History YMMV / StarWars

* DesignatedHero: Despite being a Jedi master and the second highest ranking member of the Jedi Order, Mace Windu tends to embody the worst aspects of the Jedi. In ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'', he beheads Jango Fett instead of disarming him and his face afterwards seem to suggest he doesn't care that Jango was a person (though in his defence, he was defending himself), and in ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars The Clone Wars]]'' he doesn't apologize or try to explain himself to Boba Fett (and by that point, he knew that Boba saw him behead Jango), [[KickTheDog instead basically telling him to get over it]]. He is also incredibly callous when dealing with Ahsoka, being that he is the one leading in the vote for her excommunication and [[NeverMyFault then not apologizing to her when she is revealed to be innocent, instead saying it was the will of the Force]]. Lastly, in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', he is distrusting and callous to Anakin, openly talking down to him in front of the council, denying him privileges, and telling Obi-Wan and Yoda that he doesn't trust him, while at the same time giving him orders to spy on someone he viewed as a close friend for many years. This behavior makes Mace come off as an emotionless manipulative jerk who cares little about the feelings of others rather than an altruist keeper of the peace.

* ''YMMV/DarkRendezvous''

** Anakin's fanbase vs. hatedom is evenly split between those who liked or hated the Prequel Trilogy. Both sides will praise Anakin for his portrayal in ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars The Clone Wars]]'' though. Surprisingly, his legendary future self--Darth Vader--has also become a minor example due to the films created by Disney [[CharacterShilling shilling his character to some extent]] (''Film/TheForceAwakens'' makes a point of Kylo Ren [[ToughActToFollow not being able to live up to his predecessor]], while ''Film/RogueOne'' paints Vader as a terrifying, larger-than-life figure to an even greater degree than the Original Trilogy did). For a while, there was some backlash over Darth Vader's page on [[TheWikiRule Wookieepedia]] being merged into [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Anakin_Skywalker Anakin's page]] for canonical reasons, due to Anakin being a BaseBreakingCharacter while Vader was one of the most universally beloved characters in the franchise. Possibly in response to this, Website/TheOtherWiki [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darth_Vader merged both versions of the character into Vader's page]] due to Vader being the more well-known form in popular culture.

** The "Disaster Lineage" for the MasterApprenticeChain of Yoda, Dooku, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka. Three quit the Jedi Order, two fell to the Dark Side, and three others either trained them or supported their training.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: One criticism of the prequel trilogy is that very young children are sent to the Jedi Order for training and, upon being made Jedi Knights, are ordered to live a life of celibacy, forbidden from intimate emotional attachments. Which is exactly what real-life Buddhist monks do.

** The fall of the Old Republic/birth of the Empire also directly mirrors the fall of the Roman Republic and its transition into the Roman Empire. Those who think George Lucas was taking potshots at the American political climate at the time should have been a lot more concerned about how the parallels mapped...

* ''YMMV/HandOfThrawn''

** Darth Vader in ''Revenge of the Sith'' is viewed as such by some people, at least until that [[ManOnFire little]] [[FacialHorror incident]] on Mustafar...

** The Prequel Trilogy as a whole is subject to this. They created an entire sub-industry bashing it. The general consensus is that ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' and ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' are the two weakest installments in the Prequel Trilogy while ''Revenge of the Sith'' is either seen as a masterpiece or above-average but not close to the Original Trilogy’s films, with fan and critical opinion feeling that it presented a picture of Vader's downfall that didn't do justice to how they saw the character. Others argue that the Prequel Trilogy's movies are visually gorgeous and beautiful, with greater WorldBuilding that really conveyed a universe filled with diverse planets, amazing detailed action set pieces (the Podrace, the chase over Coruscant at the start of ''Attack of the Clones'' and the opening space battle of ''Revenge of the Sith''). It also communicated an aesthetic that was entirely different from the Original Trilogy (whereas the Sequel Trilogy is often criticized for simply rehashing the look of the Original Trilogy) as well as the best lightsaber duels (Darth Maul in the "Duel of the Fates" and Anakin and Obi-Wan at Mustafar). ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' in particular has many fans considering it a great movie, as good as the Original Trilogy's first two movies, while others see it as being above-average.
** When ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' was first released, it was generally well received, being seen as a welcome return to form after the polarizing prequels. However in recent years, many have become more critical of the film, viewing it as a lazy, [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks uninspired rehash]] of ''Film/ANewHope'' that [[HappyEndingOverride completely undoes all the accomplishments, victories, and character development of the original heroes]], and leaves the events of the Original Trilogy feeling [[ShaggyDogStory completely pointless]]. Some of the problems that people have with the later films in the Sequel Trilogy can be traced back to this film and the creative decisions that it made.

** ''The Last Jedi'' brought a backlash to Disney's films leading to intense discussions among fans not seen since the release of ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''. Detractors insist that fans of ''The Last Jedi'', are Disney sycophants who approve of the [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks wholesale derailment of the franchise]] and all it stands for (not to mention the various [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical political]] arguments involved). Defenders insist that people who dislike ''The Last Jedi'' are salty rabid trolls who fail to recognize the prestigious artistic merit of the boldest movie in the franchise and want ''Star Wars'' to [[ItsTheSameSoItSucks stagnate]] (to once again say nothing of the various [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical political]] arguments involved).

* GenreTurningPoint: ''Star Wars'' had a bigger change in how the industry made movies than any other film since ''Film/TheJazzSinger''. It marked the start of blockbuster theatrical films and spinning merchandise and setting the standard for money-spinning franchises and sequels. It also contributed greatly to the end of the UsefulNotes/NewHollywood and the decline of the adult movie audience in the eyes of critics, fellow film-makers and, recently, Creator/GeorgeLucas [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEIrQUXm_hY himself]]:

** ''Star Wars'', especially the Original Trilogy, is very big across the Western World, but it's especially popular in England. The fact that Jedi practitioners achieved a significant number to be counted in the English census attained front page news, and while a lot of that was perhaps a joke it still shows the popularity and level of cultural reach it has there. The English, as a rule, tend to favor the orginals over the Prequel Trilogy, and gravitate to the high culture trappings of the franchise, owing to its own classical tradition on stage and TV, with many noting the inspiration of war films and Roman dramas on the Original Trilogy.

** Japan has likewise always been a big market for ''Star Wars'', with many Japanese being attentive to its influences from Creator/AkiraKurosawa (at the time his popularity was low in his home country, and Lucas, partially, helped revive it, later producing his film ''Film/{{Kagemusha}}'' and many younger Japanese learned to appreciate Kurosawa based on their exposure to ''Star Wars''). It's had a huge influence on anime, and other works. The Japanese also liked the Prequel Trilogy and responded to it more positively than elsewhere and it still has a good reputation there, as does Lucas. The influence of ''Star Wars'' in Japan can also be found in the video game industry, which broke into the mainstream only a few years after the first movie came out. In particular, franchises like ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'', ''VideoGame/StarFox'', and the ''Xeno'' metaseries (''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'', and ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles'') are rife with many a ShoutOut to ''Star Wars'', as well as Disney's own ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' franchise where ''Star Wars'' is one of the most requested world additions for [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIV the fourth numbered installment]].

** The polarizing depiction of the Jedi Order in the Prequel Trilogy, such as their aloofness, rigidity, commitment to tradition, which made them come off as callous and insensitive, as well as the idea of them using ChildSoldiers was inherent in the Original Trilogy. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda had intended to manipulate Luke into unintentionally committing {{Patricide}}, and still order Luke to do it after he learns the truth, believing that Vader was beyond compassion. Yoda's training also demanded that Luke do nothing about the torture of his friends at Vader's hands which he could feel through the force, and likewise, on first meeting Luke, after dropping his eccentric routine, Yoda even calls out to Obi-Wan that Luke is "Too old to begin the training" which while not spelling out ChildSoldiers did hint that Jedi novices were younger than Luke's teenage or early adult age.

* VindicatedByHistory: While the prequels still have plenty of detractors, opinions of them are generally much more positive today than when they were first released, with fans generally willing to acknowledge their strong points alongside their flaws. Whatever their flaws may be, most fans at least appreciate their imaginative visuals, tragic story arc, and general willingness to take creative risks and try new things. This attitude has become more widespread since the release of the sequels, which (while quite acclaimed) were widely criticized for hewing way too close to the story, tone, and visual aesthetic of the Original Trilogy, and taking few real creative risks. It also helps that the prequel trilogy's overarching story was planned from the beginning, which made it feel more consistent in direction and tone (for better or worse), while the sequels got quite a bit of criticism for the creative team (allegedly) [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants largely making up the story as they went along]].

* DiagnosedByTheAudience: A real world psychiatrist named Eric Bui argued that Anakin could be diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, stating that Anakin meets six of nine diagnostic criteria. For reference, you need to meet five to be diagnosed. Namely, his issues with abandonment, mood swings, distorted self-image, impulsivity, risk-taking, and pattern of intense and unstable personal relationships. [[https://www.bpdcentral.com/help-for-families/bpd-articles/?Putting-Darth-Vader-on-the-Couch-6 This article]] on [=BPDCentral=], however, claims that he meets ''one'' out of nine. As Vader, he displays symptoms of several other severe mental illnesses. He could be considered the poster child for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, understandably so, given he's been on the frontlines of bloody wars since the age of 19, was manipulated into murdering his friends, accidentally played a part in the death of his pregnant wife (and supposedly their children), only to minutes after be dismembered, burned to a crisp, then kept awake for an agonizing, days-long surgery process to put him in his suit. He displays several symptoms, like flashbacks that prevent him from sleeping, a general numbness to the outside world, and his extreme avoidance of anything that even remotely reminds him of Anakin Skywalker.

* BrokenBase: Should Yoda have a lightsaber or not? The fans against it feel that Yoda should be so powerful with the Force that he should be above the use of lightsabers, and they feel that him fighting in physical combat contradicts his portrayal as a wise sage in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''. Fans okay with Yoda using a lightsaber are fine with it because lightsabers are Jedi weapons, and since Yoda is a ''Jedi'' Master, him using one makes perfect sense.

** [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Githany Sith Lord Githany]]. A bandaged woman wielding a [[WhipItGood light whip]] and has an appearance similar to [[WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameDisney Esmeralda]].

** Kylo Ren generally tries too hard but most agree that he is plenty cool when he stops trying. Mostly due to his actor's charisma, his good looks which remain undminished despite his turn to the dark side (averting EvilMakesYouUgly unlike the earlier films), and for his highly unpredictable nature, where he's capable of venting out in rage and frustration as well as [[spoiler:coldly manipulating events for his advantage, as in the case of his murder of Snoke]].

** The Prequel Trilogy's portrayal of Anakin Skywalker by Creator/HaydenChristensen was widely derided on release for being a whiny and selfish brat failing to mesh with the heroic image build of him in the Original Trilogy, their fall to evils [[FanDislikedExplanation unsatisfying explanation]] of tying into their [[StrangledByTheRedString poorly done romance]], and [[BadassDecay ruining the image of Darth Vader]]. After ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap redeemed]] Anakin, many fans positively reevaluated his portrayal in the Prequel Trilogy, noting that Anakin's numerous flaws presented throughout said trilogy retroactively make logical sense (and were probably intentional, given that Anakin's issues are what led him to fall to the DarkSide in the first place) thanks to ''The Clone Wars'' along with the fact that Hayden still gave a phenomenal performance and that much of his faults lied more in external restrictions than any issues with the character. Anakin's more favorable reception with fans strengthened when his Sequel Trilogy {{Expy}}, Kylo Ren, became similarly contentious (again, save for his acting) due to the [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants the lack of consistent script direction]], highlighting how better planned and written Anakin's story was in retrospect. When Hayden returned as Anakin in ''Series/ObiWanKenobi'', his performance was widely anticipated and praised.
** C-3PO, who was widely reviled as a scrappy around the time of ''The Empire Strikes Back'', is much more fondly regarded as an iconic fixture of the franchise, once the young audience who had liked him to begin with grew up and made their tastes known.

** The Prequel Trilogy's portrayal of Anakin Skywalker by Creator/HaydenChristensen was widely derided on release for being a whiny and selfish brat failing to mesh with the heroic image build of him in the Original Trilogy, their fall to evils [[FanDislikedExplanation unsatisfying explanation]] of tying into their [[StrangledByTheRedString poorly done romance]], and [[BadassDecay ruining the image of Darth Vader]]. After ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap redeemed]] Anakin, many fans positively reevaluated his portrayal in the Prequel Trilogy, noting that Anakin's numerous flaws presented throughout said trilogy retroactively make logical sense (and were probably intentional, given that Anakin's issues is what led him to the Dark Side in the first place) thanks to ''The Clone Wars'' along with the fact that Hayden still gave a phenomenal performance and that much of his faults lied more in external restrictions than any issues with the character. This more favorable opinion strengthened when his Sequel Trilogy {{Expy}}, Kylo Ren, became similarly contentious (again, save for his acting) due to the [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants the lack of consistent script direction]] highlighting how better planned and written Anakin's story was in retrospect. When Hayden returned to the role in ''Series/ObiWanKenobi'', his performance was widely anticipated and praised.

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** The Prequel Trilogy's portrayal of Anakin Skywalker by Creator/HaydenChristensen was widely derided on release for being a whiny and selfish brat failing to mesh with the heroic image build of him in the Original Trilogy, their fall to evils [[FanDislikedExplanation unsatisfying explanation]] of tying into their [[StrangledByTheRedString poorly done romance]], and [[BadassDecay ruining the image of Darth Vader]]. After ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap redeemed]] Anakin, it caused fans to positively reevaluate his Prequels portrayal noting mitigating contexts and whatever faults may have lied in Hayden's acting direction since he still gave a phenomenal performance and he was held back by the material he had to work with. The more favorable opinion strengthened when their Sequel Trilogy {{Expy}} Kylo Ren became similarly contentious, save for his acting, due to the [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants the lack of consistent script direction]] highlighting how better planned and written Anakin's story was in retrospect. When Hayden returned to the role in ''Series/ObiWanKenobi'', his performance was widely anticipated and praised.

** Ahsoka Tano was not universally beloved when she was introduced in ''WesternAnimation/TheCloneWars'', as many fans dismissed her as being a hotheaded, arrogant and unnecessary TagalongKid that broke up Anakin and Obi-Wan's brotherly master-apprentice dynamic for the sake of inserting a KidAppealCharacter whose existence had never been hinted at in the movies. As [[GrowingTheBeard both the series]] and [[CharacterDevelopment the character matured]] however, many people began to get far more invested in Ahsoka, particularly as [[IronWoobie she goes through so much trauma in surviving the rise of the Empire and everything afterward, yet still growing into a wise and skilled woman who still stays true to her morals.]] The fact that Ahsoka is one of the few recurring female characters that's not only a Force user, but is still alive and plays a prevalent role throughout various installments has since made her one of the most popular characters in the franchise.

** Ahsoka Tano was not universally beloved when she was introduced in ''WesternAnimation/TheCloneWars'', as many fans dismissed her as being a hotheaded, arrogant and unnecessary TagalongKid that broke up Anakin and Obi-Wan's brotherly master-apprentice dynamic for the sake of inserting a KidAppealCharacter whose existence had never been hinted at in the movies. As both the series and the character matured however, many people began to get far more invested in Ahsoka, particularly as she goes through so much trauma in surviving the rise of the Empire and everything afterward, yet still growing into a wise and skilled woman who still stays true to her morals. The fact that Ahsoka is one of the few recurring female characters that's not only a Force user, but is still alive and plays a prevalent role throughout various installments has since made her one of the most popular characters in the franchise.

--> '''Tarkin:''' "[[RagingStiffie We will then crush the uprising]], [[ADateWithRosiePalms a quick stroking motion."]]

** The Prequel Trilogy's portrayal of Anakin Skywalker by Creator/HaydenChristensen was widely derided on release for being a whiny and selfish brat failing to mesh with the heroic image build of him in the Original Trilogy, their fall to evils [[FanDislikedExplanation unsatisfying explanation]] of tying into their [[StrangledByTheRedString poorly done romance]], and [[BadassDecay ruining the image of Darth Vader]]. Once Anakin's portrayal in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap redeemed them]], it caused fans to positively reevaluate his Prequels portrayal noting mitigating contexts and whatever faults may have lied in his acting direction Hayden still gave a phenomenal performance held back by the material he had to work with. The more favorable opinion strengthened when their Sequel Trilogy {{Expy}} Kylo Ren became similarly contentious, save for his acting, due to the [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants the lack of consistent script direction]] highlighting how better planned and written Anakin's story was in retrospect. When Hayden returned to the role in ''Series/ObiWanKenobi'', his performance was widely anticipated and praised.

** Ahsoka Tano was not universally beloved when she was introduced in ''WesternAnimation/TheCloneWars'', as many fans dismissed her as being a hotheaded, arrogant and unnecessary TagalongKid that broke up Anakin and Obi-Wan's brotherly master-apprentice connection for the sake of inserting a KidAppealCharacter whose existence had never been hinted at in the movies. As both the series and the character matured however, many people began to get far more invested in Ahsoka, particularly as she goes through so much trauma in surviving the rise of the Empire and everything afterward, yet still growing into a wise and skilled woman who still stays true to her morals. The fact that Ahsoka is one of the few recurring female characters that's not only a Force user, but is still alive and plays a prevalent role throughout various installments has since made her one of the most popular characters in the franchise.

** The Prequel Trilogy's take on Anakin Skywalker was widely derided along with the prequels themselves on release for being a whiny, selfish brat whose turn to evil failed to be sympathetic. However, after the release of the divisive sequel trilogy films, their detractors claim that Anakin, for whatever faults may have lied in his acting direction, still gave a phenomenal performance and created a modern TragicHero, while his successor, Kylo Ren, attempted to fix something that wasn't broken and came out a confused mess, basically receiving all the criticisms that were once leveled at Anakin except for the one about acting.

* MisaimedMarketing: One of the most infamous aspects of ''Star Wars''. Because of its ubiquity as a CashCowFranchise, ''every'' major release will be aggressively marketed to ''every'' demographic imaginable; because the franchise is very popular with kids, they get a healthy amount of marketing, which often comes across as very silly to older fans. This is especially prevalent with popular villains such as Darth Vader (the SeriesMascot), Darth Maul, and Kylo Ren, who are often marketed in inappropriate ways considering that they make generally poor role models. ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' was particularly bad with this, to the point where we got ridiculous products such as Queen Amidala body wash, a preschool phonics book that heavily featured an unpopular DastardlyWhiplash alien who didn't even speak Basic, and horror of horrors, [[http://warpbreach.com/8/jarjarsuck.jpg the infamous Jar Jar Binks tongue lollipop]].

** Due to Creator/KathleenKennedy producing some of the later English dubs under Creator/{{Disney}}, ''Star Wars'' fans have been friendly with fans of Creator/StudioGhibli. It also helps that some of the dub actors in Ghibli films have appeared in Star Wars such as Creator/MarkHamill, Creator/LiamNeeson, Creator/DaisyRidley, and Creator/AshleyEckstein. Rey's introductory scene in ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' being an extended homage to ''Anime/NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind'', and an official Ghibli-Lucasfilm collab short film featuring [[Series/TheMandalorian Grogu]] and the [[Anime/MyNeighborTotoro Dust Bunnies]] may be seen as an acknowledgement of the friendly fandoms.

** ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' ([[VindicatedByHistory nowadays, at least]], ''Film/RogueOne'', and ''Film/{{Solo}}'' all suffer from this more mildly. While generally liked or, at the very least, not outright ''hated'', many fans agree that they don't quite live up to the first two movies' level of prestige, each for their own reasons.

** ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', ''Film/RogueOne'', and ''Film/{{Solo}}'' all suffer from this more mildly. While generally liked or, at the very least, not outright ''hated'', many fans agree that they don't quite live up to the first two movies' level of prestige, each for their own reasons.