2) The Compelling New Characters
Here’s a test to find out how well-written the characters in the prequels are compared to those in the original trilogy: try to name as many character traits as you can for the likes of Padme, Anakin et al, then do the same for Han, Luke, Leia and co. You might find that Han is selfish, cocksure, cynical, coolly uncool and – deep down – secretly affectionate, while Padme is a virtual blank, lacking in any discernible personality.
In The Force Awakens, the characters are actually, well, characters again. Rey is independent and strong-willed, yet naive, Finn is insecure and cowardly, yet morally upright, Poe Dameron is brave and confident to a fault. Of course, fans love the old characters – Han, Leia, Chewie; all still great – but it bodes well for the future that the new ones are immediately so compelling.