10 MAJOR Plot Holes In The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

Reflecting back on the biggest head-scratchers of the final trilogy in the famed Skywalker Saga.

by Andrew Pollard
Star Wars Plot Holes
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

With the final installment of the Skywalker Saga now well in our rear-view mirror, fans have had time to digest the Star Wars sequel trilogy and explore the positives and negatives.

To some, just having three more Star Wars movies is enough to put a smile on their face, while to others there's a sense of bashing any new and fresh move these films make. Regardless of your overarching thoughts on The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker as a collective, there are clearly some major plus points across these pictures - and likewise, there are some moments and plot strands that simply didn't hit home.

One thing that all three of these latest jaunts to a galaxy far, far away - at least in a Skywalker Saga sense - have in common, is that there are several undeniable plot holes strewn throughout them. And while some of these plot holes may have been elaborated on and explained in recent comic books and novels, not everybody who watches the sequel trilogy will be privy to said comics and books.

With that in mind, then, here are ten head-scratching plot holes from the closing trilogy of the Skywalker Saga.

10. The Reconstruction Of Luke's Lightsaber

Star Wars Plot Holes
Disney

Before The Rise of Skywalker, the last time we saw Luke Skywalker’s trusty lightsaber it was being pulled to pieces by Rey and Kylo Ren in The Last Jedi. But magically, by Episode IX of the Skywalker Saga, Luke’s weapon was in perfect working under.

If you remember, The Last Jedi saw a Force tug-of-war of sorts that saw Luke’s lightsaber pulled into a million tiny pieces. Without even the mildest of explanations, this was all forgotten about by the time we see Rey with this exact weapon in The Rise of Skywalker.

One could maybe attempt to make the argument that Rey repaired the lightsaber herself at some point between the events of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, but that argument can be immediately countered by how the closing moments of The Rise of Skywalker imply that Rey has yet to ever build – or in this case reconstruct – a lightsaber.

So, just how did Luke’s lightsaber get repaired? Who repaired it? How were they able to repair it? And how is it flawlessly back in one, perfectly working piece?

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.