Anyone who bravely held onto their Star Wars prequel stock was richly rewarded -- and validated -- this past year. For almost a quarter century the prequel trilogy was cast aside as a blight on Star Wars lore, specifically the acting of Hayden Christensen, something that even the new J.J. Abrams films tried to ignore. The release of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka on Disney+ reminded everyone that not only were the stories told important, but there was a dedicated fandom that stood by the films through all the years.
- Josh Hill
FanSided Content Director
Best fan moment of the year
There are three certainties in the world: Death, Taxes, and Online Discourse. It's inevitable, inescapable, and oftentimes terribly toxic -- something the Star Wars prequels experienced pre-internet. This year, however, when the prequels re-entered the zeitgeist a common thread seemed to be a general agreement and appreciation that the prequels weren't the stain on Star Wars lore that they were painted out to be over the last two decades. Fans shared images, memories, and the general feeling of a victory lap alongside those who stood against the prequels for so long. Who knew that something once blamed for ruining childhoods would be the thing that united the internet in positive agreement?
What we’ll remember about this fandom a decade from now
It didn't invent the concept, but the appreciation upon re-evaluating the Star Wars prequels is something that might begin happening across all fandoms over the next decade. They're still not good films, but the feeling of love fans have for them has stood the test of time. It's something that could even happen again within the Star Wars fandom, as the sequel trilogy is bound to be embraced in the future the same way the prequels have, and the same could go for the current state of Marvel and DC. This doesn't feel like the last time that Star Wars -- or any major fandom -- realizes that scars are cool and nobody should bully you out of loving what you love.