All 3 Star Wars Sequels Are Disappointing, but One Is Actually Worthwhile

1 week ago 8

Daisy Ridley as Rey in The Rise of Skywalker

Published May 12, 2026, 5:23 PM EDT

Michael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts!
On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK.
In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.

In 1977, the landscape of science fiction changed forever with the release of Star Wars. The George Lucas-created masterpiece became an immediate, worldwide phenomenon, introducing audiences to a fantastic universe in which the battle of good and evil comes into focus through timeless stories, iconic characters, and epic sequences. The first film in the Skywalker Saga led to two sequels, but it wouldn't be until 1999 when the prequel trilogy arrived, shedding new light on the already established story. But who said that was the end? In this universe, there's always room to expand, and expand they did. Devoted fans will always stay faithful to the original trilogy, but once Disney took hold of Star Wars, it opened up more storytelling opportunities and a sequel trilogy.

With some world-class visionaries writing and directing, the sequel series expanded upon the Skywalker Saga, while setting up new potential for the story to head next. Between 2015 and 2019, three films continued the Skywalker saga, and let's face it, our expectations were sky-high. Alas, they weren't perfect, nor were they complete and utter flops; merely, they were entertaining yet disappointing. Through the introduction of new characters and plotlines, as well as the return of some of the most beloved original actors, the three films kept our hope alive that the story would never end, while giving a new generation a chance to experience their own Star Wars trilogy. Of the three films, there's only one that stands out as worthy. Though some fans may disagree, it's time to head to our favorite galaxy far, far away and discuss the sequel trilogy.

Collider Exclusive · Star Wars Quiz Which Force User
Are You? Light Side · Dark Side · Or Somewhere Between

The Force is not a binary. It is a spectrum — from the serene halls of the Jedi Temple to the shadowed corridors of Sith space. Ten questions will reveal where you truly fall. The Force has always known. Now you will too.

🔵Jedi Master

🟡Padawan

🔴Sith Lord

⚫Inquisitor

⚪Grey Jedi

IGNITE YOUR SABER →

What is the Force to you? Your relationship with the Force defines everything else.

AA living energy I must be worthy of — it is not mine to control. BSomething vast and mysterious I'm only beginning to understand. CNeither light nor dark — just a current I choose to ride. DPower. Pure and simple. The strong take it; the weak don't.

NEXT QUESTION →

When you feel strong emotions — anger, grief, love — what do you do? The Jedi suppress. The Sith feed. Others choose differently.

AAcknowledge them, then release them. Attachment leads to suffering. BFeel them fully, then decide what to do — they're not the enemy. CBury them. Emotion is a liability I can't afford to indulge. DUse them. Passion is the engine of the dark side for good reason.

NEXT QUESTION →

The Jedi Council gives you an order you disagree with. You: How you handle authority reveals your alignment.

AFollow it. The Council's wisdom surpasses my own perspective. BVoice my objection clearly, then defer to the decision. CComply outwardly while doing what I think is right. DIgnore it. The strong don't answer to committees.

NEXT QUESTION →

You are offered forbidden knowledge that could give you enormous power. The cost is crossing a moral line. You: The dark side's pull is never more than a choice away.

ARefuse without hesitation. There is no cost worth that price. BWeigh it carefully — sometimes darkness holds real answers. CFeel the pull but walk away — for now. DAccept it. Power justifies the method used to obtain it.

NEXT QUESTION →

Your approach to training and learning is: A student's habits become a master's character.

ADedicated but humble. There is always more to learn from my masters. BRigorous and patient. Mastery is earned through years of discipline. CEclectic — I draw from every tradition, not just one. DRelentless and brutal. Pain accelerates growth. Rest is weakness.

NEXT QUESTION →

In a duel, your lightsaber fighting style reflects: Combat is the purest expression of a Force user's philosophy.

ADefense and composure — I wait for my opponent to overcommit. BFast and instinctive — I trust the Force to guide my movements. CUnpredictable — I blend styles to keep enemies off-balance. DOverwhelming aggression — I end fights before they begin.

NEXT QUESTION →

A defeated enemy lies at your feet, powerless. You: Mercy — or its absence — is the truest test of alignment.

AStrike them down — compassion toward enemies is naïve and costly. BNeutralize them permanently. I can't afford loose ends. CSpare them if I can — but stay clear-eyed about the risks. DOffer them a chance to surrender. Every being deserves that.

NEXT QUESTION →

The Jedi Code forbids attachment. Your honest view on love and bonds: The source of the greatest falls in the galaxy.

AThe Code is right. Attachment clouds judgment and invites suffering. BLove is not a weakness — the Jedi Code got this one wrong. CI have no attachment — only loyalty to my master's mission. DI feel it deeply but struggle to reconcile it with my training.

NEXT QUESTION →

Why do you use the Force at all? What's the point? Purpose is the difference between a knight and a weapon.

ATo learn. I'm still figuring out what I'm capable of. BTo protect and serve. The Force is a responsibility, not a gift. CTo survive — and maybe carve out something worth having. DTo dominate. Strength demands to be expressed, not contained.

NEXT QUESTION →

At the final moment — light side or dark side pulling at you — what wins? In the end, every Force user faces this moment. What does yours look like?

AThe light. I choose peace, even when darkness would be easier. BNeither fully — I carve my own path through the middle. CWhoever I serve — my loyalty defines me more than my morality. DThe dark. Power is the only thing that's ever actually been real.

REVEAL MY ALIGNMENT →

Your Alignment Has Been Determined Your Place in the Force

The scores below reveal how the Force sees you. Your highest number is your true alignment. Read on to understand what that means — and what it will cost you.

🔵 Jedi Master

🟡 Padawan

🔴 Sith Lord

⚫ Inquisitor

⚪ Grey Jedi

Disciplined, compassionate, and deeply attuned to the living Force, you have walked the path long enough to understand its demands — and accept them. You lead not through authority alone, but through example. You have felt the pull of the dark side and chosen otherwise, every time. That is not certainty. That is courage.

You are earnest, powerful, and brimming with potential — and you know it, which is both your greatest asset and your most dangerous flaw. You act before you think, trust your gut over your training, and sometimes confuse impatience for bravery. The Masters see something in you, though. The question isn't whether you have what it takes — it's whether you'll be patient enough to find out.

You are not simply dangerous — you are certain, and that is worse. You have decided what the galaxy needs, and you have decided you are the one to deliver it. Your power is genuine and formidable, earned through sacrifice that would have broken lesser beings. But examine your victories carefully. Every Sith believed their cause was righteous. The dark side's cruelest trick is that it agrees with you.

You were forged in fire and reshaped by those who found you at your lowest. You serve, because service gave you structure when you had none. Your allegiance is not to an ideology — it is to survival and to the master who gave you purpose. But there is something buried beneath the conditioning. The Jedi you hunt? You recognize them. Because you remember what it felt like before the choice was taken from you.

You have looked at the Jedi Code and the Sith Code and found both of them incomplete. You walk the line not out of indecision but out of conviction — you genuinely believe both extremes miss something essential. The Jedi don't fully trust you. The Sith think you're wasting your potential. They're both partially right. But so are you.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

3 'Star Wars: Episode IX— The Rise of Skywalker' (2019)

Concluding an already disappointingly hyped-up trilogy was going to be difficult, so the odds were most certainly not in J.J. Abrams' favor. He tried to rectify the wrongs of the two previous movies and provide a satisfying end, all while keeping the door open for more should the opportunity arise. The ninth chapter in the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: Episode IX—The Rise of Skywalker, follows Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) as they lead the remnants of the Resistance in a final stand against Supreme Leader Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order, who are now allied with the resurrected Sith Lord, Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). With more lore introduced that runs deeper than the connections we had previously seen, this film proves just how massive Emperor Palpatine’s influence was upon the entire galaxy.

The good: the final battle between the dark and light sides. Could Ben overtake Rey? Will he come to his senses? Who cares? It was sealed with a kiss, and like Anakin Skywalker-turned-Darth Vader, the story ultimately concludes that redemption is possible. Kylo Ren's emotional arc allows the film to move beyond simple space-opera visual spectacle and into a fully rounded familial story. Unfortunately, that's where the good ends. The Rise of Skywalker felt as if it didn't want to end, so it wasn't given a proper conclusion. The final film in this trilogy ran out of imagination, yet still tried to hint at the potential of more Rey in the future. However, by not giving her a finalized arc, we've become disappointed, and should she get her spin-offs, audiences would not be as excited to see them. The overstuffed plot did too much in too little time. Of course, the "twist" regarding Rey and Palpatine is engaging, but it certainly did not resonate like the Darth Vader daddy reveal; perhaps the reliance on nostalgia made the moment forced, diminishing the impact that Darth Vader's sacrifice made in Star Wars: Episode VI—Return of the Jedi. If you felt unsatisfied by the conclusion of Lost, Abrams seemed to replicate it here, proving he can start a revolution without knowing how to finish.

2 'Star Wars: Episode VIII— The Last Jedi' (2017)

Sequels are hard, especially when you're the middle film in a series within a nine-story arc — you're not quite the icon, but you're certainly important to the plot. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi follows Rey as she seeks Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) aid in turning the tide for the Resistance in the fight against Kylo Ren and the First Order. As she seeks out a man who is reluctant to help, the rest of her allies, led by Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), attempt to escape a First Order attack on the dwindling Resistance fleet. Meanwhile, Rey and Kylo Ren form a Force bond, which leads to a confrontation with Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). Lastly, Finn and Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) attempt to disable a tracking device, ending in an epic battle on Crait.

Listen, Luke Skywalker has gone through a lot in life. Do you blame him for just wanting to be a recluse after losing all those Jedi kids? The Last Jedi was filled with some fascinating moments, mostly in the Rey-Kylo Ren department, but for nostalgia's sake, warming up to the new and not-improved Luke was rough. We've grown up with such great reverence for Hammill's character that his characterization here almost reaches sitcom levels of absurdity, and suffice to say that this was not the Odd Couple reboot we signed up for. In a sense, The Last Jedi was merely a bridge film that got us from movie one to movie three. Luke's presence is necessary as the key individual to spread his wisdom upon another. Of course, major reverence comes because it served as Fisher's first posthumous film, and the heartbreaking moments between Luke and Leia add impact. The Last Jedi is visually striking, and it introduces another space critter that stole our hearts: the Porg. Not since the Ewoks have we been as enamored by a new furry space creature. If you've reached this far into this entry, wondering why there's so much time discussed on a seemingly meaningless addition, it's because The Last Jedi was lacking in content. Easily the slowest-paced film in the nine-part saga, Johnson focused more on subverting fan theories than on providing necessary substance, resulting in wasted plotlines.

1 'Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens' (2015)

Whether you were alive to experience the wonder of the very first Star Wars film in real time, felt the magic when the prequel series debuted in cinemas, or were simply coming to Star Wars through the new Disney blockbuster lens, the sheer excitement for Star Wars: Episode VII— The Force Awakens was palpable. Had Abrams not reinvigorated the wonder within the Star Wars franchise, no Disney+ series, spin-off film, or other media content today would exist. The first film in the sequel series stands at the top because of the monumental impact. That said, could it have been better? Most certainly. Still, it gave us a new hope, pun intended, through the story of scavenger Rey, renegade stormtrooper Finn, and high-ranking fighter pilot Poe Dameron, as they team up with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) to protect droid BB-8, who holds the map to find Luke Skywalker. Aided by General Leia Organa and veterans of the Rebel Alliance, they battle the leader and warlord Kylo Ren and the First Order, a successor to the Galactic Empire.

A story of new heroes, old friends, and shocking revelations, The Force Awakens honored the past while forging a new future; it was the Star Wars we knew and loved with a shiny new coat. The biggest problem lies in its reliance on its similarities to A New Hope, feeling like a reboot rather than a continuation. That said, perhaps the message was that each generation must engage in the same battle until order is restored. Unlike its predecessor, there was always going to be more, so Abrams set up many key questions, like Rey's parentage and Luke's lightsaber, that would require future films to get answers on. Once again, our expectations for the first film were as high as the galaxy that's out of reality's reach; we expected perfection but got the closest thing to it. If you take The Force Awakens at face value, it's a brilliant and important addition to the Star Wars universe. With high-quality production elements, nostalgia, familiarity, and reverence to legacy, The Force Awakens achieved its mission. Abrams successfully brought magic back into the Star Wars franchise that some feared was lost on the prequel trilogy.