I think one of the reasons why the PT is now rather loved is because of the ST itself. In my opinion, if Disney made another sequel trilogy to the ST that is somehow even worse (or probably even mediocre), than the ST would become well regarded while the ST to the ST would receive the hate that the ST we have now is getting right now.

If the ST to the ST is better (created by someone who knows what they are doing and/or has the knack to make good Star Wars content), than the current ST will still be seen as the worst SW trilogy.

I mean here is what I think

The Sequels will probably get less hate over time

From what I remember fans saying the Prequels were bad after they were released and when the Sequels came out fans appreciated the prequels more

With 10 not sure if 11 and 12 will be made and if they do it depends on fans response

It would be interesting if fans say oh Episode 7-9 are better than episode 10-12 which they give their reasons

Who knows

The hate will probably die down or maybe not depending on the fan

The future of these movies is that my children won't be watching them until they're nerdy enough to tell a good Star Wars film from a mediocre one (lol I'm half kidding right now). I think that the reception to the prequels and sequels were similar, but I also do think that the prequels hold up a lot better and seem like slightly less of a cash grab (The Force Awakens didn't seem that way, but the last two films 110% did).

I don't hate Daisy Ridley, obviously, but I do think that Rey's character is a great example of needing to actually plan/flesh out what you're going to do with a lead protagonist. Anakin, love him or hate him, always had a purpose and a path that he was clearly going down, that's the point of the prequels: telling the origin story of Darth Vader and the birth of the Empire. His attitude fluctuates based on what's happening and how his emotions respond, but you can always see the direction of his character and all of his reactions line up with the characteristics the writers created for him and managed to establish to the audience.

Rey doesn't have any of this, and hey, no hate to the writers. I wasn't there to see what was written originally, what was filmed, and what got cut in the editing phase. But as the sequel trilogy continued the direction of not just her character (which she has very little of since she is so underdeveloped) but the entire series of events that is the plot is basically lost. It really started feeling like nothing more than a box office cash grab, like you're telling me that a Star Wars animated series from the 2010s has a bazillion times more in the realms of interesting characters and good reviews?

The Clone Wars has heart, it gives formerly faceless characters personality, individuality, and reasons for the audience to stan the heck out of countless clones. Even troopers who only had a couple episodes to their names with time in the spotlight and nothing more are liked over Rey. Sometimes these clones are relatively static characters too, but even if they don't develop or change, people admire their qualities, personalities, or just like their blasters/armor because it's too cool.

And again, I don't hate the actress. Why wouldn't she want to star in a huge film series and make a ton of money? Overall her performance was good, there just wasn't any character behind it. Anakin has substance, you can see his personality and motivations, a lot of clones have substance, but Rey falls victim to being nothing but a plot device to move the story along. Especially in Rise of Skywalker.

So yeah, I don't really expect Star Wars nerds who don't like the films to change their minds about it. The prequels, love em or hate em, had something to give their characters a backbone and the sequels didn't (another good argument for this is that Finn was completely ignored in the final film and felt very left out like they didn't know what to do with him ). To be honest I think they'll be like some of the more recent Marvel films, looked back on as bad writing and bad execution.

I grew up with the prequels and I loved them from the start and even recognized their flaws, the sequels I was a teenager when they came out and I can safely say that while TFA intrigued me the other two were lost on me. I have nothing against the actors but the writing was just so poor at parts or cool ideas were just executed extremely poorly that I can’t seem to get over them enough to like those last two movies. Kylo Ren’s story and character was so contradictory it made my head hurt trying to determine if he was good or bad. Luke’s part in that trilogy I don’t even want to talk about as I was not a fan. Overall while the PT did have quite a number of flaws there were just as many if not more good things that made me love them and having shows like The Clone Wars only made me appreciate them more. The sequels rubbed me the wrong way and here is hoping that there are more shows or movies surrounding that era that flesh out more context and story but as of right now there aren’t as much. We are getting snippets from the Mandalorian but not enough to truly save the reputation of the sequel trilogy as it stands in my pov as certain characters don’t make much sense or certain plot points are lost on me.

Sorry for the rant lol

I think Oscar's thoughts on this are a good summary. I do believe the sequels will be looked upon more fondly as the years go bye, but not in the same way that the prequels are appreciated now. The prequels have several redeemable aspects, such as a consistent storytelling and a satisfying final installment that ties everything together; the sequels are far weaker in both these things. Only time will tell.

I’m sorry, but I don’t know what any of these abbreviations are:

TPM

AOTC

ROTJ.

TFA

Edit: I figured them out

Actually I know what they all mean

The prequels are kind of juxtaposed in comparison to the Sequels by many, but those who don't use them as a justification for their arguments of quality that do regard them as quality films are most commonly those who grew up with them. By the time The Force Awakens released, those who grew up with the prequels had become teenagers and adults and had become probably the most active portion of the fanbase.

There are kids who grew up with the Sequels who will become teenagers and adults soon as well, and soon they will become more active in the fanbase too. In the 2020s I've already seen a massive increase in positive sentiment regarding the sequels, with The Last Jedi in particular having the largest jump in favorable opining.

At the end of the day, the newest thing will always pale in comparison to certain fans of the previous thing. The prequels paled in comparison to the original trilogy for fans that grew up with the OT, but fans who grew up with the prequels love the prequels. Same goes for the PT/ST divide.

As someone who grew up during the intermediary era where the prequels were out and The Clone Wars was the main Star Wars thing we were getting, I do genuinely like both the prequels and sequels, but I've also noticed the cracks in both trilogies (and the OT as well). In terms of individual quality as films I think the sequels are overall an improvement (with a noticeable dropoff with TRoS), but worldbuilding/lore and consistency between films absolutely goes to the prequels. The flaws of the sequels are obviously the lack of consistency and a solid plan going through and the very questionable pacing of episode 9, whereas the flaws of the prequels revolve around the writing, character direction, and consistent albeit incredibly slow pacing for the first two films.

Here's my opinion from someone who grew up with the sequels, yes, The Force Awakens was the first piece of Star Wars content I remember watching.

At the current rate, the only connection Star Wars is taking to connecting the ST to the larger universe is with Project Necromancer and the Shadow Collective. Episode 9 will be looked back on fondly if these concepts end up being high quality. The reason I bring this as my opening is because:

The Sequel Trilogy isn't MADE for children. It's made for adults to watch the same movies THEY grew up with, and Sequel content that is made for children, like Resistance and comics, are incredibly niche. The only exceptions to this are the Dice Battlefront games and LEGO productions. That is where my fondest memories of the Sequel era are from, and why I personally like them.

To make more people like me, Star Wars must accept the Sequels at large, and make more content that brings purpose back with them. This can appeal to all demographics. Aged fans can admire mature themes connected to the Sequel era, and young people will become fans because of them, and look back with pride.