Firefly is considered one of the greatest sci-fi series of the 2000s. Despite having not even aired the entirety of its first season (and airing those episodes out of order), fans rallied to bring the show back for more than a decade after its cancellation.
The series followed a ragtag crew of outlaws traveling through space in their Firefly-class spaceship, Serenity, as they ran from the law and pulled heists on the various backwater planets. It probably will not surprise fans to learn that Joss Whedon was directly inspired by another popular sci-fi franchise--one set long ago in a galaxy far far away. Here are five ways Firefly took inspiration from Star Wars--and five ways it was completely different.
10 Inspired by Star Wars: Millennium Falcon
Firefly creator Joss Whedon has described the ship Serenity as the tenth character on the crew. The ship is not just a vehicle, but a character--something Captain Malcolm Reynolds and mechanic Kaylee regularly make a point of addressing as they speak fondly of "her."
Interestingly, parallels have been made between Serenity and the Millennium Falcon. Both ships are homes to their crews, both are constantly falling apart, and both are captained by a quick-shooting scruffy-looking roguish outlaw.
9 Different: No Aliens
From the quarrelsome big-toothed Aqualish of Ando to the spiky-headed Force sensitive Zabraks, the Star Wars galaxy is filled with all manner of alien races. Some of the best characters are aliens. Just ask Chewbacca.
Firefly made a decision not to have aliens. Instead, every life-form in the show is from Earth and all of the characters are human, a bleak statement about the lack of intelligent life in the galaxy.
8 Inspired by Star Wars: Western
Though it is a science fantasy space opera, Star Wars takes most of inspiration from two sources: samurai films and Westerns. While the Western genre has declined in popularity due to its more problematic elements, the trappings are still fun. This is why characters like Mando and Han Solo are so beloved.
Firefly is a classic example of a space Western. Captain Malcolm Reynolds survived a war with clear parallels to the American Civil War, becomes an outlaw who robs a train, and even rustles cattle. And then there is the big villainous group of the series...
7 Different: Reavers
The Reavers are the main threat terrorizing the 'Verse, and like many aspects of Firefly, their roots can be traced back to classic Western trope. Whedon has stated that the Reavers were inspired by the Apache's role in Western films, though he explicitly worked to remove the problematic racial elements of such an adaptation.
The sheer savagery of the Reavers going mad at the edge of space and becoming entities of senseless violence makes them truly terrifying opponents.
6 Inspired by Star Wars: Everything Feels Old
Early sci-fi films showed off exciting new technologies. Spaceships and ray guns shone with chrome, promising a bright shining future. Even in more grounded films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, the sets looked brand new.
Then there was Star Wars, where the ships were breaking down and dirty, blast marks scorched the hulls, and there was a sense of history that made everything feel more lifelike. By adapting this style of grime and age, Firefly made its world feel more believable than other shows on TV at the same time.
5 Different: Chinese Influence
The People's Republic of China has been steadily gaining greater influence on the world stage since the end of the Cold War, when Russia ceased to be a threat to them and the United States alienated many of its long-time allies under the Clinton and Bush Administrations. By the early 2000s, people had begun to take notice of the ascendancy of China as a dominant cultural force.
Chinese influences are all over Firefly. Characters curse in Chinese. Buddhism is one of the two major religions depicted on the show. Chinese characters are written on signs. As seen in the show, the future is a mix of Chinese and Anglo-European cultures.
4 Inspired by Star Wars: Ships
Two Star Wars ships make direct appearances in Firefly. There is a Lambda-class shuttle--an Imperial transport ship seen in the original trilogy--as well as a Mobquet Transport (first seen in the fan favorite comic Star Wars: Dark Empire).
As a kind gesture of appreciation, the Star Wars team put a Firefly-class ship into the Star Wars: Evasive Action web comic.
3 Different: Sexuality
One reason Firefly resonates with many fans is its sex positive outlook--in particular with regards to sex workers. Inara, one of the core characters of the series, is a Companion--a form of geisha-inspired highly trained worker revered by polite society. The ship's mechanic Kaylee has a healthy sexual outlook, while Zoe and Wash are happily married and enjoying the fruits of their marriage. This is in stark contrast to Star Wars, where characters are not anti-sex, but the appeal to younger audiences means the series avoids the topic, while the Jedi have a monastically Puritanical outlook on sex.
Of course, many Firefly characters have Puritanical beliefs, including Captain Mal. However, these are always depicted as character flaws and dated biases that are contrary to healthy living. In Whedon's worldbuilding, sex work is seen as an inherently feminist issue.
2 Inspired by Star Wars: Evil Government Empire
The idea of an evil government in space is not exactly unique. It is one of the most common tropes in sci-fi. However, there are undeniable parallels between the evil Galactic Empire in Star Wars and the Alliance in Firefly.
Both governments rose to power after a war that tore the galaxy in two. Each rules from central planets while letting the worlds on the Outer Rim suffer from poverty and outlaws. Human experimentation on both individuals and whole worlds is a practice of each government. In fact, the Alliance even turned River and a handful of other children into Firefly's equivalent of Dark Jedi.
1 Different: Criminals
While the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars operate outside the law of the Galactic Empire, the characters are understood to be sympathetic freedom fighters, something starkly contrasted with the violent criminal cartels such as the Hutts who dominate the black market economies.
By contrast, the crew of Serenity are just full on career criminals. They rob trains and hospitals, smuggle contraband on and off planets, break into government buildings, lend their services out as muscle for hire, and kill anyone who gets in their way while on these jobs. Sure, they might seem like the thieves with hearts of gold, except they sold the gold off to pay for fuel to run their next job.
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