For over a thousand years before the saga, the Republic and the Jedi Order worked together to unite the galaxy, successfully maintaining peace after the apparent destruction of the Sith. Galactic Republicįounded over 25,000 years before the events of the Skywalker saga, The Galactic Republic governed most of the known galaxy as a representative democracy. The Star Wars franchise is renowned for its lore and world-building, and the politics of all eras helped reinforce the immersion. The politics of the sequel trilogy and non-movie material set after the original trilogy dealt with the reestablishment of democracy and the lingering ideology of fascism, which wasn’t helped by the literal resurrection of their leader in both continuities. The original trilogy itself kept things simple: the heroes sought to overthrow a fascist state and reinstate democracy. The heavy focus on politics was one of many aspects of the prequel trilogy that viewers criticized, but it ultimately added context to the original trilogy and nuance to the lore of both continuities. Related: Every Star Wars Movie, Ranked Worst To Best Long after Palpatine’s apparent death during the Battle of Endor, the cult-like supporters of his ideology kept the Empire’s oppression alive and well long after the Rebellion’s decisive victory. Using the Jedi as a scapegoat, he framed the order as the architects behind the Clone Wars (in truth, his machinations as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious), stoking the fires of xenophobia and portraying himself and the Republic’s citizens as victims of a Jedi conspiracy. Instead, he gradually twisted the Republic into the authoritarian Empire and convinced its populace to support the coup. Palpatine didn’t conquer the galaxy through brute force.
One of the core thematic elements of both Star Wars continuities is the conflict between democracy and authoritarianism. Non-movie material in both the Canon and Legends continuities showed the Rebellion reform itself into the New Republic, and the Empire degrade into Imperial Remnant factions. The sequels saw the resurgence of Imperial and Sith ideology in the form of the First Order, leading to the creation of The Resistance and their subsequent war with the First Order.
The prequels saw the buildup, ignition, and devastating ending of the Clone Wars, between the Galactic Republic and the Separatists.
Each era of the Star Wars Skywalker saga is defined by a conflict between two major factions, but how many of these factions are there in total? The original trilogy centered on the Galactic Civil War, where the Rebel Alliance sought to free the galaxy from the Galactic Empire.