Following its long-awaited cinematic reprise in the wake of its Disney acquisition, Star Wars made its return to theaters in 2015 with Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. The space epic reintroduced itself through a three-part arc that would keep in stride with a trio of central heroes who were determined to take on the First Order. A new wave of Star Wars was determined to find its success by identifying the exact intersection between nostalgia and innovation. The Disney conglomerate was the crux in the Star Wars renaissance that held such an omnipotent draw to lifelong fans and curious saga-newcomers alike.

The evident, yet unfortunate, disdain for the Sequel Trilogy was arguably not a product of favoritism of past Star Wars trilogies. Additionally, the easy, almost unfair, scapegoat of comparing one trilogy to another was not to blame. Instead, the internet encouraged the open rejection of the Sequels after the concluding piece of the trilogy resulted in overwhelming backlash. The Sequels were consequently subjected to internet vitriol. Above all, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi has succeeded in becoming one of the most divisive entries into the Star Wars canon. Its individuality and deviation from expectations should credit The Last Jedi as being the Sequels’ best work, compared to its current reputation, but its very nature of being different was the fundamental reason for its negative reception. The movie, of course, is not without its flaws, but The Last Jedi deserves recognition for daring to go where no other movie in the franchise had gone. Here’s why Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi is the best of the Star Wars sequels.

Update December 15, 2023: In honor of The Last Jedi's six-year anniversary, this article has been updated with even more reasons as to why it is the best movie in the sequel trilogy.

Luke's Character Change was Necessary

Disgruntled discussions contest if Skywalker is truly still Skywalker in The Last Jedi. Denial over Johnson's character treatment still sparks debate far after the film's release. There's difficulty accepting the final on-screen version of the character because of how sharply his behavior is changed. In order to demonstrate an understanding of a character past a one-dimensional interpretation of them, they must show other sides of who they are. Skywalker's resentment, anger, self-grief, and exhaustion are brought to the surface during The Last Jedi, causing a rejection of his outward angst.

Throughout the Star Wars canon, Luke Skywalker has been asked to remain undefeated; his attitude and resilience appeal to his unwavering determination have only allowed his character to develop to a certain extent. The moral ambiguity that is introduced contradicts Skywalker's belief that there is genuine goodness found in everyone, despite their past. In The Last Jedi, there is a retraction of such an outdated personal naivety. It was later that Luke came to his final conclusion that hope can be restored and that evil cannot truly be defeated. He grapples with the repercussions of the Dark Side and its unshakable impact left on Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and understands that he cannot save him from himself.

Johnson took the liberty of challenging the binaries of "good" and "evil." Through an alternative perspective of one of the series' flagship characters, he proves that in order to experience growth, there must be discomfort. Skywalker's drastic shift in personality was an unpredictable, uncomfortable component of the film. It provided a necessary outlook on a character that needed to have their entire personality explored. Luke Skywalker was allowed to truly grieve the loss of himself while reflecting on whom he once was. His bitterness can be justified when considering the scope of his character arc. Mental health and post-traumatic stress aren't popularly discussed in Star Wars, and The Last Jedi reminds itself that saving the galaxy comes with a mental toll. Having Skywalker cast a final forlorn look at the twin suns of Tatooine while dying, drenched in the warmth of them both, is an incredibly heartfelt conclusion to the character's legacy.

The Last Jedi Celebrates Individuality

Johnson's grand tonal shift and unorthodox interpretation of The Last Jedi finds its strength when standing on its own. Instead of forcing itself to include Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and Finn (John Boyega) to band together on one central adventure against the First Order, Episode VIII divides itself enough where each central protagonist is given a genuine, organic storyline to follow. Rey, under Skywalker's guidance, is determined to discover her true lineage. Her persistence to trace her heritage back to her roots ultimately reminds her that being "nobody" is priceless. Star Wars continues to obsess itself with tangled family trees and overlapping relationships between primary characters; with Rey accepting her label of "nobody," it promotes self-identity.

The Last Jedi advocates the fact that people can control their own fates or destinies without needing to credit their bloodline for social capital. Ren's verbal barrage often targets Rey's status as "a scrapper from Jakku" as an attempt to belittle her, though she learns to overcome these taunts. She learns to overcome her identity crisis, and instead, embrace who she is. The Last Jedi defeats the idea that labels are indicative of who someone is. It breaks past the constrictions of certain characters can only achieve so much.

Related: Daisy Ridley's Best Moments in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

Finn is treated as more than just an ex-Storm Trooper, just as Poe is appreciated more as a leader. Their character arcs are both as insightful as they are nuanced. Individuality, they are both given more to do rather than existing for the sake of being disposable characters. Johnson is ready to appreciate the on-screen growth that he can give to them, and is determined to keep either of them involved. By keeping Finn and Poe busy with their own missions, Johnson reminds the audience that they, too, deserve an equal amount of attention. He views them more than their occupations or as their assigned roles, looking past the box that they were once placed in.

The pair is set in their own spotlights where they can become more comfortable with themselves while facing their own challenges. Each strength and weakness is underscored, drawing out more about the character's personality as an individual. Compared to past characters that are banded together without further exposition, The Last Jedi prides itself on spending time with the Sequels' main trio, though on their own. It instills the belief that individualism is to be appreciated without having to use group association as a personality trait.

The Art of Subversion and Why it Works

Going into The Last Jedi, there were tons of unanswered questions that The Force Awakens set up. Whether it be Rey's lineage, who Snoke was or Luke and the lightsaber, there was a lot for the highly anticipated sequel to reveal. Fans spent the next two years coming up with every theory under the sun as to what would happen in Episode VIII. Everyone had a different idea of how things were going down to the point that it almost became impossible to live up to expectations that high. The only issue was that upon The Force Awakens' release, there were no answers to that question. A plan wasn't set in stone for what would happen, and that would end up being the best thing that could've happened for The Last Jedi.

While The Force Awakens did a fantastic job of bringing Star Wars back to its former glory, the film also played things a little safely. It's structured largely the same as A New Hope, planet-destroying super weapon and all. When Rian Johnson came on board to direct Episode VIII, he sought to take the franchise in new directions it hadn't been before. It's still Star Wars, just now, with a bit more nuance as it moves away from being a saga about a single family. The way to tackle unobtainable expectations is to do something that nobody expected, and that's exactly what The Last Jedi does. Johnson approaches these mysteries and flips them on their head, shocking the viewer while also making sure it serves the story first and foremost.

As explained earlier, Rey being a nobody is a genius move that emphasizes how anyone in the galaxy can master the Force. Characters don't need to be apart of a known bloodline like the Skywalkers or Palpatines, as long as they devote themselves, they can be a force for good in the universe. Luke throwing the lightsaber isn't "disrespectful". It's an important moment in his character arc. He's become so disillusioned with the Jedi way that his once sacred weapon is nothing to him. It's a shocking moment played for laughs, but it also reinforces the low point he's fallen into. By the time he sacrifices himself at the end of the movie, it shows how far he's come as he sees hope in Rey and is willing to give things another try by doing things differently.

Snoke's death is the best of them all as it's the most drastic change the story makes. Instead of focusing on the character, he's used to further Kylo's arc and cement him as the series' main antagonist. No information on his backstory would have been satisfying enough for casual or hardcore Star Wars fans, so why not do something bold and just kill him off? It doesn't matter who Snoke was; all that matters is that Kylo is now committing himself to the dark side and finally stepping out of Vader's shadow.

Just because the result wasn't something people wanted doesn't mean it's bad. The subversion works in the film because it firmly sets the sequel trilogy in a new direction that the franchise hasn't explored before. These moments build upon the years of anticipation by doing something completely unrelated on a meta-level, but in the context of the plot, they also feel organic and make sense in the story Johnson is telling. The Last Jedi very efficiently uses subversion to push the saga in the new direction it desperately needed to go in with exhilarating twists that benefit the lead characters.

Pushing the Force Further

For a while, Star Wars has stayed in the same bubble of familiarity. There were new ideas here and there, but nothing that would really challenge the status quo. This was most true in the perception of the force and how it's used. While midi-chlorins may be canon, despite how much people try to forget about them, the force has always been vaguely defined with very specific abilities. Jedi could push, pull, and come back as a ghost after their death, and the Sith had more destructive abilities like crushing, choking, and lightning. There were some new things here and there, but nothing that was a real game-changer.

The Last Jedi not only introduced a few huge new force abilities but also gave the best explanation of what the Force is. It's not a power but an energy in the universe that can be harnessed. Luke says it best when he describes it as "the energy between all things, a tension, a balance that binds the universe together." It's a constant exchange between life and death, the entirety of energy flowing through the universe. With careful concentration and understanding, anyone can learn to master the force and the abilities that come from it.

Between Return of the Jedi and The Last Jedi, Luke spent years learning as much as he could about the Force. It only makes sense that when he reconnected himself to it, he'd have some new abilities under his belt. The introduction of Force projections is one that completely changes how the Jedi operate. It requires the Jedi to be extremely focused and concentrated on putting all of their force energy into the projection. While powerful, the ability is immensely difficult and most likely results in death. It took everything that Luke had to project himself on the other side of the universe, and even with his knowledge of the Force, it killed him. Force projections are a powerful tool and last resort option that could be used for a multitude of things, but Luke sacrificing himself to do it leads to the Resistance surviving another day.

The other major ability introduced in the film is that of a Force bond between two individuals. The Last Jedi uses it to connect Rey and Kylo and give them a chance to talk since they would immediately fight in any other scenario. This way, they're forced to hear each other out as they grow to understand each other. The two speak throughout the film as they each try to lure the other to their side. Kylo senses the desperation and loneliness inside Rey and she wants nothing more than to bring him back to the light. Snoke originally bridges their minds together as a way to fuel Kylo's inner conflict, knowing that he'd bring Rey, and the knowledge of where Luke is, right to him. It's a smart narrative device that also furthers the two character arcs, but continues to build the power that the Force brings.

Best Action in the Franchise

With eleven feature films and ten television shows comprising the Star Wars universe, it's hard to make an actions scene that stands out among the rest of the saga. There's only so much you can do with lightsabers and blasters to keep things interesting, but The Last Jedi found a way to keep things interesting. Instead of the traditional combat Star Wars is used to, Johnson found ways to keep things exciting by putting the characters in new scenarios and environments. It creates some of the most memorable Star Wars action put to film and is a joy to watch.

The throne room scene after Snoke's death is the standout in the film and has arguably the best fight scene in the entire franchise. Up until this point, there hadn't been any lightsaber combat in the film. They've been holding back on the action until now, as Rey and Kylo stand side by side with the common goal of killing all the praetorian guards. It's not often that a Sith and a Jedi are working together, which makes this moment even more special. As the room burns down around them, the duo fight off the guards in some truly exciting combat as they work together to take them down. The guards aren't as easy to fight as normal enemies in Star Wars since they have lightsaber-resistant weapons, and it makes for an exciting fight. Everything culminates in a tense and emotional confrontation between Rey and Kylo that results in the Skywalker lightsaber being destroyed. It's a fantastic scene that offers something new with enemies that haven't been seen before and a whole new dynamic taking place.

Related: Star Wars: What Future Movies Can Learn From The Last Jedi

As for the actual boots-on-the-ground war, the Battle of Crait is a visual feast for the eyes with some real tension. The Resistance has been pushed into a corner by the First Order as they're without fuel and stranded in an old bunker. An army of AT-AT's and TIE fighters have them surrounded, and all they have to fight back are some rusty ski speeders that are falling apart as they use them. With nobody in the galaxy answering their call, this is the Resistance's last stand against the First Order. The odds are against them and that's what makes it so exciting. There's no way that they can get out of this, as they're entirely outgunned and running out of time before they break the bunker wall. This is also where all three plot lines converge, as Finn, Rose and Rey all meet up with Poe having gone through significant changes since the last time they met. While they're all together again, it seems that they're doomed. Thankfully, there's one person out there who still believes in the cause.

Luke Skywalker's dramatic arrival at the eleventh hour completely changes everything and is one of the coolest moments in the entire Skywalker Saga. It's the completion of his arc in the film as he does exactly what he says won't work, and that's stare down the entire First Order with a laser sword. His duel with Kylo is mesmerizing to watch, as fans have waited for nearly two movies just to see Luke in action again. Despite it not being an actual fight, as Luke isn't even there, it's still thrilling to watch it play out because of the build-up to it. The reveal that Luke isn't even there is so shocking despite it being heavily foreshadowed in hindsight with his young appearance and lack of footprints, but it's so easy to get caught up at the moment that those things get missed. It may be more of a mind game than a traditional duel, but Luke's distraction and sacrifice create an unforgettable scene that is more powerful than most real lightsaber duels.

Rian Johnson's Direction and Vision Were Fresh

For as innovative as Star Wars is, it sometimes catches itself in an endless formulaic loop. Johnson was prepared to approach the franchise from a new point of view, and his diversity in Star Wars storytelling allowed the franchise to push itself to new lengths. There was the acceptance that morality is fluid and not as rigid as it was once presented. There was a deeper study of character motivations that set overlooked the textbook definitions of "right" and "wrong." Johnson crafted a screenplay that was willing to take chances and exist outside of expectations. He was unashamed to trek into uncharted thematic territory that was only a "what if?" lingering from past Star Wars entries. The Last Jedi was responsible for sacrificing tradition for progression in retrospect to the Original and Prequel trilogies.

J.J. Abrams was criticized for not "having a plan" when approaching the trajectory of the Sequel trilogy. It kept itself bound to what would be viewed as acceptable by a general audience. There was a distinct absence of originality that was substituted for nostalgia when The Force Awakens, as it was strikingly similar to A New Hope. It became a glaring concern that Abrams would settle with gratifying a collective fandom over refining Star Wars into a more analytical piece of commentary. With the franchise working as an observation of the non-fictitious world that influences it, Episodes Six and Nine failed to be seen as provocative. Johnson's frame of reference acted more as an introspectively inquiring installation in the series. It wanted to overcome the obvious by applying more unexpected, nearly intrusive themes. The writer-director's disruptive approach to Star Wars was what the franchise was in dire need of.

Episode VIII avoided enforcing the crowd-pleasing tactics employed by Star Wars in order to captivate a dedicated fan community. What allowed The Last Jedi to earn its reputation was that it wanted to be recognized as an outlier. Johnson's nonconformist vision was what generated such strong, polarized reactions to The Last Jedi. There was the intention of creating a Star Wars film that left a lasting impact and questioned the overall redundancy of themes in the series. The significance of The Last Jedi being continuously subject to debate over its quality satisfies Johnson's ambitions for the film.

It generates conversation over "good" or "bad," the exact subject that Johnson sets out to destroy. The Last Jedi raised the question "why?" while leaving the answer open-ended for personal interpretation. He enters the Star Wars universe knowing that living beings do not stringently experience life through a single point of view and are shaped by their experiences. The concept is not alien to the franchise but was only truly invited to influence the series in its Prequel series. Johnson authorizes himself to rework this concept into the sequels through The Last Jedi.

Stream Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Disney+