From Luke Skywalker to Rey, one of Star Wars’ greatest strengths has always been exploring what it means to possess power. The Jedi aren’t just trained warriors — they carry abilities that separate them from everyone else. But the faraway galaxy isn’t the only modern saga built around the idea of gifted individuals navigating a world that fears them. As streaming has grown, so has a new wave of characters who echo the journey of the Jedi — pushed, tested, trained, and often left to stand alone when it matters most.
Few have embodied this better than Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) from Stranger Things. Across four seasons, her story has carried familiar notes: the mysterious origins, the emotional burden of power, the reluctant responsibility, and the ever-present danger that follows her. Now, Season 5 may contain the most obvious parallel with the Jedi yet.
Stranger Things Season 5, which is now finally streaming on Netflix with its first four episodes after years of waiting, has a sequence that will feel familiar to any Star Wars fan.
THERE ARE NO SPOILERS AHEAD FOR STRANGER THINGS SEASON 5
Episode 1, “The Crawl”, reintroduces Eleven, who possesses telekinetic and telepathic abilities, in a training exercise closely watched by her guardians, Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder). She runs through a woodland-based obstacle course, dodging and leaping while simultaneously exercising her super powers, so that she can prepare for one last battle against Vecna and the Upside Down. Sound familiar?
The scene immediately recalls an opening sequence in Star Wars: Episode IX Rise of Skywalker (2019), where Rey (Daisy Ridley) trains in a forest to perfect her Force abilities under the guidance of Leia Organa, AKA Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), in a bid to prepare for her final showdown against Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order.
The parallels are glaringly obvious: not only do both sequences share visual similarities, but they each focus on a young heroine testing her limits, balancing athleticism with supernatural power, all the while under the careful supervision of a caring mentor.
Whether intentional or not, it feels like the galaxy far, far away has quietly passed its torch to Hawkins, Indiana — and to a young girl with Jedi-like abilities. And like the Jedi, Eleven isn’t the only powerful human inhabiting the world of Stranger Things — there are more like her, though very few remain following the Order 66-like massacre at Hawkins Lab.
In a sense, Stranger Things has long achieved what Star Wars set out to do but occasionally missed: it makes viewers feel the weight of extraordinary power while keeping the lead heroine relatable and grounded. Eleven may not wield a lightsaber, but she’s far more convincing as a student than Rey ever was. And probably stronger, too.
On a sidenote, Star Wars fans have been intrigued by the idea of Millie Bobby Brown stepping into the galaxy far, far away herself. Over the years, fan-casts have imagined her as a young Leia, bridging the gap between Carrie Fisher’s original trilogy and a new era.
With Stranger Things now at long last nearing its conclusion, could Brown transition from Hawkins to Star Wars, as Leia or even a new Jedi in a new series or film? While nothing has been confirmed, the comparisons between Eleven and the Jedi are hard to ignore.
Stranger Things Season 5 episodes 1-4 are now streaming on Netflix. The next three episodes will stream on December 25 (Christmas Day), and the finale will stream on December 31 (New Year’s Eve).
Do you think Stranger Things handles super-powered characters better than Star Wars does? Would you like to see Millie Bobby Brown in the faraway galaxy? Share your thoughts with us in the comments down below!
