Star Wars Desperately Needs to Break Free From the Skywalker Saga—The Finale

In part two of this series, I discussed how Star Wars risks becoming stuck in the past and how that fixation can come at the expense of new storytelling opportunities and meaningful character development for the next trilogy. Rather than building something new, Lucasfilm risks looking backward when it should be looking toward the future.

For more than four decades, Star Wars has captivated audiences with its unforgettable characters, epic conflicts, and a galaxy filled with endless storytelling possibilities. Yet, despite the vastness of its universe, the franchise continues to return to one central family: the Skywalkers.

While the Skywalker saga helped define Star Wars, its story has already spanned generations, explored the rise and fall of the Empire, and brought the central conflict between the Jedi and Sith to multiple turning points. So why does the franchise continue to look backward when there are so many unexplored corners of the galaxy?

With Disney and Lucasfilm continuing to expand the franchise, I believe the next Star Wars trilogy should embrace a different direction. Rather than revisiting familiar characters and legacy storylines, it’s time to introduce new heroes, explore different eras, and tell stories that demonstrate just how much potential this universe still holds.

Star Wars doesn’t need another Skywalker saga. It needs the courage to move beyond it.

The Vast History & Lore Of Star Wars Offers So Many Compelling Stories

George Lucas created a vast, rich history and lore around Star Wars. Disney and Lucasfilm have 25,000 years of history, lore, and world building to pull from within the Star Wars universe. This universe is ripe with compelling and exciting stories to tell. Yet, Disney isn’t brave enough to explore the unknown. 

Tell a new story.

Introduce new characters. Create new threats. Explore different parts of Star Wars history. 

There are countless possibilities.

The Old Republic & Darth Revan

Lucasfilm could have explored the Old Republic and adapted elements of the story surrounding Darth Revan. Revan is a compelling character with a complex history, conflict, powerful adversaries, and a mythos that could provide an entirely different foundation for a Star Wars trilogy.

More importantly, a story like Revan’s could explore different aspects of the Star Wars universe without relying on the familiar characters and conflicts that have defined the Skywalker saga. It could examine the Jedi and Sith through a different historical lens, introduce audiences to a galaxy shaped by different political struggles, and challenge their understanding of what it means to embrace the light or fall to the dark side.

Or go in the opposite direction.

Take the story deep into the future, where Luke, Leia, Yoda, and the Sith have become legends. Their stories could exist as pieces of history, mythology, and lessons passed down to future generations.

Imagine a new generation of Jedi learning about the mistakes of the past while confronting threats that Luke Skywalker and his predecessors never encountered. The legacy of the original characters could still matter without requiring them to return or serve as the foundation of the narrative.

That distinction is important. Moving beyond the Skywalker saga doesn’t mean abandoning everything that made Star Wars special. It means allowing the universe to evolve while preserving the themes, mythology, and conflicts that audiences have come to love.

That would allow Lucasfilm to build something entirely new while still existing within the Star Wars universe. 

The possibilities are enormous. The galaxy is enormous. So why do we keep going back to the same family? That’s the question that the creative teams at Disney and Lucasfilm must decipher.

Disney Needs to Take a Risk

Instead, Disney appears to be continuing to lean on the Skywalker legacy because it is familiar.

And familiarity is comfortable. Familiarity grants the shareholders big financial box offices without much risk.

For a corporation, a new story is a risk even when that new story exists within an established universe. The Skywalker name is one of the most recognizable elements of Star Wars, so continuing that story provides a familiar foundation for a massive entertainment property.

From a business perspective, that reasoning is understandable. Recognizable characters, established conflicts, and familiar storylines give audiences an immediate point of connection. They also provide a foundation that studios can use to market new projects.

But there is a difference between building on an established universe and continually revisiting the same corner of it.

Familiarity Does Not Equal Success

Familiarity can attract an audience, but it cannot replace a compelling story.

When a franchise repeatedly returns to the same characters, bloodlines, and conflicts, it risks making the galaxy feel smaller than it actually is. Instead of opening new doors, each new installment can begin to feel like another attempt to recreate the appeal of what came before.

That is particularly frustrating with Star Wars because the franchise has always been built around a universe that extends far beyond any single family. The Jedi, the Sith, the Republic, the Empire, and the countless civilizations spread across the galaxy offer opportunities to tell stories that don’t depend on the Skywalkers.

But there is a problem with playing it safe forever. Eventually, safe becomes stale. 

I am absolutely frustrated by Disney and Lucasfilm’s apparent desire to keep squeezing more stories out of the Skywalker saga when the Star Wars universe has so much more to offer.

Taking a risk doesn’t mean abandoning the franchise’s identity. It means trusting that Star Wars can succeed without constantly relying on its most recognizable characters.

A New Star Wars Story and Characters are Key

A new trilogy could introduce unfamiliar heroes, explore a different era, and establish conflicts that have nothing to do with the Skywalker family. It could take creative risks, challenge audience expectations, and give longtime fans something genuinely unexpected while offering newcomers a fresh entry point into the galaxy.

Would every new character work? Would every new story resonate with audiences? Of course not. No franchise can guarantee success, and a different direction would not automatically produce a great trilogy.

But that is the point: creative ambition requires the willingness to try something new, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

After the sequel trilogy, I don’t want another story that feels like it is constantly looking backward.

I want Lucasfilm to look forward.

The Bottom Line

Star Wars doesn’t need another Skywalker story.

It needs a great story set in an amazing universe. That’s the difference. 

If Disney and Lucasfilm can build a compelling narrative, develop interesting characters, create thoughtful world-building, and give audiences a reason to care about a new corner of the galaxy, people will come.

That’s the lesson I believe the studio should take from the franchise’s history.

As James Earl Jones says in Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.”

Build it, Disney.