10 Star Wars Mistakes That Changed The Fate Of The Galaxy

These 10 mistakes throughout Star Wars movies and TV shows had the biggest impacts on the larger Star Wars galaxy, many of them for the worse. Across the Star Wars timeline, characters have made decisions—big and small—that have impacted the future of the galaxy. However, some choices had significantly more impact than others.

Many of these mistakes pertain to shifts within the Skywalker family tree, as that bloodline has dominated Star Wars stories for quite some time. However, major mistakes were made throughout Star Wars’ best movies and Star Wars’ best TV shows by villains and heroes alike. These 10 mistakes in particular had the biggest impact on the Star Wars galaxy.

10

Qui-Gon Jinn Insisting That Anakin Skywalker Become A Jedi

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

Although Anakin was perhaps the character who brought the most pain and suffering in Star Wars, likely coming second only to Palpatine, Qui-Gon Jinn was really the man who started it all. When he arrived on Tatooine and discovered Anakin, it took little time for him to decide that he should take this child—who had an astonishingly high midi-chlorian count but who was well past the ‘acceptable’ age for him to become a Jedi—to Coruscant.

When Qui-Gon did so, and the Jedi Council unsurprisingly rejected the idea due to Anakin’s age, Qui-Gon doubled down, telling Obi-Wan Kenobi that he would make sure Anakin was trained as a Jedi. Even as he was dying, his focus was getting Obi-Wan to promise he would train Anakin. Qui-Gon therefore effectively made mistakes at every turn throughout Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, although the overarching issue was his obstinate insistence that Anakin become a Jedi no matter what.

While Star Wars has gone on to show, through characters like Luke Skywalker and Rey, that older children can become Jedi without turning to the dark side, the Jedi Council’s opinion of Anakin was ultimately right. It wasn’t necessarily Anakin’s age or even his attachment that made him so dangerous; for the most part, Anakin’s turn had to do with him being a traumatized child who became a volatile adult. However, because Qui-Gon essentially forced the Jedi to accept Anakin, he began Anakin’s path to becoming Darth Vader, forever changing the galaxy.

9

Padmé Allowing Jar Jar Binks To Represent Her In The Senate

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack Of The Clones

Although Padmé was a brilliant Queen and a wise senator, she certainly had a few missteps throughout the Star Wars prequel trilogy. One major mistake was allowing Jar Jar Binks to appear in front of the Republic Senate on behalf of Naboo in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack Of The Clones. Following her assassination attempt, Padmé needed to leave Coruscant and seek safety on Naboo; however, she could not fully abandon the Senate. Against her better judgment, no doubt, she permitted Jar Jar to step into the role temporarily. This ultimately proved incredibly destructive to the entire galaxy.

Palpatine cunningly exploited Padmé’s departure and Jar Jar Binks stepping in by manipulating Jar Jar into granting him emergency powers as the Chancellor of the Republic. Given Palpatine’s level of foresight and ability to manipulate everyone around him, it’s likely he would have gained additional power over time anyway. However, Jar Jar encouraging the Senate to grant Palpatine these powers certainly accelerated the process and garnered greater support for Palpatine. It remains an odd moment in Star Wars history that Padmé would have trusted Jar Jar in this way.

8

Anakin Skywalker And Padmé Amidala Getting Married

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack Of The Clones

Anakin and Padmé’s relationship perhaps began sweetly in Attack of the Clones, but by the end of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, it had proven to be deadly, quite literally. The worst aspect of this mistake was Anakin and Padmé’s mutual understanding that this choice would destroy them. Initially, Padmé rejected Anakin for this very reason; after he insisted that they could keep it a secret, Padmé pointed out that so much deception would have devastating effects on both of them.

However, they walked this back when they feared their deaths were imminent on Geonosis, and, despite surviving, got married in Attack of the Clones. The effect this choice had on the Star Wars galaxy cannot be understated. As they had anticipated, the lies and secrecy this marriage required ate away at them. When Anakin began having nightmares of Padmé’s death and couldn’t reveal the situation to the Jedi, he turned to Palpatine, who took advantage of Anakin’s fear and turned him to the dark side. In the end, this one marriage brought down the entire Jedi Order and the Republic.

7

The Jedi Ignoring Fives’ Warning About The Inhibitor Chips

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Order 66 was the downfall of the Jedi, but it could have been prevented. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, clone trooper Fives discovered that the clones had been implanted with a chip that could control them. He became desperate to get anyone to believe him, but, ultimately, he was merely treated as though he was sick and delusional. Tragically, this resulted in Fives’ death, and the secret of the inhibitor chips—at least temporarily—died with him.

Had the Jedi listened to Fives, they may have saved themselves. Although Fives didn’t know the exact ins and outs of the chips, such as how they worked and what they would eventually be used for, the Jedi had the opportunity to look into it further. Had they dug enough, the Jedi might have uncovered the Order 66 plot and cut Palpatine off before he had executed the Order. Tragically, the hubris that Luke Skywalker ultimately accused the Jedi of in Star Wars: The Last Jedi prevented the Order from taking Fives seriously and discovering the plot.

6

Yoda Telling Anakin Not To Mourn Rather Than Helping Him

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith

Yoda is undoubtedly one of Star Wars’ most powerful Jedi, yet he completely mishandled Anakin Skywalker’s Jedi training. From the moment Anakin stood before the Jedi Council for the first time in The Phantom Menace, the Jedi treated Anakin as an outsider and a risk. This, unfortunately, did not change all that much even as Anakin proved himself time and again in his years as a Padawan to be on the side of the Jedi and hopeful that he would destroy the Sith, as the Chosen One prophecy had predicted he would.

The worst offense from Yoda to Anakin, and arguably Yoda’s worst mistake, came in Revenge of the Sith. After experiencing such terrible nightmares, Anakin sought Yoda’s guidance. This was the first time that Anakin had truly done what he should have, but in the end, it resolved nothing. Rather than help Anakin work through his fears, Yoda essentially condemned Anakin for trusting in these visions and having attachments. This pushed Anakin further into Palpatine’s trap. Had Yoda simply approached Anakin with compassion, he may have kept Anakin on the side of the Jedi, preventing the rise of Darth Vader.

5

The Empire Forcing Galen Erso To Work On The Death Star

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Although the Empire reigned for quite some time, they also made several odd choices along the way, many of which directly impacted their downfall. One of the most bizarre choices was forcing Galen Erso to work on the Death Star in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Notably, the Empire had transitioned from clone troopers to volunteer stormtroopers because those choosing to work for the Empire would demonstrate greater loyalty. Confusingly, they abandoned this logic when it came to building their most powerful weapon.

Despite Galen hiding from the Empire and resisting going with them, he was eventually forced to leave and assist with the construction of the Death Star. Worse still, he watched as Imperial officers gunned down his wife, which surely didn’t improve any sense of loyalty he had to the Empire. In the end, the Empire’s choice to force Galen Erso into working on the Death Star was the beginning of their demise. Galen intentionally built the Death Star to have a weak point, which is exactly the advantage Luke needed in A New Hope to successfully blow it up.

4

Palpatine Attempting To Turn Luke Skywalker To The Dark Side

Return Of The Jedi

Perhaps because Palpatine had so successfully turned Anakin Skywalker to the dark side, he believed he could do the same with Anakin’s son. However, his efforts to turn Luke ultimately resulted in his (seeming, at the time) death. While A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back saw a much more contentious relationship between Luke and Darth Vader, to say the least, with Vader even cutting off Luke’s hand, by Return of the Jedi, something had shifted.

In The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader wanted Luke to join him; in Return of the Jedi, this shockingly became wanting to protect him. When Palpatine attacked Luke after Luke declared himself to be a Jedi, Vader made the surprising and sudden decision to betray his Sith Master and kill him to save Luke. Arguably, had Palpatine simply killed Luke in either of the other two original trilogy movies, he may have continued ruling with Vader by his side. In fact, presumably, only Luke could have turned Darth Vader back to the light, making this one of Palpatine’s worst mistakes.

3

Luke Skywalker Almost Killing Ben Solo

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Despite Luke’s mindset throughout the original trilogy being that even as a Sith Lord, Darth Vader could return to the light, by the sequel trilogy, Luke had completely contradicted that and made an egregious error. After starting his own Jedi Temple and training what he thought was the next generation of Jedi, Luke began to sense darkness in his nephew, Ben Solo. In an act completely opposite the Luke seen in the original trilogy, this drove him to nearly kill Ben. As Ben woke up to find his uncle ready to deal him a death blow, his fate was sealed.

Although he had been teetering between the light and the dark side, Ben hadn’t yet committed to turning to the dark. When he caught his uncle ready to kill him, he decided to abandon the way of the Jedi and join the Sith. This is almost exclusively Luke’s fault, even worse than Yoda’s role in Anakin’s fall. In Yoda’s case, he was perhaps negligent, although incidentally. Luke, on the other hand, fully considered killing a Jedi Padawan—his own nephew. This was truly one of the worst mistakes in Star Wars history.

2

Poe Dameron Trying To Take On The First Order Without Approval

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Poe Dameron wasn’t Star Wars’ first hot-shot pilot; Han Solo no doubt holds that title. In fact, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Poe seemed perhaps slightly arrogant, but he mainly came across as brave and selfless. The Last Jedi saw that completely turned on its head, with Poe Dameron gambling and losing numerous Resistance lives because he believed he could take on the First Order with little other help. This only became worse after General Leia Organa confronted him about his reckless decision, and he refused to see or acknowledge his faults.

In addition to costing lives, this attempt seriously damaged Poe’s character, both for audiences and within the movie itself. Leia in particular seemed to never fully trust Poe again, despite him previously acting as her right-hand man. Moreover, Poe’s decision put the Resistance in such a precarious, weakened position that Vice-Admiral Holdo had to sacrifice her own life just to help the Resistance escape. Even then, the Resistance barely survived the First Order’s next attack; it was only with the help of Rey and Luke that the Resistance carried on at all.

1

Palpatine Fighting Rey In His Weakened Form

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker

Palpatine’s arrogance knows no bounds in Star Wars, and that certainly held true in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. After plotting for decades to make a return in the event of his death through Project Necromancer, his resurrection plan, Palpatine threw it all away by confronting Rey with his decaying clone body. While Palpatine is one of Star Wars’ most powerful Sith, if not the singular most powerful, it was inconceivably egotistical to believe he could handle not only Rey but also Ben Solo when his clone shell was barely surviving.

Palpatine surely believed that, because he was so powerful, even his weakened state could defeat Rey and Ben Solo. In the end, this proved to be untrue, and it meant his real demise in Star Wars, finally. While these 10 mistakes reflect the very worst in Star Wars, Palpatine allowing his conceited beliefs to result in his true death has to be the very worst.

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