Several new concepts were added to the Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which grossed over $2 billion worldwide. Unfortunately, the trilogy soon lost its luster, and with the benefit of hindsight, it's largely seen as disappointing, mainly because the studio simply hadn't planned it out well enough and made too many course-corrections along the way.
For all that's the case, though, the Star Wars sequel trilogy actually introduced a lot of new concepts and ideas into the franchise. It borrowed a lot of these ideas from other mediums, notably from the old (now non-canon) Expanded Universe, and it brought them to life on the big screen to a greater audience than ever before. The sad truth is that many of these concepts were never sufficiently developed - or given enough time to do so. That is particularly the case with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, where various tie-ins have attempted to clarify matters somewhat.
So here's your guide to all the new concepts and ideas introduced into Star Wars in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. As you'll see, it's quite an impressive list - even if defining and explaining these really requires wider reading.
Force Stasis
The Star Wars sequel trilogy opened with the display of a brand new Force power, with Kylo Ren sensing an incoming blaster bolt and freezing it in place rather than swatting it aside in the manner of any other Jedi or Sith. This power is called "Force Stasis", and it had previously been seen in the old Expanded Universe, but never before in the films. It served as an immediate demonstration of Kylo Ren's power in the dark side, although it also perfectly displays his desire for showmanship.
Crossguard Lightsabers
In addition to distinctive Force powers, Kylo Ren was immediately shown wielding a brand new style of lightsaber. This was supposed to be inspired by his researches into the dark side, as he discovered an ancient form of lightsaber and attempted to imitate it. Given how Kylo Ren generally attempted to imitate his grandfather, this is one of the few things he possessed that represented him as an individual. Appropriately enough, Kylo Ren's crossguard lightsaber was unfinished and unstable, notable for its ominous crackling sound that marked it out from all other lightsabers.
Rebel Stormtroopers
One of the greatest heroes of the sequel trilogy is John Boyega's Finn, an Imperial stormtrooper who rebels against his programming and soon becomes a leading figure in the Resistance. Thematically this is similar to the clone troopers who defied their own programming on occasion in rebel stormtroopers are actually Force-sensitive, because the dark side was used as part of the First Order's conditioning.
Forcebacks & Psychometry
Kylo Ren was not the only one to display new Force powers in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with a strange and unusual new power triggering when she touched the lightsaber of Anakin and Luke Skywalker. Rey experienced a series of visions in an ambiguous scene that makes it difficult to say whether it was a manifestation of the will of the Force or some nascent Force power that burned within Rey.
Wayfinders
The sequel trilogy introduced ancient Jedi and Sith relics called Wayfinders, with Luke Skywalker having used one to locate Ahch-To in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and two serving as the MacGuffins in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Justina Ireland's novel A Test of Courage has recently suggested an explanation for how Wayfinders work; they are fixed to a vergence in the Force, and help a Force-sensitive navigate towards said vergence. It is apparently an extension of an actual Force power.
The Prime Jedi
Ahch-To was site of the first Jedi Temple, and it contained a mural dedicated to the Prime Jedi - founder of the Jedi Order. This Prime Jedi was represented as a servant of balance, rather than exclusively dedicated to the light side of the Force. The mural gave equal prominence to both light and dark, with the Prime Jedi representing the darkness in the light, and the light in the darkness. Essentially, he embodied the classic 'yin and yang' philosophy, one the Jedi had strayed from as the millennia ed.
Force Sever
When Rey discovered Jedi Master Luke Skywalker on Ahch-To, she learned he had cut himself off completely from the Force - or, at least, had attempted to do so, although the Force still wormed its way into his dreams. The technique he used is from Legends, and is known as "Force Sever". According to Luke, it took him years to master it, and he had managed to cut himself off from the Force sufficiently that he did not sense the destruction of Hosnian Prime, or even the death of Han Solo.
The Holdo Maneuver
For the first time in Star Wars history, Star Wars: The Last Jedi saw hyperspace weaponized. iral Holdo performed what has been described as a "one-in-a-million" maneuver that allowed her to take advantage of the acceleration of her ship to near-lightspeed in order to launch a kamikaze attack on Supreme Leader Snoke's flagship. Curiously enough, while the Holdo Maneuver seems to be being handled with care, the recent Star Wars: The High Republic transmedia initiative has embraced the idea of weaponizing hyperspace in other ways, clearly following this precedent.
Astral Projection
Another Force power from Legends, "astral projection" allowed the meditating Luke Skywalker to project himself across the galaxy to confront his nephew at the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It appears to be a tremendously difficult power, and Luke's using the Force to this extent resulted in his death - but his sacrifice saved the Resistance nonetheless.
Lightspeed Skipping
One of the most bizarre scenes in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker saw Poe Dameron evade First Order pursuit by using a technique called "lightspeed skipping". This is one aspect of the sequel trilogy that has yet to be properly explained, in part because it defies the physics of the Star Wars franchise. Apparently it can only be conducted by the best pilots, and it's pretty damaging for any spaceship to perform the maneuver.
