It is no longer fun to talk about Star Wars. The beloved franchise’s fanbase has been divided down the middle for the last couple of years. The catalyst for this divide is without a doubt the way that Disney has handled Star Wars since acquisition of lucasarts in 2012. There are currently two camps of fans, those who hate Disney Star Wars and those who love the new movies and surrounding media. These two sides have been at each other’s throats ever since the release of “The Force Awakens” in 2015. Some fans express their woes with how Disney has handled their favorite franchise by claiming that the new movies are a shameful husk of what Star Wars really is while others claim that the movies are important evolution of the series.

Before tackling the specific reasons for the divide in the fanbase, we need to take an outsider look at the new films to understand the perspective of both sides. The first thing that we have to address about the new films is the fact that Disney did not go into the new trilogy with a plan of their own. This sad truth is painfully obvious when one examines the progression of the story and the characters over the course of the three movies. Plotlines established in “The Force Awakens” are haphazardly thrown away in “The Last Jedi” only to be messily shoe-horned back in to “The Rise of Skywalker”. Despite these inconsistencies in story telling, the new films still have some redeemable qualities that have won over some fans.  CNET explains how “many Star Wars fans are very pleased with the new direction and style of the disney films, and claim that the fans that dislike the films are being overly harsh on disney”. Sophomore Evan Wilhite explains how “The younger cast and modern film making techniques” draw many fans to the new movies. These qualities clearly showcase the preferences of the fans who enjoy the new movies and clearly defines which kinds of movie-goers like or dislike Disney’s rendition of Star Wars.

The two sides of the fanbase are in constant turmoil with one another. It is almost impossible today to have a conversation online, or in person, about Star Wars without starting a huge argument. Both sides are equally guilty of this, but both of them have their clearly defined reasons for how they feel. As I said earlier, some fans really enjoy the new Disney movies. Freshman Evan Daar states how “the improved, modern graphics and visual effects are very appealing to younger audiences.”  A lot of these fans claim that fans who strongly and openly dislike the new movies have the wrong idea about what Star Wars really is about. On the other hand, the fans who dislike the new movies claim that Disney has ruined Star Wars and that it does not actually care about Star Wars. They claim that films like “The Last Jedi” have ruined characters like Luke Skywalker through their inaccurate and disrespectful representation of their character in the new trilogy.

Although there is a major difference in opinion between the masses, there is still common ground between both sides of the fanbases. CBR states that “a large majority of Star Wars agree that the original trilogy is still the best and is superior to both the prequel, and disney trilogy”. This common love for the original films is the biggest hope for a reunification of the fanbase in the future, it is truly the fanbase’s only hope. Senior Nolan Crist states “how the originals are the best. The special effects still hold up today, the story is a lot better developed throughout the movie and the characters are better too,” and I don’t think anybody is going to argue against him on that. The films from the original trilogy are undeniably legendary. The love for the original trilogy brought people from all over the world together to celebrate a shared passion. If the divided fanbase can just remember the Star Wars community as it once, there is a high chance that the divide could be mended once and for all.

Star Wars as a whole is great. Millions of people around the world adore the franchise for its compelling universe, memorable characters, and interesting lore. It is a shame that the previously united fanbase is now at war with each other. Instead of bringing people together, the franchise now only tears people apart.