by “pits” you mean the Sarlacc pit(s)?

sarlaccs are just one among many types of pits in Star Wars they may be fallen into

Those of us around in the late 90′s might remember “Jedi Pit Theory”, which posited that Jedi were at their most vulnerable when near large holes in the ground. The pit in the landing bay of the Death star is where Kenobi died. The giant pit in Cloud City was where Luke lost his hand and nearly died (and he almost fell to the carbonite freezing pit earlier). The pit in Jabba’s palace took Luke by surprise, and the pit in the Throne Room of Death Star 2 brought down both Vader and the Emperor. Phantom Menace, the only prequel at the time, also gave us the death of Qui-gon and Darth Maul at the hands of the pit on Naboo.

It’s been a thing for a while.

maybe pits actually play an important role in the Force

when a Force-user slips into one, scavengers at the bottom of the pit feed off that bounteous feast of Force-rich Jedifall and replenish the ecosystem

In the official Star Wars tabletop game, falling damage is incredibly deadly