Star Wars is a hugely popular American epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas. It began with a film released in 1977 and has expanded into various media like films, television series, video games, books, and more, all within a vast fictional universe. The stories primarily involve a galactic conflict between freedom fighters (like the Rebellion or Resistance) and an oppressive military dictatorship (like the Galactic Empire or the First Order). A key element is the Force, a mystical energy field that gives certain individuals superhuman abilities like telepathy and telekinesis.