This is, I know, an unpopular opinion, but without the Jedi and Sith, Star Wars isn't Star Wars.
One thing most folks don't realize is that Star Wars is, at it's core, a very spiritual setting with a huge focus on morality and faith. When you strip Star Wars of those aspects by stripping the Jedi and Sith from the setting what you have left is a half baked space western/space opera that is highly derivative of earlier works and with little to nothing unique about it.
The Force and the related factions are core aspects OF Star Wars that is essential to the heart of the setting. There's a reason why, when given carte blanc to tell random stories in Star Wars, that the majority of the shorts in Visions dealt with Jedi and the Force in some way. There's a reason why the Mandalorian did have those aspects over just being a bounty of the week show, and a reason why Luke's appearance in the Season 2 finale is one of the most memorable and incredible pieces of Star Wars media released in the last decade.
Star Wars is not, despite many people's claims, Science Fiction. Star Wars is, in fact, Fantasy, that happens to be set in Space with Spaceships and Aliens. Why do I say this, Star War's core concept is not "What If?", rather, it is "A Long Time Ago..." and it is highly focused on the struggle of Good and Evil and the Hero's Journey, aspects that are more focused on myth and fantasy, than Science Fiction. Most people joke about Star Wars being about "Space Wizard-Knights", but it fundamentally IS.
The spiritual aspect of Star Wars is essential to that, and to strip it and throw it aside basically is throwing away the heart of Star Wars.
One thing most folks don't realize is that Star Wars is, at it's core, a very spiritual setting with a huge focus on morality and faith. When you strip Star Wars of those aspects by stripping the Jedi and Sith from the setting what you have left is a half baked space western/space opera that is highly derivative of earlier works and with little to nothing unique about it.
The Force and the related factions are core aspects OF Star Wars that is essential to the heart of the setting. There's a reason why, when given carte blanc to tell random stories in Star Wars, that the majority of the shorts in Visions dealt with Jedi and the Force in some way. There's a reason why the Mandalorian did have those aspects over just being a bounty of the week show, and a reason why Luke's appearance in the Season 2 finale is one of the most memorable and incredible pieces of Star Wars media released in the last decade.
Star Wars is not, despite many people's claims, Science Fiction. Star Wars is, in fact, Fantasy, that happens to be set in Space with Spaceships and Aliens. Why do I say this, Star War's core concept is not "What If?", rather, it is "A Long Time Ago..." and it is highly focused on the struggle of Good and Evil and the Hero's Journey, aspects that are more focused on myth and fantasy, than Science Fiction. Most people joke about Star Wars being about "Space Wizard-Knights", but it fundamentally IS.
The spiritual aspect of Star Wars is essential to that, and to strip it and throw it aside basically is throwing away the heart of Star Wars.