The next time you say “the struggle is real” over something minimal, think of Vader…he will put it in perspective for you:

While this meme I saw today on Facebook is of course intended to be funny and is based on a fictional character, in life it’s important to always remember that someone else has it much worse than you.  Darth Vader can show Millennials to learn to overcome what is thrown at them in life by turning obstacles into opportunities.

Why do Millennials specifically have to learn this lesson? Millennials are stereotyped as being the worst generation, as we grew up in age of instant gratification and “everyone wins a trophy” youth activities. While I think some of the Millennial stereotypes can be a bit harsh, I think a lot of them are valid, especially considering the obstacles that other generations have had to overcome. To read more about Millennial stereotypes, check out this Slate article.

What our grandparents say about the tough experiences building character isn’t wrong. For those that can overcome their struggles, the struggles themselves are often what shaped the person into being a success.

While Darth Vader is part of the “dark side” and considered a villain, he has still conquered a lot. While I think it is extremely valuable to have a positive attitude in life, D.V. is still a great example of how to move forward with your goals despite having a sordid past.

In fact, I think if D.V. would have had a supportive circle of family and/or friends he could have used his extreme motivation for good instead of evil. If you look at some of the themes that are prominent in the “Star Wars” franchise, having a “band of brothers” is definitely up there—those who surround themselves with the right people choose the righteous path. I do think D.V. is a free-thinker and perhaps the way of the Jedi is a bit too mainstream for him (D.V. is the original hipster—who knew?), and given the amount of trauma he experiences he just became unable to connect with other people. Based on the injuries he has sustained and the suit he has to wear to keep himself alive he may not even feel human anymore, which would also cause a huge disconnect. I think the value of Episodes I-III (despite many fans of the franchise despising those films) is that we get to relate more to D.V. by hearing his origin story. Much like the devil in “Paradise Lost”, Darth Vader becomes a character that while we recognize as “evil”, we also feel pity for him as a sympathetic character.

Many interpret Darth A.K.A. Anakin as coming back to the the side of good when in the end he saves Luke from the Emperor and we see his spirit alongside Obi-Wan and Yoda–

Whether you believe Darth Vader was good in the end or not, there are still lessons to be learned from him and from the Star Wars franchise as a whole. There is not much within nerd culture that does not have strong morals & themes, so why not try to analyze them to become the best “you” that you can be?