5 Edits to the Star Wars Sequels To Make It A Proper Trilogy (OPINION)

     Greetings, fellow Canonites! Today, I want to cover a topic I've been asked about multiple times on the pod: How would I make the sequel films feel more like an actual trilogy? It's no secret how I feel about the sequel films, I've been pretty clear on my opinions concerning episodes 7, 8, and 9 and the execution of those films. I've been very honest about what I like and don't like, especially for episodes 8 and 9. My biggest gripe about the films, though, is not concerning any one film in particular, but for the overall path the films took (or didn't take) and the relationship between each film.

     If you're new to the site and pod, let me first lay some groundwork here for how I view the sequel films. Notice I don't use the word "trilogy". I do not view the sequel films as a cohesive story. To me, they feel like three individual films with three individual stories that have nothing to do with one another. The closet any of the two film feel are TFA and TLJ, simply because there is supposedly no time gap between the films and one picks up immediately where the other leaves off. And for the sake of time and staying on target with this blog post, I won't dive into how the timeline makes no sense if you watch those two films back to back. We'll save that for a rainy day.

     My feelings on how easy it would have been to make the films feel cohesive is in a way frustrating to me. After watching all three films back to back, I've seen how just a few changes to plot or some special editing would make this feel like a proper trilogy. Yes, I know hindsight is always 20/20 and there was no way of knowing what TRoS was going to bring to the table when TFA and TLJ were being made (the lack of a plan or roadmap is ALSO a topic for another day). So, today I thought I'd share the handful of ways I feel Lucasfilm could have made the sequel films feel more like a proper trilogy. Keep in mind, these are not ideas to make the films BETTER in my opinion, just to make them feel more cohesive as a trilogy. And yeah, most of these edits are going to involve TLJ and TRoS. I'd basically leave TFA alone for the most part since it would be a good foundation to what these edits would make. Let's see if I can get all this into one post. Here we go!

1.) The Ending of TLJ and the Beginning of TRoS

     As the films currently sit, TLJ ends with Rey, Leia, and the dozen or so other Resistance fighters aboard the Millennium Falcon shooting off into hyperspace with the hope of rebuilding their band or rebels, and some random kid on Canto Bight holding a broomstick watching a shooting star streak across the sky. TRoS begins with Kylo Ren a year later rampaging across the galaxy in search of Emperor Palpatine after a mysterious message is broadcast across said galaxy. We follow Kylo as he seems to effortlessly track the phantom emperor to the planet Exegol where he's been hiding out, transferring himself from body to body, and building a fleet of Star Destroyers with planet killing weapons. The opening scene also teases that Rey is actually someone important, despite what was said in TLJ.

     For your consideration, I submit the following edit. Honestly, this is the biggest thing that could've been done to make the films feel more cohesive. First, delete the end scene with Broom-kid completely. That scene ends up going nowhere and is totally unnecessary with this edit. It bears no consequence on the films at all after the fact. I understand the point of the scene was to reinforce what Luke Skywalker did on Crait was supposed to be mind-blowing and that he was considered a legend and inspiration to the children on Canto Bight and across the galaxy. But he already was in TFA, and dialogue from Rey confirms that. She had already heard of Luke Skywalker's exploits and said that she thought he was a myth. Skywalker's legend status was already established across the galaxy.

     Next, take the entire opening scene of TRoS and move it to the end of TLJ. In my mind, I see Leia and Rey have their dialogue about having all they need to keep going, and then a crackling transmission begins coming through the receiver, announcing the return of Palpatine. A quick shot of Kylo hearing the same broadcast on his shuttle after his humiliation and defeat on Crait would have done nicely here, as well. Then, his rampage across the galaxy. We follow him as he goes to Mustafar, finds the Sith Wayfinder, and tracks down Palpatine. The two could have their little back and forth about Snoke and how Palpatine made him, and end TLJ with Kylo asking Palpatine "Who is she?" Palpatine laughs, lighting flashes, credits roll. And then, TRoS could open with an opening crawl, pan down to Sinta Glacier and the Falcon, and we're off on our continuing adventure. Not only does this edit leave the second film in the trilogy as a cliffhanger, but also connects TLJ to TRoS in a way they currently are not. It would at least give the illusion that Lucasfilm planned on bringing Big Daddy Palps back at some point, and would have had audiences freaking out and more excited for the anticipated TRoS.

2.) The Location of the Sith Wayfinder

     You could technically kill two birds with one stone with this alteration and fix multiple issues I take with TRoS. I understand why Lucasfilm decided to have Death Star wreckage seen in the Endor system. Nostalgia sells, especially to middle-aged men who grew up in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. But in doing so, one of our main characters uttered one line of dialogue that technically broke canon. When the Endor system is mentioned, Finn says that's where the last war ended, which if you're a canon junkie like me, you know that's not true. The last war ended on Jakku a year after the second Death Star was destroyed. Not only that, we all saw the explosion that second Death Star made when it went boom, and while MAYBE some pieces of the battle station MIGHT have survived, nothing as large as the piece we see in TRoS could have survived, let alone the ONE PIECE that was more identifiable than any other bit (the main weapon dish). And don't get me started on the Emperor's throne room and vault surviving nearly untouched in the explosion, being propelled through a hyperspace anomaly from said explosion, entry into Kef Bir's atmosphere, and crashing into the ocean below. And that Sith dagger? Just ridiculous. The idea of the Wayfinder is a little strange to me, also. But it's a lot more acceptable, in my opinion, than that dagger.

     To correct these continuity sins, as well as one other from earlier in the film, I propose the location of the Sith Wayfinder should have been in the Sith shrine under the Imperial Palace on Courscant, the former Jedi Temple itself. It makes more sense to me that Palpatine would have kept the Wayfinder under serious guard there at the palace where he spent most of his time, not in a vault on a battle station. Not only would it have given us a natural and organic reason to revisit Courscant and the Jedi Temple, but it would have added visuals to the lore we already have about the shrine being under the temple. Seeing the Sith shrine and understanding why the Jedi were guarding it would have been a real treat to see and possibly changed the way we watch the prequels.

     Another issue TRoS created could also be corrected with this edit. "Somehow, Palpatine returned." The line has haunted the franchise since it was uttered in 2019. What I suggest is, as cringy as that line is, keep it in the film right where it currently is, but use the Sith shrine under the palace to EXPLAIN how Palpatine is back. The Dark Side, Sith rituals, and dark magics were mentioned earlier in the film, but this is a beautiful spot to explain how that worked. We've been getting little nuggets of info about Project Necromancer in the television shows and novels, so this would have been the time to bring it full circle and not leave us wondering exactly how Palps is still breathing. Because as much as I love reading the novels, you shouldn't HAVE to read a novel to understand a film. The film should stand on it's own.

     You could still have Kylo follow them to the palace and have the confrontation between him and Rey the same way it's portrayed in TRoS (yeah, choreography is still an issue with that fight, but remember, this isn't about making the films better, just more cohesive), just have the fight around the shrine. And if we wanna stick with Rey being an offspring of Palpatine, this would be a good place to show her really drawing on the Dark Side and making her decide to exile herself on Ahch-To out of fear of her abilities. Just a little extra thought, there.

3.) Rey Attempting To Exile Herself on Ahch-To

     Personally, I understand why Rey decided to try and exile herself on Ahch-To. It was the only example that had been set for her. Luke Skywalker did it, so she would to. Just like going into exile was the only example ever set for Luke by Yoda and Obi-Wan (but some aren't ready for that conversation, yet). I enjoy that scene quite a bit, but this setting and situation would have been a great place to connect this film back to some past films. Luke appears to Rey and explains that he was wrong for going into exile and that she needed to face Palpatine. We see Luke give Leia's lightsaber to Rey and lift the X-Wing out of the water in a show of Force prowess that I don't necessarily think was needed, but a nice callback. Obviously Luke was powerful enough to lift a ship out of water any time after RotJ. We didn't need to see that he finally mastered it as a Force ghost. But I digress. Cohesiveness. I have to stay on target here. This setting could have used a little cameo from the prequels in the form of another Force ghost: one Anakin Skywalker.

     First off, how cool would it have been to see Mark and Hayden have a scene together as father and son? The cheers would have been rancorous. But not only would we get a nostalgia kick here, Anakin could have given Rey insights into what Palpatine could do, what he WOULD do, and maybe some advice on controlling the darkness within her. I like to think that maybe she'd ask him, "If you killed him once before, what's to say he couldn't just come back again?" And Anakin could respond with something like, "That's right, I did destroy him once. But I didn't have someone on the other side of death to finish the job for me. You take care of him on your end, we'll take care of him here." Rey could respond "Just the two of you?" And Luke and Anakin could have just looked at each other and grinned and said "We'll have some help." Now hearing that would have had my jaw on the floor and my imagination running wild. The idea of killing Palpatine being a group effort from both sides of death? Just wow. But, more on that idea later.

     This would have bridged the gap between all three trilogies. The main character and hero of each trilogy plotting together on how to destroy the main villain that's spanned the entire Skywalker Saga would have truly felt like build up to a FINAL confrontation, not just a Great Value brand RotJ fight. It would also have had us anticipating that final fight and wondering how it was going to go down.

4.) The Destruction of Kijimi

     At one point in TRoS we see a Star Destroyer from Palpatine's new fleet destroy the planet of Kijimi. Palpatine orders the Destroyer to "a planet that they know" to prove a point and to discourage the rebels. In my humble opinion, the destruction of this planet carried very little, if any, emotional turmoil. We spent a total of 22 minutes on the planet during the course of an entire saga. I would submit that a different planet should have been targeted and destroyed: Naboo.

     Naboo is a planet we know well. Get rid of Palpatine saying "Send them to a planet they know..." Instead destroy Naboo. We know Naboo. We've spent a lot of time on Naboo throughout the prequels. It's Palpatine's home planet. It's beautiful. Padme` was born and entombed there. It's where Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan fought Maul and where Obi-Wan lost his master. It's where Anakin made sure to let us all know EXACTLY what he thought of sand. It's where Anakin and Padme shared their first kiss. It was the planet that really helped kick off the whole saga in TPM, and would be a detrimental loss to the galaxy. Destroying it would show how serious Palpatine was about taking over with the Final Order, and it would strike fear into the rest of the galaxy. The stakes would be higher than ever for this final confrontation. And we as the audience would think If Naboo isn't safe, no one is.

     When Alderaan is destroyed in ANH, there's not a lot of emotional weight there. Yeah, we know Bail and Breha die, but that's more emotional for Leia than it is for us. The loss of life in that blast is devastating, but we see the planet blow up and then cut away to the Falcon. And with an exception of the asteroid field it leaves behind, Alderaan is never mentioned in the subsequent films again. Leia never brings it up. It's not even brought up in the sequel films. Alderaan is forgotten completely and totally. And even if you have watched the prequels before watching ANH, you've only spent 15 seconds on Alderaan in RotS. No emotional connection other than who you know is ON the planet when it's destroyed, and that's only two people.

     Naboo is pivotal to the Skywalker Saga and a planet all of us are way more attached to. And seeing Poe and the Resistance get word that Naboo, the home planet of Leia's mother, was destroyed immediately after losing Leia would have been gut-wrenching and felt like an insult and attack on Leia's roots.

5.) The Final Confrontation of Jedi and Sith

     The final fight between Rey and Palpatine has always felt cheap to me. Why does Palpatine ALWAYS keep firing lightning at someone when they're blocking it right back into his face? And if he died once, why couldn't he come back? I have a couple of suggestions here to really make this film stick the landing and be not only an end to the sequel trilogy, but to the entire trilogy of trilogies.

     In those final moments of Rey confronting Palpatine, this would have been an amazing spot to drop in cameos from past films. As Rey is deflecting the lightning back at Palpatine, audiences would have went wild at seeing the ghosts of Luke, Leia, Anakin, Qui-Gon, Yoda, and Alec Guinness's Obi-Wan surrounding her. The group could be using the Force to make sure Palpatine doesn't transfer to yet another body and keep him there where they can end him once and for all.

     Palpatine is obliterated, the throne of the Sith is destroyed, and the Sith Eternal are all crushed by debris. Cut to a place we've never seen before in Star Wars: The netherworld of the Force. In this place we finally see Palpatine as he truly appears in a spirit form, surrounded by the Jedi listed above. And as the film and conflict climax, Anakin Skywalker steps forward and obliterates the very essence of Palpatine, destroying the entity itself, never to return. The explosion of his being could dissolve the figures of the Jedi, leaving us to wonder if they, too, were destroyed in the fight. This solidifies that Anakin always was the Chosen One destined to destroy the Sith, and makes for one heck of a final battle.

Conclusion

     I truly believe you could keep the sequel films about the same for the most part, make these few edits and changes, and have a proper Sequel Trilogy. It wouldn't necessarily be the best trilogy or have the best films in it, but a solid entry into the franchise. Sure you can argue all you want about how Lucasfilm should have brought in more elements of the EU and followed what George wanted the sequels to be, and that's a conversation we can have at some point. But if Disney and Lucasfilm wanted to tell THIS story, a little more thought and consideration going into it might have done some good. Do I think these edits would have made TRoS a better movie? Maybe, but only in the name of making the trilogy feel more like a trilogy and not three individual films with the same characters.

     Those are just my thoughts on the matter. I'm sure there will be several who disagree with me on every single point I tried to make in this post. It's Star Wars, and no one hates Star Wars as much as the fans. So I'll be interested to see what you think! Shoot us a line on the contact page here on the site and let us know what your thoughts are on the sequel films.

     Don't forget, the Star Wars Canon Podcast is returning one week from today on April 25th. Tune in and come with us as we continue our journey through the Star Wars universe.

     Until next time, May the Force be with you.

-- Brian