Darth Vader. Darth Sidious. General Grievous. Count Dooku. Darth Maul. Jango Fett. Let’s face it, the Star Wars universe has always thrived on the strength of its villains. In fact, many would argue that it’s the bad guys and the dark side of the Force that have actually driven the best narratives of the films. However, in recent years, writers have felt the need to bring back Emperor Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker again and again for various Disney+ TV shows and movies. It’s time for Star Wars to move on. Star Wars needs new and better villains.
Star Wars Struggles To Reignite Fan Passion
It’s no secret that the Star Wars universe is in a bit of a rough spot right now. The stream of Disney+ shows, aimed at reigniting fans’ love for George Lucas’ sci-fi franchise, has had the opposite effect. Series like The Acolyte and Ahsoka have changed the general perception of what Star Wars really has to offer as a franchise.
The focus on episodic releases and shows that barely share a thread of continuity has also led to an excess of pointless Star Wars characters that could never stand toe-to-toe with someone like Han Solo or even Wicket the Ewok. Not even the outstanding acting chops of Laura Dern could save a character like Vice-Admiral Holdo.
The Importance Of Villains In Star Wars
As lifeless as some of the new heroes of the franchise can be, Star Wars has always been a saga defined by its villains. As cool as Han and Chewie were, everyone focused on Darth Vader and Boba Fett. We could even look past Jar Jar and his awkward comedic antics as long as Darth Maul was close doing his insane acrobatics and wielding that cool dual-lightsaber.
Villains are what make Star Wars unique. That essential reality might be the reason why the Sequel Trilogy failed where even the Prequels succeeded: we need better bad guys. The Dark Side of the Force is a constant menace to the peace of the entire galaxy, so how come all we’ve seen from Disney’s Star Wars movies and shows are half-baked villains who would never stand a chance against the good guys?
Snoke’s Potential And Palpatine’s Overuse
When the Sequel Trilogy began, everyone was convinced Supreme Leader Snoke was going to be a threat on the same level as Palpatine. What we couldn’t imagine was that the trilogy would reuse Palpatine as the big bad in the end — for the third time in the franchise. It would be as if Marvel kept bringing Thanos back from the dead each time it released a new film. Is the message here really that Palpatine is the only Sith Lord in the entire Star Wars galaxy?
Even The Acolyte, as much as it tried to rewrite the established canon, couldn’t help but reveal a well-known villain at the eleventh hour. That brief cameo by Darth Plagueis might have been the most unnecessary callback ever seen in a TV show.
Overreliance On Nostalgia Hurts The Franchise
Reusing the same villains and stripping them of their unique qualities has been an issue with modern Star Wars for a while. There’s nothing wrong with paying homage to the source material and the years of lore laid by the series, but it’s time for Star Wars to fly away from tropes and villains that fans have already seen countless times before.
Shows like Andor prove that Disney can make a good Star Wars show, while ones like Ahsoka and The Book of Boba Fett prove that their overreliance on nostalgia is doing them more harm than good.
Hope For The Future With Filoni And Favreau
With creatives like Dave Filoni on board, this should be a golden age for Star Wars. The man responsible for bringing characters like Asajj Ventress and the best version of General Grievous to life knows precisely how to make a compelling villain. It’s not about the cool, dark clothes, or creepy helmets that look a bit too much like Darth Vader’s — it’s about creating a character that audiences feel threatened by.
We know that the heroes will come out on top in the end, sure, but what about the sacrifices they’d have to make to emerge victorious? After all, Vader killed Obi-Wan. That feeling of “evilness” coming from the villains has been lost in modern Star Wars. Still, with filmmakers like Filoni and Jon Favreau behind the scenes, Star Wars might make a comeback when we least expect it.
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Tell us, do you think Star Wars needs new and better villains?
