Opinion: Star Wars fans hate Star Wars the most

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Photos by Cristian Orellana/The Maroon and NASA. Photo illustration by Andrew Lang.

Cristo Dulom

Growing up with the prequel “Star Wars” movies, the sequels and all the side story movies, I’ve come to realize that after every single one, “Star Wars” fans strike back.

Whether it be a complaint of the movie being too much like the much-beloved original trilogy, being too different or having too much fan service, the fan base is never pleased. They have consistently found a reason to hate on every movie released since “Return of the Jedi.”

The younger generations seem to be bored by the original trilogy because they don’t look as cool or because they lack the more modern action that the newer films have. The older generation seems to be caught in the stereotypical mindset of believing anything except the original is bad. The middle generation that grew up with the prequel trilogy either leans to a preference in the original or sequel trilogy, or has an appreciation for all three in some capacity. Of course, there are outliers in this assessment, but I’ve seen this to be true.

What really throws a wrench into this is the fact that “The Mandalorian” has been so well received. Why would “Star Wars” fans like a show based in the universe that has the tone of a space western versus a space opera? It’s such a drastic change that I would’ve expected a reception similar to that of “The Last Jedi.”

This is further complicated by the fact that the series has a force-sensitive character and ended on the bombshell introduction of the Darksaber into live-action, an element stemming from the cartoon series.

These heavy ties to the main series contradict the poor reception the prequel and sequel trilogy have received by fans. If they like fundamental change in the universe, then why not enjoy the other trilogies? The other episodes simply take the essence of the original trilogy and elaborate on it.

If you are excited for change in the “Star Wars” universe and elaboration into deeper parts of the extensive lore, but complain when you get it, what do you ACTUALLY want?

I’m convinced that fans are hell-bent on saying that anything but the “Star Wars” trilogy they grew up with is bad.

But here’s the deal: “Star Wars” is SO much more than what YOU want it to be.

It is a story that has been evolving for over 40 years and touched by many varying artistic mindsets. Of course it’s going to change. I would be disappointed in the series if there was no development.

If you are willing to look past bad acting, Stormtroopers always missing, cheesy social statements and your own expectations of the series, you can find that it has a lot more to offer than what appears on the surface.

Here’s a conversation that the “Star Wars” fan base is not ready for: the Jedi and Sith traditions are heavily based in that of Buddhist and Vedic traditions. If you REALLY look into the series and see what it is offering, you can find intense theological debates, classic themes that run all throughout literature and a deeper story that is greatly overlooked by the fan base.

This simply boils down to the fact that people aren’t willing to see change to the things they’ve grown up with. I’ve heard many a time the groans and sighs of people when they hear about the next movie that’s going to be remade from their childhood. Yeah, and a lot of the times, I feel the same way.

But with “Star Wars,” we’re getting so much more than a remake. It’s the conclusion of a whole story. Say what you think about the sequel trilogy not needing to happen, but we come back to the point that it’s not your story.

There’s two points here for “Star Wars” fans. First, you probably need to chill out and simply enjoy the nostalgia ride. The series can be really surface level if you want it to be. Second, if you want to dig into the story and get invested in it, don’t be selective. “Star Wars” is the series for you to either enjoy the show or dig deep into it, and there’s no room for someone that’s in-between just complaining to complain.