With Rise of Skywalker hitting its theatrical release, the time has come to how well the Sequel Trilogy (Star Wars: Episodes VII, VIII and IX) interweave with the Star Wars canon. For this, we’ll review each episode as it’s own standalone film, and then grade the trilogy as a whole. Also, SPOILERS clearly ahead.

Perhaps no Star Wars film (or film in general) had the pressure to satisfy audiences as well as perform at the box office as much as Episode VII: The Force Awakens (TFA). TFA gave us trailers featuring classic characters such as Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker all the while showing us a cool and bad-ass looking new member of the darkside (Kylo Ren) as well as new characters Finn and Rey. There’s a lot to unpack here . Did TFA stick the landing? For the most part, yes.

TFA does not waste time getting into things. The opening crawl is clear what we’re in for (Luke Skywalker had vanished, and the First Order is looking to take over). It’s a race for the Resistance to find Luke (or specifically, a piece of a map that leads to Luke) before the First Order does. Say what you want about MaGuffin-style storytelling, but it’s effective here as every character has a different reaction to Skywalker (or the existence of Skywalker). Poe Dameron, the Resistance pilot tasked with recovering the map treats it as the most important thing in the galaxy. Rey is shocked at the idea that Skywalker exists, thinking he may have just been a myth, and so on and so forth (not trying to spoil the entire film here!). Interestingly enough, this is probably my favorite “version” of Luke Skywalker in all of Star Wars: the legend that’s disappeared to do who knows what. It’s a great question (that isn’t answered here) that really leads us into Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.

TFA also spends a good amount of time developing our characters, although there are questions that we hope to get answered later in the trilogy. While TFA shares a lot with Episode IV: A New Hope, I appreciate the differences between Rey and Hope’s Luke Skywalker. Viewers are quick to realize Rey’s our main hero here (although there are some red herrings with Finn), but it doesn’t look like Rey wants any part of it (Hope’s Luke couldn’t wait to get involved).  It’s a nice change of pace. Watching TFA again and knowing how the trilogy ends, I’m excited to see Rey accept her powers and who she is as opposed to someone looking to gain or earn power. But we get some of that too with Kylo Ren and his arc. One of the criticisms of TFA is that it’s too similar to A New Hope. Structurally that’s true, but the characters themselves are different and it works very well.

I like all of the main performances, and Harrison Ford once again steals the show as Han Solo (and doesn’t distract from the main story). We can easily see how the character of Han Solo has evolved. It’s clear that not only the wars of the Original Trilogy have softened him a bit, but the aftermath did as well. Same goes for Carrie Fisher’s General Leia. I also find Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac and John Boyega to be really good in their roles as well. I do find that the writing puts too much emphasis on the comedy aspect of Boyega’s Finn, but it’s not bad or anything.

Another criticism of TFA was that there were no memorable music pieces. Those who said that must have watched a version without sound because themes for the Resistance, Rey and Kylo Ren are all excellent and I absolutely love “The Jedi Steps”. Absolutely crazy critique.

The only negatives I really have for TFA is the lightsaber scene near the end. Finn somewhat holds his own in a duel with Kylo Ren and Rey outright beats him. A strange decision that affected how I viewed Ren (which is a shame, because he’s amazing and probably the best character in this whole trilogy). I would have preferred we didn’t do that here, even if Disney wanted good to win Round 1.

Best Scene: It’s tough because Han Solo has plenty of amazing scenes here (as I wrote, he steals the show). I’ll go with his reaction to hearing about the map to Skywalker, and him telling Finn and Rey that “it’s [the legend of the Jedi and the darkside] true, all of it”. You can tell right there that Han’s been changed by the entire experience.

Worst Scene: There’s this out of place scene right after Han meets Rey and Finn involving monsters called rathars. It’s so out of place it’s almost laughable.

Other Thoughts: BB-8 had an excellent debut as the droid to “replace” R2-D2, but it’s not there yet. Knowing how Snoke ends definitely lowers his impact here, but there was definitely intrigue at the time. The ending scene with Rey and Luke Skywalker, barring the weird helicopter cam, is one of my favorites in all of Star Wars. The opening scene is my 2nd favorite in Star Wars as well (behind Revenge of the Sith).

Personal Story: One regret I have is that coming into the film, I was so focused on theory and analyzing that I didn’t it back and enjoy the film, and actually didn’t love it on first watch. But every time I came back to it I liked it more and more and would  say it’s my 3rd or 4th favorite film in the franchise.

Final Thoughts: More importantly than anything else, this movie is a lot of fun. It’s a thrill ride with very few slow parts and a lot to take in. It also provided a lot of set-up for Episode VIII and Episode IX. It also made Disney look like geniuses at the box office, becoming the third film ever to reach the $2 Billion mark (it’s 4th all-time now).

Grade: A-

Unlike every previous installment of the series, TLJ kicks off right after TFA. TLJ has three stories woven together, and a few things become readily apparent that Rian Johnson is not playing this one safe. First of which is the introduction of Poe Dameron’s character arc. Despite being a fine leader in TFA suddenly he’s the hothead who doesn’t listen to his commanding officers. Poe’s actions in the entire film directly cause the ending sequence and he really gets let off free in regards to this. Had the Resistance lost at the end, you can directly blame Poe for sending Finn and a new character named Rose (we’ll get there) on their side quest to infiltrate Snoke’s ship. Poe’s conflict with Vice Admiral Holdo is written quite poorly (even if it actually does make sense, despite many feeling it didn’t). Holdo had a plan to escape The First Order, doesn’t tell Poe (which i am okay with, she outranks him afterall) and Poe helps Finn and Rose on their journey as well well causes a mutiny against Holdo. Really messy all around.

Speaking of Finn and Rose, Finn ends up with a similar character arc as TFA and it almost kinda works. The issue is how we get there. So once again Finn wants to run, but Rose, who’s sister died in an earlier battle, is tasked with stopping all deserters. Somehow they end up with a plan to stop the First Order from tracking their ship and tell Poe (not Holdo) about it. Poe helps them do it, sending them to find a master codebreaker to break into Snoke’s ship to turn off the tracker. Where Finn and Rose end up though is Canto Bight, and suddenly we’re talking about social justice topics in regards to cruelty to animals and how rich people become rich. While these are fine stories to tell and there definitely could have been a place in the trilogy to tell it, it’s completely distracting here and this side of the story goes off the rails. It’s a shame because the payoff is actually pretty cool (The Codebreaker betrays Finn and Rose, leading to a Captain Phasma vs. Finn showdown) and the acting is good all around. The Codebreaker’s betrayal leads to the First Order knowing Holdo’s plan, and if it weren’t for her amazing maneuver of shooting the ship at lightspeed through Snoke’s ship (absolutely amazing, if not questionable storyline wise) this battle would be over.

It’s also worth noting that this entire side of TLJ wasn’t about a high speed space chase or anything. The First Order was simply waiting for the Resistance to fun out of fuel. I have no idea how that passed the writing table. These are some of the worst ideas in all of Star Wars.

And yet, the other side of TLJ is absolutely amazing. Rey has found Luke Skywalker to either bring him back to face Kylo Ren or to train Rey herself. But Luke’s shut himself off from the Force due to the fact he played a major part in Ben Solo’s turn into Kylo Ren. Mark Hamill is amazing here, showing disgust, annoyance and fear at all different points. Of course, this decision (to have Luke as a bitter old hermit) led to the backlash against TLJ as many felt (including Hamill himself at one point) that Luke wouldn’t become a bitter character. And I must say those people (including Hamill) are wrong. Making Luke the returning hero  to save the day without conflict is a boring route that takes away from the character this trilogy is building (Rey). It’s not Luke Skywalker’s story, it’s Rey’s. Pretty much all of Rey, Kylo Ren and Luke’s scenes are incredible, and the throne scene once Ren kills Snoke (Snoke was pretty fun here too) may be the best scene Star Wars has to offer period. At the time I absolutely bought that Kylo Ren was going to turn to the light and was shocked that he didn’t. Despite it apparently being weakly choreographed (I would have never noticed if I hadn’t seen it in slow motion) Snoke’s guards vs. Ren and Rey is one of my favorite battles in the entire series. Best of all, up onto that point Rey has risen above what Luke Skywalker had become and what Kylo Ren had refused to do. It’s absolutely refreshing to have a character not being forced to do anything because of a prophecy or a destiny. It feels that Rey is making her own choices without influence and it’s really fantastic to see.

I also need to include that after seeing this film for the first time i was all-in on Kylo Ren and arguedat the time he could have ended up as the greatest Star Wars character ever. The entire “let the past end” combined with him doing everything to accomplish just that (killing Snoke, trying to destroy Luke Skywalker) is absolutely perfect. Also, for all the issues people have with this film being “retconned” by Rise of Skywalker, Kylo Ren always showed signs of wanting to return to the light, specifically when he doesn’t pull the trigger to kill General Leia. Kylo Ren at this point is proving to be a complex character who wants the past to die, but can’t quite let it go either.

There’s another whole finale after the three stories connect on Crait. Action wise it’s not quite TFA but it’s still okay. Two things happen that I do think hurt the film and the trilogy overall. The first is on a smaller scale. Finn is about to sacrifice himself for the Resistance, and Rose stops him with one of the worst quotes in the entire series; “We’re going to win this war not by fighting what we hate, but by saving what we love.” Not only have two characters sacrificed themselves for the Resistance (Rose’s sister and Holdo) in this film, in one of those cases (Holdo’s) the war probably ends without it. I feel bad for the backlash Kelly Marie Tran received for her performance as Rose (it was a good performance, just a bad character) but lines like that did not do her any favors. Anyway Finn’s arc could have been completed right at that moment.

The second issue with the finale is a conflicting one for me because the scene itself is awesome. So Luke Skywalker does return to face off with Kylo Ren. And while there’s some force trickery involved both Hamill and Adam Driver are excellent here and you really feel the scope of this big showdown. The issue here is that it steals Rey’s moment. Kylo Ren is in the spotlight (and killed Snoke to get there) as it should be, but Rey is off trying to help the Resistance escape by moving a bunch of rocks? Kylo doesn’t get a decisive victory over Luke either here. Awesome scene to see, but Rey needed to be involved in a bigger way here. This is also why Rey’s victory over Kylo Ren was a bizarre choice in TFA, because Kylo Ren still hasn’t beaten Rey and I’m wondering what the challenge to Rey is at this point.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect coming into Rise of Skywalker (ROS). While I enjoyed both TFA and TLJ, even as a fan ROS seemed to get lost somewhere. I’m not sure if it was due to Disney fatigue, or if the rabid Star Wars fandom (at this point purely against TLJ to the point that Rotten Tomatoes audience score was allegedly review bombed) had finally got to me. Maybe it was because, since we had last seen Star Wars on the big screen, Marvel busted out Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: End Game and there just wasn’t any emotional energy left to give a big name franchise. J.J. Abrams had an answer to all of this: “I’m just going to give you everything you all wanted”. And somehow…it mostly works and it’s amazing.

First thing to point out is that ROS does not waste time. The first teaser trailer told us Emperor Palpatine is back and our opening crawl tells us as much. A common complaint was that Palpatine coming back via opening crawl (or Fortnite event apparently) was stupid and I can’t say I agree. I don’t think we needed another 15 minutes watching Palpatine use Sith powers to turn into a Sith ghost. For anyone who paid attention to Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine’s resurrection is perfectly explained. And right away, you know where the film is going and the brilliance of Palpatine’s return. I’ve already written about the issue that Rey is currently overpowered with seemingly no equal, and we don’t know why the Resistance just won’t unleash her on the First Order. Well, when you have a character like that with one episode or story left to tell, you bring back the only character who can face her and deal with her. In this case, it’s the Emperor. Suddenly Rey’s the underdog again.

Interestingly enough though, there’s a twist involved that’s apparent from scene one. If this was just paint by the numbers, Kylo Ren would blindly follow the Emperor and perhaps turn at the end. But Kylo Ren is having none of Emperor bs and honestly, I thought there was a chance he was just going to off him right away and become the big bad. I would have been all for it too had Ren actually won a big fight in this trilogy. Palpatine plays his overpowered fleet card and gets Kylo on his side. Why is this different than the predictable scenario I laid out at the start of the paragraph? Because all film Kylo doesn’t seem to care about Palpatine and even talks about killing him when trying to convince Rey to join him. And that’s what really makes Kylo Ren an incredible character. He’s not the Emperor’s lackey or sidekick. He thinks of himself as an equal (or even stronger) than Palpatine and his attitude all film is “I’ll kill Palpatine if and when I want.” And even Palpatine in his dead state can’t read Ren (“The Jedi apprentice still lives, perhaps you have betrayed me”). Ren wants to crush everyone and rule the galaxy with Rey. Fantastic all around and a good follow-up to what TLJ did with him.

Speaking of Rey, while some pieces of her story is inconsistent, I think they work for the most part. All trilogy she’s been trying to find her place in the story. Thinking her parents were no one, she just seemed like a powerful character involved in this war with a connection to Ren. At the start she respects Leia as her master as she has the choice to do so. She’s not someone bound by “destiny”. She’s legitimately a good person who wants to do the right thing with the power of love and such. And how do you create conflict with a character like this? You take what she’s accepted in her life and tell her no, your destiny is you will take the throne of the Sith! She’s told that becoming Empress Palpatine is her place in the story. It’s a tremendous way to create a conflict with a character that did seem too strong and didn’t seem to have much of a story. Best of yet, because of Kylo Ren there’s a plausible scenario of Rey actually taking the throne and facing off with a converted-to-the-light Ben Solo (not that this was likely, mind you). The idea that Rey chooses to remain with the light, bringing light and hope along the way to those she encounters is a great one. Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and now Ben Solo (and by extension, the entire Resistance) are drawn back into the “right” side of the fight by Rey’s spirit and that’s a hero I believe in.

The biggest issue for the film is that a lot of stories are crammed in. I like Finn a lot here, but the idea of him finding other rogue stormtroopers is something I wish was explored in TLJ as it had a lot of potential. Finn being force sensitive though is a nice touch and is something else that I wish there was time to explore (anyone having force sensitivity is a good carryover from TLJ though). We get a lot of history for Poe Dameron and while it’s fun, again it’s rushed a bit as J.J. clearly was trying to make up for not having a middle film to work with. Bonus points for Poe performing some crazy flying tech (even if the tech itself is bs). He is the best pilot in the galaxy afterall. Unfortunately Rose was put on the backburner, and even BB-8 didn’t seem as important as before. Maz Kanata is absolutely wasted. But at the same time, other characters old and new got their moments. I liked Jennah, General Pryde and Zorii, appreciated Chewie and Lando, and loved Hux’s story arc conclusion. The use of posthumous Carrie Fisher, while awkward in some spots, does work for the most part. If I had to take this all as a whole I would consider it a net positive, but I can see where viewers wouldn’t feel any of this.

Ultimately, this film shines in its final act. The moment Rey battles Kylo Ren and beyond is absolutely amazing. Emperor Palpatine goes full secret final boss mode and pulls out all the craziness, all while taunting Rey every step of the way. I assume some viewers found this to be over the top, but if there’s ever a time to pull out all the stops it’s in the last moments of the last film. Rey calling upon all the Jedi of the past to take out Palpatine and all of the Sith a perfect ending to the saga. Rey using Luke and Leia’s lightsabers to take out Palpatine once and for all is a nice show of respect for the OT. Ben Solo shines here as well, but never takes away from Rey’s moment. By the end of the film, there is no question that Rey earned the name Skywalker.

The final battle in the sky with the Resistance against the Last Order is breathtaking. While Lando bringing in reinforcements falls short of Endgame’s emotional climax, I also don’t think that’s a fair comparison (it’s just similar enough that it’s worth mentioning). The idea of attacking a Star Destroyer by actually taking the fight on the actual destroyer itself was incredible though, and Finn for the third time in three films stands up and makes the hero move. I’m glad to see that this time he pulled it off.

Final Thoughts: There’s a video on Youtube of a young girl going to Disney World and getting amazingly excited when she meets Rey. Millions of young girls will grow up being who they want to be as opposed to who they are told they had to be, drawing inspiration from Rey Skywalker. Rey’s journey doesn’t dampen the stories of Luke and Anakin of the past, but instead adds a thrilling final chapter to an incredible fantasy world. Rise of Skywalker had the impossible task of closing out a 42 year, 9 (11?) film saga, and somehow pulled it off. No film in the Skywalker Saga drew from the mythology of the prequels, the charm of the OT character all while telling a new story like Rise of Skywalker does. Maybe it’s not the best Star Wars film (although, if you argue for it I definitely am not standing in your way), but it’s certainly the greatest.

And if this is what too much fan service is then please give me more fan service.

Grade: A+

Trilogy Thoughts: We’ll never see something like the Skywalker Saga again. It’s a shame that behind the scenes there was a lot of confusion about the direction the directors wanted to go. This only got worse when J.J. Abrams re-took the helm, as of course he wanted to close out the stories he started in TFA. Rian Johnson’s TLJ is always going to be the odd one out in this trilogy. For sure, some characters suffered here.

But the main characters shine and that’s what important. And despite a section of the Star Wars fandom feeling that TLJ shouldn’t be canon because of Luke Skywalker’s portrayal and that’s really unfortunate, because Skywalker’s payoff is arguably the most heroic of any Star Wars film. All of the OT characters presented have a satisfying end and help push the story along and are done with respect. It’s okay to take chances as long as the conclusion makes sense! Han, Luke, Leia, Chewie, Yoda  and every voice that spoke to Rey  and Ben provided the support that’s needed when establishing new characters. As Yoda says in TLJ: “We are who they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all masters.” To some people the OT will be Star Wars. But to a generation today, the ST is Star Wars.

I can’t give the trilogy an amazingly great score because of the continuity issues presented by the directorial issues. But this trilogy had everything and I hope in 10-15 years it’s remembered fondly. I think it’s my favorite too.

Trilogy Score: B+