10 Most Hated Star Wars Moments Everyone Wants to Forget

There are scenes in the galaxy far away that fans can quote by heart and then there are the ones people still argue about at midnight watch parties. These moments arrived with massive hype or surprise and then kept popping back up in edits, interviews, and new releases. They sit in the middle of timelines, character arcs, and production choices that shaped where the saga went next.

Here is a look at ten scenes that became sore spots across the saga. Each one comes with the who, what, when, and where of how it landed in the story and how it affected later chapters across films and series. No debates here, just clear context for the moments that will not leave the discussion.

Greedo Shoots First

In the 1997 Special Edition of ‘Star Wars’, the cantina encounter between Han Solo and Greedo was altered so that Greedo fired a blaster shot before Han. Earlier home video releases presented the scene differently, which made this change stand out for long time viewers who knew the original timing by memory. The adjustment was revised again for later releases including the 2004 DVD and the 2019 streaming version on Disney Plus where a new bit of dialogue was added before the shot.

This small change affected how people described Han’s introduction since it adjusts what happens seconds before he leaves the table. The edit became a fixture of reissue history, with side by side comparisons appearing each time a new format arrived. It remains one of the most discussed examples of how Special Edition updates modified character introductions in ‘A New Hope’.

Midichlorians Redefine the Force

‘The Phantom Menace’ introduced midichlorians during a medical scan of Anakin Skywalker. The film explains that these microscopic life forms in blood cells communicate the will of the Force and that a high count signals strong potential. The reveal happens through a quick test that marks Anakin as an unusual case for his age.

This detail gave the Jedi an in universe method to identify Force sensitive children, which is why Qui Gon Jinn and Obi Wan take special interest in Anakin. Later stories continued to treat the scan as a diagnostic tool, with the concept appearing in reference materials and background lore across the era that follows the fall of the Republic.

Jar Jar Binks as a Central Character

Jar Jar Binks appears in ‘The Phantom Menace’ as a Gungan who guides the Jedi to Otoh Gunga and then accompanies them to Naboo and Tatooine. The character is performed by Ahmed Best and realized through extensive digital work that pushed character animation into more ambitious territory for the time. Jar Jar participates in key story beats including the battle on the plains of Naboo.

Behind the scenes, the role marked a technical milestone since Jar Jar is present in daylight action, dialogue heavy scenes, and large scale sequences. The character’s visibility across the first prequel film also led to follow up appearances in ‘Attack of the Clones’ and ‘The Clone Wars’, where political and comedic roles continued his arc beyond the initial introduction.

Anakin and Padmé Fireplace Conversation on Naboo

In ‘Attack of the Clones’, Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala share a private conversation beside a fireplace in a Naboo residence. The dialogue sets out the conflict between duty and personal feeling while Anakin is assigned to protect Padmé after the Coruscant assassination attempt. The scene sits between travel sequences and the later picnic and lakeside moments that show them spending more time together on Naboo.

Production for the Naboo storyline drew on real locations such as Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como and Plaza de España in Seville, with interior moments supported by studio sets. The fireplace scene becomes a pivot point for their relationship since it frames the limits of what each character believes they can accept before the storyline returns to Coruscant and then to Geonosis.

Canto Bight Detour

‘The Last Jedi’ sends Finn and Rose to the casino city of Canto Bight to locate a codebreaker who can help the Resistance slip past First Order tracking. The sequence introduces fathier stables, security forces, and a wealthy crowd gathered for high stakes entertainment while a war rages elsewhere. Benicio Del Toro appears as DJ, a slicer who becomes entangled with their escape.

Location work for the city used Dubrovnik, with night shoots capturing the sleek streets and ornate facades that define the look of the sequence. The detour adds new creatures, vehicles, and politics to the sequel era and places Finn and Rose on a parallel path that reconnects with the main plot on the Supremacy, where the larger confrontation unfolds.

Leia Survives in Vacuum Using the Force

During ‘The Last Jedi’, a bridge explosion ejects General Leia Organa into space. The scene shows Leia regaining consciousness, extending a hand, and drawing herself back to a nearby hatch using the Force. This moment appears early in the film and places Leia in medical care while command shifts within the Resistance fleet.

Carrie Fisher had completed her work on the film prior to her passing in 2016, and the sequence uses that footage within the story as released in 2017. The moment stands out as a rare on screen use of Leia’s Force ability in the sequel trilogy and sets up the leadership dynamics between Vice Admiral Holdo and Poe Dameron while the fleet attempts to outrun the First Order.

Luke’s Final Act on Ahch To

In ‘The Last Jedi’, Luke Skywalker projects himself from Ahch To to the salt flats of Crait to face Kylo Ren. The projection allows the Resistance to escape while Kylo directs the First Order’s attention to the apparition. After the effort, Luke sits on a cliff at sunset and becomes one with the Force as the twin suns echo his first horizon scene on Tatooine.

Production tied Luke’s last moments to visual motifs from ‘A New Hope’ to underline the chapter closing nature of the scene. The sequence also establishes the ability to create long distance illusions as an advanced Force technique that reappears in later storytelling, including how Luke’s legacy continues to influence Rey and the remaining Resistance fighters.

Supreme Leader Snoke’s Sudden Death

In ‘The Last Jedi’, Kylo Ren kills Supreme Leader Snoke in the throne room while Rey is held in place. The lightsaber turn and the following fight with the Praetorian Guards remove the figure who appeared to be the primary antagonist of the sequel era. The event takes place on the Supremacy, the flagship where the Resistance infiltration is underway.

Andy Serkis performed Snoke through motion capture, bringing the character’s presence to two films before the sudden exit. The removal of Snoke shifts power to Kylo Ren who assumes command with General Hux, which sets the stage for the leadership configuration of the First Order by the time ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ begins.

Palpatine’s Return Announced Offscreen and in the Opening Crawl

‘The Rise of Skywalker’ opens by stating that Emperor Palpatine has returned and that a broadcast has been heard across the galaxy. The film picks up with Kylo Ren seeking the source on Exegol where Sith loyalists and cloning technology support the return. The reveal arrives without an on screen resurrection sequence and moves directly into the search for the signal and its origin.

Ahead of the film’s release, an audio message attributed to Palpatine played during a limited time event inside the video game Fortnite as part of the promotional lead in. Within the movie, the opening crawl and early scenes move the cast toward Sith artifacts and coordinates that point to Exegol, which is where the final battle between the Resistance and the Sith Eternal takes place.

Boba Fett Falls into the Sarlacc

In ‘Return of the Jedi’, Boba Fett is knocked from the skiff during the rescue at the Great Pit of Carkoon and falls into the Sarlacc. The moment happens quickly amid the larger skirmish that frees Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt. It brings an abrupt pause to the bounty hunter’s activities in the original trilogy.

Later storytelling revisits the outcome. ‘The Mandalorian’ reveals Boba Fett’s survival on Tatooine years after the fall of the Empire and ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ expands on that period, filling in details of how he escaped the Sarlacc and reclaimed his armor. The original fall remains a key turning point for the character’s timeline because so many subsequent events build on that brief sequence.

Share your picks in the comments so everyone can compare notes on the moments that still make them wince.