10 Shocking Star Wars Franchise Mistakes Fans Can’t Stop Talking About

Since 1977, Star Wars has pioneered science fiction and fantasy blockbuster movies, creating enduring cultural symbols such as Jedi and the Force. It presents an epic space saga set in a distant galaxy, making it one of the most successful and timeless franchises ever made. However, despite its legendary standing, there remain criticisms within the franchise that persist even today.

The Star Wars series has experienced periods of greatness and mediocrity. At its finest, it showcases exceptional special and practical effects, intricate world development, and grand storytelling. On the other hand, at its weakest, it can slide into B-movie quality, marked by questionable creative choices and ambitions that may have been too lofty for their own sake. Under Disney’s management, the series has demonstrated that even with hefty budgets, mistakes can still occur.

Star Wars Forgot That Not Everything Needs An Explanation

Initially, when fans only had the original Star Wars trilogy to go by, they could only make assumptions about how the Force functioned, with some believing it was passed down through bloodlines and others thinking it was purely random. However, in 1999, George Lucas clarified this mystery by introducing midi-chlorians – microscopic organisms that determine who has the ability to use the Force. Although many found this concept intriguing, it serves as a good reminder of how excessive exposition can sometimes be detrimental rather than helpful.

Introducing midi-chlorians into Star Wars lore made the mystical aspect of the series seem too analytically explained, suggesting that there are certain elements which are more captivating when left shrouded in mystery. The allure of the Force lay in its implication that any character within the universe had the potential to be a Jedi. By presenting it as a near-genetic trait, its charm and vast potentialities were diminished.

The Special is the Worst Star Wars Has Ever Been

1978 saw the creation of a film, intended as a bridge between “A New Hope” and the production of “Empire Strikes Back”. Fans longed for something akin to the less action-packed scenes from the ’77 movie. Instead, what they received felt like an amateurish TV movie, using Halloween costumes to reenact their beloved franchise moments.

Switching up the narrative slightly: Following the extraordinary visual effects of Star Wars: A New Hope, the drop in quality between it and The Star Wars Holiday Special was truly monumental – one of the most significant decreases in production value a franchise has ever experienced. However, the sole saving grace of this special is arguably the animated segment that introduced Boba Fett, which kickstarted a successful toy line and increased anticipation for Empire Strikes Back. Despite its notoriety as a terrible production, even die-hard Star Wars enthusiasts are usually content to overlook it.

Some Of Lucas’ Worst Decisions Happened in the Re-Edits

Between the 1990s and 2000s, George Lucas re-explored his initial trilogy by making a sequence of alterations. While some modifications made perfect sense, such as the improved ending theme in Return of the Jedi or incorporating Boba Fett into A New Hope, they significantly enhanced the viewing experience. However, certain changes were so questionable that they almost marred their respective scenes.

It’s challenging to find a blunder among George Lucas’ many film edits more regrettable than his choice to insert “No!” in the Sith Lord’s redemption scene during Vader’s rescue of Luke, as it detracts from the original impact of the moment. As the classic versions of the movie become scarce in the digital era, Disney’s preference for the edited versions of the films leaves fans wanting more. Most edits were acceptable, but removing Vader’s silent redemption diminishes one of Star Wars’ most powerful emotional experiences.

The Book of Boba Fett Underwhelmed One of the Coolest Star Wars Characters

From the memorable debut in The Empire Strikes Back onwards, Boba Fett has been a highly valued character across the entire Star Wars universe, primarily due to the intrigue surrounding his persona. However, this enigma was somewhat diminished when George Lucas revealed that he was a clone of Jango Fett, a bounty hunter who killed Jedis. Post-Lucas and even after Disney took over, the Star Wars franchise has faced challenges in effectively utilizing Boba Fett as an antagonist.

Before the disappointing box office performance of “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” there was a highly anticipated project that fans looked forward to – a James Mangold-directed Boba Fett movie. However, when Solo didn’t meet expectations, several projects were canceled, and Fett ended up being incorporated into The Mandalorian series instead. Eventually, he even got his own spin-off series, but this too was seen as unrealized potential. When Mando took center stage in Fett’s show, it showed that the creators themselves weren’t certain about how to make Fett shine independently. Characters like Boba Fett were believed to be surefire successes, yet LucasFilm seemed to have missed the mark with his potential development.

No Amount Of Nostalgia Makes Him Good

Over time, fondness for the prequel trilogy has swelled nearly equal to that of the originals, boosting the overall franchise. However, a character designed by Lucas for comic relief and species exploration inadvertently became the symbol of what’s wrong with the prequels. Though an impressive showcase of 1990s CGI, the Gungan was frequently portrayed as extremely unintelligent and clumsy, which seemed almost offensive to even the youngest viewers.

Although Dave Filoni crafted funnier moments for Jar Jar in “The Clone Wars,” his presence still disrupted otherwise excellent episodes, such as “Supply Lines.” Ultimately, portraying him as the one who would eventually hand over ultimate power to Palpatine only fueled viewer’s dissatisfaction. In fact, Jar Jar’s awkwardness and poor judgment have become so notoriously bad that fans have even come up with a theory suggesting he must be a Sith Lord to explain just how truly terrible he was.

Nobody Likes Seeing The Brother And Sister Kiss

In “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi,” George Lucas introduced an amusing and peculiar oversight in the Star Wars trilogy. The scene where Leia kisses Luke is humorous because they later discover they are siblings, a revelation that comes in the next film. It’s unclear how thoroughly planned the trilogy was, but this inconsistency suggests some details for “Episode VI” might have been written after “Episode V.” With time passing and almost everyone being aware of the twist, the scene grows increasingly awkward as it is rewatched.

It could be argued that fans might wonder if George Lucas had a comprehensive plan for the entire trilogy or simply wrote each story as it developed due to the unexpected kiss between Luke and Leia. If he had already written both Episodes V and VI simultaneously, such an unexpected scene would likely not have been included. Today’s audience finds this moment rather unusual. Whether it was the revelation of their sibling relationship or the kiss itself, these elements, when considered together, are one of the aspects of the original trilogy that seem less appealing as time passes.

Finn, Rey and Poe Were Under-Developed Compared to Their Predecessors

When viewers caught a glimpse of fresh heroic figures in the trailer for The Force Awakens, there was widespread anticipation about how their tales would unfold. From Finn brandishing a lightsaber to Rey mastering the Force, it seemed we were on the brink of a new wave of Jedi shaping the galaxy’s future. However, as certain aspects of the initial movie’s advertising turned out to be inaccurate, characters like Finn saw their significance and central role gradually decrease as the trilogy continued. Consequently, fans found themselves disappointed, as the abundance of both legacy and new characters overshadowed opportunities for meaningful character development.

It appears that Disney made mistakes in various aspects of the new Star Wars characters. For instance, the marketing may have misled fans by suggesting Finn could become a Jedi, and the sudden death of Snoke left the trilogy without a clear antagonist. Furthermore, the intriguing details and potential of these new characters were either underdeveloped or turned on their heads, which left many fans feeling that the sequels lacked originality. Instead, they hoped for fresh ideas from Disney to breathe new life into the franchise, not just more nostalgic references.

The Line Sums Up The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

When Rian Johnson deviated from JJ Abrams’ original plan for the Star Wars trilogy script, fans had a range of reactions. This uncertainty also affected LucasFilm, leading to Colin Trevorrow leaving the third movie, with Abrams returning to write and direct The Rise of Skywalker. The resulting saga felt disjointed, causing many to view the final film as more about exploiting nostalgia than delivering a heartfelt ending. This was evident from the start, with Palpatine’s laugh in the trailer, and fans were particularly skeptical about the line “somehow, Palpatine returned.“.

The film’s use of cloning and Palpatine’s return being vaguely explained as “he somehow returned” led many viewers to feel that the sequels were hastily written, lacking originality, and overly reliant on reusing past ideas. This has become a running joke among fans, similar to “Martha!” in Batman V. Superman, rather than a meaningful moment for the franchise. Essentially, it suggests that Disney is hesitant to explore fresh directions for the series, instead opting to frequently resurrect characters created by George Lucas in a less-than-convincing manner.

Disney Should Have Used Star Wars Lore

After seizing ownership, they acquired authority over the Expanded Universe – a collection of multimedia ventures delving deeper into the distant galaxy. As fans eagerly watched, the communications emanating from Disney were less than clear. Although these stories were never considered canonical under Lucas, some elements found their way into the ongoing narrative nonetheless, including the Battle of Kamino and the recurrence of various heroes and adversaries.

Disney’s argument is that with the EU being vast and multifaceted, maintaining consistency in storytelling can be challenging, leading to some discrepancies. It would have been difficult to include every aspect of it, given its complexity. However, by largely dismissing these stories and characters, except for a select few, they’ve left fans feeling disconnected. For many years, these stories were the essence of their Disney experience, and the refusal to create films based on them has squandered potential opportunities. Additionally, not producing an EU or ‘What If’-style animated series based on the comics is a missed chance for revenue generation.

Han, Luke and Leia Deserved One Last Adventure

In 2015, when Star Wars made its comeback, fans were eagerly awaiting the chance to see Han, Luke, and Leia reunited. As they watched The Force Awakens, seeing Han and Leia together and hearing about the search for Luke only increased their excitement. But their joy was short-lived when they had to witness Kylo Ren killing Han Solo, effectively ending any hope of seeing all three characters together again. All fans asked for was a brief moment where these iconic characters could shine once more in the sequels.

In a nutshell, despite the great anticipation surrounding the sequel trilogy, bringing Han, Luke, and Leia back together on screen would have been greatly appreciated by fans, regardless of the plotline. However, the untimely demise of Han, Luke’s transformation into a recluse, and the unfortunate passing of Carrie Fisher meant that the last time we saw all three original heroes together was in 1983’s Return of the Jedi. Although the creators endeavored to provide more interactions between these characters, such as the training flashback scene featuring Luke and Leia, it didn’t quite live up to what Star Wars fans were hoping for.

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2025-05-01 00:25