# What year does Star Wars III take place in? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 5, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-does-star-wars-iii-take-place-in/302484 "2005-05-05T02:38:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-does-star-wars-iii-take-place-in/302484/1 "2005-05-05T02:38:00Z")
I was just wondering…under whatever calandar is in dominant use in the Star Wars universe, what year does Episode III take place in? I mean, surely the Republic (and later the Empire, then the New Republic) itself would have to use _some_ kind of standardized dating system, right? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@The\_Hook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hook)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-does-star-wars-iii-take-place-in/302484/2 "2005-05-05T02:45:25Z")
All of the dates I’ve seen are based on the Battle of Yavin calendar. Fans came up with it to describe how many years before and after the destruction of the Death Star happens had passed. Episode III, then, is (the same age of Luke) before the Battle. As “years” go, there’s some 20000 years of written history in the EU, I think. TGIF, though. 😃 … :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-does-star-wars-iii-take-place-in/302484/3 "2005-05-05T03:34:39Z")
I don’t think they’ve ever given us any kind of Standard Calendar. But like **The Hook** said, the Republic lasted for tens of thousands of years. Also, in addition to the Standard Calendar, you would probably have a local calendar on each inhabited planet. Incidentally, _Revenge of the Sith_ is set 20 years before _A New Hope_. _Attack of the Clones_ is set 3 years before _Sith_, and _The Phantom Menace_ was 10 years before _Clones_. ---
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-does-star-wars-iii-take-place-in/302484/4 "2005-05-05T05:36:49Z")
Actually, I thought the Republic has only been around for ONE thousand years, not tens of thousands. “I will not let this Republic, which has stood for a thousand years, be split in two.” -Chancellor Palpatine ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-does-star-wars-iii-take-place-in/302484/5 "2005-05-05T14:52:09Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > I don’t think they’ve ever given us any kind of Standard Calendar. But like **The Hook** said, the Republic lasted for tens of thousands of years. Also, in addition to the Standard Calendar, you would probably have a local calendar on each inhabited planet. > > Incidentally, _Revenge of the Sith_ is set 20 years before _A New Hope_. > _Attack of the Clones_ is set 3 years before _Sith_, and _The Phantom Menace_ was 10 years before _Clones_. So are we to assume that Luke is about 20 years old in Star Wars? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-does-star-wars-iii-take-place-in/302484/6 "2005-05-05T18:07:27Z")
Sorry, I have to say it: _A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…_ ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-does-star-wars-iii-take-place-in/302484/7 "2005-05-05T18:22:27Z")
Luke and Leia were supposed to be 19 in _Star Wars_. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-does-star-wars-iii-take-place-in/302484/8 "2005-05-05T22:42:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Luke and Leia were supposed to be 19 in Star Wars. Didn’t the original script call for them to be 18 and 16, respectively?