J.J. Abrams may be the man behind The Rise of Skywalker and a few new characters, but Mark Hamill is here to remind us that it all comes from George Lucas. On the eve of the Skywalker Saga coming to a close, Hamill has paid tribute to the Star Wars architect on social media. Over 40 years ago, Lucas made a gamble and it paid off in a way that nobody could have ever imagined. A New Hope was a mess behind-the-scenes and it was delayed. However, it kicked off what would go on to become one of the biggest franchises in history.

Mark Hamill has been on social media quite a bit over the past few days in an effort to promote The Rise of Skywalker and to plead with fans not to spoil the movie for others. For the most part, his efforts seem to be working. Now, he's focusing his attention on another important Star Wars matter: George Lucas. He had this to say on social media.

"As The Rise of Skywalker arrives in theaters, let's not forget that it all started in the imagination of just 1 man: GEORGE LUCAS. He alone created that galaxy far, far away that has inspired generations. Then, he let me be a part of it & changed my life forever..."

Mark Hamill is right. Like it or not, George Lucas is the one responsible for Star Wars and all of the iconic heroes we know today from the original saga and the prequel trilogy. While the prequels were looked down upon when they were released, they are seeing a new resurgence amongst fans who were introduced to the franchise through those movies. Even though some fans don't like the prequels, they come directly from the man who created it all and some wish he were still taking charge.

The new Disney era of Lucasfilm has seen its fair share of criticism over the years. George Lucas has come on set to consult a few times and had some meetings with J.J. Abrams and crew, but these are not his babies. They're based on the worlds and characters he created, though he has little to no involvement behind-the-scenes. Regardless, we have Lucas to thank for introducing the world to a timeless story that others are trying to adapt and bring to a new audience.

The Rise of Skywalker, like the rest of the installments in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, has seen some controversy. As of now, critics are tearing the current installment apart before it hits theaters this evening. Things often go in cycles and that is true for the Star Wars franchise, which will more than likely show fondness for the latest trilogy when time passes. For now, we'll just have to sit back and see. You can check out Mark Hamill's Twitter tribute to George Lucas below.