When you think of Star Wars, you quickly think of Jedi, Sith, and the Force. However, this is exactly the problem, argues MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes. The new movies and series must do without the most well-known aspect of the saga to become interesting again.
What is the current status of Star Wars? Star Wars has one of the largest fan bases in the film landscape. Since 1977, the series has gathered fans with various movies, series, comics, and many other media forms. Nowadays, however, the excitement is not as great as it used to be.
New series like Star Wars: The Acolyte are not well received by many fans. And this, despite the fact that the series deals a lot with Jedi, Sith, and the mythology behind them. One might think the problem lies in the execution, but I am convinced that the issue is with the concept of Jedi and Sith itself.
The Jedi have become a problem
Why should Jedi and Sith be the problem? In the first trilogy of Star Wars, Jedi and Sith were a mystical concept. This order didn’t really exist anymore. They were legends. Little was said about the background of these orders. The story was simple. Luke is the hero and must not succumb to the dark side.
Of course, before the next movies, books, games, and comics were released that expanded the mythology. Star Wars Legends full of disastrous monsters and difficult family situations were never canon. They were nice stories that fans could read through.
The prequel trilogy gave the Jedi significantly more background. More characters were established, as well as a larger mythology and importance for the world of Star Wars. However, this creates a small problem: The magic of the Jedi is taken away because they have become less legendary and more political.
But as more rules and backgrounds are established, the harder it is to tell something new with the Jedi and Sith. One must concentrate on individual figures, and this is where Star Wars from Disney often fails. Many characters seem like copies of old heroes, and new lore entries
are unsatisfactory, as they do not fit with what one believes.
Ironically, a game has done the best in recent years. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has chosen a good approach. With Cal Kestis, there is an interesting main character who only has a peripheral connection to the Jedi. He finds his own way.
Star Wars has more potential than that
If you look at which modern movies and series are popular in Star Wars, you immediately think of The Mandalorian, Rogue One, or Andor. These are all stories that only have a limited connection to the Jedi. It is still Star Wars, but it makes use of the great potential.
Star Wars offers so much more than the battle between Jedi and Sith. So many characters, peoples, and planets have been introduced on the sidelines that are all worth telling stories about.
Also, Star Wars: Visions is a great example in my opinion. Here, canon does not matter. Talented filmmakers are allowed to do what they want. Samurai Jedi didn’t exist? That’s okay, because it doesn’t have to fit into the timeline of the films. Even if an idea isn’t good, it doesn’t change the entire universe.
All the big franchises have the problem that they take themselves too seriously. They want to create a large interconnected world, yet stories live from unique characters and not from new wiki entries. The individual idea should take center stage, not the given blueprint.
What is my proposed solution? I believe that many of the problems, whether they are blueprints or fixed rules, can be solved by temporarily ignoring the Jedi and Sith. They shouldn’t completely disappear, but there is so much more to tell. Star Wars should experiment more, maybe even become silly or super scary.
And yes, the Jedi and Sith are cool. I mean, who doesn’t love lightsaber battles? But one should choose strong and exciting characters and not try, as in The Acolyte, to tell an entire era with complex connections. Star Wars was also originally a simple, but likable story. Marvel is also not great at satisfactorily handling all characters: I still cannot forgive Marvel after 16 years for how they wasted one of the most exciting heroes
