An examination of broken canon, squandered legacy, and the slow redemption of Jar Jar Binks

What Qualifies as Fanfiction?

Fanfiction is generally defined as unauthorized or unofficial work that uses existing characters, settings, or universes to tell a new story—typically without the original creator’s guidance. It’s often dismissed as derivative because it usually lacks the cohesive vision, thematic depth, and narrative integrity of the original.

What happens, then, when the owners of a franchise create stories that deviate wildly from what made the original great? What do we call it when the new material contradicts established lore, breaks character arcs, and uses nostalgia as a crutch rather than a tool?

That’s not a trick question. It’s what we now call Disney Star Wars.

The Corporate Fanfic Era

Since acquiring Lucasfilm in 2012, Disney has produced a Star Wars sequel trilogy and several shows, most of which feel less like visionary storytelling and more like a checklist-driven product line. These entries often have high production values, but no soul, no consistency, and no respect for what came before.

And the greatest crime? They made so many of us reevaluate Jar Jar Binks—once considered the worst thing to happen to Star Wars—and think, “Actually, he had more character development and purpose than most of the Disney cast.”

That’s how bad it got.

Broken Arcs and Lost Legends

The original Star Wars trilogy was about hope, redemption, and legacy. Luke Skywalker’s arc was one of naïve optimism triumphing over darkness. He didn’t give up on Vader—he saw the good in him when no one else did, and he was proven right.

Now compare that to The Last Jedi, where Luke becomes a cynical, cowardly hermit who considers murdering his own nephew over a bad dream. No buildup. No explanation. Just character assassination in the name of subversion.

Han Solo, once the smuggler with a heart of gold, becomes a deadbeat dad who runs away from responsibility. Leia does little more than stand around and deliver exposition.

The entire sequel trilogy threw out George Lucas’s planned legacy story, which included:

The rise of a new Jedi Order under Luke
The struggles of his children and Han and Leia’s children
A slow-burn reemergence of darkness through characters like Darth Caedus (a much better version of Kylo Ren)

They also ignored Thrawn, one of the most brilliant villains ever introduced in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. They had a goldmine of material—and threw it out for a shallow retread of the original trilogy dressed up in modern sensibilities.

Mandalorian: A Brief Glimmer of Hope

When The Mandalorian dropped, fans were cautiously optimistic. And for good reason:

Kathleen Kennedy had no creative control over Seasons 1 & 2.
Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni were at the helm—two creators who love and understand Star Wars.
The show was simple, focused, and deeply respectful of the source material.

Din Djarin quickly became a fan favorite, and Grogu (Baby Yoda) was a marketing phenomenon. But then came the interference.

✔ Gina Carano was fired over politically unpopular statements—despite being a breakout character with a strong fanbase.
✔ Grogu was brought back way too soon, undoing the powerful emotional finale of Season 2—because merchandise.
✔ Din Djarin was sidelined in his own show in favor of Bo-Katan, who suddenly became the lead.

The result? Season 3 was a mess, and many fans checked out.

The Book of Boba Fett: A Bounty Missed

Let’s talk about The Book of Boba Fett. Or rather, “How to Ruin the Coolest Bounty Hunter in the Galaxy.”

Boba Fett was supposed to be space Western perfection—a man of few words, all grit, all edge. What we got was a soft-spoken pacifist who wanted to rule through respect, spent most of the show taking baths, and was upstaged by guest appearances in his own series.

They had the chance to give us Walker, Texas Ranger—but on Tatooine. Instead, we got a meandering, oddly paced identity crisis that wasted one of the most iconic characters in Star Wars.

Rogue One: The Exception, Not the Rule

Ironically, Rogue One was a great Star Wars film—but only because it was saved from Kathleen Kennedy’s influence, not enhanced by it.

The original cut was a disaster, until Disney panicked and brought in Tony Gilroy for extensive reshoots.
The now-famous Vader hallway scene wasn’t even in the original script. It was added in reshoots—and it became one of the most beloved moments in the entire franchise.

So yes, Rogue One was great—but despite Kennedy, not because of her.

Conclusion: Time to Restore the Legacy

The Disney-era Star Wars films have more in common with corporate fanfiction than genuine storytelling. They wear the skin of Star Wars but lack its spirit, its depth, and its sense of myth.

They discarded decades of rich lore, rewrote beloved characters, and replaced them with hollow avatars designed by committee. They undermined everything the original trilogy stood for, and in doing so, alienated the very fans that made Star Wars a cultural phenomenon.

There is hope—rumors of Kathleen Kennedy stepping down, and the rise of creators like Filoni and Favreau, offer a light in the dark. But unless Disney is willing to admit the failure of the sequel trilogy, and either reboot or reframe it as an alternate timeline, then the damage will remain.

Until then, we’ll always have the originals. And yes… even Jar Jar. At least he never tried to kill his nephew in his sleep.

The Broken Canon of Disney Star Wars

How contradictions and retcons unraveled a galaxy far, far away

❌ Anakin Is No Longer the Chosen One

Original Canon: Anakin Skywalker was prophesied to “bring balance to the Force.” He did so by destroying the Sith (Palpatine and himself) in Return of the Jedi.
Disney Canon: Palpatine returns in The Rise of Skywalker, meaning Anakin failed, and the prophecy meant nothing.
Verdict: His entire redemption arc is nullified.

❌ Force Healing Breaks Everything

Introduced by Rey without training and never seen before in main canon.
Invalidates major tragedies like Padmé’s death, Qui-Gon’s death, and Vader’s injuries.
If Jedi had this power, why did anyone die?

❌ Lightsaber Wounds Are Now Optional

Qui-Gon dies from a stab.
Reva survives two lightsaber impalements.
The Grand Inquisitor is stabbed and recovers off-screen.
Lightsabers once melted blast doors. Now they’re glorified butter knives.

❌ Luke’s Character Arc Reversed

OT Luke: Redeems Vader, refuses to strike down Palpatine, embodies hope.
Sequel Luke: Contemplates murdering his sleeping nephew, becomes a bitter hermit.
The optimistic hero becomes the antithesis of everything he once stood for.

❌ Rey is a Palpatine… but Calls Herself a Skywalker

Raised with no ties to the Skywalkers.
Learns she’s a Palpatine, defeats Palpatine with his own lightning.
Declares herself Rey Skywalker at the end.
Somehow… this makes her the “heir” to Star Wars?

❌ The Force Is No Longer Special

Original: The Force is powerful, but rare. Training is essential.
Disney: Everyone’s Force-sensitive now. Rey learns Jedi powers by osmosis.
Force powers are treated like superpowers, not spiritual growth.

❌ The Republic and Resistance Make No Sense

Return of the Jedi: The Empire is defeated, a New Republic rises.
The Force Awakens: The Republic is barely mentioned. The Resistance is treated as an underdog rebellion… again.
Who’s in charge? Where’s the military? What even is the political situation?
It’s like the galaxy reset itself for nostalgia’s sake.

❌ Palpatine’s Return Was Unexplained

“Somehow, Palpatine returned.”
No setup. No hints. No logic. Just a zombie clone with Sith magic.
Anakin’s sacrifice? Pointless.

❌ Chewie Doesn’t Mourn Han – But Gets a Medal

Han dies in The Force Awakens—Chewie walks right past Leia, no moment of grief.
In Rise of Skywalker, Chewie gets a participation medal. Because why not.

❌ No Reunion for the Big Three

Luke, Han, and Leia never share a scene together in the sequels.
Han dies, Luke dies, Leia dies—all separately.
The core trio that built the franchise? Split up and discarded.

Final Verdict:

Disney’s Star Wars isn’t canon—it’s a contradictory patchwork of retcons, shallow twists, and lore-breaking conveniences that unravel everything George Lucas built.

They didn’t build on the foundation—they blew it up and tried to pretend it was an improvement.

Disney Star Wars: Just Corporate Fanfiction?