Why Did This Video Go Viral?
A Reflection on Anger, Star Wars, and Hope for 2025
Merry Christmas Eve! It’s an exciting time in the world and here in our little community. A recent video on the Geeky Stoics YouTube Channel just crossed 118,000 views and nearly 1,000 comments, and I want to take a moment to reflect. Not just on the numbers, but why this video resonated.
Let’s be real. Stephen knocked this one out of the park.
He won’t brag so I will for him.
This video struck a chord in a way I never expected and in a way that’s honestly really refreshing to this sometimes-cynical, beaten-down Star Wars fan.
What makes this success so exciting? It challenges the usual narrative. Most successful Star Wars content online thrives on negativity: anger, outrage, and hyper-criticism. (I should know after 11 years as a Star Wars Podcaster) But I think this video did well for the right reasons. People are engaging with the ideas, debating, reflecting, and even challenging their own assumptions about anger and its role in our lives.
If you haven’t seen the video, here it is go:
Let’s break this down.
The Debate: Is Anger Fuel or Fire?
The central theme of the video sparked strong opinions. At its core, we asked whether anger and rage are good or bad for you—and the comments fell into two distinct camps:
Those who believe anger is a necessary fuel for success and motivation.
Those who reflected and accepted the stoic message: emotions are powerful, but they must be controlled.
And that’s a good thing. If we stand for something, it should provoke reflection and even disagreement. That’s what makes a conversation worth having.
This debate reminded me why I retired the Star Wars Report. The old podcast was about covering the weekly news cycle—fun, but surface-level and difficult to navigate as the fandom circled down the hellhole of the post-The Last Jedi era culture war politics. Geeky Stoics, by contrast, dives deeper. Star Wars isn’t just entertainment; it’s a myth with lessons to shape who we are. This matters, especially for younger generations who need more than just the easy path of reaction and anger.
The Fall of Anakin Skywalker
Seneca, one of stoicism’s great thinkers, teaches that emotions—anger included—are powerful and even necessary. But there’s a line: we must control our emotions rather than become subservient to them.
“My anger is more likely to do me more harm than your wrong.” -Seneca, Letters from a Stoic
Anakin Skywalker’s fall is a perfect example of what happens when we let emotions control us. His story, as Yoda famously explains, follows a progression:
“Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”
Anakin’s fear of loss—of Padmé, of control, of vulnerability—gave way to jealousy, then rage, then blind hatred. In Revenge of the Sith, we see his descent into the Dark Side as a cautionary tale of unchecked emotions. And yet, many in our audience pushed back against this interpretation.
Some viewers argued that anger itself is necessary: a dark, brooding rage that fuels success. But that’s not stoicism—and it’s not Star Wars.
Stoicism challenges us to channel our emotions productively without letting them define us. Anakin’s story is a warning: anger may feel powerful in the moment, but it ultimately consumes us.
Why This Video Struck a Chord
Culturally, it’s “sexy” right now to say you’re fueled by your rage.
Also, look at the content that dominates YouTube: anger against Disney, Kathleen Kennedy, or whatever element of Star Wars happens to be trending as “wrong” that week.
Beyond Star Wars, many younger men today are particularly vulnerable to anger-driven content. Influencers like Andrew Tate and other populist commentators seize on frustration, telling men what (or who) they should hate. Why? Because outrage works. It generates clicks, views, and loyalty.
But that’s the easy path.
While it’s fair to feel frustrated with the culture right now or even the current direction of a beloved franchise, letting anger define your entire fandom (or life) leaves you vulnerable. You end up consumed by reactionary emotions, easily manipulated, and ultimately unhappy. This video resonated because it challenges that narrative.
We offered something different: a call to look deeper, to reflect, and to rise above the surface-level discourse that dominates fandom. Star Wars has wisdom to offer, but you have to get past the noise.
A New Hope
For me, this video and the massive response to it represents a turning point. The response we received proves there’s a hunger for deeper, more meaningful conversations. Star Wars isn’t just about lightsabers and space battles; it’s about myths, morality, and the philosophical questions that shape our lives.
This is why we created Geeky Stoics: to take stories that we love and use them to shape ourselves—to become better people.
The lesson of Anakin Skywalker is clear: don’t let anger consume you. Channel your emotions, yes, but be the one in control.
And that’s a message worth sharing.
-May the Force be with you
Riley