Star Wars Questions to Ask
For a fan talking with another fan, a friend, a date or a whole watch party, when you want a conversation or a friendly argument and not a trivia quiz. The 58 questions run in the order the talk usually goes: Favorites, Movies and shows, Characters and the Force, Hypotheticals (the would-you-rather and what-if ones), Debates, and a last group of easy ones for kids and newcomers. Every question comes with a short note on what to listen for or what to ask next.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Favorites
Which Star Wars movie is your favorite, and is it the same one you think is the best?
Why ask it
Most fans have two answers, and the gap between them is where the conversation is. The Empire Strikes Back gets named as the best a lot, while the favorite tends to be whichever one they wore out as a kid.
Who is your favorite Star Wars character, and has that changed since you were a kid?
Why ask it
Kids go for whoever has the best lightsaber or the fastest ship, and the grown-up answer is often someone quieter. If the pick has not moved since age seven, ask what that character got right the first time.
When did you first see Star Wars, and who showed it to you?
Why ask it
A theater in 1977, a worn VHS tape and a streaming binge last winter are three different fans, so get the format as well as the age. If they came to it as an adult, ask what finally made them press play.
Which trilogy did you grow up with: the original, the prequels or the sequels?
Why ask it
This explains nearly every opinion that follows, because people forgive the films they met at eight years old. Give your own answer first so nobody feels sorted by age.
Which scene still gives you chills, however many times you have seen it?
Why ask it
Listen for whether the pick is a fight, a line or a piece of music. Luke watching the twin suns and the last hallway of Rogue One both come up, and they are answers from two very different fans.
Which Star Wars line do you quote most in everyday life?
Why ask it
Expect 'I have a bad feeling about this' and 'This is the way' inside the first minute. The better answers have turned into a household joke, so ask who they say it to and when.
Which piece of Star Wars music would you choose to walk into a room to?
Why ask it
The Imperial March is the easy pick and is usually delivered with a grin. Someone who goes for Duel of the Fates or the Force theme is telling you whether they came for the menace or the hope. Play ten seconds of it if a phone is handy.
Which ship, droid or lightsaber did you want most as a kid, and did you ever get the toy?
Why ask it
The toy half is where the story is: the Millennium Falcon that arrived one birthday, or the one that never did. Ask whether it still exists in a box at a parent's house.
What is your best memory of watching Star Wars with a crowd?
Why ask it
Midnight showings, a whole theater gasping at a reveal, a parent tearing up at the opening crawl. A fan who has only ever watched at home can answer with their best rewatch, so offer that version before they feel left out.
Movies and shows
How would you rank the three trilogies, and what puts your top one first?
Why ask it
Get the reason before anyone reacts, because the ranking starts an argument and the reason starts a conversation. Whoever puts the sequels first has probably never been asked why without a groan, so ask it as a real question.
Which Star Wars movie is the most underrated?
Why ask it
A good answer says what the film does well: the opera scene in Revenge of the Sith, the train heist in Solo. A weak one only complains that everyone else missed the point.
Which movie do you skip on a rewatch, and what would have to change for you to stop skipping it?
Why ask it
The second half keeps this from turning into a pile-on. People often name one subplot or one stretch of dialogue, which is more useful than hearing that the whole thing is bad.
Which live-action show is the best: The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka or another one?
Why ask it
Fans of Andor and fans of The Mandalorian want different things from Star Wars, a political thriller on one side and an adventure of the week on the other. Once you know someone's camp you know what to recommend them next.
Are the animated shows required viewing or optional extras?
Why ask it
Fans of The Clone Wars and Rebels will tell you that Ahsoka only makes sense if you have seen them. If someone has never tried the animation, let one fan pitch a single arc in a minute and leave it there.
What is the best lightsaber duel in all of Star Wars?
Why ask it
The room splits between choreography and feeling. People who pick the duel in The Phantom Menace talk about the moves and the music, while people who pick Luke against Vader talk about what was at stake.
What order should a first-timer watch the movies in: release order, story order or something else?
Why ask it
Release order protects the big reveal in The Empire Strikes Back and story order gives it away, so ask how much that surprise matters to them. Anyone with a custom order has been refining it for years and will need a few minutes.
Which Star Wars story outside the movies and shows would you hand to a friend: a game, a book or a comic?
Why ask it
A kind question for the quiet fan at the table, who is often the one who has read the most. If the answer is Knights of the Old Republic or a Thrawn novel, ask what it does that the films do not.
What story do you most want Star Wars to tell next?
Why ask it
A wish list says more than a ranking does: the Old Republic, the years after Return of the Jedi, a story with no Jedi in it at all. Ask whether they want it as a film or a series, since that shows how they like to watch.
Characters and the Force
Which character do you see the most of yourself in, flaws included?
Why ask it
'Flaws included' is what stops everyone from choosing Han Solo. Someone who owns up to Luke's impatience or C-3PO's worrying is being honest, and it is fair to ask the table whether they agree.
Who is the best villain in Star Wars, and is it really Darth Vader?
Why ask it
Vader wins most rooms, so the fun is in the challengers: Palpatine for patience, Thrawn for brains, Dedra Meero from Andor for being frighteningly ordinary. Ask what makes their pick scary, not just cool.
Which side character deserved far more screen time?
Why ask it
Follow up by asking what the extra scenes would have shown, and watch people start pitching whole movies. Captain Phasma, Mace Windu and Lando Calrissian all have their campaigners.
Which character changed the most over their story, for better or worse?
Why ask it
Anakin is the obvious case, so ask for a second name. Ahsoka, Cassian Andor or Ben Solo each show whether a person is drawn to a fall, a recovery or a slow growing up.
Which is the better love story: Han and Leia, or Anakin and Padmé?
Why ask it
Han and Leia win on banter and Anakin and Padmé on tragedy, so the pick shows what a person thinks a love story is for. On a date it is a light way to hear what someone finds romantic, and a vote for neither is allowed.
Which droid would you want as your own: R2-D2, C-3PO, BB-8, K-2SO or someone else?
Why ask it
It sounds like a kids' question and adults take it very seriously. The choice is between loyalty, usefulness and company, and anyone who picks K-2SO is volunteering to be insulted every day.
Would you have been a Jedi, a Sith, or someone who stays out of it, like a smuggler?
Why ask it
The third option gets the honest answers. Those who say Jedi straight away can be asked how they would cope with the rule against attachment.
What color would your lightsaber be, and what would the color say about you?
Why ask it
Green and blue are the safe picks, purple means they admire Mace Windu, and red deserves a raised eyebrow. If somebody knows what the colors mean in the lore, let them explain it and do not quiz them.
Is the Force better left a mystery, or do you like it explained?
Why ask it
Midi-chlorians will come up within seconds. A thoughtful answer separates how the Force works from what it means, and you can follow with which scene made it feel most real to them.
Which Force power would you use most in ordinary life, and on what?
Why ask it
The honest answers are small: fetching the remote, a mind trick at the returns desk, never losing keys again. Tease the person who goes straight to the Force choke.
Hypotheticals
Would you rather own a lightsaber or the Millennium Falcon?
Why ask it
A vote on power against freedom. Lightsaber people get reminded that they have no training, and Falcon people that the ship breaks down constantly. Everyone can answer in two seconds, which makes it a good first question for a table.
Would you rather be trained by Yoda or by Obi-Wan Kenobi?
Why ask it
Yoda offers riddles in a swamp, and Obi-Wan offers patience and a record that includes Anakin. Whoever points that out first has won the round.
Would you rather live on Tatooine, Hoth, Endor or Coruscant?
Why ask it
People answer with their real feelings about weather and crowds. Somebody will choose Endor for the Ewoks, and somebody else will ask what an apartment on Coruscant costs.
Would you rather fly an X-wing for the Rebellion or command a Star Destroyer for the Empire?
Why ask it
Mostly a question of whether someone wants to be the scrappy pilot or the person in charge. Nobody is confessing anything by taking the big ship, so let them enjoy it.
Would you rather travel the galaxy with Grogu or with Chewbacca?
Why ask it
Grogu is adorable and eats whatever he finds, while Chewbacca can fix the ship and end any argument. It suits a table with children, who will choose in an instant and refuse to be talked out of it.
What if Anakin had never turned to the dark side?
Why ask it
The biggest what-if in the saga, and worth ten minutes. Push past 'everything would be fine' by asking whether Palpatine still wins without him, since opinion on that divides fast.
What if Luke had accepted Vader's offer on Cloud City?
Why ask it
Vader's pitch was to overthrow the Emperor and rule together, so the real question is whether Luke could have done any good from the inside. Hear out the person who thinks he could, because they have usually thought about it before.
Which two characters who never fought on screen would you put in a duel, and who wins?
Why ask it
Maul against Vader and Ahsoka against Rey are fair examples to offer if the table stalls. Make people describe how the fight ends and not only who is stronger, because the staging is where fans disagree.
If you could send one warning to any character before a big moment, who gets it and what does it say?
Why ask it
Messages tend to go to Anakin before he trusts Palpatine, or to anyone about to walk into a trap. Then ask what the warning would break, since most fixes undo a movie that people love.
If you landed in the galaxy tomorrow with no powers and no money, what job would you really end up doing?
Why ask it
'Really' is the word doing the work. After the Jedi and bounty hunter answers, somebody admits they would be a moisture farmer or wipe tables in a cantina, and that is the answer the table remembers.
Debates
What is your most unpopular Star Wars opinion?
Why ask it
The quickest way into an argument, since each person brings their own. Rule out 'the prequels are good' and 'The Last Jedi is bad', which are too widely held to count, and ask for one they would hesitate to post online.
Who shot first, and does it change who Han Solo is?
Why ask it
Fans who know the 1977 cut answer the first half in one second. The second half is the argument: whether the hero can begin as a man who shoots a bounty hunter under the table. Have a one-line explanation of the later edit ready for newcomers.
Were the Jedi of the prequel era really the good guys?
Why ask it
The case against them is child recruits, a ban on attachment and peacekeepers leading a clone army. The strongest answers hold two ideas at once: the Order had lost its way, and it still did not deserve what happened to it.
Is The Last Jedi a great Star Wars movie or a wrong turn?
Why ask it
The question most likely to raise voices, so save it for people who like each other. Having each side name one thing the other side gets right tends to bring the temperature down.
Have the prequels improved with time, or have we just become nostalgic for them?
Why ask it
Those who met the prequels as children tend to defend them, and those who met them as adults tend not to, so find out which each speaker was. A fan who replies entirely in prequel quotes has made their case without meaning to.
Does Jar Jar Binks deserve the hate he gets?
Why ask it
Fans who were small children in 1999 often liked him, and that is worth saying out loud. Keep the argument on the writing, because the actor who played him has talked publicly about how much the backlash hurt.
What does 'bringing balance to the Force' really mean?
Why ask it
One camp says balance means the dark side gone, and another says light and dark in equal measure. It cannot be settled at a table, so use it to learn how each person thinks the Force works.
Should Rey have stayed a nobody instead of turning out to be a Palpatine?
Why ask it
It spoils the sequel trilogy, so check that everyone has seen it. Underneath is the question of whether the Force belongs to bloodlines or to anyone at all, and the answer usually matches how a person feels about all three films.
Are the Ewoks a charming part of Return of the Jedi, or the moment the series went soft?
Why ask it
A low-stakes fight that suits a table of mixed ages. Defenders point out that locals with sticks and stones beating an occupying army is the whole idea of the Rebellion, and children usually side with the Ewoks.
Should George Lucas have left the original cuts alone?
Why ask it
Added creatures in Mos Eisley, new music at the end of Return of the Jedi and a swapped ghost are the usual exhibits. Fans who started with the special editions may not know what changed, so let an older fan describe it without lecturing.
Does Star Wars need a Skywalker at the center, or is it better when it leaves the family behind?
Why ask it
Fans of Andor, Rogue One and The Mandalorian arrive with their evidence. A good reply from the other side says what the family gives the story that a new cast cannot, and does more than insist it feels wrong without them.
Is there too much Star Wars now, or can there never be enough?
Why ask it
Lower in heat than the film-by-film fights. If someone says they miss the days when a release was an event, treat it as a fair feeling and not as an attack on those who watch everything.
Kids and newcomers
If you could have any Star Wars creature as a pet, which one would you pick?
Why ask it
Porgs, tauntauns and banthas lead with younger kids, and there is always one vote for a rancor. Keep it going by asking where it would sleep and what it would eat.
What would you name your own droid, and what would its job be?
Why ask it
Kids take the job half very seriously: homework, tidying a bedroom, guarding the snacks. A newcomer can answer too, since all it takes is having seen one droid.
Who would be in your crew if you had your own ship?
Why ask it
Kids fill the seats with family, friends and at least one pet, and a newcomer can use any character they have heard of. Ask who flies, who fixes things and who is only along for the ride.
Which Star Wars sound can you do best: a lightsaber, Chewbacca, R2-D2 or Darth Vader breathing?
Why ask it
This is a performance more than a question, so it rescues a table where the children have gone quiet. Let everyone go at once the first time, then ask for solos.
Which Star Wars costume would you wear to a party?
Why ask it
Anyone can answer by looks alone, with no plot knowledge needed. For a parent, the reply doubles as a Halloween or birthday idea worth writing down.
What do you already know about Star Wars without having seen much of it?
Why ask it
Most people have picked up the breathing, the lightsabers and one famous family reveal from jokes and ads. It lets a newcomer contribute, and it tells the fans what is already spoiled before anyone blurts out the rest.
What part of Star Wars looks confusing from the outside?
Why ask it
A newcomer puzzled by the episode numbers or the number of shows is right to be. Answer in two sentences and not twenty, because here the fans are the ones who need to hold back.
What kinds of movies do you usually love, so we can pick the right Star Wars to start you on?
Why ask it
A fan of heist stories might start with Solo, a fan of westerns with The Mandalorian and a fan of spy thrillers with Andor. A pick matched to their taste goes over better than insisting on Episode IV.
How to turn Star Wars questions into a conversation
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you ask the first one
Check what everyone has seen
Star Wars has a few reveals that land best unspoiled, and the newer shows have their own. Ask around once before you begin: who has seen all the movies, who has only seen a few, who is partway through a series. Then skip any question that would give something away to the person who has not got there yet.
Find out which era each person started with
A fan raised on the original trilogy, a fan raised on the prequels and a fan who came in through The Mandalorian are almost fans of three different things. The Favorites group gets that out in the open early, and it makes the later disagreements easier to take, because everyone can see where the other view comes from.
Say out loud that it is not a quiz
None of these has a right answer, and nobody should be marked on names, dates or planet spellings. If someone cannot remember what a character is called, supply it and let them carry on. The person who gets a detail wrong often has the more interesting opinion.
Match the group to the company
On a date or with one friend, stay in Favorites and Hypotheticals, where the answers are about the person as much as the films, and borrow the Han and Leia question from Characters and the Force. A table of longtime fans can go straight to Movies and shows and then Debates. With children or first-timers present, open with Kids and newcomers and add a would-you-rather or two.
Ways to run it
At a watch party
Ask one Favorites question while people are finding seats, and nothing during the film itself. Use a snack break for a would-you-rather, which takes seconds to answer. Keep the Debates for after the credits, when the movie everyone just watched gives the argument fresh evidence.
Trading questions, one to one
Take turns choosing a question, and always answer the one you asked. Two or three is plenty over a meal. If an answer turns into a story about a parent, a childhood bedroom or a first trip to the theater, follow that and leave the list alone.
Argue the side you do not hold
Pick a question from Debates and assign the positions by coin flip, so that the prequel defender may have to attack the prequels. Give each side two minutes, then let the table vote on who made the better case. It keeps the heat down, since nobody is defending their real opinion.
Table vote
For the would-you-rather questions, count to three and have everyone point left or right at once. The side with fewer people explains first. This works with a big group and with kids, and it stops the loudest person from setting the answer.
In the car or the group chat
One question is enough for a long stretch of road. In a chat, post a single ranking or hypothetical and let replies arrive over the day. Debates read as harsher in text than they sound in person, so keep those for when you can see each other.
Keeping the arguments friendly
When a debate stops being fun
The sequel trilogy and the changes to the original films can turn sharp quickly. If voices rise, ask each person for one point the other side has right, then move to a Hypotheticals question. You can come back to the debate later, or not at all.
When one fan starts lecturing
Deep knowledge is welcome, and a ten-minute history of the Old Republic is not what the table asked for. Thank them, then put the same question to someone who has not spoken. Going around in a fixed order also helps, because it gives everybody an equal turn without singling anyone out.
When someone gets told they are not a real fan
Shut that down at once, and kindly. Someone who has only seen the movies, or only the shows, or only one trilogy, has a perfectly good seat at the table. Questions about what they liked will get more out of them than questions about what they missed.
When a newcomer goes quiet
Too many names in a row will lose anyone who has seen two films. Switch to a question that needs no background, such as the droid, the pet or the costume, and ask the newcomer first. If they seem curious, the last question on the list is the one that finds them a good place to start.