The REAL Problem With the Sequels That No One Ever Brings Up

Can you believe that the Star Wars sequel trilogy was laden with problems?

While fans and critics have pointed to several missteps in the sequel trilogy, like bland lightsaber duels, the presence of the Starkiller Base, and emphasis on nostalgia, there are at least five problems that have not been addressed.

You may have thought about or even heard fans talking about some of the issues we outline below. But when discussed in greater depth, you will see that there are more obscure problems with the trilogy’s storylines, characters, and themes. Let’s explore them.

1 – Issues with The Rise of Skywalker’s Storylines

The biggest problem with the Star Wars sequel trilogy that no one ever brings up are storylines from The Rise of Skywalker. The storylines didn’t have the same arc as the original and prequel trilogies.

The sequels also fell short in terms of location settings, narratives, and even tropes.

Per the following Reddit thread, The Rise of Skywalker was initially supposed to be called Duel of the Fates, yet the storyline was scrapped.

In the proposed flick, Rey was to achieve a more perfect balance with the light and dark sides of the Force. This approach would have symbolized what it meant to be human, as all people have light and dark within them.

Rey harnessing both sides of the Force was something the Jedi, Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, and Ben Solo fell short on. They either harnessed one while keeping the other at bay, or they went from one extreme to the other, like Anakin and Solo.

Finn was supposed to have a more prominent role that involved him taking center stage during an uprising. Luke was also intended to play a larger part as a Force ghost, while Rey’s climactic scene was to take place on Mortis instead of Exegol.

As you can see, there was going to be more stock put into the arcs with the proposed storyline, with Rey embracing both sides of the Force, plus expanded arcs for supporting characters like Finn. But unfortunately, it never came to fruition.

2 – Promising, but Underutilized Characters and Locations

The Sequel Trilogy gave us an array of newer characters, but their overall arcs and screen time weren’t up to par. Characters like Poe and Finn, for example, had so much potential, but instead of giving them proper arcs and screen time, we still had too much focus on the older characters.

We’ve seen plenty of critics talk about their arcs as the above link points out, so we won’t rehash what’s already out there in this article. But the way the producers and writers underused them deserves attention.

Take Finn, who drew interest when he deserted the stormtroopers. That dramatic exit set the stage for what should have become an unforgettable storyline. It even could have given us more insights into the First Order, but instead, it fell flat.

Then they decided to introduce new places, like Exegol. But the trilogy didn’t explore them in detail. Canto Bight is another setting that drew interest.

This was the capital city of Cantonica, containing a by-the-sea setting coupled with racetracks and casinos. But it also had a dark side, since war profiteers regularly visited the city along with gamblers and tourists.

And given the way it was a location for the galaxy’s wealthiest inhabitants, it could have shown us how socioeconomic systems worked in the galaxy. This theme had potential, but yet again, it wasn’t fully explored.

3 – Inconsistent Narratives

The sequel trilogy’s world-building and overall narratives are inconsistent on many levels. When you watch the original and prequel trilogies, you are introduced to elements like new worlds, different species of beings, political structures, and technological systems.

Both trilogies continually expanded these structures and paid excellent attention to detail. And while the sequel trilogy also introduced us to a few new elements, they remained underdeveloped.

Let’s look at the political structures as an example, which the prequel and original trilogies nailed.

In the prequel trilogy, we saw the political turmoil develop step-by-step, from the time the Trade Federation instigated its blockade on Naboo to when Palpatine declared himself Emperor 13 years later.

We also gained insight during the original trilogy. We saw Darth Vader, the stormtroopers, and what life was like under the Galactic Empire.

Stormtroopers were present everywhere, monitoring each citizen’s behavior. And we saw a show of force when the Death Star destroyed Leia Organa’s home planet Alderaan.

This gave us insight into the totalitarianism that the galaxy dealt with under imperial rule. Later, we met the Emperor, and in Return of the Jedi, discovered how powerful and corrupt he was.

The sequel trilogy left us with more questions than answers regarding the New Republic, the Resistance, and the First Order. Even after three films, we’re still left in the dark.

4 – The Force Awakens’ Storylines

We’ve heard about how The Force Awakens was too much like A New Hope. For example, we saw a regular girl with Force sensitivity that happened to be related to a primary antagonist, the Emperor.

Hence, another character in the Skywalker lineage embraced the dark side in a similar way as Anakin. Ben Solo lost trust in the Jedi, or to put it more accurately, his Uncle Luke.

He also destroyed the new Jedi temple, and though he didn’t know it, Ben acted on Palpatine’s orders through the Sith Lord’s proxy, Snoke.

But we’ve seen much less commentary about how Rey had too much going for her than a likable protagonist should. In the best stories, TV shows, and movies, protagonists have sweeping character flaws that organically give them long odds. Rey’s exposition fell short, given her array of instant talents in the Force and mechanics.

Sure, we had a reason to root for Rey since she was a scavenger left to fend for herself on Jakku. But for such a young protagonist, she was far too talented.

The Force Awakens also had hardly any new innovations, a contrast from the prequel and original trilogies, which saw the clone troopers go to the wayside in favor of stormtroopers, and plans for notorious death stars.

Yet in Episode VII, we still saw the stormtroopers, which should have been dated concepts. It’s almost like The Force Awakens and the rest of the trilogy had very few updates and didn’t convince you that 30 years had passed since Return of the Jedi.

5 – Inconsistent Tropes and Themes

Perhaps nothing was a larger problem in the sequel trilogy than the inconsistent themes, but they are barely discussed.

Trope-wise, it’s almost like the sequel trilogy sought to tear down and rebuild those established in the prequel and original trilogies. And wow, was it a disaster.

The sequel trilogy couldn’t even execute such a rebuild, often hitting a bump in the road and attempting to self-correct. Only they were either overcorrected or undercorrected, leading to inconsistencies from The Force Awakens to The Rise of Skywalker.

You can find a phenomenal example of these inconsistencies in The Last Jedi, when we saw the plight to “let the past die,” which contested tried and true hero narratives.

Kylo Ren wanted Rey to keep moving ahead and to rid herself of all previous alliances, friendships she built, or the bloodlines she was born with.

Fast forward to The Rise of Skywalker, and the theme contradicted itself the moment Rey discovered her Sith heritage, leaving the message in The Last Jedi null. While she ultimately “let the past die,” Rey also contemplated embracing the dark side.

Sion Fawkes

Sion Fawkes has been covering Star Wars since January 2022, expanding his expertise in Star Wars Canon, Legends, and MCU. When not writing, you can find Sion in the gym or running trails. He also likes watching sports and listening to audiobooks.