I Still Like The Force Awakens, but It’s To Blame for Star Wars’ Sequel Trilogy Failure (Not Last Jedi)

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Ten years ago, the Star Wars franchise experienced a major resurgence with the release of The Force Awakens. For a short period at the end of 2015 and beginning of 2016, fans felt a renewed sense of unity and excitement – something that hasn’t been replicated since. J.J. Abrams’ film successfully brought Star Wars back to the big screen after a decade-long hiatus, delivering a hugely popular, though imperfect, experience for both longtime fans and newcomers.

Over time, opinions on the film have become increasingly divided, much like opinions on everything related to Star Wars. Its flaws have become more noticeable with repeated viewings – it’s often criticized for being too similar to the original film. This, combined with the strong disagreements surrounding the sequel trilogy, the controversy over The Last Jedi, and the disappointing conclusion of The Rise of Skywalker, ultimately casts a negative light on the entire work.

It’s perhaps a bit harsh to criticize The Force Awakens. While it’s not a flawless film, it is well-made, excellently cast, and genuinely enjoyable. Crucially, it was exactly what the Star Wars franchise needed after a decade-long break and the mixed reception to the prequels. That still holds up today, making it a fun watch. However, considering the negative reaction to the later sequels began with The Last Jedi, The Force Awakens arguably bears more responsibility for setting that course.

The Force Awakens Set Up The Last Jedi’s Luke Skywalker

Many fans feel Luke Skywalker’s portrayal in the sequel trilogy doesn’t match his character in the original films. They argue the original Luke would never isolate himself while his friends and family faced danger, or even death. While much of the criticism has focused on The Last Jedi, it was actually The Force Awakens that established this new direction. In that film, the Resistance, led by Leia Organa, battles the First Order. Han Solo makes a return, but tragically dies at the hands of his son, Kylo Ren. Meanwhile, Starkiller Base obliterates an entire planet, and Luke Skywalker remains absent and uninvolved.

It doesn’t make sense for Luke Skywalker to suddenly jump back into the fight after choosing to withdraw. The story couldn’t just ignore the fact that he seemed unaware of the First Order’s existence. There needed to be a powerful reason why he didn’t return in The Force Awakens, and J.J. Abrams never explained it. Rian Johnson fixed this by connecting Ben Solo’s turn to the dark side with Luke’s failings as a teacher. This explained Luke’s self-imposed exile, gave his decision weight, and made it meaningful – something the previous film lacked.

The Force Awakens Kept Rey & Snoke As Mystery Boxes

Beyond the issues with Luke Skywalker’s portrayal, many fans disagreed with how The Last Jedi revealed the backstories of Rey and Supreme Leader Snoke. Both characters were the subject of intense speculation before the film came out, but the movie presented them as having surprisingly ordinary origins. This decision proved very controversial and felt connected to the groundwork laid in The Force Awakens.

In The Last Jedi, Rey’s family history could have taken many paths, as it was a deliberately unresolved question. However, The Force Awakens didn’t really build up a strong mystery around it. While a few things hinted at her origins, they didn’t offer many clues. More importantly, the films established that being abandoned by her parents and accepting they weren’t coming back was central to who Rey is as a character.

Ultimately, Rey’s family history isn’t the important part of her story—it’s her decision to forge her own path. As Maz Kanata points out in the film, what she’s looking for lies in her future. It’s not about who she’s related to—whether a Solo, Kenobi, or even a Palpatine—but about her creating her own identity, finding her own chosen family, and discovering a sense of belonging she lacked on Jakku. She was essentially a nobody when The Last Jedi began, and the biggest challenge was helping her believe that she truly was, even as she desperately wanted to matter.

The same holds true for Supreme Leader Snoke. Unlike Rey, who was a well-developed character in The Force Awakens, Snoke was mostly just an enigma. And instead of revealing what was inside that mystery, The Last Jedi abruptly ended his story. However, that unexpected turn was arguably the more compelling narrative choice.

Any significant clues about Snoke should have been introduced in The Force Awakens, even if just partially. Since the film didn’t offer those answers, Snoke ended up being a vague, Palpatine-like villain. Killing him off created a surprising moment, but more importantly, it allowed a much more compelling character – one The Force Awakens had already been developing – to take center stage.

Going Back To The Force Awakens Hurt The Rise of Skywalker

I don’t believe The Last Jedi contradicts or undoes anything established in The Force Awakens. It naturally follows the story and develops the characters, even if the direction taken was unexpected. Disliking the choices made in The Last Jedi is understandable, but it’s not because the film ignores or diminishes what Episode VII accomplished. The Rise of Skywalker, however, is a different story – it’s the low point of the sequel trilogy, and possibly of all Star Wars films.

After the mixed reaction to The Last Jedi, Disney and Lucasfilm seemed to change course, bringing J.J. Abrams back to direct and essentially recreating the feel of The Force Awakens. This led to revisiting plot points like Rey’s family history – now revealing she’s connected to the villainous Palpatine – and retconning Snoke’s origins to also tie back to Palpatine. Luke Skywalker reappears, though as a ghost, and the focus shifts back to a simpler, action-oriented approach – prioritizing defeating the villain above all else.

Okay, let me tell you, this movie really felt like it was desperately trying to walk back a lot of the choices made in The Last Jedi. It seemed determined to recapture the magic of The Force Awakens, and honestly, it just didn’t work. The result was a messy, overstuffed film that felt like it was just trying to please everyone. While we can’t say for sure, I have a strong feeling that if Lucasfilm had just stuck with the direction The Last Jedi started, we’d have ended up with a much tighter and more satisfying trilogy than what we ultimately got.

All Star Wars movies are available to stream on Disney+.

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2025-12-27 17:15