Star Wars, Ranked

Star Wars is back in theatres!

It’s been seven years since the mainline Star Wars series came to a close with The Rise of Skywalker. By the time Episode IX rolled into theatres in late 2019, I was quite accustomed to a yearly cinematic outing in the galaxy far, far away. At that time, it seemed like Star Wars could not be stopped. Lucasfilm’s then-president Kathleen Kennedy had been greenlighting a string of feature film projects, including a Donald Glover-starring Lando Calrissian spin-off; a trilogy from Rian Johnson; a trilogy from Game of Thrones showrunners D. B. Weiss and David Benioff; a film from Taika Waititi; a film from James Mangold about the origins of the Jedi Order; a Laeta Kalogridis-written film based on Knights of the Old Republic; and a Adam Driver-starring, Steven Soderbergh-directed spin-off about Ben Solo.

But it’s been seven years, and none of those projects have yet to manifest. Some of them are still “in development,” others have been cancelled outright, and others still have simply vanished. Suffice to say, most of Lucasfilm’s grand plans have fallen by the wayside for one reason or another.

While the franchise might have been out of cinemas for a while, the Star Wars content machine certainly hasn’t slowed down. Over on its streaming service, Disney has released seven live-action series, spanning eleven seasons of television, which have largely sought to carve out their own space in the timeline between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. And now, The Mandalorian, the longest-running of those television series, is moving from the small screen to the silver screen with The Mandalorian & Grogu, making it the twelfth live-action Star Wars film.

With this new movie now in theatres — and the Shawn Levy-directed Star Wars: Starfighter headed to theatres next May in time for the fiftieth anniversary of the series — it seems as good a time as any to venture back through the saga and rank them all. 

For this list, I’m just ranking the live-action Star Wars films: the nine “Skywalker Saga” installments and the three spin-off films. None of the aforementioned television series, nor any animated films or specials, will be included. My apologies to the fans of Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, I guess.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . .

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12. Attack of the Clones (2002)

“I hate sand.”

With the worst dialogue (a strong suit of George Lucas) and most uncomfortable performances in the entire franchise, Attack of the Clones is the prequel trilogy at its most incompetent. In this second installment in the story of young Anakin Skywalker and his fall to evil, Anakin (played by Hayden Christensen) is tasked with protecting the Queen-turned-Senator Padmé Amidala (a career-worst turn from Natalie Portman) from the evil Separatists, while Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) unravels a “conspiracy” involving an illegally ordered clone army. The screenplay of Episode II has the seeds of some very interesting plot threads — political conspiracies, a grungy sci-fi dinner, and a forbidden romance amid galactic war — but the execution of these ideas becomes laughable at best (as exemplified through the ever-popular “prequel memes”) and headache-inducing at worst. The film contains everything that makes this second set of films reek: an over-reliance on poorly rendered CGI, Christen and Portman’s profound lack of chemistry, George Lucas’ specific style of writing, and lightsaber-wielding Yoda. At a certain point, the excessive amounts of blaster bolts lose any sort of weight.

Look, I understand Star Wars has a thing for desert planets — there are six of them (Jakku, Pasaana, Geonosis, Savareen, Jedha, and the legendary Tatooine) between all eleven movies — but two in one movie is a little excessive (a bad habit repeated by another low-end entry).

Directed by George Lucas.

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11. The Phantom Menace (1999)

“Now this is podracing!”

Imagine being a Star Wars fan in the 1980s and 90s, waiting sixteen years for another Star Wars movie, only to be greeted by this monstrosity in theatres. While still an unfortunate mess, The Phantom Menace skates by total ridicule with a “so-bad-it’s-good” quality that is decidedly missing from Attack of the Clones. In the first “Prequel,” Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn (played by Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (beardless McGregor) are escorting Queen Padmé, on the run from a dangerous droid army, when their ship runs aground on the desert world of Tatooine, where they meet future Sith Lord, Anakin Skywalker (this time, played by Jake Lloyd). Episode I doesn’t fall into the vat of CGI sludge as fully as its successors (although it’s got plenty of that to be sure), mixing up its green-screen moments with some wonderful use of practical sets and locations, but it certainly can’t escape the awful dialogue writing and poor performances. And, of course, “Duel of the Fates” is an all-time great piece of filmic musical composition.

Retroactively, The Phantom Menace sticks out like a sore thumb next to the other two prequels, both in its story and its visual choices. By the next film, all four of the film’s main characters are either dead (Qui-Gon, spoilers), recast (Anakin), or have changed completely (Obi-Wan and Padmé). It feels purposeless!

Directed by George Lucas.

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10. The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

“This is the way.”

There’s an inescapable hollowness at the heart of The Mandalorian and Grogu, the feature-length spin-off of the Pedro Pascal-starring space western streaming series. Set during the aftermath of Episode VI, our Mandalorian bounty hunter, Din Djarin, sets out on a rescue mission on behalf of the Hutts, only to find out that (surprise, surprise) the Hutts are plotting to betray him and the New Republic. Written by series creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, and directed by Favreau, the film seems to forget the core tenets of what makes movies interesting, whether that be a strong arc for the central character, or, for this series, a strong sense of visual imagination. It’s riddled with a profound “made for TV” cheapness that impedes every level of the production, from the stakes of its narrative to the minuscule details of visual texture. It’s a poor man’s imitation of the series, with recycled and reused plot beats, but without any of the heart and soul. It might be a bit better than the prequels, but at least those movies tried to be something interesting. This is filler content that would have made for a disappointing three-episode mid-season arc if it had aired as part of the main series. As a feature film, the laziness is inexcusable. As the first film in Dave Filoni’s time as the creative lead of Lucasfilm, it is a harbinger of what could be a very rough future for the franchise.

You can read my full review here.

Directed by Jon Favreau.

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9. The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

“And I am all the Jedi.”

My problems with Attack of the Clones and The Rise of Skywalker stand in opposition to one another. While my issues with Episode II are with its execution (visual effects, performances, editing, pacing, etc.), my primary issues with Episode IX are with its central ideas. In the finale to the “Skywalker Saga,” the trio of Rey (played by Daisy Ridley), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and Finn (John Boyega) go on a fetch quest to find a mystical dagger that will open the path to Exagol, a secret planet of the Sith where Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is waiting for them, along with a resurrected Emperoro Palpatine (Iain McDiarmid). The film is stuck in the unfortunate limbo between director J.J. Abrams’ vision for a nostalgia-driven sequel trilogy, shoehorned fan theories, obvious studio interference, and the narrative consequences of its predecessor, which the film actively avoids. It’s a disorganized, messy, and over-crowded film that doesn’t pay off on any of the sequels’ main characters, plotlines, or themes, instead offering a finale to an alternative version of the trilogy that simply doesn’t exist. It is both corrupt in its inception and made with not the slightest shred of artistic integrity. I could go on for a long time about this film, but I think it would take up too much space in this article.

It did give us Babu Frik, however, so it’s not all bad.

Directed by J.J. Abrams.

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8. Solo (2018)

“Just did the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs!”

The first and, so far, only time where Star Wars has recast one of its original heroes in live action, Solo tells the story of the early days of everyone’s favourite rougish smuggler, Han Solo (this time played by Alden Ehrenreich). As an origin story, the film is perfectly serviceable, even if a little underbaked. Here, Ehrenreich’s Han Solo (who does a pretty good job as a young Harrison Ford) and new friend Chewbacca join up with a space crook (Woody Harrelson) to pull off a daring heist. While not an indictment on its quality, Solo distinctly feels like an oddity in the galaxy far, far away, being the only verifiable box office flop in the franchise, and the only Disney era film which has no reverberating repercussions (assuming that the alleged, Donald Glover-starring Lando Calrissian movie never sees the light of day). It’s a shame, really, because what works here works really well. There are some strong action scenes and cool planet designs, even if the result is mostly just “okay.” Director Ron Howard is perfectly serviceable helming a project like this, but doesn’t quite give the film the electrified sauce I’d want to see out of a Space Western like this.

It’s just fine, I guess.

Directed by Ron Howard.

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7. Revenge of the Sith (2005)

“You were my brother, Anakin!”

Ah, Episode III. The epic conclusion to the prequel trilogy and the best of the bunch, well, by default. It’s the only prequel that doesn’t make me want to die. As the “Clone Wars” rage on, the third prequel finishes the story of Anakin’s fall to the dark side of the Force. Anakin falls under the spell of insidious Chancellor Palpatine, as Obi-Wan runs off on a side quest to kill a four-armed general, while Padmé spends most of the run time barefoot and pregnant. I’ll be more charitable towards this film than I’ve been to the other two prequels. There are many things that Revenge of the Sith does really well. John Williams pulls out some of his best compositions in the saga here, while the final confrontation between Obi-Wan and Anakin on the lava world of Mustafar is quite stunning, even if it’s annoyingly interrupted by the far inferior Yoda-Palpatine duel. Lucas manages to work out many of the kinks with Hayden Christensen’s performance, even if he becomes overwhelmed with overacting by the third act. However, Episode III is not absolved of all its sins. It continues the prequel trend of introducing new characters, locations, and villains, before unceremoniously killing them off, or critically underdeveloping them (Lucas’ toy-brained approach to filmmaking might be the key to this problem). So much for Count Dooku!

Directed by George Lucas.

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6. Rogue One (2016)

“Rebellions are built on hope.”

I genuinely believe that the third act of Rogue One is one of the best things that this series has ever put to screen. A modern legend in the Star Wars universe, the final battle on Scarif, from the fighter battles, the conflict on the beach, and the heist inside the base, is a perfectly executed feat of spectacle filmmaking. But the first two acts are far from as sparkling, which means the movie ends on a high note, but it’s a bit of a crawl to get there. Set immediately before the events of Episode IV, Rogue One tells the story of Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones), Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), and their band of rebels as they steal the plans for the Empire’s most deadly weapon, the mysterious “Project Stardust.” While the final act does a lot to make the entire film feel worthwhile, the franchise’s first foray into the messy underbelly of rebellion suffers from a distinct lack of compelling characters or emotional texture. The franchise, even in its worst moments, always puts characters first (which the television series Andor will later course-correct), but Rogue One largely avoids making its leads feel more than just “cool action protagonists.” And don’t get me wrong: I still really enjoy Rogue One. It’s easily one of the best-looking entries in the series, the finale is incredible, and it gave us Andor.

Here’s the part of the article where I tell you to go and watch Andor. It’s incredible.

Directed by Gareth Edwards.

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5. The Force Awakens (2015)

“Chewie, we’re home.”

In the ten-and-a-half years since it opened, The Force Awakens has been much maligned for an over-reliance on nostalgia, with recycled visual language from the original trilogy to get audiences on board. While I agree with this critique to a degree, it’s easy to understand the course correction, especially when following up on the prequel trilogy, which intentionally cast off the visual choices of the originals. In my mind, Episode VII calls back to the originals intentionally to build a sense of goodwill with the audience, but does so in service of building up a strong new supporting cast. Thirty years after the events of the original trilogy, Rey is a forgotten junk hunter on the desert world of Jakku, who has her whole life upended when she meets Resistance pilot Poe Dameron and defected Stormtrooper Finn, eventually leading them into the arms of the villainous Kylo Ren. The film does a remarkable job of recapturing the feelings of wonder and excitement around the franchise. The leading cast is excellent, and Abrams builds some really strong set pieces. Sure, it plays to a lot of familiar beats, but it ultimately works well as a fun, throwback adventure. In December 2015, this was exactly what I, and many others, needed from their Star Wars film.

Directed by J.J. Abrams.

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4. The Last Jedi (2017)

“Let the past die. Kill it if you have to.”

Here we go . . .

The dangers of talking about Star Wars on the internet are that you eventually get to the subject of Episode VIII, which usually devolves into a veritable small-scale war. But I make no apologies for including the film this high on my list.

The Last Jedi is, by a wide margin, both the best sequel and the best film of the Disney era. One of the reasons why I’m so forgiving of The Force Awakens is because of the direction of the sequel, which takes Episode VII’s love of nostalgia and then complicates it. Profoundly concerned with themes of legacy, the weight of failure, and overcoming the pain of memory, the film breaks down the myths of the series in a surprising, often metatextual way. With the Resistance on the run, Rey heads off to find the hiding place of reclusive Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, while Finn and new ally Rose (played by Kelly Marie Tran) set off to find an arms dealer in the casino city of Canto Bight, and Poe stages an amateur coup on board the Resistance’s fleet. The Last Jedi is the most challenging entry in the series, and a lot of people really don’t like it. I get why. But this film really strikes a chord for me. From its gorgeous cinematography and visual effects to the stunning third act and great performance, there’s so much to love about it. The secret weapon is Adam Driver, who pulls out all of the stops with his tortured performance as Ben Solo/Kylo Ren. It works! It works really well. It’s heartfelt, reflective, and takes the sequels in a bold new direction, that got undermined two years later.

Directed by Rian Johnson.

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3. Return of the Jedi (1983)

“The Force runs strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. And my sister has it.”

I think the top three spots on this list should be dedicated to the original trilogy. The third, and final, entry into the first batch of Star Wars outings might be significantly weaker than its predecessors, with a much lighter tone, too, but that doesn’t stop it from being a delightfully crafted trilogy-capper. After spending the first forty minutes of the film performing a rescue mission on Tatooine, Luke Skywalker and the gang are ready to take on the evil Galactic Empire once and for all. Luke (played by Mark Hamill) heads out to the Second Death Star for a final confrontation with his father, while Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) confront the Emperor’s ground forces on the forest moon of Endor. Perhaps missing the gravitas of The Empire Strikes Back — and contains the awkward “Luke and Lia are actually siblings” twist — Episode VI still has no shortage of excellent pieces of filmmaking to chew on. Jabba’s palace is stuffed with brilliant creature designs and puppeteering (even if “Jedi Rocks” is one of the more egregious Special Edition additions), the three-front final battle is full of excellent action spectacles, and the Ewok subplot is, in my mind, endlessly endearing. 

Be careful about bringing up Ewoks around my dad, though. He can’t stand the sight of them.

Directed by Richard Marquand.

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2. Star Wars (1977)

“It’s a wonder you’re still alive.”

Now forty-nine years old, the original Star Wars film has been talked about to death already by people much more qualified than I am. It’s hard to imagine a contemporary blockbuster landscape without the arrival of Star Wars, a perfect zeitgeist-controlling piece of popular filmmaking. Lucas distills notes of Flash Gordon, John Ford, and Akira Kurosawa into an accessible, mass-market format that still holds run remkarbly well today. Even if you think you’ve never seen this movie, if you’ve grown up in North American culture, you’ve seen it through osmosis. It’s got everything you could possibly want in a pulpy space opera: a reluctant hero, a dashing rogue, an effortlessly imposing arch-nemesis, a feisty princess in peril, goofy sidekicks, exotic locations, visually-striking aliens, a memorable weapon, and incredible pieces of hand-crafted musical score. Introducing the world to the farmboy-turned-Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker and half a dozen other iconic characters (“iconic” be too small a word here), the original Star Wars still sizzles with the residual thunder from its lightning-in-a-bottle appearance in theatres. It’s been venerated by the many filmmakers and storytellers who have worshiped at its altar over the last five decades. It almost doesn’t get better than this.

And, no, I will not be calling it A New Hope, thank you very much.

Directed by George Lucas.

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1. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

“No, Luke. I am your father.”

I mean, come on. 

The production budget of The Empire Strikes Back was about triple that of its predecessor, and the boost to the quality of the picture is immediately obvious, even in the subtle shift from the matte black to the polished black colouring of Darth Vader’s armour. In the darker middle chapter of the original three films, the Rebel Alliance plots an escape from their refuge on the ice planet of Hoth, sending our heroes on a quest for safety in the stars. Luke Skywalker meets up with a retired Jedi Master, while Leia and Han make it to the gas giant, Bespin. Episode V takes everything that worked for Star Wars and cranks it to eleven. The colour palette is moodier, the locations are more extreme, the performances are much more self-assured, the plotting is juicier, and the dialogue crackles — it’s an improvement on every front. Beyond the improvements, there are a million reasons to adore this film. Every design choice is excellently rendered on screen, leaving behind impressions of otherworldly grandeur. The Leia-Han dynamic is perfectly melodramatic. Darth Vader really seals the deal of being one of the all-time great movie villains here. The comedy is incredibly well-balanced, too, with C3PO and Yoda being the film’s funniest and best characters. To me, Empire borders on the Platonic ideal of the blockbuster.

Directed by Irvin Kershner.