Without prominent characters from the original trilogy, many thought that Star Wars: The Last Jedi would face an uphill battle in keeping the positive ratings and increasing popularity of the franchise alive. However, The Last Jedi proved to be an outstanding movie in almost every aspect. Although really a stepping stone for the final, ninth movie, The Last Jedi was successful from the basic premise to the small background details, as each aspect of the movie advanced the overarching plot of this trilogy onwards and made it an enjoyable experience for both old and new fans.

The Last Jedi appeals especially to die-hard Star Wars fans, however, through its allusions and mirror-like plot of The Empire Strikes Back. Almost every major scene was a reflection of a scene from the original trilogy. However, unlike being a mere repeat of the previous films, The Last Jedi had a unique angle, in which the characters had more amateur views of the force in comparison to the elaborate, “power-peaked” Jedi of the prequel trilogy, which ultimately led to more unpredictable events and prevented even the most elite Star Wars fan (such as I) to predict the next move.

Compared to previous films, the force sensitives in The Last Jedi had more naive views of the force. Supreme Leader Snoke, a wannabe-Sith (a darkside user who sought power and control through hatred, fear and suffering), had a terrifying appearance, which itself made him a powerful dark-side user, but he was nothing in comparison to the more notorious Emperor Sheev Palpatine. Palpatine, better known as Darth Sidious, corrupted the force and wielded the dark side in a successful, intricate plan to annihilate the majority of the Jedi Order. Despite the fact that the younger, less experienced force wielders had no true insight of the force like Sidious and Yoda, the more influential roles of the non-force users compensated for their lack of insight.

The Last Jedi’s new, diverse characters and multiple subplots that don’t revolve completely around the Jedi added a new twist to the Star Wars franchise. Finn, a defector from the First Order, Poe Dameron, a Resistance commander, and the new character, Rose Tico, a simple mechanic for the Resistance, each played pivotal roles in the plot of the movie, and for once, it was easier to focus on them than the Jedi. This is a major change from the prequel movies, in which the Jedi are at the heart of the story, and essentially solve the problems to everything. However, in The Last Jedi, the multiple subplots that involved all factions of the Star Wars universe –Jedi, Sith, mercenaries, smugglers, rebels, the first order– allowed for an energetic plot filled with action.

The Last Jedi also incorporated lots of dry humor, which was slightly overdone. Even though the amount of sarcasm in the movie was just a little more than enough, it didn’t ruin the overall plot of the movie. Also, the humor added a new sense to the characters in a way that made them more relatable to the audience in a way, or more human. The characters seemed more like average characters rather than mystical, superheroes who have no connection to reality.

Finally, the long-awaited return of Luke Skywalker proved to be an extreme shock. Luke’s personality takes a complete 180 degrees since the Return of the Jedi. He changed from a positive, outgoing character to developing a personality similar to Squidward, wanting nothing to do with the outside world, especially the Jedi Order and the Force. This really emphasized how much the Jedi Order has evolved from a respected institution from The Phantom Menace to an almost extinct one in The Last Jedi.

With the success of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, one can expect Episode IX to be an extraordinary conclusion to the Star Wars franchise.