Sith Happens: The Weirdest Star Wars Tagline Explained
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith had the saga’s weirdest marketing tagline, actually using “Sith Happens” in one of its promos.
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2005’s Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith gave birth to the weirdest tagline in Star Wars history: “Sith Happens”. Since the release of the original Star Wars in 1977, the franchise has become synonymous with its rabid fanbase, one that includes diehards from many generations. Over that time, many touchstone moments in fandom have passed; the propulsion of social media ensured that new Star Wars trends come and go on a day-to-day basis. The phrase “Sith Happens” has proven to be one of the longest-lasting.
A Twitter search for the phrase shows the hashtag is still alive and well. Results include everything from political posts to sports videos to unfortunate newspaper misprints. Clearly, the phrase has become part of the modern Star Wars online lexicon – and that of the Internet at large. Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, used the hashtag multiple times in 2017, including when hundreds of thousands of dollars of Star Wars memorabilia was stolen from private Star Wars museum Rancho Obi-Wan. However, the origin of “Sith Happens” comes not from the original trilogy but the more divisive prequels.
In recent years, as the generations who grew up with the films have become a larger online presence, fans have started to reappraise the Star Wars prequel trilogy. This shift has mostly benefited 2005’s Revenge of the Sith. The film has spawned countless memes, GIFs, and video essays. While Revenge of the Sith was the most critically loved of the prequel trilogy, old-school Star Wars fans were slow to warm to the film – in which Anakin Skywalker finally completes his transformation into the iconic villain, Darth Vader. Still, excitement for Sith at its release was high. Trailers and TV spots for the film were everywhere, and one of these even featured the phrase “Sith Happens.”
The TV spot, the 13th released in anticipation of Revenge of the Sith, clocks in at only 17 seconds. This type of quick-burst advertisement has largely died on television screens, but they were once common as blockbuster films neared release. The spot in question features some of John Williams’ operatic score over tantalizing action shots, including a brief tease of the climactic lightsaber battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Quick title shots appear between the scenes. When put together, they read: “In 3 Days, Sith Happens.” The text is a reference to the movie’s release, and of course Anakin’s fall to the dark side, which fans had been anticipating since 1999’s The Phantom Menace.
The pun was cringe-inducing at the time, and it hasn’t aged well in the new environment of more subtle, tease-based advertising. However, the phrase took on a life of its own in the reevaluation of Revenge of the Sith. In and out of Star Wars context, fans use the hashtag on tweets and photos of people in uncomfortable or unfortunate situations.
In the spot, the phrase arrives without humor – undercutting what was actually a dour, dark entry in the franchise. What was clearly intended as a fist-pump moment distracts from fans’ worries about the fates of beloved characters. It seems that Star Wars lovers have lightened up a bit when it comes to the prequels. Their ire has turned to the Star Wars sequel trilogy, allowing Revenge of the Sith a renewed respect. Alongside GIFs of Obi-Wan shouting, “You were the chosen one,” and memes about dead younglings, the Sith Happens hashtag is a part of the film’s newfound legacy.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/star-wars-revenge-sith-happens-tagline-weird-explained/