Posting in Reddit’s popular “Ask Reddit” forum on Wednesday, Redditor u/Ebo8000 asked: “What is your most controversial take on Star Wars?” The post has amassed more than 21,000 upvotes and nearly 20,000 comments from passionate fans who shared their hot-takes on everything, from the franchise’s characters to its settings.
Star Wars is one of the “highest-grossing film franchises in the world with a total worldwide box office revenue of over ten billion U.S. dollars,” Statista reported. Further, The Force Awakens—the first of Disney’s three Star Wars sequel movies—remains the most successful film in U.S. history.
Despite its box office success, however, the franchise is no stranger to critique. The prequels, for example, have been largely panned by movie critics. In 2019, Vox called the prequels “stilted and strange,” adding that the plotlines were “bland.” And in 2015, Slate flat-out called the trilogy “bad.”
Of course, not all viewers agree with what the critics have to say.
The Phantom Menace
Many critics consider The Phantom Menace to be the worst Star Wars film. However, some fans said they really liked the movie and argued that it didn’t deserve so much hate.
“I liked Episode I a lot. I thought it was great,” one Redditor wrote.
u/landob agreed, writing: “I always felt like that movie got more hate than it deserved. I never thought it was better than 4,5,6 but god people make it out to be some horrible movie.”
Redditor u/fricks_and_stones called it the “best prequel by far.”
On the topic of The Phantom Menace, some Redditors admitted to liking Jar Jar Binks, who is considered to be one of the most hated characters ever created.
“Jar Jar wasn’t that bad, it was a bloody kids movie and he suited it just fine,” one commenter said.
“Jar Jar is a heroic character who gets way too much s**t from fans just because he personally rubs people the wrong way sometimes,” u/zerbey wrote.
Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen is the actor who portrayed Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith and, most recently, Disney’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Though The Independent reports that his performance received negative reviews during the prequels’ release, some fans thought he did a great job with the character.
“I like Hayden Christensen…there I said it!” exclaimed u/_forum_mod.
“I also believe Hayden Christensen was perfectly cast in that role. He really sells emotion with his eyes and had the perfect expression of angsty,” another Redditor agreed.
Tatooine
Tatooine is the home of Anakin Skywalker and the planet on which his son, Luke Skywalker, spent most of his childhood. Though it is an important setting in the Skywalker saga, many fans admitted that they are tired of seeing it.
“For a show that explores the fking universe, so much bullst happens in g**damn Tatooine,” complained u/rocharox.
“Strange how people keep hiding and try to get ‘off the grid’ on one of the most popular planets in the damned galaxy,” said u/shaka_zulu12.
Redditor u/Icelegion3000 called it the “Florida of the Star Wars universe.”
