHeroes The Millennium Falcon intervenes a second later]]) " '''YEAHOOOOOO!''' You're all clear, kid, now let's blow this thing and go home!" Welcome to the Rebel Alliance, Han Solo.

* Commander Dayne Jir deserves props for criticizing Vader to his masked face and getting away with it. Then again, it helps that he's honest without being a total dick, like Admirals Motti and Ozzel.

* Let's just call it like it is: this is one of the most significant films in ''history,'' a GameChanger of epic proportions. It blew the SciFiGhetto ''wide'' open[[note]]despite ironically still remaining a major victim of it[[/note]] by proving that science fiction films could be more than cheesy RaygunGothic silliness and could actually be the biggest blockbusters the cinema industry could produce. It spawned a franchise that would span ''decades'' and become one of the [[Franchise/StarTrek two]] defining ones of the entire sci-fi genre. It's difficult to wrap your head around what incredible things came from this one film that [[AndYouThoughtItWouldFail not even its own creator believed would ever amount to anything]].

* Han Solo's big EstablishingCharacterMoment. One of [[TheDon Jabba the Hutt]]'s goons has come to claim Han's debt at the cantina, with a blaster right at his face... but just before he can fire, Han pulls a gun under the table and kills him before he even knows what's coming. "Sorry about the mess."

* The film's opening shot: after an opening text crawl and John Williams' legendary fanfare, we see a [[CoolStarship spaceship]] (the Tantive IV) fly past and over a planet, firing at something chasing it... and then a ''[[MileLongShip much bigger]]'' pursuing ship (a Star Destroyer) flies over the the camera and fires at it, and keeps getting closer and closer. 1977 movigoers had never seen anything like this before, and were witnessing the birth of a whole new kind of filmmaking right away.

** Remember, this was the ''first'' use of the Force in film, after it was introduced, which made it all the more intimidating in the day. Obi-wan calls it "an energy field" surrounding people, binds the galaxy, and other pseudo-religious harmonious fluff, and the audience was like, "Oh okay, old guy, that's cool, let's get back to the space opera", then an Imperial officer starts talking smack, and Vader suddenly introduces ''practical villainous applications'' of said energy field. Dark Side of the Force indeed.

** [[StrawmanHasAPoint Motti himself]] *does* have a point, though. Vader hasn't found the data tapes with the Force - although he does successfully kill Obi-Wan Kenobi simply by sensing him there, which is something of a win for the Empire.

** The best part: up until he turned around, Han Solo saw all the rebels on that base as walking corpses and his last scene with Luke was a goodbye to a dead man. That CrowningMomentOfAwesome was probably the first time Han had felt optimism in years.

** Another anecdote in the same vein is told in the ''Empire of Dreams'' documentary. While attending the premiere of the film in Japan, 20th Century Fox head Alan Ladd Jr. was initially worried about the utter silence the film had received from Japanese audiences during screening...until he was later informed that in Japan, silence was the greatest compliment a movie could receive, meaning that ''Star Wars'' had hit it big there too. The box office returns further accentuated that.

* The film's opening shot: after an opening text crawl and John Williams' legendary fanfare, we see a [[CoolStarship spaceship]] (the Tantive IV) fly past and over a planet, firing at something chasing it... and then a ''[[MileLongShip much bigger]]'' pursuing ship (a Star Destroyer) flies over the the camera and fires at it, and keeps getting closer and closer. 1977 movigoers had never seen anything like this before, and knew right away they were witnessing the birth of a whole new kind of filmmaking.

* [[PreMortemOneLiner "I have you now."]] ([[BigDamnHeroes The Millennium Falcon intervenes a second later]]) " ''YEAHOOOOOO!'' You're all clear, kid, now let's blow this thing and go home!" Welcome to the Rebel Alliance, Han Solo.

* [[PreMortemOneLiner "I have you now."]] ([[BigDamnHeroes The Millennium Falcon intervenes a second later]]) "You're all clear, kid, now let's blow this thing and go home!" Welcome to the Rebel Alliance, Han Solo.

** Anotehr anecdote in the same vein is told in the ''Empire of Dreams'' documentary. While attending the premiere of the film in Japan, 20th Century Fox head Alan Ladd Jr. was initially worried about the utter silence the film had received from Japanese audiences during screening...until he was later informed that in Japan, silence was the greatest compliment a movie could receive, meaning that ''Star Wars'' had hit it big there too. The box office returns further accentuated that.

* The film's opening shot: after an opening text crawl and John Williams' legendary fanfare, we see a [[CoolStarship spaceship]] (the Tantive IV) fly past and over a planet, firing at something chasing it... and then a ''[[MileLongShip much bigger]]'' pursuing ship (a Star Destroyer) flies over the the camera and fires at it, and keeps getting closer and closer. Movigoers in 1977 had never seen anything like this before, and knew right away they were witnessing the birth of a whole new kind of filmmaking.

[[caption-width-right:350:''The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was the learner. Now, '''''I''''' am the master.'']]

** There's also Vader's body language, displaying only the most subtle of TranquilFury, combined with JamesEarlJones' voice that make it indescribable unless you see it.

* The film's opening shot: after an opening text crawl and John Williams' legendary fanfare, we see a [[CoolStarship spaceship]] (the Tantive IV) fly past and over a planet, firing at something chasing it... and then a ''[[MileLongShip much bigger]]'' pursuing ship (a Star Destroyer) flies over the the camera and fires at it, and keeps getting closer and closer. Audiences in 1977 had never seen anything like it, and knew right away they were witnessing the birth of a whole new kind of filmmaking.

[[caption-width-right:350:''The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was the learner. Now, ''I'' am the master.'']]