I Ranked All 11 "Star Wars" Movies From Worst To Best, And I'm Sure This Will Open A Calm And Collected Discourse
My entire childhood was molded by Star Wars. As a kid, I collected all the action figures, owned the special edition VHS collection, and even fought Darth Vader as a Padawan at Disney World (I won, but almost fell off the stage beforehand).
I have gone a full calendar year without watching a single Star Wars movie just for a chance to create this list. Truly, I am trusting the Force to guide me in making this list.
Here is how I ranked all 11 live-action Star Wars films:
Disclaimer: I love all the movies, but I can acknowledge their flaws. This list is based purely on how I feel about them years later.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
Solo is the only movie on this list that I honestly believe didn't need to exist. The film's high point surprisingly comes from the performances, especially Donald Glover as Lando. He is truly a scene-stealer every time he comes on screen.
Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo really felt like a young Han rather than a cosplay or impression, which I appreciated. He and Woody Harrelson as Beckett had great chemistry.
The movie answers Han Solo questions that didn't really need to be asked.
The quest of "coming into the light" style of filmmaking was a good concept, as the movie starts dark and progresses into the light, but the film felt dull and too dark despite that being the goal.
Hollywood also has a problem with making casts too big, refusing to allow side characters to be side characters. A backstory for every character, even the ones about to croak 10 minutes later, is so unnecessary to good filmmaking, and this film suffers from that.
Of all the Star Wars films, I cannot share one interesting moment that happened in it. Star Wars should never be forgettable, and unfortunately, this film was just that.
10.Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones
This movie has its moments of fun action, but that's about it. If I made a Top-100 Star Wars moments list, I don't think a single scene from this or Solo would make it.
It does have some sneaky good moments of storytelling, like when Count Dooku tells Obi-Wan the truth about Darth Sidious. Anakin finding his mother and slaughtering Tusken Raiders is well executed. Plus, the soundtrack by John Williams is the most daring in the franchise.
And the direction of the action is actually top-tier movie making by George Lucas, but the excess of CGI and green screens waters the good direction down.
Episode II has it moments, but ultimately, is the weakest of the Skywalker Saga.
The Yoda fight scene got a huge pop from the crowd when I saw it in theaters, but the excitement instantly died down when he started jumping around everywhere.
At the end of the day, the CGI clones look terrible, the love story flounders, and the pacing is too hellbent to sprinkle action everywhere that it misses what other movies did well. The acting and script are the weakest of the prequels, but I at least enjoy rewatching it.
9.Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
This film is a wonderful tease of what spinoff stories should look like. From top to bottom, it truly feels Star Wars.
The performances by Diego Luna as Andor, Ben Mendelsohn as Director Krennic, and Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera are the most memorable. Little things like having all the characters look like they are from the '70s because that's when A New Hope came out was brilliant.
But, there's always a but...
There is so much to love about Rogue One, especially its commitment to honoring what came before it, but it deserves criticism with what didn't work, too.
I am in the minority, but I don't think the film is as great as many believe.
There are plenty of forgettable elements about this film because people remember that spicy Vader-hallway scene. And it starts with a pretty weak lead in Jyn Erso, who has a very cookie-cutter backstory. The cast itself is also overstuffed, and tries too hard to capture the standard "rebel group" we are familiar with in A New Hope.
The second act lags, and fails to bond the excess of characters while also splitting them up. Then the final battle misses the mark and the stakes fall flat because it is a prequel and we know, even if they don't live, the mission will succeed. (I also hate film prequels in general for that.)
I feel "Star Wars adults" exist similarly to Disney adults. Mostly, all the fans I hear say Rogue One is their favorite also add, "it's Star Wars for adults." The originals, and Disney films, have always been dark. We're talking about the company that killed Mufasa and had Simba mourn over his dead body. And A New Hope had Luke stare at the crispy corpses of his uncle and aunt.
The film takes itself too seriously by trying to please those Star Wars adults, and in return, sucks the fun out of what makes Star Wars wonderful. It also benefits from not having to do anything too daring visually since it is such a close prequel to A New Hope.
By the way, in case it sounds like I didn't, I still really enjoyed the film and will turn it on if it's on TV.
8.Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith
I think this entry will get the most hate, but I am also learning I am a "third act" hater when it comes to trilogies. Even Lucas admits he cheated in making Episode III, saying that there is a lot of "they fight" in the script.
That said, Revenge has the best performances of the prequels. The opera house scene is a Top-10 Star Wars scene for me and Order 66 is pretty close. John Williams cooks up another classic soundtrack (of course).
As a prequel, Episode III had the easiest path to finish the story, yet it still managed to stumble into the lava of Mustafar.
The dots needed to be connected, and some things like Padmé having "sad girl death disease" and Yoda going out like a punk didn't sit well with me even as a kid. The pacing seems to be all over the place, as are most third acts. Even the opening, which I love, fails to mimic the suspenseful Return of the Jedi opening.
Also, a long-documented unpopular opinion I have is that the lightsaber fights veer away from the magic of The Phantom Menace, and become borderline silly. The first prequel entry looked like trained swordsmen trying to kill each other, whereas this looks like a fan film and, as they say in the pro wrestling business, is a "spot fest" of going from one cool move to the next.
I love this film, and there is an argument that it could be the most re-watchable one. That said, one prequel shockingly works better as a film...
7.Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace
The script for this film is actually the best of the trilogy. Fans had an "internet group think shock factor" from all the new things that didn't feel very Star Wars-like, but the internet hate shouldn't dictate long-term opinions.
Jar Jar is the worst character, but he has 20 minutes of screen time. Lucas's version of goofy just didn't work like Artoo and Threepio.
But the story still hits all the right beats. The pod race still looks great, and was a thrill ride in theaters as a kid. Maul is an excellent villain and proof not every villain needs a backstory to be terrifying or understood. The moment Obi-Wan and Maul fight one-on-one is the greatest lightsaber duel, and maybe cinematic sword fight, ever.
Focusing on the movie itself, I find Episode I to be the most enjoyable story of the prequel trilogy.
I hated the "Space Jesus" angle, but as a kid, I found Jake Lloyd's performance relatable, especially him having to leave his mom, which crushed me. The story doesn't rely on action to move it forward, and Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon was a wonderful and layered addition to the universe.
So many Episode III-lovers don't give enough credit to the building blocks Episode I created. Flawed? Yes. But blemishes and all, this movie was as daring as the original, which is something movies don't do today. Risks are harder to take in the age of influencers making two-hour video essays undressing every movie.
This is a fun movie where people allow their hate to cloud their opinions. And it is one of two movies in the saga that suffer from that.
6.Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Even I agree, this seems a little high, but people are sleeping on this film.
Looking at it as an individual movie, and ignoring the retcon overhaul, this movie has some great moments despite a rocky landing.
Our new trio finally gets their moment together, which should have happened in the previous film. The dialogue feels like a Star Wars movie even with an imperfect script. All the visuals are stunning and give homage to every film before it.
They gave all three OGs the best sendoff they could. Leia's death gives it sentimental bias, Luke finally raises his X-Wing from the water, and Han says the quiet part out loud: Leia stood against tyranny, and everyone failed to stand behind her. Star Wars was built on Leia, and it was only right that her death rallied the rebellion of all people across the galaxy. Even the simple idea that Leia stopped her training for Kylo added a lot more weight to the plot as a whole.
(All this would have landed better in two movies.)
Episode IX was destined for failure thanks to the internet, and there is a lot to love about the flawed film, but it is VERY flawed.
This movie tried way too hard to please everyone. Like all third acts, it relies too much on action. There is too much "tell" and not enough "show" because it is too busy trying to retcon.
"Too much" could be the review of the movie.
Even the return of the Emperor could have been done better...like, a lot better. And I HATED the retcon of Rey being a nobody, because the Skywalker ending would have hit so much better having the Skywalkers accept an orphan into their family name.
So why so high? Even with all its flaws, I thought it was a fun film. It's the same reason why I love Episode III. Don't believe me?
There's a reason why this film crossed $1B in the box office: kids. Star Wars is for everyone, but kids especially, and like Revenge of the Sith, despite the hate, kids kept coming back because they enjoyed it. I saw the film twice in theaters. The first time, a girl dressed as Rey cheered the loudest. The second time, two boys gave it a standing ovation. Kids know how to have fun still, whereas most adults can't enjoy things for what they are anymore, and Star Wars is a popcorn flick.
Despite its pacing being shifted to ludicrous speed, I enjoyed Episode IX more than The Last Jedi, but in good faith, I can't say it is a better movie...which leads us to...
This is the movie that split a fandom to the bone, but all opinions are different, and I feel mine doesn't align perfectly with anyone.
I loved Luke's regression and finding his way again. Projecting himself was such a Luke move, and it showed that he grew to be the most powerful Jedi.
The film took a ton of chances unlike the one before it, and that throne room scene is one of the best fights in the series.
This is a great film, but its flaws make me question if it is a good Star Wars film.
Despite the divisiveness of this film among fans, Episode VIII is actually a well-done and beautiful film, but the story needed more critical eyes.
Luke and Kylo received heavy backstory, which sidelined both Rey and Finn. The comedy missed the mark by a country mile which The Force Awakens nailed thanks to Lawrence Kasdan.
Other little things failed that hurt the series as a whole, and it broke rules the wrong way. The space chase felt like a runtime delay, and sidelined the entire rebellion. The movie itself needed a time jump, so everything else happening outside of Rey and Luke felt like filler. That Finn story arc might be the worst arc put on film, and John Boyega didn't deserve that. At times, it felt like this movie wanted to be the conclusion rather than the Act II bridge, then, other times it felt like it didn't want to move at all.
If The Force Awakens felt like too many producers' hands were in the writers' room, Episode VIII felt like a first draft, which is a shame because that falls on the studio. With more time given to fix the very deep problems with this script, this could have been a contender for the greatest Star Wars film ever. And I hope Rian Johnson has the courage and self-reflection to tackle Star Wars again one day. Fans should also welcome him back with open arms and give him a big apology.
4.Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi
This film has one of the greatest opening 20 minutes in a film. Jabba's palace is perfectly constructed with the right amount of tension and buildup to the action.
Every scene with Luke, Vader, and the Emperor is top-tier Star Wars. Vader using Leia turning to the dark side as a threat to Luke is done masterfully, including John Williams going wild on the soundtrack. Vader before he stopped the Emperor, showing the conflict of a man with a mask, is special cinema and maybe my favorite scene in the saga (before it was ruined by adding him screaming "no").
Episode VI features some legendary moments and was a sound conclusion to the original trilogy.
That said, it's an Act III of a trilogy, which means I'm drinking that Jeremy Hayter-aid.
All the Endor moon scenes feel dragged and like filler. People who complain about Finn's arc in the sequel trilogy should examine Han closely in this final flick. He's kind of just there simping over Leia and doesn't add a lot besides some laughs.
There is not a ton of story beyond Luke's arc, which, honestly, works well.
This one, like many third movies, is very rewatchable for the action. I'm also an original trilogy lover, so I'd say it's the best Act III movie of the saga.
3.Star Wars: The Force Awakens
People can hate on the sequels all day, but this Episode VII lit a fire under the fanbase like never before. The excitement lasted even after the movie's release because Star Wars was back, baby.
John Boyega and Daisy Ridley's earnest performances helped carry the film into a new age while Harrison Ford felt like Han Solo again. The practicalness and on-location filmmaking resurrected movie magic, a feeling I still haven't felt since it came out, including the feeling of not wanting the film to end while watching it for the first time.
Like A New Hope, it gave closure, but like The Empire Strikes Back, it gave a daring and shocking cliffhanger that the saga had never tried before.
Flowers will eventually be showered upon Episode VII for being a film that revived an entire franchise with hope.
The script played it safe with plot devices (Wannabe Death Star and Droid-with-vital-thing) but offered enough newness to really drop us back into a galaxy far, far away. We saw cool things like Kylo stopping a blast mid-air and his dark interrogation-like Force powers.
It weaves a compelling mystery that had audiences asking where Luke is through new characters that have great chemistry together. There was a great raw emotion to it all while not relying too much on telling over showing.
The 30-year jump helped take the saga to new heights, while leaving enough blank spaces to give the OG characters their peace earned from victory.
I can't imagine someone watching this movie and not having fun.
2.Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope
I know it sounds silly to say the movie originally titled Star Wars is an underrated Star Wars movie, but Episode IV is a masterpiece of storytelling and character development
The introduction of every character does not feel forced (pun intended), and everything the cast does feels authentic. There is so much mythical movie magic in this film, and just enough screen time for the most sinister villain ever, Darth Vader.
The last battle not being a sword fight and being an epic trench run is something everyone sleeps on in a movie titled after a "war in the stars." The suspense is masterful and still looks out of this world.
A case can easily be made for Episode IV as not only the best Star Wars film, but the greatest sci-fi flick ever made.
How can someone criticize this movie?
There is so much from this movie that films today still try to recapture. From the sets to the aliens, everything feels raw and grounded, despite the fact that it takes place in another galaxy.
The dialogue feels like something out of a fairytale, and in doing so, it separates itself from "hard science fiction." In short, this movie is one-in-a-million, kid.
Now, let's blow this thing and go home...
1.Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back
It was, no doubt, the easiest decision I've ever made creating a list. Not only is this the greatest sequel of all time, but for me, it's probably the greatest film ever made.
I've used the word "mythical," and that best describes every second of this film. As a kid watching it, it was the first time words from a character like Yoda really made you think. In a similar fashion of Sesame Street, having the wisest Jedi be a puppet for children is truly brilliant.
Luke's journey from training to confronting this all-powerful evil that took two movies of building up to is cinema gold. The side quest of Han and Leia meeting Lando is the greatest in the saga. Their love story is compelling, and their evading the Empire ties in perfectly with Vader's story.
No amount of words in any amount of essays can describe how special Episode V is to cinema.
The claymation tauntaun looks dated, I guess. I don't know. I can't find anything I dislike about this movie.
The greatest twist in movie history comes from a space soap opera that was always labeled for "nerds." Everything about this script was a huge risk, and it paid off.
I know how civil Star Wars fans can be, so please drop your own full Star Wars movie ranking in the comments below! Feel free to share your favorite moment, too!
(And remember: This is just a list and can't hurt your Star Wars viewing experience.)
