Star Wars Should Continue Past Rise of Skywalker, But Not Focus on Jedi
Star Wars has been about the fight between the Jedi and the Sith since the beginning, but for the franchise to thrive it needs to move on.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker wrapped up Skywalker saga after more than four decades, and the next Star Wars movie should honor that (and allow the franchise's storytelling to evolve) by leaving the Jedi Order behind. The sequel trilogy was rife with issues and conflict, but the universe is ripe for some more storytelling that does more than just retread the well-worn ground of the original Star Wars trilogy. A sequel to Rise of Skywalker without the Jedi could be something truly worthwhile and fascinating.
George Lucas always had high hopes for the Star Wars cinematic universe, though he relinquished his creative control after the prequel trilogy was poorly-received by fans and widely mocked. The much-anticipated sequel series premiered in 2015, with director J.J. Abrams book-ending the trilogy and an installment from Rian Johnson bolstering the middle arch. Despite the divided response from fans, all three films were financially successful, confirming that there is still room in the collective hearts of audiences for Star Wars.
The story of the Star Wars sequel trilogy was not only focused on Rey and her connection to the Skywalker clan, however. The films introduced some truly remarkable characters, most of whom were not Jedi or Skywalkers. Resistance pilot Poe and defected stormtrooper Finn have proven engaging and interesting characters that audiences heavily invested in. Whether a new film follows these characters or not, there is plenty of epic and heroic storytelling to be had without a focus on Rey and the Force. Should there be a sequel or spin-off of the events following the Skywalker Saga, it would be more than possible to create a story that has nothing to do with the Jedi Order.
There have already been successful Star Wars stories outside the realm of the Jedi and the Skywalker family. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story won both critical acclaim and fan approval, earning a whopping $1.055 billion worldwide and proving that Darth Vader can be scariest in very small doses. Other in-universe movies and TV shows like Solo and The Mandalorian introduce Star Wars characters interacting and having adventures with only a tangential connection to the Jedi Order, if any. Scads of books, graphic novels, and fanfiction have emerged throughout the years that expand the Star Wars universe to tell stories about other goings-on in the galaxy. The post-sequel era has yet to be written, and a film focused on this abundant universe without Rey or the Jedi could prove a valuable and interesting next step for Disney to take - especially if they relate the new era to their work at their theme parks.
As part of the Star Wars theme park attraction Galaxy's Edge, Disney invested a great deal in designing a planet setting called Batuu, which makes an appearance in the novel Thrawn: Alliances by Timothy Zahn. Batuu is a trading post and remote frontier outpost that was once populated with dense forestation and varied fauna. Thrawn: Alliances was timed to come out just before the opening of Galaxy's Edge, and debuted on July 24th, 2018 at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list.
The Thrawn series tells the story of an exiled Chiss warrior who pledges himself to Emperor Palpatine. Batuu was introduced when Palpatine sent Thrawn there with Darth Vadar to investigate a disturbance in the force. Despite this minor interaction with Sith lords, Batuu is not a place known for Jedi interference - providing the perfect setting for a brand new story following the events of Rise of Skywalker. Scott Trowbridge, the Imagineer behind Batuu in the parks, said of the design in the Orlando Sentinel:
"We wanted to build new Star Wars stories, new Star Wars destinations. [Batuu] used to be a vibrant trading port back in the old sub-lightspeed days, but now with advent of hyperspace, its prominence has kind of fallen and faded a little bit which has made it a great spot for those who didn't want to be on that kind of mainstream path. The smugglers, the bounty hunters, the rogue adventurers looking to crew up, the people who don't want to be found—basically all the interesting people."
Park designers placed an emphasis on creating someplace entirely new rather than old haunts like Tatooine and Hoth. The location of Batuu is perfect for introducing stories enriched with novel settings, untouched ideas, and the enormous variety of characters Star Wars has to offer besides the Jedi.
Part of the problem fans had with the Star Wars sequels were their almost feverish devotion to the original Skywalker trilogy. Despite the new stories that Solo and Rogue One had to offer, they still dealt with something familiar from the childhoods of older generations: a beloved character and the expansion of a single line of dialogue from A New Hope, respectively. The fandom surrounding these films is long-standing and very passionate, and managing expectations has proven to be a near-impossible task.
All of Disney's sequel movies were polarizing, with some fans lauding the bold and subversive story of Star Wars: The Last Jedi and panning J.J. Abrams' choices in The Rise of Skywalker, and others taking the reverse stance. Whatever fans may think of the sequel trilogy, hoever, the fact remains that Rey's story is finished and it should stay that way. Disney has an opportunity to open up an entire gateway to stories about other characters, who aren't descended from either Anakin Skywalker or Emperor Palpatine, like Thrawn or Rose Tico. The Mandalorian has exemplified the draw of the universe outside of the reach of familiar stories (Baby Yoda notwithstanding).
With the culmination of Rey's story, balance has been brought to the Force. Rey's decisions forged a new destiny for the galaxy that utilizes both light and dark evenly for the most judicious of results. The original trio of Han, Leia, and Luke has passed on into legend. The shot of the little boy summoning a broom to his hands at the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi means that the power of the Jedi will continue, even in the humblest of regions, without any need for chosen ones or prophecies or divine lineages. The story of the Jedi is complete, and now it is time for Star Wars to expand and evolve.