10 Crazy Star Wars Theories That Might Not Be Quite So Crazy
8. Poor Leadership Cost The Resistance Republic Aid
One of the apparent plot-holes in Episode VIII stems from Episode VII, with the question being why the Resistance received no support from the Republic. The novelization claims that political machinations are to blame but one theory proposes a different explanation.
Look at the actions of the Resistance command and you will see something worrying. Poe is an insubordinate hot-head, Holdo a poor leader whose lack of crew management skills leads to a mutiny, and Leia a politician, who, as best we know, has little to no command experience. Why would the Republic help them?
Remember, Starkiller Base was located in the Unknown Regions, while the Republic heartland of the galactic core is practically half a galaxy away. Thus, the planets destroyed by Starkiller Base may have been Republic affiliated, but were remote enough that the Republic could afford to allow their destruction in order buy time to build up a response.
It is only when a proven and experienced war hero, Lando Calrissian, takes command and a much more serious threat – Palpatine – emerges that the Republic commit their fleet. Had that fleet been handed to Resistance command who knows how it would have ended up?