Star Wars Fans Debate Whether Newer Films Ruined One Thing About The Jedi

Star Wars fans got into a heated argument over perceived changes to the nature of the Jedi and the Force in newer films and shows compared to the original trilogy.

In Star Wars: A New Hope, the Force is presented as an energy field that only a few characters can sense and channel. The film wisely holds back on showcasing too much, with Obi-Wan Kenobi using only small-scale mind tricks and the climax seeing Kenobi vanish when struck down by Vader. That mystery expands dramatically in the next two films with new powers on display, like force jumps, limited telekinesis, lightning conjuring, and the scene of Yoda straining to levitate Luke's sunken X-Wing from a swamp. Yet despite raised stakes in combat against the Empire, these films keep such overt acts of Force manipulation relatively rare and tied to extensive discipline and training.

A Reddit post from user u/conn_r21 argues that newer Star Wars media has transformed the Force into «dragonball”-esque displays of power, with beings effortlessly pulling Star Destroyers from the sky. Additionally, the prominence of Jedi characters across films, shows, and games has made them feel „common” rather than exceptionally rare. However, as user Michael_Gibb notes, looking deeper at the original trilogy reveals implications that Jedi were far more common before the rise of the Empire. Yes, they seem “rare» in the films, but there are references to a time when Jedi actively served the Old Republic as peacekeepers in what may have been far greater numbers.

The original Star Wars trilogy ties Force feats to key moments of character growth and dramatic tension. Backed by John Williams’ haunting score, these restraint helps sell the Force as a mystical energy that perhaps cannot be easily measured or explained. Few beings access it, and when they do, it feels special. Compare this to newer films and television series, where Jedi and Sith-in-training seem capable of incredible telekinetic, physical, and mental feats surpassing