The Star Wars sequel trilogy featured the First Order, and though their design drew inspiration from the Empire, their strategies were straight from the prequels' Separatists. Many viewers complained the sequel trilogy largely ignored the prequel trilogy, focusing mainly on evoking a sense of nostalgia for the original trilogy. The Resistance is similar in structure to the Rebel Alliance, while the First Order was meant to look like the Empire – and Starkiller Base was just a powered-up version of the Death Star. Kylo Ren, too, mimicked Darth Vader, with Supreme Leader Snoke initially playing the part of Emperor Palpatine.
The similarities between the First Order and the Empire make sense. There are strong connections between the Empire and the First Order, with The Mandalorian season 3 even introducing the Imperial Shadow Council – the group that laid the groundwork for the First Order. The officers and personnel who survived the Empire's destruction went into hiding in the Unknown Regions, carefully plotting how to retake the galaxy. They drew inspiration not from their traditional Imperial roots, but from the Separatist movement and the Clone Wars.
