Love it or hate it, the most recent Star Wars trilogy was divisive among fans. While we are not here right now to judge the films as good or bad, one of the biggest issues of the last three films was the inability to flesh out and deliver on too many promises made to the audience. Rather than keep trying to replicate the past with films that are stretched thin, the time has come for Star Wars to shift towards the smaller screen, adding quality through longer storytelling and more diverse plots.

The Success Of The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian does many things well, and one of the best things that the writers homed in on from the beginning was to step far away from creating yet another plot line in the Skywalker-Saga. Much of its success can be attributed to giving the audience something that is has sorely needed for so long, and that is a glimpse at the complex world of Star Wars outside of the linear, repetitive Skywalker story. Rather than seeing yet another Jedi learn to harness the Force and face off against the Sith, we instead get to see the seedy underbelly of the Bounty Hunter world, as well as the fascinating post-Empire collapse, and of course, rise of the First Order.

Of course, we saw all of that over the course of eight episodes. There was time to develop characters, motivations, and learn what was happening at the time. Could The Mandalorian have been as successful as a one-off film, with all of its worldbuilding and storytelling in the span of a 120 minutes? It is possible, certainly, but not very probable. Solo: A Star Wars Story tried and arguably failed, despite its main characters being well known and iconic for decades.

Much of what makes The Mandalorian so special is that the audience has the time to consider what it is seeing. Without getting into spoilers for those who may not have seen Season 1 (what are you waiting for?), the very first episode presents a scene where the Mandalorian sits and watches as a pauldron is created, giving him the first piece of armor, but not the last. The pacing afforded to eight episodes is something that is not possible in the recent trilogy of films, and it shows.

The Rise Of Skywalker? More Like The Rise Of Ahsoka!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars premiered in 2008, introducing Ahsoka to the world as Anakin Skywalker’s padawan. That show in itself is a wonder to behold, because over a staggering seven seasons the audience was given the most in-depth possible look at the events between Episodes II and II, the fundamental motivations that led to Anakin’s turn to the dark side, something that is otherwise extremely rushed in the film without context, and it developed Ahsoka in a meaningful way to become one of the most beloved characters in the franchise.

Once again, could a character like Ahsoka have been introduced, developed, and grown to be as well-received as she was in a single film, or even three? Again, it is certainly possible, but given that Rey, Poe, and Finn had very limited, abandoned, or simply underdeveloped character arcs in the recent trilogy, this is clearly a challenge.

By the time Ahsoka came back for the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, fans were beside themselves, and their patience was rewarded throughout. In Episode 10 of this season, titled “Phantom Apprentice,” viewers were treated to one of the best-looking lightsaber fights of the entire franchise, and it was earned, not simply forced into the end of a film.

We’re Tired Of Skywalkers

In the end, we have nothing against the Skywalkers, but that line has had their time in the sun. Over four decades now, to be specific. What we have seen however is that The Mandalorian and Star Wars: The Clone Wars are outstanding within the franchise because there is an opportunity to flesh out the world and characters that people love. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was another outstanding film in the franchise, and it is going to get even better with the prequel series in development that explores the life of Cassian Andor in the events before the film.

We all love Star Wars, and the time has come to focus on quality through storytelling.

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