#toxic star wars fandom

[starnerd1]

Anyone else absolutely terrified about the Mando S3 finale?

So much is going around the internet (as it tends to do) about people wanting/expecting Bo-Katan to die in the finale. Vague and/or Cryptic comments from actors and producers and directors are fueling the flames and it's getting me all kinds of nervous.

Some root for her to die because they hate that she is 'taking the spotlight' or 'sidelining Din' or fill in the blank generic "i don't like having more than one main character" type of schtick. Other say it's the 'logical conclusion' to her story arc. That she needs to be redeemed for being a terrorist and they only way to do that is for her to die.

On this second point, I have to push back hard on this. Rewatch the Clone Wars. Rewatch fucking Rebels. She owned her bad choices and mistakes. Demonstrated massive guilt and regret. Refused leadership several times until Sabine convinced her through the rallies clans who chose to support her. And then, as she did the first time after the Siege, she was crushed by the Empire as all others were. This time was just 10000x worse than Gar Saxon betraying everything Mandalorian and throwing in with the Empire. So, what's the redemption she needs?

Anyway, I could go on a rant for AGES about this particular point. So I'll stop myself here.

There are others who want/expect her to die so Din will be motivated to take up the dark saber, take revenge, and then rule.

I'll only say this once: STOP KILLING WOMEN TO FURTHER THE PAIN AND/OR STORY OF MALE CHARACTERS. See Satine Kryze's murder as case-in-fucking point.

So, I guess the whole point of this post is to ask: is there anyone else out there nervous/terrified that they are going to kill Bo-Katan off in the finale? I just...I can't shake the onslaught of posts and speculation and rooting for her to die. It's so depressing and disheartening.

I need a hug.

[neon-draws-sometimes]

I tried to best to get a variety of popular fandoms here, but apologies if I missed any big ones.

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[autistic-ben-tennyson]

A rant about Jedi Stans from an ex-Jedi fangirl

After some time I've had to reflect on my own behavior as well as my time in the pro Jedi fandom, I decided it's time to call this shit out. Some people take it really personal if someone criticized your favorite characters or their beliefs. Ironically, you all act more like the Sith than the Jedi with how obsessive you can be and insisting any criticism is equal to wanting genocide.

I'm going to start by saying I was in the pro jedi fandom for a few months. Truth be told, I was using it as an outlet for some of my anger issues with my hate towards Anakin, seeing him as similar to a lot of people I've had to deal with. Some of it was wanting more followers and fear of being disliked by the majority. I would pick fights with Anakin fans and was a bit of an asshole and I apologize for that. I still don't like him but no longer HATE him. Seeing how fandoms treat abuse victims who aren't perfect angels like Shinji Ikari or Lapis Lazuli has caused me to loosen up a bit. Many Jedi stans would probably hate those characters for not being “perfect” victims. In retrospect, this wasn't a good community for me. It was very puritanical and I often felt like I was wrong for enjoying media that went against the beliefs Jedi Stans put on a pedestal. Three of my favorite ships (Madohomu, Reishin and Hodaka x Hina) involve "burning the world for one person" and I felt like I couldn't talk about them without being a hypocrite. That and me agreeing less and less with Luca's beliefs pushed me to leave.

It's fine to enjoy a fictional character and defend them if you feel that they're being unfairly criticized. I've done it myself and have written essays defending my faves. The problem is that Jedi stans don't know when to stop. So many are quick to compare the Jedi to minority religions or marginalized groups as a shield against criticism, not recognizing how insulting that can be. Jewish, asian and aroace people are the ones normally used due to the Jedi beliefs being based off Eastern religions as well as Judaism as well as some aroace people identifying with the Jedi.

One thing I noticed about Jedi stans is their similarities to Jumblr which is full of religious chauvinism reworded to sound progressive. Many of them talk about how the Jedi shouldn't have to change their traditions with the times or to accommodate a few individuals like Anakin or Ahsoka. This can be similar to how a lot of people are quick to defend minority religions from outside criticism based on how they were treated by Christian colonists or missionaries. The problem is that this can veer right into ableist or queerphobic territory. You know who else believe that their religion shouldn't have to change with the times to accommodate people? Conservative Christians who hate being told to be affirming of LGBTQ people. Also, schools and parents/guardians do have a responsibility to accommodate kids with disabilities, mental health issues or trauma, even if it may be inconvenient or force you to bend the rules. Claiming they need to just suck it up is honestly disgusting.

This was all a big reason for why I left this garbage pit of a fandom. While there are some who hate the Jedi because they stan the empire or think people need 50s nuclear families to live fulfilling lives, not everyone does that. Believe it or not, some people have faced abuse and bigotry under Judaism and Buddhism. People can also criticize how Lucas presented their beliefs as some Buddhists think he didn't do a good job. Libsoftiktok is a vile transphobe, an Orthodox Jew and her beliefs are said to be fairly common in her community. Many people of color identify with the clones and dislike how even the nicer Jedi treated them. When Obi Wan told Anakin, "It's okay to have romantic feelings, but you must let them pass," that hits different for queer people who have been told similar things from "polite" homophobes. Some queer people do choose celibacy like Side B christians which is fine as long as they don't treat it as a moral failure to want a relationship. There are many neurodivergent people who don't like the Jedi beliefs as they hit close to home. Lucas may have not intended to come off as ableist but the Jedi did with their beliefs about negative emotions. To some people, platitudes like "just let go" aren't helpful and treating it as bad for not living up to those principles is gross.

I deleted the post, but a while back I made a post asking a popular pro jedi blogger their views on adoption since they claimed Anakin not viewing the Jedi as his "found family" was a moral failure. I found their response to be tone deaf and insulting. I responded in a decent way of course, but felt a bit judged and unhappy for wanting to know my birth mother. Adoptees are another set of people this fandom is insensitive and gross to. The Kenobi series I find insulting for that reason too, having Leia be a foil for Anakin and Obi Wan romanticize his recruitment as a child.

Jedi fans are also shitty to those with religious trauma and who faced abuse. Accusing anyone who criticizes the Jedi of projecting their issues with Christianity while simultaneously talking like conservatives as shown above. Tumblr in general has a weird habit of treating religion as if it’s either conservative evangelicalism, liberal reform Judaism and some vague pagan or eastern spirituality with little nuance. Some Jedi stans really come from a place of privilege. Claiming "they can just leave" is insulting to real religious abuse survivors who were raised with harmful beliefs like creationism or homophobia. I'm no antitheist but treating non christian religion as inherently progressive dismisses a lot of people's experiences.

Let's be real, the writing in this franchise was always a bit sloppy. Lucas's issue was wanting to simultaneously create both a black-and-white morality tale for kids based on the fairy tales and serials he grew up and a deep socio-political commentary about the Vietnam and Iraq wars which required some morally grey themes. Thus, along with his terrible dialogue that made the characters seem unlikable, is why the fandom is so divided over whether he intended people to agree with the prequel Jedi.

To wrap this up, I found the pro jedi fandom to be a terrible experience. It was a mix of faux progressivism mixed with fear of judgement for disagreeing. I ended up editing a post I made, and eventually deleted, comparing Yoda with Garnet from SU because I included a tiny bit of criticism and didn't want to get backlash. As long as it’s not gross or bigoted criticism of your favorite characters isn't the end of the world. People don't have to like George Lucas or his beliefs and put them on a pedestal. I feel like the fandom's worship of George comes in response to OT purists who claimed he "raped their childhoods" but there's fair criticism to be made. Just like how not everyone who criticizes Disney SW or any Disney media in general is an "anti woke" grifter. To the pro jedi fans reading this, here's a suggestion. Just block and ignore people, write an essay if you feel it's important, but don't act like an entitled bully if a blog or even a SW writer disagrees with the Jedi, interprets the story differently or criticizes your favorite characters.

[charlottepollard63]

Star Wars “fans”: there was such BAD WRITING in the acolyte!”

Me: “no there wasn’t, you had a specific idea about what the show’s story would be and when it ended up being the opposite, you got mad, but you need an excuse to b!tch about it on the internet.”

Star Wars “fans”: “NUH UH, bad writing is a fair excuse because they were retconning all the legends stuff like Ki Adi Mundi’s age!”

Me: “information from books that George doesn’t give a single fck about? THOSE books?”

Normalize watching a show, saying “I don’t think this is my cup of tea” and TURNING IT OFF

[fansplaining]

In the final days of 2024, we're highlighting all the incredible reporting and commentary we've been able to publish this year thanks to your continued financial support. (If you'd like to help us publish more in 2025, click that link! Even $1 a month helps.)

Next up is @hellotailor's incisive analysis of the abrupt cancellation of the The Acolyte this past August, contextualizing it within a broader pattern from the Star Wars franchise/Disney:

Bafflingly, there’s very little evidence of Disney trying to curb the toxic side of Star Wars fandom, a community dedicated to sabotaging Disney products and alienating potential customers. Time after time, actors of color have faced ruthless online abuse with minimal protection from the company that put them in the spotlight. It’s all very well to launch projects like The Acolyte and promote them with upbeat press tours, but what matters is the follow-through. And that half of the equation currently involves cancelling the show within weeks of its release, pissing off its fans, and leaving the lead actor to be harassed on Instagram by jeering troglodytes.

Read the piece or listen to an audio version via the link above!

[kathrahender]

Is it just me or the fandom of animes/shows/movies are too damn toxic nowadays?

Like seriously GROW UP ALREADY, and for the love of God, GO ON with your life. If people don't like the canon/fanon ships or the characters you like, just ignore them or block them and enjoy the things you like instead of harassing or sending death threats to other people. If you do that and the other doesn't, you're only proving who's the real morally superior person here. (Hint: if you're the one harassing them, you're not the morally superior person)

[obi-wokenobi]

Voice actress Katy Bentz is getting harassed by deranged fans for playing Life is Strange Double Exposure.

Me, as a Star Wars fan, watching another fandom turning toxic:

[book-stacks]

the acolyte is arguably the coolest star wars show to be released since the mandalorian and y'all had to go fuck it up

[writer-reader-skater]

@niobiumao3 I think another thing we need to discuss in the Bad Batch fandom is how we respect people’s interpretations of characters.

This is one example of a comment I got about on one of my stories. Obviously they were too much of a coward to comment from a real username, but it pretty much sums up the majority of hate comments I get.

People need to realize that having Tech be Aro or Ace or Autistic is literally 3 spectrums. You much know someone who is those three things and acts a certain way but you cannot expert Tech to act that way as well. There are Ace people who enjoy sex. There are Aro people who date. There are autistic people who have relationships. The idea that an autistic person cannot be happy in a relationship or a family is EXTREMELY harmful and ableist, as is assuming that an AroAce person is essentially a celibate robot.

Autistic people show their “passion” for people in a variety of ways. AroAce people show their love and attraction in a variety of ways.

You would not believe how many aroace and/or autistic people I have met who are offended by Tech’s relationship with Phee because Tech is not EXACTLY like them and/or their perceptions of an aroace/autistic person. Then they try to excuse their bigotry by “I just want more representation of people like me.”

For the last time….

IT.IS.A.SPECTRUM!!!!!!

You get representation by having aroace/autistic characters that showcase a variety of the traits from those communities. You cannot expect every person to be just like you or your perceptions of aroace/autistic people.

Thank you for coming to my Tech talk.

-Sincerely, an AroAce Autistic person

[loveyazy]

sick of these toxic af gwynriels. First you guys make new weeks when there are already established ones, because you can't accept the fact that there are more elriels commissioning art than you. Now you're being hateful toward an artist accusing them of AI when you even used that artist, and some of your own "artists" use AI in the first place. Hypocrisy.

Are you teenagers? Why are you acting like high school mean girl bullies?

[sherlockholmeshound]

whenever ppl try to come up with some version of 'romance and love isn't forbidden by the jedi, on this one novel-'

i'm just...

[wetsocksinbed]

if I had a nickel for every time I was a part of a fandom that turned out to be incredibly toxic towards anyone who doesn’t agree with their interpretation of things, and actively attacks and harasses both fans and actors of said fandom to the point where a good chunk of the fandom tries to actively cancel multiple actors simply because the actors disagree with the the way the fandom is behaving, and that fandom also has a weird obsession with one of the other main actors to the point where they turn him into this important figure and cannot separate the character from the actor so they start to think that whatever the actor headcanons is actually canon, I’d have 2 nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird it’s happened twice

[dg-outlaw]

Me seeing random headlines about 'The Acolyte' Episode 3 and how "STAR WARS is RUINED!" , "Episode 3 Just Changed Star Wars Forever", "Is This The End of Star Wars?", etc. and I'm like, woah, something is about to go down in Episode 3.

What's going to happen?

Is Deadpool going to show up? Maybe Doctor Who? Are midi-chlorians really just tiny space worms that infect people's brains and Jedi are just patients in a mental hospital fighting each other with pool noodles? Are we getting de-aged, talking baby Palpatine? What? WHAT?!

*watches Episode 3*

[cinemaocd]

Happy 25th Anniversary to the Phantom Menace, most anticipated/most maligned of the nine star wars films. I was in line at the theater in costume with my friends. I saw the movie three times that day and 6 more times (I KNOW) over the first run.

[carloroxxes]

I love star wars, but not involving myself into star wars fandom actually improved my mental health

[lokislady17]

TROS-5 years later and the Acolyte-just some thoughts.

Probably just posting into the void but sometime you have thoughts and they have to go somewhere. This December marks the 5 year anniversary of Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker being released into theaters. I had high hopes for this movie. I hoped for decent resolutions to plot points laid out in the Last Jedi. Oh wow, was I left disappointed. 2019 was also just a very tough year for me. My father passed away in early 2019 and adjusting to life without him was not easy. Like the rest of the world, I would soon learn that 2019 was the opening act for 2020. But before that, I had always felt I had Star Wars to help me cope. After TROS, I just felt like I didn't have that anymore. The shows and material in the wake of TROS were by no means terrible. At worst, I just found some of the shows Like Boba Fett and Obi Wan to just be unnecessary. Then The Acolyte came along and by the time it was done, I felt like the fandom was reborn. Like fandom was fun again. Some of my old favorite channels on You Tube came back. It made me so happy considering how many channels died after TROS. I felt like I could finally lay the Reylo ship to rest now that I had Oshamir. But then the cancellation happened. I'm okay (There are way more important things to be concerned with than a TV show) but once more, I feel like something great has been taken away because of toxicity in the fandom.