From Baby Yoda to Bender – the best Star Wars Day memes lighting up the galaxy

The Force is strong with this one – May 4th has transformed into a mega pop culture moment thanks to Disney, LEGO, and a meme-hungry internet.

The inner nerd in many of us has wanted to bellow “May 4th be with you!” to our peers, even if our social safety-catch prevents us from doing so.

Star Wars and its glorious spin-offs create a whole sub-culture of fandom and new film The Mandalorian and Grogu - May 22 (20126) - is no different.

In the build-up to this huge Star Wars salute, the internet is awash with memes and events, and each year is without exception.

I can remember physical posters in the movie theater and then later virtual GIFs of Anakin Skywalker podracing, taken from the 1999 film Episode I – The Phantom Menace, sent online during the infancy of social media, on platforms like MySpace and Facebook.

A truly modern fascination with Star Wars Day was born around the time of 2005-2010, when the prequel trilogy was doing the rounds in theaters. Star Wars was no longer seen as merely a blast from the past that you’d get for Christmas on VHS.

The first official, meme-worthy celebration of Star Wars happened in 2010 on Twitter, when fans began sharing the hashtag #maythe4thbewithyou, to help popularize the trend of celebrating Star Wars Day.

Fans poured out a giddy sentiment, and memes started to reflect all walks of life, including frustrations with IT in a worker's day job.

A new ownership

In 2012, when Disney bought out Lucasfilm, a huge investment was guaranteed to support the trend’s momentum, and Star Wars truly rose to prominence in pop culture.

It’s the most galactic time of the year. 🪐 Take in all the Star Wars activities across Disney Parks and at home to celebrate May the 4th! https://t.co/D7t20aQ7tu #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/SpRqEfpACd

undefined Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) April 28, 2025

By the time the sequel trilogy – 2015-2019 – was culminating, the Disney channel was becoming a trusted supplier of Star Wars spin-offs and subcultures.

Most notable was Baby Yoda, a character from The Mandalorian, whose slogan “This is the way” took off, and inspired a tidal wave of fans, memes, and merchandise.

Don’t forget to leave out choccy milk and chickie nuggies for baby yoda tonight ☺️ #MayThe4th pic.twitter.com/57Ou2xbPJ3

undefined A (@beachinhotmess) May 4, 2020

And as Star Wars Day is the day before May 5th – a Mexican military celebration for fending off Napoleon III in 1862 – it ties in nicely to see Star Wars virality go global.

Que undefinedMay the 4thundefined o que?! Aqui é undefinedThis is The Mayundefined! 😂💙😂 #StarWarsDay #StarWars #starwarsday2022 #MayThe4th #MayTheFourth #MayTheFourthBeWithYou #ThisistheMay pic.twitter.com/NfUmzSngYc

undefined Canal do Mando | Star Wars (@omandaloriano) May 4, 2022

Some of the picks for best memes in recent years include a Mariachi Entertainment System channel on TikTok, where a blend of Mariachi music builds up to a Chewbacca scream during a procession.

@mariachimesofficial #starwars #maythe4th #starwarslatino #mariachi #mariachimes #newhope #starwarsfan #starwarstiktok #starwarsmemes ♬ original sound - MariachiMESofficial

And a neat crossover meme, featuring the robots Bender from Futurama, and R2-D2 celebrating the day, in excess.

Posts from the wokefuturama
community on Reddit

Also, it’s common for fans to create their own memes to champion personal causes, as one user took to X to rally support for Ukraine in 2023.

May the Force be with Ukraine and our Allies!

May each Ukrainian have the strength we need to bring Victory and peace to our country.

Today, May 4, is unofficial Star Wars Day (May the Fourth = May the Force).

📷: myfabstory/Instagram pic.twitter.com/A3Wm6FfHyo

undefined Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 4, 2023

It will be compelling to see what fans come up with for 2025.

Star Wars events

On May 4th, the official Star Wars site hosts a flurry of streams and promotions, as does Lego – as this year Jango Fett’s Firespray Spaceship is all the rage.

Commendably, the Smithsonian is running a 90-minute online seminar with a guest speaker from the National Air and Space Museum.

Margaret A. Weitekamp will explain how the expansive influence of Star Wars can be understood through its iconic artifacts, including action figures, props, and vehicles featured in the films. It will cost $20 for members and $25 for non-members.

The Disney Parks blog also details online and physical events, such as the streaming of Andor Season 2, and a walkthrough video of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Rise of the Resistance.

At Disneyland itself, fans can enjoy an after-hours event with costume cavalcades, limited-edition merch, lightsaber training, and themed snacks.