The beloved, record-breaking franchise became a household name for hundreds of millions of people across the world, with 11 live-action movies dating back to 1977.
The three trilogies, consisting of episodes one through nine, each have their own dedicated group of fans, as well as plenty of dogmatic critics clamoring to make their voices heard.
This ranking depicts widely-accepted fan favorites, mixed with underrated picks from the trilogies as well as the standalone films.
The tear-jerking final episode of the Prequel Trilogy features Anakin Skywalker’s transformation from passionate and unconventional Jedi Knight to the Sith Lord, Darth Vader. Full of betrayals, the unforgettable, action-packed film provides an emotional backstory on the fall of the Republic, the Jedi Order and Skywalker himself.
Stirring for years, Skywalker’s turn to the Dark Side reaches a point of no return at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant as he leads Order 66. Pushing away his haunting remorse, Skywalker grows stronger in the Dark Side of the Force through his utter self-hatred.
The showstopping duel on Mustafar between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Skywalker, featuring Kenobi’s monologue to his former apprentice, sets the scene for the Original Trilogy and the tainted relationship between the two.
The fast-paced final episode of the Sequel Trilogy concludes the Skywalker Saga in a satisfying, full-circle way. One of the most compelling storylines of the entire trilogy, Rey and Ben Solo’s enemies-to-lovers arc reaches its peak at the end of the film.
The last 30 minutes of the film truly solidified its place as one of the best Star Wars films. The non-verbal acknowledgement when Rey realizes that Ben is no longer Kylo Ren and then transfers the lightsaber that belonged to both Anakin and Luke Skywalker to Ben, through their dyad in the Force connection, fulfills Ben’s redemption, acting as “the moment we’ve all been waiting for.” The following simultaneous fight sequences between Ben and the Knights of Ren and between Rey and the Imperial Guards do a phenomenal job of captivating and thrilling the audience.
The emotional monologue from the Jedi of the past to Rey, encouraging her to rise and bring balance by taking down Palpatine, evokes powerful memories of many of the cherished Jedi from the franchise.
In one final act of desperation, Ben selflessly gives Rey what little life he still possessed, and the kiss that follows makes all the intense lightsaber duels between the two finally worth it. Kylo Ren’s redemption arc mirrors that of his grandfather, Darth Vader, as his story ends with him rejecting the Dark Side of the Force and saving the one he loved most.
Set moments before the start of “A New Hope”, this standalone film provides a gut-wrenching look into some of the quiet heroes of the rebellion. This tragic yet incredibly touching and hopeful film made the stakes even higher at the start of the Original Trilogy when Darth Vader confronts Princess Leia about her “diplomatic mission.”
The film follows the highly skilled and impressive captain, Cassian Andor, his reprogrammed Imperial droid and Jyn Erso as they lead an invasion on the Imperial security planet, Scarif, in search of the Death Star plans.
Seeing all the sacrifices that needed to happen in order for Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie to have their victory at the end of the first film leaves fans entirely inconsolable. Throughout the film, fans feel relief in knowing they ultimately succeed but fear in knowing it can’t possibly end well for these characters, making it a riveting watch.
