The Empire Strikes Back, the filmmaker jotted down notes for a whopping 10 sequels - 12 movies in total. He never got around to making his final two trilogies, but Disney attempted a sequel trilogy of their own that didn't entirely work out.
There's no denying the sequel films were worldwide successes - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker disregarded The Last Jedi to tell its own concluding chapter all goes to show there wasn't a concrete plan in place. They were more like standalone films only tied together through the same characters.
Furthermore, while the Star Wars sequels incorporated some of Lucas' ideas - killing off Luke Skywalker is one - most of his ideas weren't used; in fact, Lucasfilm chose not to apply his sequel treatments at all. This was merely one in a sea of reasons why the sequel trilogy has become so divisive, all the while The Mandalorian has received nothing but praise. That's not to say the sequel trilogy isn't really Star Wars - it is, and always will be - but there's a sense of acceptance regarding The Mandalorian that the sequels won't ever have.
The Mandalorian Feels Like George Lucas' Star Wars
Everything old school Star Wars fans love about The Mandalorian can be traced back to it simply feeling like Star Wars - specifically, Lucas' Star Wars. That's not only because it features the Empire and New Republic (formerly Rebellion) and focuses on rundown locations, but because its story (a pulpy, adventure-of-the-week style of storytelling), effects (largely practical with a mix of groundbreaking special effects techniques), and mixture of genres (space opera mixed with Westerns) all contribute to an underlying sense of The Mandalorian feeling like real Star Wars.
All of those elements are what made Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy, and then he expanded on them with grandiose ideas with the prequels. Compared side-by-side, the original and prequel trilogies could not be further apart; in fact, the sequel trilogy probably has more in common with the original films than the prequels do, but that's certainly by design. What Lucas did with the prequels was take elements that were established or set up in the original trilogy and develop them more, diving deeper into their roots. In doing so, Lucas challenged Star Wars fans - in some cases more than they perhaps should've been, considering audiences' receptions. But he didn't fall back on the original films and repeat ideas over and over again.
So far, The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2 follow in the footsteps of the original and prequel trilogies, but refrain from repeating Lucas' films. Each episode is adventurous, a bit ominous, and properly humorous; everything from the characters to the environments feel like they either came from Lucas' movies or were inspired by Ralph McQuarrie's concept art (in some cases, they were). And new aliens like Dr. Mandible and the Frog Lady aren't weird for the sake of being weird, but are rather subdued creations that fit right in with the aliens Lucas had in his movies.
The Mandalorian Expands On George Lucas' Star Wars Ideas
Beyond feeling like Star Wars, The Mandalorian also works off what Lucas created, which is most noticeable in season 2. When Din Djarin went to Tatooine in season 1, it was mostly an attempt at fan service, but his return to the Outer Rim planet in season 2 was met with an entirely different reaction. The Mandalorian used what Lucas did with the Tusken Raiders and took the next steps; Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni had humanized the Sand People by giving them history and purpose. Then later, they had the Tusken Raiders team up with Mando and the people of Mos Pelgo to kill a krayt dragon, which was first seen in A New Hope.
Although little is known about Clone Wars animated series as well as Solo: A Star Wars Story, was that Maul took advantage of the Empire's dissolution and became a crime/war lord, something evidenced by Moff Gideon. The very idea that the Empire wasn't immediately replaced by the New Republic (or the First Order) is properly explored in The Mandalorian. As seen in Mos Pelgo and on Nevarro, warlords and gangsters took over territories that were formerly controlled by the Empire. This is something the sequels completely disavowed, as those films were about the Jedi vs Sith... again.
On top of all that, the Empire is even shown experimenting with midichlorians (though The Mandalorian has rebranded them as M-counts for good measure). As people who saw Lucas first developed in the 1970s but introduced in the prequel trilogy as a way to quantify a character's connection with the Force. Seeing the midichlorians return in a way that actually makes that quantification useful is fascinating.
The Mandalorian Continues George Lucas' Star Wars Stories
When Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
Even though The Mandalorian takes place decades after the Clone Wars ended, the show has carved out a significant portion of its storyline for continuing those narratives - and bringing back those characters. Bo-Katan Kryze has already appeared in The Mandalorian season 2 and Ahsoka Tano (Anakin Skywalker's apprentice and a core character in the saga) is set to appear later in the season, but their inclusions are done so naturally and aren't shoehorned in. It would've been difficult for the sequel trilogy to bring back these characters since those films are set many years later, but properly ing Lucas' stories and his Star Wars legacy requires more than just bringing back main characters and replaying classic tracks whenever there's a nostalgic moment.
Going beyond the animated shows, The Mandalorian has also brought back Boba Fett, after Lucas toyed with the idea of reviving him years ago. It's just one element among many that show there's a deep-seated appreciation for Lucas' films. It's not just about the Star Wars name and having characters wield lightsabers - though seeing the Darksaber return does bring that undeniable "cool" factor into The Mandalorian - it's about understanding what made the original movies special from the start and furthering those concepts. In the end, what audiences get is a show that works harmoniously with classic Star Wars. Really, it's all anyone wanted from the start.