Summary
There are few fandoms as consistently divided as that ofStar Wars. Since the galaxy far, far away was introduced nearly fifty years ago, there have been arguments among fans about whether certain aspects of the movies, and more recently, TV series, have been deserving of their place among the greatest moments of this franchise.
Where there is any piece of art, there will be differing opinions about what it wants to say, what it is trying to do, and most importantly, the overall quality of the piece. In the age of social media, it has become easier to see many different opinions on popular movies and TV shows, and anything set within theStar Warsfranchise will always see a lot of attention and be put under the lens, every inch analyzed by many different sides of the fans.
7Solo: A Star Wars Story
Although it has faded somewhat from memory since, due to the complete lack of follow-up for any of the charactersother than Qi’ra in a few comics and games,Solo: A Star Wars Storyhas been praised and criticized by theStar Warsfandom. This prequel to Harrison Ford’s established and beloved character would always be a little controversial for casting younger versions of Han and Lando Calrissian, but the story has been picked apart by fans for more than just the obvious reasons in the past few years.
With some specific knowledge that required fans to have watched different animatedStar Warsshows (including the reappearance of Darth Maul) and an escapist plot that made the young Han seem just a little too good-natured,Solo: A Star Wars Storydidn’t resonate with many fans. Despite this, it has quite a number of fans who defend it for being a fun prequel story that stayed true to the characters and the galaxy far, far away, and both Ehrenreich and Glover are extremely respectable and charming as Han and Lando.
6Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Made Some Bold Creative Choices And Focused On New Elements That Surprised Fans
The entire prequel trilogy will be the subject of much debate for years to come, andnot just about the order the films should be watched in. The vitriol thrown at some actors like Hayden Christensen and Ahmed Best has been well documented, and many fans still aren’t keen on all of the entries, particularlyThe Phantom Menace, which was an introduction to the younger versions of beloved characters.Trade negotiations and pod races dominate a runtimethat remains the marmite of theStar Warsuniverse.
The Phantom Menacehas many detractors, but plenty of fans who love quoting everything from the bizarre lines of Jar Jar Binks to “There’s always bigger fish” and though both sides stick to their guns, manyStar Warsfans have come around on the prequel trilogy over the years and now praise it where they used to heavily criticize, perhaps showing the future of other recentStar Warsprojects that have received excessive levels of hate, and not to forgetThe Phantom Menacewas a huge earner at the box office.
5The Book Of Boba Fett
Didn’t Focus On Boba’s Bounty Hunting & Spent A Lot Of Time On The Mandalorian & Grogu
Although it appears that Boba Fett isn’t in for a second season, that doesn’t mean thatThe Book of Boba Fettdoesn’t have fans. So manyStar Warsfans wanted a project that shined a light on the epic bounty hunter since his short appearance inStar Wars: Episode 5 - The Empire Strikes Back. However, sections of the fandom were disappointed with what they got in seeing Boba take on a new lease of life as a surprisingly kind warlord on Tatooine.
The changes to the character were argued about by fans. Some had hoped for a more ruthless view of Boba as a bounty hunter, while others have praised the change of pace fromThe Mandalorian. Of course, the choice to include Din Djarin and Grogu so prominently in later episodes was also questioned, but it pleased fans of that show who got to see the pair back together sooner than they had expected. Overall, whileThe Book of Boba Fettdidn’t work out, it helped expand the post-original trilogy part of the timeline that is being much explored across many of the Disney PlusStar Warsprojects, and of course, Temuera Morrison should always be welcomed back to the galaxy far, far away as Boba.
4Star Wars: The Last Jedi
An Entry That Changed Tact From The Last Entry & Made Some Controversial Major Decisions
The sequel trilogy might still be the most divisive part of theStar Warsfranchise. Despite bringing back the original cast in mentoring roles to a new set of characters, and telling some fascinating stories, films likeThe Last Jedihave been heavily criticized by fans. The story veered away from some of theplot threads inThe Force Awakens, as director Rian Johnson very much put his unique spin on the series.
Finn and Rose shoot off to a casino, Rey is training with the reluctant Luke while seeing visions of her arch nemesis Kylo Ren, and Poe Dameron are arguing with Vice-Admiral Holdo over how to save the Resistance. These stories interwove and create some beloved moments, a message about the nature of hope, and some shocking decisions, like the choice to kill off Snoke. Fans remain divided now, six years later, and they will likely remain so over this film for a long time to come.
3Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi
The Empire Losing to Cuddly Teddy Bears on Endor Wasn’t Well-Received
The cyclical nature ofStar Warshas shown fans who grew up with the series to give redemption to films that received a great deal of hate at the time. It is easy to forget today how muchReturn of the Jediwas hated on when it was released in 1983. The ewoks, a beloved and accepted part of the franchise’s history now, were much maligned by a side of the fans, and the story was considered by some to be a weak ending after the setup ofThe Empire Strikes Back.
However, much of that criticism has been forgotten and left in the past. WhileReturn of the Jediis still considered by many to be the weakest entry of the original trilogy, it remains beloved alongside them. Highly entertaining, filled with hijinks and a grand finale between Luke, Darth Vader and The Emperor,Return of the Jediis about redemption and it, better than any other entry, shows the redemption arc thatStar Warsprojects can have from one generation to the next.
2The Acolyte
Was Viewed As Diminishing The Importance Of Anakin Skywalker & Breaking Canon
The newest and most recently divisive entry in theStar Warsfranchise has been the subject of much discussion online of late. Though it has already been canceled after one season,The Acolyteshows the sort of new corners that theStar Warsseries could explore, pieces that fans have wanted to see from the Legends side of the Universe for years, especially with the concepts surrounding flawed Jedi and of course, Darth Plagueis.
Set at the end of the High Republic era, a hundred years beforeThe Phantom Menace,The Acolytefeatureda young former female Jedi Padawanbeing slowly pulled by a fallen Jedi to the dark side, as she unraveled mysteries about a coven of witches she used to live with, potential corruptions within the Jedi Order and her twin sister. Though the series has been canceled, more fans are giving the show a chance now that it has been fully released and the vitriolic hatred of certain elements online has died down, allowing those to experience a new Sith, an epic scale of fights, but also a story that doesn’t conclude where it should.
1Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker
The Sudden Reappearance Of Palpatine & Changes In Direction Weren’t Well-Received
The most recentStar Warsfilm to date,The Rise of Skywalker, finished the sequel trilogy that has received a lot of attention from all sides of theStar Warsfandom. J.J. Abrams took over from Colin Trevorrow in a completely revamped finale in both story and tone, and there are story elements that undoubtedly weren’t part of the plan from the beginning of the trilogy, such as Palpatine’s return.
While these elements turned many fans off, there are still a number that defends the film on the basis of it managing to wrap up the entire Skywalker lineage’s story, allowing theStar Warsfranchise to move on to other characters, which it has done since through the Disney Plus projects. Rey, Finn, and Poe made for strong leads, and the story of Kylo Ren finished unraveling with a satisfying redemption and tragic romance, ending many mysteries and questions about theStar Warsfilms for many pleased fans.Star Warsmeans so much to so many people, it has spanned several generations already and every project has those who love it and those who emphatically do not.
