The Last Jedi has been out for around two months now, and unless you've been living underneath a rock, or you've exiled yourself on a remote island with no internet access, then you're probably more than aware of the current Star Wars fandom civil war that has started as a result. While everyone truly is entitled to their own opinion, and it's perfectly fine not to like a film, what I have seen personally throughout comment sections on a plethora of social media platforms and websites is more along the lines of "(insert scene here) was dumb because I've decided THIS is how the saga should progress, and anything else is wrong". Add a few million comments about who is and isn't a true fan, "disney cuck", etcetera, and you have the current climate of Star Wars discussion. This being the internet, absolutely none of this behavior is surprising. What IS genuinely interesting, is having a thousand malicious, parroted arguments against The Last Jedi based on absolutely nothing more than the opinions of hundreds of thousands of angry viewers to dissect. I've spent a lot of time discussing these issues with friends as well as people on the internet, and it turns out, that most of them can be entirely refuted via canon sources, and the ones that remain can be shut down by the oh-so-beloved Legends material, which is exactly what I'm going to do in this article, in varying degrees of detail. I'll try to cover the topics in the order that they are presented in the movie, but some of them are definitely over-arching story elements.

1. There's no gravity in space, so how can Resistance bombers drop bombs?

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This might seem very specific, but I actually see it quite a bit. Nevermind the fact that this is Star Wars, and has never adhered to the limitations of real-world science, TIE Bombers can clearly be seen dropping ordnance in The Empire Strikes Back during the asteroid chase/search scene. The in-universe answer to this qualm is that larger ships generate their own gravity inside themselves. Additionally, the Episode VIII Visual Dictionary specifically states that the bombs dropped from Restistance bombers are magnetically propelled towards their target.

2. There's too much humor in the The Last Jedi.

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There seems to be a serious issue within Star Wars fandom, and it seems to partially be caused by forgetting that this is a franchise about space wizards fighting bad guys with laser swords for children to enjoy. Did I laugh at every joke in The Last Jedi? No, of course not, and I don't know many adults that would. Was there a lot of humor in The Last Jedi? Yes, there was, but I wouldn't argue that it was any more than we saw in Return of The Jedi (my personal favorite installment), and the jokes were definitely of a higher quality than what we saw in the prequel trilogy. Being funny isn't easy, and there's no single joke that is going to land with every single Star Wars fan in a movie that is also family friendly.

3. Luke would never throw his lightsaber over his shoulder.

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This is a pretty divisive scene, based on the reaction of the fan base. I even thought it was a little strange for a few seconds after I saw it, but on further contemplation, it makes a lot of sense. Luke no longer wants to be a Jedi. Luke no longer wants to train Jedi. Luke exiled himself on Ahch-To to die. What would the alternative to this scene be? Without any desire to keep the lightsaber, and definitely no desire to interact with Rey, should Luke have bent over and set the lightsaber on the ground? I feel like that would have been even more strange than the reaction we see in the film.

4. If Kylo could destroy the Raddus' hangar bay with proton torpedoes, why couldn't the Star Destroyers have done the same?

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Again, very nit-picky, but I've seen it a lot. I feel like this is a legitimate concern, and if you don't pay close attention to the space combat scenes, or delve into resources outside the film, it may be confusing. The Raddus, and other ships in it's class, are specifically mentioned in the TLJ Visual Dictionary as having the ability to extend their shield protection outside of it's own hull. This can be seen in the movie, as the smaller frigates are protected from fire from the Star Destroyers by the The Raddus. The obvious downside to this ability, is that fighters can penetrate well within the shield coverage, which is what we saw when Kylo Ren destroyed the hangar bay, as well as when TIE fighters destroyed the command bridge, which leads us to our next concern;

5. How could Leia survive and float through space?

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Star Wars fans seem to have forgotten a critical part of Leia's character; her real last name. Leia is a Skywalker. A family of the most powerful Force users that the galaxy has ever seen. There are an abundance of both Legends and Canon sources that describe feats of untrained Force users. Entire species, in fact. There is no hard science that can be applied to the Force, and new stories have never been limited to previously established Force abilities. Is the idea of Leia, an extremely Force sensitive individual who has been canonically established to rarely utilize her gift, preserving her vital functions and moving a weightless object a short distance through space really that unbelievable? On top of all this, did we really need a scene of Carrie Fisher being unceremoniously blasted into space, never to be heard from again? The right answer is "no". I'll admit, it did look weird, but is there a not weird way to have someone propel themselves through space?

6. "Admiral Holdo was dumb and her plan was stupid."

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As informal as the Resistance is, we have to remember that it is indeed still a military. Military leaders all have different styles and approaches. I would argue that Poe Dameron and Leia, a Commander and a General, had a very unprofessional relationship, at least. Once command was passed to Admiral Holdo, the command environment undoubtedly changed. The character seemed to have an entirely different leadership style than Leia, and on top of that, she was well aware of Poe Dameron's recent exploits, which resulted in the (arguably) unnecessary deaths of a LOT of people. Given the Resistance's catastrophic circumstances, she has absolutely zero reasons to share her plan or intent with a recently demoted officer who no longer even has a ship to fly. Poe's subsequent plan to undermine Holdo's authority failed miserably, and only resulted in more casualties than necessary. It was definitely time for Poe to get back in his lane, and, one of my favorite Marine Corps sayings, "shut up and color".

7. Literally all of Canto Bight.

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This is one of the few arguments that I can somewhat sympathize with, although it's several issues rolled into one. I'll start by pointing out that the entire aesthetic of Star Wars has always been very Earth-inspired. From the gritty, western vibes of the original trilogy that we're familiar with, to the shiny and refined streets and buildings of Coruscant that reflect the prominence of the seat of government. Canto Bight is no different, it's just something that we're not used to seeing in Star Wars. The lives and worlds of the rich and prolific is something that the films have barely touched on (see: Bespin, Episode V), but has been more elaborated on in Legends and canon outside the movies. It does indeed feel strange seeing a wide variety of species in space tuxedos in a space casino, but is it any less Star Wars than a kid farming water with his aunt and uncle on a dirt planet?

I can admit that this is really the only part of the film where the humor fell flat. A lot of it did seem very "Disney", like BB-8 shooting coins at people, and DJ bonking cops on the head with his boots. However, these things didn't ruin the scene for me, and it definitely doesn't make me feel like the journey to Canto Bight was terrible in any way. I'd also like to avoid politics, but the idea that disliking people who would arm both sides of a galaxy-wide conflict is somehow pushing a leftist agenda is completely absurd to me. The "mistreating the animals" thing I can almost kind of sympathize with, were it not for the fact that we literally see a closeup of animals being electrocuted, with wounds all over their bodies. And let's face it, those space horses (Faviers) definitely didn't stay free for long.

As for this story arc being "pointless", it's not pointless at all. I can't think of a single good story that has ever existed that doesn't involve some kind of loss, failure, or struggle. The fact that Poe's plan ultimately failed is, simply that; a failure. It almost seems like that's an overtly prominent theme in this movie, but I could be overanalyzing things, right?

8. Snoke is dead.

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I can not honestly say that the intent for this character was to kill him in the second movie of the trilogy, because I have no idea, I just watch Star Wars movies. Whether it was or wasn't, however, is pretty much insignificant, because he is definitely dead. I can get the frustration behind this decision. Two years of some of the most intense speculation and theorizing the world has ever seen resulted from this character being introduced. That amount of time dedicated towards anything, only to have it turn out to be a total waste, obviously rubs a lot of people the wrong way. At the same time, it's almost like a lot of Star Wars fans feel like they were somehow ordered to do this. Nobody asked you to spend years coming up with absolutely ridiculous, absurd, and often times genuinely stupid theories about who this character was. The original trilogy was not about Emperor Palpatine. The prequel trilogy was not about Chancellor Palpatine. The sequel trilogy is not about Snoke.

9. "I was promised that Captain Phasma was going to be important!"

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No, you weren't. One of the most beloved and prolific Star Wars characters of all time has less than ten lines of dialogue, and less than ten minutes of screen time. Please stop.

10. "I hate Porgs and I'm mad because Star Wars is for mature adults like me, not fans of all ages!"

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Okay.

11. "The Last Jedi RUINED Luke Skywalker's Legacy! Luke exhibiting human emotions ruined my childhood and Star Wars forever!"

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Stretch, go get something to eat, because this is going to be a long one.

This is most definitely the most common concern that I've seen people have with this film, and I'll start off by saying that, in most cases, I almost completely understand. I'm 26 years old, and I have been a Star Wars fan my entire life. For most Star Wars fans I know that are my age, and older, Luke Skywalker is our greatest fictional hero. Nobody, from any other franchise, comes anywhere close. We've followed his journey for decades. We've played with his toys, pretended to be him, read books about him, imagined elaborate stories about him in our heads. I understand the significance of Luke Skywalker.

That being said, Luke Skywalker is human. Luke Skywalker has human emotions. Not only that, but Luke has always displayed an excess of emotion beyond most fictional protagonists. The anger and frustation of a young man feeling trapped and isolated in the place he grew up, yearning for a life outside of his current circumstances. Eagerness and frustration again during his training on Dagobah, followed by fear and a sense of duty to protect his friends, culminating in an unimaginably crushing betrayal and the anger and sadness of learning the truth behind who his father was. The utter helplessness of being unable to save his friends from certain death, and the raw anger and hatred Luke exhibited when he nearly killed his own father in order to protect his sister.

I've read "Luke is not a murderer" at least dozens of times, in what feels like a thousand different arguments. That's something we can all agree on. Having never murdered anyone, Luke Skywalker is, in fact, not a murderer. This argument obviously stems from the revelation in TLJ that Luke at one point considered killing Kylo Ren, and it is absolutely absurd. These are Luke's exact words, describing the circumstances in detail:

"I saw darkness. I'd sensed it building in him, I'd seen it in moments during his training. But then I looked inside, and it was beyond what I ever imagined. Snoke had already turned his heart. He would bring destruction and pain and death and the end of everything I loved because of what he would become, and for the briefest moment of pure instinct, I thought I could stop it. It passed like a fleeting shadow, and I was left with shame, and with consequence. And the last thing I saw were the eyes of a frightened boy whose master had failed him."

This doesn't sound like it's coming from a murderer, and the absence of a murder seems to point to the fact that Luke Skywalker isn't a murderer. I'll say it again, Luke Skywalker is in fact a human being. An orphan, who at the earliest stages of his adulthood, had his foster parents murdered, and witnessed the death of his only mentor. Luke Skywalker spent what should have been the prime of his life fighting in an unimaginably bloody galactic civil war. He has killed, he has watched his friends be killed, he has been betrayed, and he has witnessed innumerable tragedies and deaths, while always only trying to do what is right and just. After all this, Luke finds himself in a position to prevent even more tragic loss of life, and contemplating it for just a second is supposedly destroying his legacy? No, not even close. Again, one last time, just to make sure it's clear; Luke Skywalker is a human being.

As for the end of Luke's story, I have a really hard time imagining what would have been more appropriate. Luke's death is a perfect capitalization on what his entire life has consisted of; sacrifice for others. Luke gave his life so that what remained of the Resistance, his sister, his friends, and who he knew would continue the legacy of the Jedi could survive. There is legitimately no more appropriate culmination for a hero the caliber of Luke Skywalker. The reason behind his actual physical death is referenced early in the film, during the first conversation between Kylo and Rey. "You can't be doing this, the effort would kill you". Yes, Luke is indeed powerful, potentially the most powerful Jedi that ever lived. His death heavily depends on your ability to understand that projecting himself across an entire galaxy for the amount of time that he did, and doing the things he did, is an absolutely incredible feat, and with Luke being in his current state, ultimately killed him.

The Last Jedi, in my opinion, is a spectacular film. More importantly, it is a fantastic Star Wars film, as well as a magnificent addition to the lore as a whole. I expected it to be great, but I really had no idea what I was in store for the first time I saw it. I appreciate it even more every time I watch it. It does genuinely irk me to see Star Wars fans turn on eachother to the degree that they have lately, and to seem like they are legitimately concerned for the future of the franchise. Not every single person has to like every single movie, but this unrest seems to have a little more significant to it, even though I could just be putting more stock in it than it deserves.

This is my first post on Steemit, and if you've made it this far, I really appreciate you taking the time to read all of this. I'll definitely continue to create more Star Wars content soon, as well as eventually do an introductory post. I'm very heavily interested in Star Wars militaria, wars, and things like that, so that'll probably be what I'll talk about.

Thanks again for reading, and may the Force be with you.