SPECULATION Star Wars Ring Theory and TFA

I had a chance to read the interesting article at http://www.starwarsringtheory.com/

Essentially, the article was saying that, despite appearances, each film in the PT corresponds to one film in the OT in terms of story structure, with correspondence meaning either that one is similar in story structure to the other member of the pair, or that one is an inverted version of the other member of the pair. What makes the whole thing a "ring" is that Episode 1 (TPM) corresponds to Episode 6 (ROTJ), Episode 2 (AOTC) corresponds to Episode 5 (TESB), and Episode 3 (ROTS) corresponds to Episode 4 (ANH).

Thinking about whether and how the ST would fit into the ring, I was struck by the similarity between the story structure of Episode 6 (ROTJ) and Episode 7 (TFA), as well as the possibility that Episode 8 could be an inverted version of Episode 5 (TESB). First let me point out the parallel between ROTJ and TFA, as well as the subtle reversal within the similar story structures.

1. The events in Act 1 of both ROTJ and TFA took place around a desert planet.

2. There were some kind of rescues in Act 1 of both ROTJ and TFA. Han being rescued in ROTJ. Finn rescuing Poe and Rey rescuing BB-8 in TFA. Although in TFA the rescue attempts were not planned (Finn needed a pilot, and Rey had a spur-of-the-moment compassion), and the rescuers were already in place and didn't have to infiltrate a place in order to perform the rescue.

3. There were monster creatures in both movies (Rancor and Sarlacc in Act 1 of ROTJ, Rathtars in Act 2 of TFA).

4. Luke met with his mentor Yoda in person for the last time in Act 2 of ROTJ. Finn and Rey met Han for the first time in Act 2 of TFA.

5. Luke realized that Leia was his sister in Act 2 of ROTJ. Rey glimpsed the truth through a force vision in Act 2 of TFA.

6. In Act 2 of ROTJ, the heroes arrived at a place with forests and met cuddly creatures (Ewoks). In Act 2 of TFA, the heroes arrived at a place with forests and met not-so-cuddly creatures in Maz Kanata’s castle.

7. At the end of Act 2 of ROTJ, Luke went (voluntarily) to the Death Star. At the end of Act 2 of TFA, Rey was taken (involuntarily) to the Starkiller Base.

8. In Act 3 of both movies, a superweapon and the shield to protect that weapon were destroyed and disabled respectively. There were multiple battles on the ground and in the air / space.

9. In Act 3 of both movies, there was a confrontation between father and son, with one trying to redeem the other. In ROTJ, the father was the villain, the son was the hero, and the redemption effort was successful. In TFA, the opposite occurred.

10. Finally, both movie titles Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens suggest that something had gone away and then came back.

As for Episode 8, it could be an inverted version of TESB because there is a strong possibility that Act 1 of Episode 8 will correspond to Act 3 of TESB. In Act 3 of TESB, the main hero found out who his father was, and the father tried to convince the child to join the dark side. In Act 1 of Episode 8, perhaps the main hero will find out who's her father, and the child will try to convince the father to fight again for the light side? In Act 3 of TESB, a hero (Han) got his life interrupted (by being frozen in carbonate). In Act 1 of episode 8, perhaps a hero (Finn) will resume his life (by waking up from a coma)?

I guess time will tell if TFA and the rest of ST will form a "ring" with the OT.

 

This is true, but the ring theory tries to predict when a similar plot element will appear in a movie within a corresponding pair, given knowledge about what happened in the other movie of the pair. For example, given that a major ground battle (and no simultaneous space battle) took place in Act 3 of AOTC, the ring theory would have predicted (correctly) that a major ground battle (and no simultaneous space battle) would take place in Act 1 of TESB. If the ring theory holds true in the ST, and my guess that Episode 8 will be an inverted version of TESB is correct, then there will be a major ground battle (but no simultaneous space battle) in Act 3 of Episode 8.

BTW, the ring theory has TPM and ROTJ forming a pair, so that there was similar story structure between TPM and TFA as well is expected. For example, there were also multiple simultaneous battles in Act 3 of TPM, and the mentor figure (Qui-Gon) died in Act 3.