Speaking of Legends vs. the ST, even the infamous Dark Empire worked better than The Rise Of Skywalker.
Palpatine's return is found and stopped before he can ruin the OT trio's lives. The one who banishes his Ghost wouldn't be there had Vader, of all people, not shipwrecked them; so Palpatine is again screwed-over by the Chosen One. And while the New Republic and the New Jedi Order do fall - they still last more than a century, Palpatine is still gone and uninvolved, and the Skywalker and Solo bloodlines are still there.