The sequel trilogy of Star Wars has been a source of debate ever since The Last Jedi hit theaters.
Many place the blame for the trilogy’s downfall on Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi, calling it divisive and accusing it of ruining plotlines established in The Force Awakens.
But is that really fair? While The Last Jedi definitely took risks that didn’t sit well with everyone, I really think the issue with the sequel trilogy started with The Force Awakens.
Let’s break it down.
Table of Contents
1. The Force Awakens Played It Too Safe
J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens was a calculated move to reintroduce Star Wars after the prequel trilogy.
But here’s the problem: it leaned too heavily on nostalgia. It felt more like a remix of A New Hope than a fresh start.
We had a young, desert-dwelling protagonist (Rey), a droid carrying secret information (BB-8), and a giant planet-destroying weapon (Starkiller Base).
Abrams was playing it safe, too safe. Fans hoped for something new, but what we got was a repackaged version of the original trilogy.
This choice to recycle plot points left the trilogy on shaky ground right from the start. The world-building felt half-hearted.
We weren’t given much information about the political landscape or the First Order’s rise to power.
It wasn’t clear what the stakes were, and this lack of depth ultimately weakened the foundation for the rest of the trilogy.
2. Lack of Cohesive Vision
One of the biggest issues with the sequel trilogy was the lack of an overarching plan.
Unlike George Lucas’ original trilogy, which had a clear direction, the sequel trilogy was like a relay race where each director had their own vision.
Abrams handed the baton to Rian Johnson without a cohesive narrative roadmap, leading to a lot of friction in the story.
The Last Jedi took the story in a new direction, which frustrated some fans, but the real problem was that no one at Lucasfilm had plotted the entire trilogy before they started filming.
The responsibility for this mess can’t be placed solely on The Last Jedi.
If anything, the blame should be shared equally between the directors and the studio for failing to craft a consistent narrative.
J.J. Abrams set up a mystery box in The Force Awakens without knowing how it would be resolved, which left Johnson and then Abrams himself scrambling to piece things together by the time The Rise of Skywalker rolled around.
3. The Resetting of the Status Quo
One of the more frustrating choices in The Force Awakens was the decision to reset the status quo.
Instead of building on the victory of the original trilogy, the story reverted back to a familiar dynamic: the Resistance versus the First Order.
The New Republic, which had been set up as a new governing body, was wiped out in the blink of an eye.
Suddenly, we were back to square one, with a small group of rebels fighting a powerful empire-like organization.
This felt like a step backward. It was as if everything Luke, Leia, and Han fought for in the original trilogy didn’t matter anymore.
The First Order was essentially the Empire 2.0 but with little explanation of how they came to be so powerful.
This decision limited the potential for the sequels to explore new, exciting dynamics and conflicts, locking the trilogy into a rehash of the same old battle between good and evil.
4. Finn’s Wasted Potential
Remember how cool Finn’s character was in The Force Awakens? A stormtrooper who defects and joins the Resistance, that was an intriguing concept!
But after his introduction, Finn’s character arc went nowhere. He was sidelined in both The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, never getting the development he deserved.
Finn could have led a stormtrooper rebellion or even become a Jedi, but instead, he was relegated to side quests and comic relief.
This wasted potential wasn’t Rian Johnson’s fault alone. Finn’s character didn’t have a clear direction from the start.
Abrams introduced him with an exciting premise but failed to give him the narrative arc he deserved, which continued through the rest of the trilogy.
5. Unresolved Plot Threads
Abrams is known for his “mystery box” style of storytelling, and The Force Awakens was full of mysteries: Who were Rey’s parents? What was the deal with the Knights of Ren? What was Finn’s true purpose?
These questions were intriguing but came with one major flaw – there was no plan to resolve them.
When The Last Jedi tried to subvert expectations by revealing that Rey’s parents were nobodies, fans felt cheated.
But the real issue was that these mysteries were set up without clear answers in mind.
Abrams handed these unresolved plotlines to Johnson, who had the freedom to do whatever he wanted with them, and by the time we got to The Rise of Skywalker, the trilogy was left scrambling to tie up loose ends.
6. Han, Luke, and Leia Were Never Reunited
This is the one that really stings for longtime fans. Despite all the nostalgia The Force Awakens leaned into, it missed the opportunity to reunite the iconic trio – Han, Luke, and Leia – on screen.
We never got that one final moment between these beloved characters. By killing off Han Solo in The Force Awakens, Abrams shut the door on that possibility, and the trilogy suffered for it.
That emotional reunion, even just for one scene, could have anchored the sequel trilogy and given fans the closure they craved.
Instead, the trilogy left many feeling like the legacy characters were underutilized and sidelined in favor of newer, less compelling characters.
7. Rushed Production Timeline
Disney’s decision to release each sequel two years apart put immense pressure on the directors and writers to churn out content quickly.
This led to a rushed production timeline, which negatively impacted the quality of the films.
The lack of time to properly develop the story and characters led to a disjointed narrative that couldn’t satisfy fans’ expectations.
If the studio had allowed more time for planning and execution, perhaps the sequel trilogy could have been more cohesive.
But instead, the hurried schedule left little room for creativity or careful storytelling, and the trilogy suffered as a result.
Conclusion: The Force Awakens Set the Trilogy on a Weak Foundation
While The Last Jedi certainly made some bold and controversial choices, it wasn’t the film that derailed the sequel trilogy.
That dubious honor belongs to The Force Awakens.
By playing it too safe, resetting the status quo, and failing to establish a cohesive plan, J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens set the sequel trilogy on a weak foundation that was destined to crumble.
If the trilogy had been mapped out from the beginning with a clearer vision, perhaps we’d be having a very different conversation about the Star Wars sequels today.
So, next time someone complains about The Last Jedi, remind them that The Force Awakens was where things really started to go wrong.