‘The Last Jedi’ Director Rian Johnson Clocks the ‘Star Wars’ Franchise’s “Worst Sin”

On the eight-year anniversary of Star Wars: The Last Jedi‘s release, director Rian Johnson talks about what he sees as the “biggest sin” for the iconic sci-fi franchise. Fresh off Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the filmmaker discussed the thematic crossover between his Star Wars work and the whodunit film series.

Speaking with Polygon, Johnson, who himself grew up a Christian and a Star Wars fan, discussed the similarities between how Wake Up Dead Man‘s interrogation of faith relates to The Last Jedi‘s interrogation of The Force. “Anyone who grew up with Star Wars deeply rooted in their childhood — it’s almost a cliché to say it feels like a religion. That can be used to cut both ways. But for me, there is something very fundamental about it. It’s a fundamental myth that we grew up with, from childhood,” said Johnson.

Sticking with the religious comparisons, Johnson details what he believes to be the “worst sin” Star Wars could commit: not shaking things up. Johnson notes how every Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back has received some level of controversy from the fandom, but later is accepted and folded into the wider mythology. Johnson said:

“Having grown up a Star Wars fan, I know that thing where something challenges it, and I know the recoil against that. I know how there can be infighting in the world of Star Wars. But I also know that the worst sin is to handle it with kid gloves. The worst sin is to be afraid of doing anything that shakes it up. Because every Star Wars movie going back to Empire and onward shook the box and rattled fans, and got them angry, and got them fighting, and got them talking about it. And then for a lot of them, got them loving it and coming around on it eventually.”

The ‘Star Wars’ Fandom Doesn’t Always Do Well With Change

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Disney

Rian Johnson does have a point about Star Wars fans strongly reacting negatively to franchise elements, only to eventually embrace them. Fans hated the Ewoks from Return of the Jedi and saw them as a cynical attempt by George Lucas to sell toys, but over time, they are beloved (except by Denis Villeneuve). They hated how much politics were present in the prequel films, but then were annoyed by The Force Awakens forgoing any discussion about the galaxy’s political system in favor of a swashbuckling adventure. Ahsoka Tano was hated upon the release of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and seen as a major retcon that “broke” Star Wars. Yet, nearly twenty years later, she is a fan-favorite part of the franchise, and it is likely that those who criticized her at first are now big fans of the character.

When it comes to Star Wars films that shook things up, Johnson’s The Last Jedi is undoubtedly the biggest in recent memory. Released in 2017, The Last Jedi was a box office and critical hit. However, some of the film’s creative choices, including a bitter, cynical Luke Skywalker or the reveal of Rey’s (then) nobody status, angered a section of the fandom. Meanwhile, many accused the follow-up film, The Rise of Skywalker, of attempting to “make up” for some of The Last Jedi‘s creative choices to appease angered fans. The Rise of Skywalker attempted to play it safe with Star Wars, which resulted in a film that pleased nobody.

In many respects, it does feel like Disney and Lucasfilm are playing it safe with Star Wars. The first feature film in seven years will be The Mandalorian & Grogu, a feature film adaptation of a television show featuring two of the franchise’s most popular modern characters. Disney rejected Adam Driver and Steven Soderbergh’s pitch for The Hunt for Ben Solo. However, when they’ve taken some gambles, it has paid off. Andor pushed Star Wars into a more emotionally mature, grounded story and has been named not only one of the best television shows of 2025 but also one of the best Star Wars stories of all time.