Today our flags continue the journey into the realm of popular culture. The top flag is the flag of the First Order, the totalitarian regime from the later Star Wars story lines. The bottom flag is that of the Galactic Republic, which came before the First Order and which was toppled with the help of Luke Skywalker.
Obviously we are clear that these are flags representing fictional places and regimes, but for the many devoted fans of the Star Wars franchise, perhaps these places and governments are more real than might be expected.
The First Order
is the totalitarian regime which replaced the Galactic Empire
after the final fall of the Emperor Palpatine
and his devoted apprentice, Darth Vader,
the former Anakin Skywalker,
at the hands of Anakin’s son,
Luke Skywalker.
To quote Wookieepedia:
‘ “It is the task of the First Order to remove the disorder from our own existence, so that civilization may be returned to the stability that promotes progress. A stability that existed under the Empire, was reduced to anarchy by the Rebellion, was inherited in turn by the so-called Republic, and will be restored by us. Future historians will look upon this as the time when a strong hand brought the rule of law back to civilization.” ‘
―Kylo Ren, expressing his views on recent galactic history and the goals of the First Order.
“The First Order, or simply “the Order”, also known as the Empire, was a political and military faction that came into existence as a result of the fall of the Galactic Empire. In the aftermath of the Battle of Jakku, the Empire formally surrendered to the New Republic by signing the Galactic Concordance, a peace treaty that marked the end of the Galactic Civil War in 5 ABY. In spite of the Empire’s collapse, its legacy survived in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy, where former members of the Imperial Military plotted their return to power. Their cause gained support through some Imperial sympathizers who briefly inhabited a wing of Republic politics before abandoning the nascent democracy to join the Imperial-based movement in the Unknown Regions. Inspired by the ideals of the Empire, this movement sought to improve upon that regime by avoiding its weaknesses and flaws, ultimately resulting in the formation of the First Order.”
The bottom flag apparently has a potentially problematic flaw in that it was, briefly, mistaken as the flag of Nazi Germany by technicians performing work on the house. Granted, there was no wind and all they could see was a red, black, and white flag, which could be confused with other less salubrious flags of the same color scheme.
Again, to quote Wookieepedia: