Summary

• The Star Wars fandom is showing unprecedented levels of toxicity and hatred, dividing fans and affecting new stories' reception.
• Online harassment, death threats, and sexism have plagued the fanbase, leading to actors facing ruthless attacks and controversy.
• The infighting and intolerance among fans are damaging the franchise's reputation and need to be addressed for a more united fandom.

The Star Wars movies and shows gaining mixed reactions, splintering the fanbase.

This has led many in the Star Wars fandom to have pessimistic views regarding the franchise's stories and how they decide to tell them. Shows like have developed controversies as hotbed topics lead to nasty quarrels directed at movie directors, series creators, and actors who get called out online by fans in remarkably strong ways. Online sources for the fandom have been attacked for updating their information based on new details presented in new stories. The state of the fanbase is very concerning, as the volatility has become problematic and disheartening.

Fandom Infighting Is Worse Than I've Ever Seen

Online Toxicity Has Been The Most Poignant Problem

When the Star Wars prequels were released, fans had mixed reactions, resulting in discourse over many years. Some things are still divisive today, while others that were scrutinized at the time are now beloved. An example of this is the portrayals of Anakin Skywalker by Hayden Christenson and Jake Lloyd. There were many times Star Wars fans were done with George Lucas, but the discourse has never felt as volatile as it is today. With strong hints of racism, sexism, death threats, and online bullying, the fandom has developed a reputation for being toxic.

The dark side of the fandom has shown an inability to handle specific choices, resulting in deplorable acts online directed toward women within the franchise. Whether it be Kelly Marie Tran deleting all of her Instagram posts containing racist and sexist comments or Moses Ingram revealing hundreds of direct messages containing racist messages and death threats, these acts shine a light on so many deep problems. These moments did inspire backlash against those who harassed the actresses and became advocates for more female characters and characters of color within the franchise, but this iin itself divides the fanbase even more.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has addressed sexism in the Star Wars fandom, detailing how difficult it is for women to enter the franchise. Kennedy herself has been the target of so much criticism - including an episode of South Park that imagined her crying out for everything to be "woke." Some have suggested replacing her with someone like Dave Filoni, who many view as George Lucas' heir apparent (despite the fact Lucas himself chose Kennedy). While Kennedy should not be above criticism, there really does seem to be a strong undertone of sexism in the way she's constantly attacked.

Dave Filoni's current title is Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm.

Even Wookieepedia Isn't Immune To Huge Controversy

The Controversies Show How The Site Can Become A Venue For Fans To Lash Out

When the Star Wars fandom site updated information after Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi's appearance in episode 4 of The Acolyte, Wookieepedia found itself under fire regarding Mundi's birthdate. The site's editors received death threats online, and chaos spread as a site was forced out. Jordan Wilson was pushed to resign over alleged misconduct after the incident. Soon afterward, the site began unfollowing over 4,000 Star Wars-related Twitter s, causing even more controversy during a turbulent moment for the franchise.

Wookieepedia also found itself in hot water when someone edited Kelly Marie Tran's page to include disgustingly racist things about the actress and her character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Although the edits would eventually be fixed, the actress was forever changed by this traumatic event. These incidents sparked outrage among viewers and media outlets as both incidents demonstrate the fandom's reputation of toxicity. When I look at moments like these, I am dismayed at the amount of abuse the Star Wars fanbase has inflicted on people online.

We Really Need The Fandom To Somehow Reunite

Prolonged Infighting Is Bad For Everybody

As a fanbase, it is time to agree that Star Wars is a fantastic part of our lives and that the levels of disdain we've seen from toxic fans are intolerable. Many viewers recognize that some of Disney's choices for Star Wars are flawed. Unfortunately, these voices are being drowned out by the outspoken ones harassing newcomers to the franchise. By spreading hate-filled messages and death threats to any that present a point of view they cannot approve of, the infighting among fans is constant and deplorable, and the divides are affecting how new Star Wars stories are received.

The Acolyte serves as a case in point, because - on the one hand - many viewers are campaigning for a second season; at the very same time, there's a vocal review-bombing campaign that has sabotaged the Rotten Tomatoes audience score. This apparent disconnect between the fandom indicates both sides are unsure of what they want from the franchise. Looking at Star Wars content across the spectrum of animation and live-action, audience views vary greatly.

Star Wars needs a much more united fandom. The level of hate and animosity shown by fragments of the franchise is not only wrong, it's unsustainable. It furthers the divide in the reception new products receive, and the longer this type of discord drags on, the longer it will hurt the way the fanbase addresses the stories presented to them. This is why I have grave concerns for the Star Wars fandom. We must learn to outgrow this hostility and stop fighting each other. For the future of the franchise, we must be better.