Summary
- Star Wars has always been about more than just the Jedi and the Sith, exploring the grittier, more realistic aspects of the universe since its inception.
- The Force is an integral part of Star Wars, but non-Force-sensitive characters have played crucial roles in the franchise's storytelling.
- The best Star Wars stories build on George Lucas' foundation by further exploring elements beyond the Force, such as the criminal underworld and the development of the Rebellion and the Empire that Andor focuses on brilliantly.
While the mystical aspects of the franchise's mythology will always be important, Star Wars has forever been more than simply the Jedi and the Sith. Since the expansion of the franchise following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, Star Wars has expanded its storytelling in ways that many may only have dreamed of during George Lucas' tenure as the series' leader. This is set to continue in upcoming Star Wars movies, especially with a 25,000-year-old story about the origins of the Jedi Order in development. However, while this expansion has allowed Star Wars' Force-based exploration to increase, the franchise has also delved deeper into the grittier, more realistic aspects of the universe.
From films like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to TV productions such as Andor, Star Wars has explored how the franchise looks beyond the Jedi and the Sith, something that will only be furthered in upcoming Star Wars TV shows like Skeleton Crew or Andor season 2. Of late, projects in this vein – especially Andor – have been criticized by some for not featuring Force mythology as others have, deeming these stories as not "true" Star Wars tales as a result. That said, Star Wars is a franchise that has always been about more than just the Jedi and the Sith, even in the earliest days of the franchise's inception.
