The prequels /positively/ contributed to the Star Wars franchise and shouldn’t be ignored just because some people dislike them.
strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree
Early on in A New Hope, Obi-Wan gives his big speech about how the Republic was once in its golden era, and how great everything was before the Empire suddenly came and Vader betrayed the brave and heroic Jedi Knights.
Yet, as Luke pointed out, how could something so powerful have been destroyed so easily?The prequels answer that question. It shows why some would call it a golden age- the beauty of Naboo, the splendor of the Jedi- but it also grounds the Republic in reality and serves as a reminder of what happens when people sacrifice democracy for safety. It explains why there was a Senate the Emperor had to use the Death Star to dissolve. It highlights the flaws of good people, and sets the stage excellently.
Even for those who don’t like the movies as movies, one cannot deny that the prequels gave a rich story telling background for the Star Wars universe, and built an excellent framework for new canon such as The Clone Wars. It gave a story for Darth Vader’s origins that made perfect sense- how he became so evil, yet had so much love for his son. It explained why Bail would have adopted Leia and why Luke lived with the Lars.
For those who wish to ignore the prequels entirely, I want to ask them how they can do better.
(The answer is, most likely, they can’t.)