Over the past several days, Star Wars fans have been sharing their hottest takes and most controversial Star Wars opinions, proving that while many of their gripes are entertaining, they might not be as controversial as we once thought.
The latest prompt comes from Twitter user @BoxerlessBossk, who asked a simple question.
What’s your most controversial Star Wars opinion?
— Just Wes (@SskeerMadness) September 7, 2018
The controversial opinions have arrived from all corners of the internet, encompassing varying degrees of seriousness, and offering a fascinating view of the wide mindset of Star Wars fandom. And amid all of that, the people who posted them not only have some pushback, they’ve also found others who agree with them.
They have plenty of thoughts on the characterization of several characters and where their arcs took them.
Star Wars is Princess Leia’s story, as she struggles to save the galaxy while surrounded by fools who can’t follow her simple directions. The only one who ever does what she asks is R2D2, when he delivers her message to Obi Wan https://t.co/ojqG7vmaOv
— Childless Cat Ladies for Democracy (@rosicrucian1970) September 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/Jody_Houser/status/1038840846940925952
Chewbacca already killed and cooked the Porg just fucking eat it at this point https://t.co/MqBg827NLu
— Ash Crossan (@AshCrossan) September 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/swankmotron/status/1038164327822385153
ben solo should not be redeemed https://t.co/eOg1EQeQQU
— heath (@heathdwilliams) September 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/sepinwall/status/1038830934693429250
Han was usually wrong about what he thought Chewy was saying. Chewy went with it because he didn’t want to make a fuss, but it was a constant source of tension between them and at one point Chewy considered leaving for another smuggler who really listened. https://t.co/dIt1oNsCC6
— Kevin Sussman (kevsussman on threads) (@KevinSussman) September 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/saladinahmed/status/1038955316426301441
R2-D2 was totally a dick. https://t.co/1wF8p5EFBJ
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) September 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/pegadoalabutaca/status/1038445230381588480
Along with the characters, Star Wars is known for its world-building, and people have varying ideas about how well some of those aspects worked.
https://twitter.com/ChuckWendig/status/1039149172287582209
Number of catwalks and lack of railings show a blatant disregard for worker safety https://t.co/XtUIIGI02j
— Mo Ryan (@moryan) September 10, 2018
Stormtroopers are incompetent by design. Emperor was more fearful of coups than rebellion so the military was built, Soviet style, for massive mediocrity. No one unit capable enough to challenge the throne. Complete with deliberately fragile vehicles & a bickering officer corps. https://t.co/QGI4DFiw3o
— zeddy (@Zeddary) September 9, 2018
there should be more bothans https://t.co/OwXdK4JcVG
— Is it a Bothan? (@IsItABothan) September 9, 2018
I quite liked the Ewok song at the end of the original ‘Return Of The Jedi’. https://t.co/3zURmAZjHX
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) September 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/ebruenig/status/1038646343269531648
The first 36 minutes of Return of the Jedi (essentially the entire Jabba’s palace sequence from C3PO and R2D2’s Tatooine desert entrance to the sail barge exploding while the good guys escape) is the single best section of any Star Wars movie ever made.
— Brian Altano (@agentbizzle) September 8, 2018
It’s just perfect. https://t.co/Mq2edPGGpU
https://twitter.com/sgtjanedoe/status/1038880847158550528
The Jedi are the villains
— Jonathan Korman 🟣 (@miniver) September 9, 2018
(they kidnap children to train as janissaries, casually apply mind control, have no objection to slavery, lie ALL the time, leave their friends to burn to death without delivering a mercy stroke, and even cheat at dice) https://t.co/OKb2QkI8ro
Does your Star Wars ranking stray from what’s considered the norm? You’re not alone.
REVENGE OF THE SITH is better than all of them except EMPIRE. https://t.co/8hMDQ68G6z
— Bilge Ebiri (@BilgeEbiri) September 9, 2018
Rogue One is fun to watch at points but isn’t actually good. https://t.co/dVXKifKAKK
— b-boy bouiebaisse (@jbouie) September 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/tvoti/status/1038914084790460416
https://twitter.com/Cinemafanatic89/status/1038596218404921345
The prequels are the best thing to ever happen to Star Wars.
— Mitch Dyer (@MitchyD) September 7, 2018
(new generation of fans, revitalizing interest in many, so many seasons of a phenomenal animated series straight from George, continuing in Rebels, Ahsoka, more Kenobi, Mandalore, Maul; Dave Filoni, Doug Chiang) https://t.co/qbl01wEDDD
Sometimes, the controversial opinion doubles as a criticism of how LGBTQ representation in the Star Wars films is practically nonexistent.
https://twitter.com/planetx/status/1039151585312616448
And then you have some classic Star Trek trolling, as you do.
The Kobayashi Maru is a winnable scenario. https://t.co/DeSUpaPco5
— David Abrams (@CheapyD) September 10, 2018
Captain Kirk > Captain Picard https://t.co/k0r7MrX2sC
— Jason P. Steed (@profsteed) September 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/Lollardfish/status/1038804142423257088
Star Wars is one of the biggest franchises in the world, and nowadays, it resides on a similar mainstream level as the MCU. Basically, so many people have so many thoughts and opinions on it that there’s a good chance that your controversial opinion might not be all that controversial. (See, for instance, at just how frequently Boba Fett is cited with this prompt.) It doesn’t take long to find other people who enjoyed the prequels more than some of the original trilogy, didn’t like some of the original films as much as we’re supposed to, felt that Leia should’ve been trained to become a Jedi over Luke, see the Jedi as the true villains of the series, loved (or hated) The Last Jedi, or any other possible scenario.
Even @BoxerlessBossk noted how common some of the controversial opinions were.
Some of the most common takes?
— Just Wes (@SskeerMadness) September 8, 2018
– TLJ/Solo/prequel is good
– Jar Jar is good
– Kylo > Vader
– Boba/Han is overrated
– Reylos are either very good or very bad
– Never watched SW (?) https://t.co/dLhIh9z1Sa
Many of these might even be very common or even popular opinions. But despite how the sequel trilogy and standalone films, TV shows, books, and comics have reinvigorated Star Wars fandom over the past several years and evolved what a Star Wars story can do, an old-school train of thought prevails. And if you go against the grain (one in which, at least perception-wise, is dominated by older fans) in your view of Star Wars—one in which the original trilogy ranks above all and the prequels were terrible—well, that’s considered controversial.
So no, your controversial opinion might not be all that controversial. But in the process, there’s also a nice feeling to knowing that you’re not the only one who had that particular thought about it.
