No, Star Wars Is Not Going To Erase the Sequel Trilogy (Stop Believing YouTube Ragebait)

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Obi-Wan Kenobi’s description of “a disturbance in the Force” feels very fitting for what’s happening within the Star Wars fan community right now. The latest wave of discussion began on social media, with fans petitioning Disney to disregard the sequel trilogy and instead create movies based on Timothy Zahn’s popular Thrawn novels. Star Wars content creators quickly picked up on this, with some, like Geeks and Gamers, claiming insider information that the Ahsoka series (or future seasons) will essentially retcon the sequels out of existence.

The Star Wars community on YouTube can be a difficult space. While some channels, like Star Wars Explained and SW Centralized, offer thoughtful and constructive criticism, others seem to prioritize generating outrage to gain views. This trend reached a ridiculous point with the recent show The Acolyte, when a minor inconsistency regarding the age of the character Ki-Adi Mundi became a major controversy. Ironically, this inconsistency stemmed from a detail on a 1999 DVD-ROM that even George Lucas had previously disregarded when he altered Mace Windu’s lightsaber color. This new claim, reportedly from an unnamed source, follows the same pattern.

We’ve Heard This Star Wars Story Before

The concept of completely restarting a fictional universe, or a “canon reset,” isn’t new. Disney did this with Star Wars after acquiring Lucasfilm in 2012, discarding the previous Expanded Universe stories. However, some Star Wars fans speculated Disney might go even further. They believed Disney would remove the prequel trilogy – which proved divisive – from official canon. They cited the cancellation of The Clone Wars animated series and The Force Awakens‘ heavy reliance on characters and themes from the original Star Wars films as potential evidence for this idea.

Initially, Disney appeared hesitant about what to do with the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and The Force Awakens deliberately moved away from its visual style and designs, favoring the original trilogy. However, over the past decade, the idea of ignoring the prequels hasn’t held up well. Characters like Darth Maul have returned in Star Wars Rebels and even had his own film, the Mandalorian era is filled with nods to the prequels, and we’ve seen the welcome return of actors like Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor. Ahsoka, a key character from Anakin’s Clone Wars days, is now more prominent than ever. Instead of dismissing the prequels, Disney has begun to fully incorporate them into the Star Wars universe.

As George Lucas might say, the Star Wars fan community often repeats itself. Now, there’s a debate about Disney potentially removing the sequel trilogy, echoing past arguments about the prequels. However, Disney actually seems to be leaning in the opposite direction – they want to include the sequels, not erase them.

Star Wars is Fixing the Sequel Trilogy’s Problems

The Star Wars sequels definitely sparked a lot of debate among fans. However, when you look at the box office numbers, it’s clear they weren’t flops. The Force Awakens was a huge cultural moment, bringing Star Wars back to the big screen and earning over $2 billion worldwide – making it one of the top ten highest-grossing movies ever. While subsequent films didn’t reach that level, the entire trilogy collectively earned over $4.4 billion, with all three movies ranking among the top 50 highest-grossing films of all time. From a business perspective, for a company like Disney, that’s a clear success.

I’ll admit, I’m not a big fan of the Star Wars sequels. I think the explanation for Palpatine’s return was poorly written, and the trilogy felt inconsistent and directionless. However, my personal opinion doesn’t change the fact that those films were successful. What really struck me was seeing the enthusiasm for them in person at Star Wars Celebration 2023. Rey was the most popular cosplay, and the crowd went wild when Daisy Ridley announced she’d be returning for a new movie about the Jedi.

Instead of ignoring what happened after the original films, Star Wars has been actively working to weave the newer stories into the existing timeline. For example, Adam Christopher’s Shadow of the Sith explores the history of Rey’s parents, and Madeleine Roux’s upcoming novel, Legacy, fills in the gap between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. On television, The Bad Batch subtly laid the groundwork for future stories by focusing on cloning experiments—the mysterious reason behind Palpatine’s return. Similarly, The Mandalorian revealed that Grogu was specifically sought after because his unique genetic makeup could be used to create more Force-sensitive clones, further setting up future storylines.

As a huge Star Wars fan, I’ve been really intrigued by the last couple of developments. They happened while Dave Filoni was running the show with the TV series, which makes how they connect to future stories feel extra significant – and honestly, a bit of a surprise! He was deeply involved in The Mandalorian and Grogu, where we got a glimpse of a potential sequel trilogy storyline with the Anzellans. Now that Filoni’s a co-president at Lucasfilm, it’s frustrating to see some YouTubers claiming he dislikes the sequel films. Everything points to the opposite, really!

Star Wars is Doubling Down on the Sequels

Ten years ago, Disney struggled to figure out how to best utilize the prequel films. That same pattern appears to be happening with the sequels; Star Wars hasn’t moved past The Rise of Skywalker, and a new movie about Rey’s Jedi Order—originally announced to great excitement in 2023—remains stuck in development. However, next year’s film, Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy, represents a clear fresh start for the franchise, timed to coincide with Star Wars’ 50th anniversary. It’s set five years after the events of the sequel trilogy, offering a first look at the galaxy following Palpatine’s defeat and the fall of the First Order.

Other Star Wars stories are also starting to explore this period in the timeline. Cavan Scott’s audio drama, The Jaws of Jakku, was the first significant story about Rey after The Rise of Skywalker, and it will be followed by Legacy by Roux in July. Kwame Mbalia recently entered the Star Wars universe with The Last Order, which, despite being promoted as a story set after The Rise of Skywalker, is actually a look into Finn’s past. This kind of attention to these characters suggests the studio isn’t planning to abandon this part of the franchise, which has generated billions of dollars.

Honestly, most YouTubers and those who create sensational content know their predictions are untrue. These claims always come from unnamed sources, and they often add phrases like “If true” to protect themselves if the rumors turn out to be false. The reality is these rumors have no basis in fact. They’re simply meant to get a reaction and attract views on YouTube. Rest assured, Star Wars isn’t planning to remove the sequel trilogy from its official story.

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2026-05-05 19:45