It’s a comment on Carl Jung’s psychological archetypes, it’s a reworked western, its plots parallel biographies of Buddha. What is it about Star Wars that, 30 years after it opened and well past the shelf-life of the original trilogy’s special effects, enduringly inspires such scholarly comparisons?

It’s the unknown quantity that continues to compel an otherwise orderly grown man to squeeze into a gaudy costume and jostle among thousands to secure a $20 autograph at a convention – so many, in fact, that the Celebration IV event held in LA this May was the biggest yet. That same X-factor that drives 1,128 people to bombard the phone lines for Celebration Europe in the first 24 hours, desperate for a ticket to the first official party outside the United States, at the ExCel Centre in London, next weekend.

Brits spend more than anyone else on Star Wars merchandise. Even if there’s not a Chewbacca costume hanging in your wardrobe, the chances are that you (or the person beside you) are indulging your Star Wars child on some level.

Princess Leia

BACKGROUND

• It was 30 years ago today...

• Their future in the stars

• That Frodo Skywalker ...somehow it rings a bell

• George Lucas and Luke Skywalker reunited

• Geeks baring rifts - Star Wars on the web

BACKGROUND

• Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith

• 1977: The original Times review

• 1977: Alec Guinness talks about Star Wars

They’ve Star Wars in their eyes

We meet the hardcore Star Wars fans heading for London

Star Wars: The Exhibition

Behold Darth Vader in his glass case. So impressive are the costumes, which are fully finished, they are catwalk-perfect

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Richelle Searles, 28

I’m a member of the London Chapter, a fan group that’s based mostly online. The guy who runs the website posts up a list of all the events coming to London, so we meet up to go to those.

Growing up, the films were always in the background, but I wouldn’t say they became a real passion until I turned up to the premiere nights of the prequels. Everyone was so happy, there was this energy, people running around with lightsabers, in costumes. It was fantastic.

During the day I’m a scientist in a lab, working with genes and DNA. I actually quoted one of Yoda’s lines in my honours degree thesis! “Do or do not, there is no try.”

I don’t really feel compelled to buy the merchandise, but I do have quite a lot of stuff. When people find out you’re a fan they tend to give you stuff as presents. I have a Star Wars bed quilt!

What is it about Star Wars? It’s the whole idea of the Force, how it stems from people’s actions and emotions, and affects people. Only a couple of my friends really get it. You do get people whose minds are a little closed, but who cares?

Knights of the Empire

Kayleigh Greenwood, 21, Chris Porter, 22, John Sloan, 38, and Richard Mattocks, 36

Richard: There are more than 400 members of the group, but only about 100 of these have costumes. The club gets booked for events almost every weekend. We pose for photographs, search for Jedis, look for droids, and try to bring a little bit extra to the people at the event.

John: The Storm Trooper costumes, as close as possible, are movie accurate. You can’t sit down in them though. Stairs are a real pain, too.

Richard: We think [George] Lucas approves of costume groups. It’s a kind of free promotion for the films, after all. We have to stay true to character, though – we can’t take our helmets off in public. And we’re not allowed to charge for our appearances either, so we donate everything to charity.

John: My passion started when the doors first opened and the guy with the Storm Troopers first came through, followed by Darth Vader. That was it. It’s something I can share with my family now. My kids love it. They want me to dress up when I pick them up from school!

Richard: But we’re also born camera tarts. You are someone else when you’re in that armour. For an hour or so you are that Storm Trooper. It’s absolute escapism.

John: It gives you the chance to be the person you always wanted to be, because it doesn’t matter what you look like, how tall you are, or anything – as soon as you’ve got that suit on, you can be a totally different kind of person. You’re much braver because no one can see your face.

Darth Elvis

Greig Robertson, 28

My persona in our tribute band is Elvis, just turned to the dark side. The idea stemmed from the fact that the summer of 1977, when Elvis died, was also when Star Wars was released. I suddenly realised that Elvis didn’t die, he just turned to the dark side. All those people who say, “I saw him just the other day”, well, they may be right, only what they’ve actually seen is Darth Elvis. For the past 30 years he’s been rewriting classics such as That’s All Right Jabba and A Little Less Disintegration, and now he’s back to launch his new music career. The first idea was to premiere the tribute band locally this summer, but when I heard about Celebration Europe I thought, “Let’s go for it”. The band will go down in costume and try to get a slot.

Star Wars was my first love – I always wanted to be Han Solo – and it just spiralled from there. There’s no fan club in Aberdeen, but there’s quite a good scene around the comic shops. And my friends are all huge Star Wars fans, too.

I’m getting married to my fiancée Holly this year, and we’re writing our own vows. She’s having something from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and I’ve threatened to have Han Solo’s line from The Empire Strikes Back. Princess Leia says “I love you”. He says “I know”. It might be a wee bit short.

Star Wars Celebration Europe, ExCel Centre, London E16 (www.excel-london.co.uk 020-7069 5000), July 13-15

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