Star Wars is one of the most beloved franchises. Or is it? Renewed discussions have pointed to the idea that perhaps Star Wars could be the most hated by its own fans.
Is this true? If so, what explains this hatred? Read on to find out more.
Do Fans Hate Star Wars the Most?
This Star Wars discussion could be viewed as opening Pandora’s box. It brings up how harsh fans have been on George Lucas for the prequels and the current criticism directed at Disney.
We get a variety of viewpoints about how to think about the idea that fans may hate Star Wars more than anyone else.
Does this hatred amount to “melodramatic cries” about ruining the franchise, or is it more about valid criticism from those “who are most invested in it”?
The idea that nobody hates Star Wars more than fans does not have to mean fans actually hate the franchise.
It could mean, as fans have indicated here, that we want to discuss “opinions on the content openly and honestly” whether we “like or dislike” certain shows or movies.
From this perspective, Star Wars fans should feel “free to criticize some writing decisions, acting performance and execution” of different aspects of what is produced.
So, this “hate” could be seen as incisive critiques of media that fans are highly invested in. Then again, fans from the above Reddit discussion also point out “how long this has been going on,” as in “16 years of complaints about the prequels,” and how fan criticism can amount to poor behavior.
The extent and the degree of criticism may provide proof that Star Wars fans hate Star Wars more than anyone.
What we may be talking about then is a “toxicity” that has arisen among Star Wars fans. As this article from earlier this year attests, “viewers have been relentlessly attacking Star Wars performers and creators” for “decades.”
Yet, “the renewed push against TV shows like The Acolyte” reflects “the venom with which a particular set of audience members scrutinize everyone’s favorite galaxy.”
In light of these recent debates and “vitriol,” we find evidence that many diehard fans do hate the franchise by this point.
What Explains the Hatred?
One article from earlier this year pinpoints an exact location for the “countless controversies in Star Wars”– “audience ownership of the franchise.”
That is, Star Wars acquired a significant extent of fan ownership from 1983 to 1991 when it was “essentially dormant.”
It was left to fandom to carry on the galaxy until the launch of Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy in 1991 and Lucas’s Special Editions in 1997. Those updated editions and then the first prequels in 1999 provoked the hatred we see today.
As another discussion indicates, perhaps this “hatred” has to do with the major differences between the films. The Empire Strikes Back, many fans’ most beloved movie, “is night and day to Phantom Menace,” possibly the most hated.
Or, it could be that those most invested are too attached to their ideas about how the franchise “should go” and are upset when the films and shows don’t “match what’s in many fans’ heads.”
And still, the explanation for this hatred may be based on love. As one fan explained several years ago, outspoken fans “love” Star Wars but became “angry that a handful of people took a once in a lifetime opportunity to continue a story we love and just completely dropped the ball.”
So, they “speak up to prevent it from happening again.”
With this insight, we may think of the widespread critiques of The Rise of Skywalker and this “low point” for the franchise.
Or, we may ponder the “legitimate problems” of The Acolyte, outside of debates over diversity and politics. Star Wars fans may be challenging the franchise to do better.
And, the franchise has done better with such series as The Mandalorian, Andor, and The Clone Wars. But, these series reflect some of the range of Star Wars and its creative directions.
Because of that spectrum, the shows and films are not going to appeal to all fans. They could even raise loud complaints and accolades at the same time.
Star Wars Hatred
The nature of Star Wars hatred may have acquired a more visceral tone these days. Yet, this hatred tends to reflect more of a devotion to the franchise than a wish to overthrow it.
The criticism at times is less than constructive, but the ultimate goal seems to be about pushing and prodding a continued trajectory for Star Wars that will inevitably attract, divide, and expand fans of the galaxy.