The first “Star Wars” movie was released in 1977. Now, almost 50 years later, the “Star Wars” universe is, for better or worse, still putting out new movies and shows.

The first six “Star Wars” movies were an absolute staple in my childhood. I would watch one almost every day. My favorites were “Attack of the Clones”, “Return of the Jedi” and “A New Hope.”

Even as a child I could not get over the cringe of young Anakin in “The Phantom Menace”. I would however still watch it for the epic Darth Maul lightsaber duel. 

It took a few years for “Revenge of the Sith” and “The Empire Strikes Back” to grow on me. They are the two darkest movies of the six and I think I needed to grow into them. Now that I am able to appreciate their plots, they are two of my favorite films in the series. 

In addition to constantly watching the movies I had all the Star Wars stuff. The Legos, the bedsheets, the toys — sorry, I mean action figures. 

The Star Wars universe expanded beyond the movies to all aspects of my childhood entertainment. So when the seventh movie hit theaters in 2015, 12-year-old me rushed to see it on opening night.

It was alright. The plot was the exact same as “A New Hope”, but I liked the new characters and I thought it took the universe in an interesting direction. Plus seeing the new special effects was really cool.

Then came “The Last Jedi” in 2017. I went to see it in the theaters and left a little confused. It wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t good either. I thought the story was sloppy and kind of boring.

Finally, “The Rise of Skywalker” in 2019.16-year-old me was tentative but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to see the series finale on the big screen, so I went to the theater once again. 

I have not watched it since. 

It was terrible. It ruined any and all character development the previous movies had set up and the story made no sense. If my fears about my favorite series ending with an unsatisfying finale could materialize, they would take the form of this movie.

Now, Disney+ has released several new series in the Star Wars universe including “The Mandalorian”, “The Book of Boba Fett” and “Obi Wan”. 

Despite being turned off by the conclusion of the movies I have still found myself watching the new series. Why? Nostalgia.

This universe that captivated me as a child contains as many worlds and as many stories as our own universe. Only this one doesn’t have lightsabers. 

There will always be more Star Wars stories to tell, each unique. Some will be very good and others will be very bad. But anything that adds to this vast cinematic world will hold a special place in the heart of that 12-year-old kid on opening night.

Mohr can be reached at [email protected].