To say Disney is playing a bit fast and loose with some aspects of Star Wars isn’t exactly a controversial statement among the fandom. There have been plenty of issues regarding quality and characterization since the gigantic entertainment conglomerate took over, and though many shows and films (like The Mandalorian and The Force Awakens) have reached and even exceeded fan expectations, many (The Book of Boba Fett, The Rise of Skywalker) have been disappointments for multiple reasons.
The dark side is a vital part of the franchise’s universe and can manifest from a variety of issues — greed, an inability to let things go, and even a fear of change. It’s generally accepted that a lot of those who can’t overcome the dark side end up being totally devoured by it. Yet, some fans believe Disney is deliberately underplaying its importance.
In the original trilogy, wise heads like Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi believed Vader was so corrupted by the dark side that it was impossible to bring him back — and the fact that Luke could reach someone that corroded by the dark side was supposed to be an anomoly that played into the concept of Luke as “the chosen one” (a key facet of the Star Wars universe).
However, in some of the newer Disney shows, we’ve seen characters like Reva and Kylo Ren leave the dark side and come back to the light, to some extent at least. While a few viewers think this is yet another way Disney is distorting the Star Wars universe so it can keep producing content, others believe that simplifying the dark side of the Force into a catch-all, impossible-to-escape hole is actually missing the point.
There are plenty of good explanations as to why it’s possible for characters to escape the dark side, even without the help of a “chosen one.”
Others have explained that characters who appeared to have been consumed by the dark side actually weren’t, so it’s a moot point to argue whether it’s feasible for them to be “brought back,” because they never really fell into the shadow.
Some fans have said that saying the dark side is impossible to come back from is simply wrong, and we find it hard to disagree with that take when it’s pretty much the premise of the original trilogy.
All in all, it’s fair to say Disney has bungled some elements of Star Wars in its push to bring out content, but in this case, the Force is very much with them, and the dark side can be overcome.
