10 Reasons Why Star Wars: The Last Jedi Is Better Than The Force Awakens

8. There Are Genuine Stakes

With the exception of Han Solo's pitch-perfect death, there was never a worry that anyone in The Force Awakens was in any genuine danger. The main heroes and villains were far from expendable, but the worst part was that although the entire plot revolved around Starkiller base's planet-destroying super-weapon, the impact of its power was never effectively communicated.

By bringing down the scale of the First Order's threat to focus purely on the characters we see on screen though, The Last Jedi is able to convey a permeating sense that the entire fate of the resistance is to play for.

Unafraid to kill off major characters, the likes of Snoke, Phasma and Luke dying all reinforced the idea that nobody was safe, while the constant loss of rebel fighters like Holdo, Paige and even Ackbar conveyed the First Order's strength.

Consequently the film enjoyed a sense of tension The Force Awakens couldn't come close to capturing, with fans breathing a sigh of relief when their favourite characters made it out an action scene unscathed.