Part 3/8:
This has sparked a wave of criticism, with many seeing it as a cringe-worthy insertion that feels out of place in the Star Wars universe. Historically, various alien species in Star Wars do use unique pronouns—particularly insectoid hive minds or species with collectively shared identities—so some argue that this can be justified in terms of alien cultures. However, the current implementation appears to be deliberately modernized and meant to represent nonbinary or genderqueer identities specifically aimed at a contemporary audience.
Major outlets like Polygon have chimed in, criticizing the trend of awkwardly attempting to insert non-binary representation into sci-fi narratives, describing it as a “bizarre trend” that often results in othering or feels unnatural.