In the wake of The Acolyte premiere, a viral George Lucas quote is showing just why Star Wars was never scientifically accurate. Nobody is particularly that the latest Star Wars Disney+ TV show, The Acolyte, has proved so controversial; the Star Wars fandom is well known for being divided and divisive. But some of the criticisms are somewhat odd, because parts of the fanbase have become focused on a scene in The Acolyte featuring fire in space. The argument is that flames require oxygen to burn, so – scientifically speaking – the entire scene should be impossible.

Paul Duncan, author of The Star Wars Archives: Episode IV-VI, has shared a quote from George Lucas himself that was already doing the rounds in response to this criticism. Discussing the Millennium Falcon, Lucas noted that he wanted there to be a little “drift” in the freighter as it turned, as though it was facing air resistance. “In my world, there’s air in outer space,” Lucas quipped. “When I want it.”

Star Wars Was Always Science-Fantasy, Not Science-Fiction

The rules of physics don’t really apply

George Lucas never had any intention of being scientifically accurate, insisting from the beginning that it was science-fantasy instead. In fact, that’s why Lucas chose the name lightsabers; he worried that the word “laser-sword” would distract people with discussions about how they worked. Lucas simply wanted viewers to suspend their disbelief and enjoy the show, immersing themselves in a fantastical story of heroes and villains.

Lucas’ Star Wars featured so many moments that aren’t scientifically accurate, whether overtly or in subtle details. What’s more, Lucas didn’t care at all; he was simply telling a story, and he wasn’t interested in nitpicking. There are actually several scenes in Star Wars lore that already feature fire in space, and none of them proved insurmountable for audiences in 1977, 1980, or 1983, when the original trilogy released.

The truth, of course, is that the portion of the Star Wars fanbase complaining about The Acolyte‘s “fire in space” scene never had any intention of suspending their disbelief. They’d already judged the show – explaining the Rotten Tomatoes review bombing – and this was simply a convenient thing to hate. Lucas’ quote calls it out rather well.