How The Sequel Trilogy Can Be Improved By the Disney+ Shows

Star Wars was no stranger to ridicule and vitriol from the audience, but the sequel trilogy probably received the most hate among other canonical content. Even the prequel trilogy, Jar Jar Binks, and "I don’t like sand" did not receive the amount (or perhaps the volume) of anger from the fanbase. Part of the reason that the prequels were often regarded as a tier above the sequel films by many fans could very well be due to the excellent additional content surrounding that era— from comics, to novels, video games, and visual dictionaries. The Clone Wars animated series improved the prequel trilogy like no other content. With the great Tom Kane’s episode introduction in the style of a WWII newsreel, and the various characters of Jedi and clones alike developed over seven seasons, the show brought a fresh and vibrant feel to the first three movies of the saga. A similar treatment to the sequels would help tie storylines together, deepen the impact of characters and events, and create a more cohesive and rewarding experience for Star Wars fans. Here are the ways that the Disney+ shows could improve the much maligned Sequel Trilogy.

The First Order would have required a large amount of resources and coordination to become the military force in the galaxy that we see in The Force Awakens. With the introduction of Thrawn in Rebels and the apparent continuation of his story in the upcoming Ahsoka show, the Grand Admiral would be an excellent source for the might of the First Order. The Chiss Imperial Loyalist would not not only have the military strength to obtain ships and soldiers, but also the strategic wherewithal to avoid New Republic patrols and build up the Seventh Fleet. If the Ahsoka show were to detail the movements of the Imperial Remnant after the Battle of Endor, it could help explain how Imperial loyalists had escaped into the Unknown Regions. We saw a small part of this during The Mandalorian with the mining operation on Morak where the Empire was still attempting to consolidate power and increase their cache of resources after the defeat of their emperor. This would also be a great opportunity to introduce Admiral Rae Sloane onscreen as an ally of Thrawn, seeking to rebuild the Empire remnants in the Unknown Regions into the First Order. The tenacious and intelligent Sloane would be a worthy co-leader of the shattered Imperial Navy alongside Thrawn.

One of the most interesting parts of The Rise of Skywalker was the implication of Lando's activities after the events of Return of the Jedi. His off-screen escapades with Luke appeared to have included hunting down and capturing Sith artifacts and zealots, and stopping slaving and smuggling in the freshly formed New Republic. While it made sense for the directors to choose to focus on the next generation of heroes like Rey, Finn, and Poe, many fans were frustrated that the original characters were not more prominent in the sequels. An action-adventure series in the style of Rebels or Bad Batch focusing on the crew of the Millennium Falcon would give Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, and Lando a chance to pad their legacy and set up events leading up to the sequel trilogy. If this show were to lay the groundwork for Palpatine's return, his sudden reappearance and revealed puppetry of Snoke would feel more real. After all, in Legends, Luke spent several years after the Battle of Endor hunting clones of Palpatine and dismantling the Emperor’s contingencies against his spiritual demise. This would also be an opportunity to explore Ben Solo before his fall to the dark side, and perhaps saw his early interactions with Snoke, aka. Palpatine.

Two of the biggest complaints about the sequel trilogy were its lack of classic aliens, such as Twi'leks, Togrutas, Gotals, and Zabraks as well as the missed opportunity to introduce several new Jedi who were trained by Luke Skywalker himself. As Star Wars will eventually need to press on into new timelines, including the future after the sequels, a series following the rebuilding of the Jedi Order would be a fine addition to the Disney+ collection. An idea that came up was a new show which would follow Ahsoka and Rey's efforts to rebuild what the Emperor and Kylo Ren destroyed, assuming that Ahsoka survived into the time after the sequel trilogy. Based in a small, rural community instead of a temple, this new Jedi Order would exemplify all the good and just teachings of the Jedi, without the unhealthy, attachment-shirking and emotional stunting of the old Order. This New Order, centered in a village much like Sorgan, would truly be guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. Led by Ahsoka and Rey, with her padawan Finn in tow, the new Jedi would be built off Ahsoka's knowledge of the Force, Rey's gifts in wielding it, the sacred texts introduced in the sequels, and possibly a collection of Master Luke Skywalker's holograms. His legacy as the savior of the Jedi Order will live on.

Written By Weston Erickson

Source(s): Screen Rant

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