Fan art takes many forms. Sometimes it's a cosplay that required months of planning, sewing, and sculpting to create a picture-perfect take on a fan's favorite character. Other times, maybe it's a masterwork of visual art, requiring countless hours toiling in front of a canvas or tablet to produce a veritable feast for the eyes. But then, occasionally, it takes the form of hitting a button on a fun little app to make with the funny changes and such, as seen with this latest Star Wars edit.
While many would (justifiably) dispute the label of "fan art" for such a thing, that's not the noteworthy aspect of this particular piece. Art or not, a fan has used the tools at their disposal to create something that inspires conversation, debate, and perhaps a few uncomfortable new feelings. Thanks to an A.I. program made to change the sex of whoever's picture gets loaded in, the world now knows what Star Wars hero Luke Skywalker (and by extension, Mark Hamill) would look like as a woman, whether it wanted to know or not.
Posting the before and after images to Reddit's Star Wars fan community, user gd2go2 decided to inspire some lively conversations in the comment section thanks to the surprisingly charming finished product. Adding long hair and some softened features, the automated program created a surprisingly realistic depiction of how such a swapped character might look. The comments ranged from debating which real-life people the female Luke resembled and examining these strange new emotions users may or may not have found themselves awakening to.
One such commenter suggested that Luke ended up looking (fittingly) like Felicity Jones' Jyn Erso from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Not that the two characters are related or anything (not yet, anyway). But they're 2 different leads in different Star Wars movies, so such a resemblance is an interesting coincidence. Other users amusingly brought together quotes from The Force Awakens and, oddly enough, the eternally meme-able TV series Community with comments like "This better not awaken anything in me..." and a quick response saying "...have you felt it?"
Of course, the automated program that spat out the finished image isn't exactly some kind of all-encompassing algorithm. Aside from the hetero and cis-normative notion that long hair and smooth features are what make a woman, there's still plenty of wiggle room in there beyond facial features as well. That's not even to mention the discussions to be had regarding transgender identity. But more in-depth conversations about the implications in regards to the LGBTQ+ community are another story for another time (albeit hopefully soon).
However users may have reacted and/or ended up questioning their entire identities, it's just one more example of the endlessly entertaining interactions to be had within the Star Wars fandom. Sure, the place can often be a toxic cesspool where anyone who dared to enjoy The Last Jedi is shunned for daring to like a thing. But there are still some pockets of wholesome decency in there, and this may well be one of them.
The Star Wars saga is now available on Disney Plus.
Source: gd2go2/Reddit