All Star Wars Cinematic Movies Ranked

Star Wars has infected and influenced the cultural zeitgeist since the first film was released back in 1977. The franchise has since expanded into television, streaming, toys, video games, clothing, amusement parks, and just about every other form of merchandise and media. However, Star Wars lives and dies with the films. To clarify this list, I will only be ranking theatrically released films worst to best, so fans of the Ewok movies and Holiday special, you will have to wait for another time. This list is entirely opinionated and should not be taken as the definitive list that no one can disagree with. We all have our own preferences, and if you disagree with anything on my list (which I can nearly guarantee you will), please discuss why. If your favorite film is my number twelve, please tell me why it is your favorite. If your least favorite film is my number one, please tell me why it is your least favorite. Without any further delay, let us begin in the only place we can: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

PART I: THE BAD

12. Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

The worst of all the Star Wars films, and unfortunately the finale of the entire Skywalker Saga. At the time of this film’s release, the Star Wars fanbase was divided, the story of the sequel trilogy seemed as if there could be no possible conclusion that would satisfy anyone. And yet, Lucasfilm believed that they struck gold and cracked the formula to unite the fans and critics, that they would rejoice in the glory that was Rise of Skywalker. Well, they did unite the fans.

Universally despised, The Rise of Skywalker could not commit to a single choice. Rey is no one! Actually, she is Palpatine’s granddaughter. Chewbacca is dead! Actually, he was just captured. C-3PO lost his memory! Actually, we have a backup. The Knights of Ren matter! Actually, there is no point and they do absolutely nothing. Kylo Ren is evil! Actually, he just needs a good talking to by his ghost dad, which makes no sense. In fact, most of the film makes absolutely no sense.

How is Han a ghost? Is he just a figment of Ben’s imagination? Who knows! That is the answer. How did an ancient Sith dagger line up perfectly to a decades old wreck of the Death Star that is nowhere near Endor and only if you accidentally stand at a completely random place on the beach? Who cares! How did Palpatine return? Somehow! Why does the finale just copy Avengers: Endgame? Because it worked one time so why not a second!

But the worst offense that this film does is make Anakin Skywalker’s sacrifice to kill the Emperor and stop the Empire completely worthless, thereby nullifying the only action from the entirety of the original trilogy that still mattered. The worst thing a sequel can do is make previous films not matter, and The Rise of Skywalker does this to the entire first six films of the Skywalker Saga.

11. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

While The Rise of Skywalker united the fans, The Last Jedi divided the fans. Judging by where this film falls on my list, it is clear where I stand on the debate of The Last Jedi. This film  does a terrible crime in storytelling: it does not progress the story. The previous film, The Force Awakens, ends with the First Order injured but in power, the Resistance on the run but hopeful, and Rey needing to train to become a better jedi. This film ends with the First Order injured but in power, the Resistance on the run but hopeful, and Rey needing to train to become a better jedi.

In fact, even the plots within the film spend too much time backtracking to actually matter. Poe Dameron leads a resistance against the Resistance, oh but it doesn’t matter and the resistance doesn’t change anything. Finn and Rose go on a mission to get a code cracker, oh but it doesn’t matter and they never complete their mission. Rey goes to train with Luke, oh but it doesn’t matter and she is never trained by Luke. The Sith are over! Yet Kylo Ren does exactly what sith do and continues the cycle. The Jedi must end, yet Rey keeps the Jedi texts and will restart the jedi. Yes, the movie even reverses on its own title.

Then there are multiple story beats which do not make sense. The Holdo maneuver completely breaks lightspeed, and Holdo being a terrible leader is paraded as being insightful and necessary. Luke wanting to kill his nephew despite seeing the good in his mass murdering father is of course the natural progression, if this were Jake Skywalker. And Finn wanting to run away despite nearly getting himself killed to save the galaxy in the previous movie is also clearly a natural progression, because Finn ran away from the First Order in the first movie too because he was a coward, not because he became disillusioned by the deaths of innocents and his friends.

Then there is the big reveal, where Rey’s parents are revealed to be no one famous, a reveal that matters not to the characters in any way, but only to the audience, a reveal on par with Star Trek: Into Darkness’s “Khan” reveal. This is the most superfluous film of the entire franchise, all for the sake of subverting expectations and being different. Different is good, but to be different for the sake of being different is the foundation of a bad story.

PART II: THE AVERAGE

10. Solo: A Star Wars Story

Han Solo, one of the greatest side characters of all of literature and media, what could go wrong? The first mistake: make him the main character. There are characters in literature who work best as secondary characters, support for the protagonists, and then struggle when forced to become main characters. This can be seen with the likes of Evan Baxter from Bruce Almighty or Mater from Cars. On the other hand, characters like Furiosa from Mad Max: Fury Road and Puss in Boots from Shrek 2 can prove that side characters can be just as great as main characters as those whom they supported in previous stories.

As stated before, Han Solo works best as a supporting character. That is not to say that Han is not a great character, he is, but he works best when he is challenged by other, much more heroic characters that bring out the best in Han, such as Princess Leia or Luke Skywalker. In fact, Han Solo was never better than in The Empire Strikes Back where his inner conflict of heroism comes to the forefront of his story.

Here, Han is surrounded by fellow scoundrels: Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, Tobias Beckett, and Qi’Ra. While there is some great chemistry between these characters and an honestly fun dynamic, there is just something missing to push Han Solo further than just being a scoundrel like the rest. And that defines the whole movie. The plot is inoffensive, yet it is nothing special. The villain is forgettable, but by no means terrible. However, the action sequences are fun, especially the train sequence, and though the film has an uneven start, the finale is excellently satisfying, with a great callback to Han Solo that does not just point for the audience to recognize, but makes it an integral part of Han’s character. Afterall, Han shot first. Despite a great finale, overall, the film is just average. And Star Wars should never be average.

9. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The final Star Wars film worked on by George Lucas, and unfortunately his worst. What I said before about Solo: A Star Wars Story and averageness also applies here. This is by no means a bad movie, just an average one. The story of Rotta the Hutt is one that feels like a side story in its own movie, despite supposedly being the main focus, and it is a story that has little to no effect even on the television series that acted as a continuation of this film, the show of course actually being what I believe to be the best Star Wars media in the entire franchise.

Of course there are good things about this film, such as the relationship between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, two of the best characters in the franchise. Their dynamic, just like in the prequel trilogy, is the best part of the movie and the entire voice cast did a phenomenal job, including Ashley Eckstein who voiced the new addition of Ahsoka, a character who would eventually become a Star Wars staple and one of the best characters in the franchise, but would start as an annoying, entitled child. 

Whether purposeful or not, as accounts vary on that end, Ahsoka was a much maligned character when this film was released, and she acted as the main character, and I will not act like I was any different from Ahsoka’s dissenters. Still when I watch this film, I do not like Ahsoka, and though she went through immense growth and has become one of my favorites (and my wife’s all time favorite Star Wars character), her journey to fan favorite began here as a fan despised.

Much like Solo: A Star Wars Story, this film remains a fun watch, but not something that should be considered essential viewing for Star Wars fans. This film is a great example of the legacy being greater than the product.

PART III: THE GOOD

8. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

A good start to a doomed trilogy, The Force Awakens gave hope to millions of fans, but not George Lucas, a warning for what was to come. I, like most other people who watched The Force Awakens, enjoyed the film greatly upon initial release, and again like many others, my view of the film has been tainted as time has gone on.

While this film had its issues, which we will get into, for the most part it was a good start to a brand new trilogy that initially showed Star Wars was in good hands. Finn, Poe, BB-8, and Rey were all likeable new protagonists, with Finn especially being a standout that was quickly becoming a well beloved character, including my own. His conflict with being a Stormtrooper was unique and fun to watch, with the possibility that he would be a Jedi being even more intriguing.

The villain was also great in Kylo Ren, the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia. He still shines as the best character to come out of the sequel trilogy, with a great design and a menacing presence. His makes Han Solo’s final scene memorable, emotional, and impactful, slightly redeeming the botched characterization of Han Solo, while also increasing the emotional stakes for both the audience and the characters.

As for the negatives that keeps this film from being higher on this list, the first comes with Han Solo. As already alluded to, Han’s arc in the original trilogy was one from a selfish, down on his luck scoundrel, to a courageous hero who would willingly risk his life to save those he cares for. Han in The Force Awakens removes his wonderful arc. In fact, it removes Luke Skywalker’s arc, though not as entirely as The Last Jedi, by once again having the Jedi Order be destroyed. So much for the title The Return of the Jedi, for apparently they only returned for twenty years before dying once more. In fact, most of the original trilogy was undone in this film. Wasn’t the Empire defeated and a New Republic founded? Yes, but now the New Republic is destroyed again and the Empire is back, causing a Resistance to rise, because a Resistance is so much different than a Rebellion. Star Wars cannot progress, and neither can characters, everything must return to the status quo, according to The Force Awakens. That is, characters and plot cannot progress beyond Princess Leia.

Through the muck of failed progression from the original trilogy, there is one shining light: Leia. From damsel in distress who was actually more capable than the heroes sent to save her, to a commander in the Rebellion, and finally her natural progression to the leader of the entirety of the Resistance, which yes should have been the New Republic, but that is a discussion for another day.

When I first watched this film, I understood the negatives, that it was just a worse copy of A New Hope, that many of the original trilogy characters were wasted, and that there were some serious plot issues, such as the previously stated New Republic and others I have not mentioned here, but I also saw that many of these issues could also be fixed or at least adjusted in future films, and if the two follow ups to The Force Awakens had done that, then quite frankly this film would be a spot higher on this list. But just like The Lord of the Rings, you cannot separate one part of any of these trilogies. They each affect the other, and since all of the questions and plot threads set up in The Force Awakens were wasted or ruined in the trilogy this film started, the flaws of this film become more pronounced, and the hope that this film once sparked has since become a lesson in how to set up a story for failure.

7. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Finally, after sixteen years, Star Wars returns. As this is the first prequel film on the list, it is time to address my own personal bias. The prequels are my Star Wars films. These are the ones I grew up with and Revenge of the Sith is the first Star Wars film I saw in theaters. I was the target demographic for these films, and as a result, when I was a kid I loved Jar Jar Binks, I liked kid Anakin, and the Gungan battle at the end was epic. As I have grown older, do I now see the film’s faults? Yes, of course I do, but I also have a different perspective, something that I am sure the kids who grew up watching the sequel trilogy will also have on those films.

To begin with the faults of the film, yes young Anakin was absolutely a mistake. Anakin should have begun as Hayden Christensen, whom I always defend, and not as a child. This is not a remark against Jake Lloyd, who honestly did a good job with the material, but against the concept. To better mirror Luke Skywalker, Anakin should have been a teenager, not a child. But even with that, Anakin’s story in this film is still great, having to leave his mother to pursue greater things, proving himself a capable inventor and problem solver with the pod-racing, and proving his heroism and bravery with the final sequence. What of course brings all of those great moments down is the fact that he is a child, and therefore Anakin also cannot do more in the film as a child is limited in what he can be involved with. Jar Jar Binks is another character that I think was good in concept but poor in execution. He was meant to be the next Chewbacca, but the slapstick humor of Jar Jar and the constant annoyance he gives to the characters which also infects the audience should have been reworked. The plot at times is also admittedly slow to move, with a great first act, great third act, and a bit of a slog for a second act. However, despite these flaws, there is still plenty to love about this film.

Qui-Gon Jinn, Padme Amadala, and Darth Maul were all wonderful additions to the Star Wars franchise and each enhanced this film greatly, despite Darth Maul also being woefully underused in the one film he is in. These three, along with Obi-Wan Kenobi, are the core of this film and act as wonderful successors to the characters of the original trilogy, and there is a reason that all of these characters keep coming back in multiple forms of media time and again.

The action sequences and music of The Phantom Menace have also never been better in Star Wars, dethroned only by Revenge of the Sith. This is especially true in the final confrontation between our heroes and the villain, a duel so iconic that every fight afterwards in all of Star Wars has been compared to it ever since. Much like the previous two entries on this list, this film is a mixed bag, but unlike the other two, The Phantom Menace still has the special wonder and joy of Star Wars that brings about a unique experience that frankly every Star Wars film on this list simply did better. While this film was flawed, I would argue that the first official return to Star Wars was a success with room to improve, and luckily the film’s two follow ups did just that.

PART IV: THE GREAT

6. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

From a production tragedy to a cinematic triumph, Rogue One is the best film Disney has to offer. This is the first of the Star Wars films on this list that I would actually label as great. And as the first Star Wars film after The Force Awakens, confidence for the future of Star Wars was at an all time high. Now, no Star Wars film is perfect, and I would dare to say that no films are perfect in general, and Rogue One certainly has its flaws, which we will discuss, but it should not be understated how this film does different well.

Whenever someone discusses Rogue One, that word, different, will almost always come up. The reason for that label is the fact that Rogue One is the first and so far only Star Wars film to actually be a war movie, and not a fantasy film. This story is gritty, dark, realistic, and shows the true tragedy of these galactic wars that our favorite characters operate in. And the two major leads, Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso, are both made perfect to truly express the horrors, with the tragic end to their tale being the final push to cement these characters and story as iconic.

Their dirty dozen type crew is a bit more lackluster from them, with diminishing returns with each character, though they do each still have moments to shine, but the new villain, Director Krennic, was a great and memorable foil to Jyn Erso. The returning characters in Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, Grand Moff Tarkin, and of course Darth Vader were all also done well, with a specific focus actually put on Tarkin, a character that could have easily been ruined, but was actually only enhanced. And one cannot write about this film without recognizing Darth Vader’s fantastic hallway scene which shows the terror Darth Vader puts into anyone who faces him.

However, despite how great the entire third act of Rogue One is, that is also commonly the only piece of the film that many critics and fans talk about. This film has a slow beginning, one that spends a little too much time meandering which also affects the second act. The pacing and greatness of this film is similar to an exponential graph, struggling for much of the film before providing something special. And like I said, this film becomes great, it just takes awhile to get there.

5. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

From a fantastic noir investigation, to a lackluster romance, and a truly epic third act, Attack of the Clones is a mixed bag, but still incredibly satisfying. This film is split between two storylines, one great and one not so much, that are together in the first and third acts and separate in the second. Let’s tackle both plots individually.

The better plot is Obi-Wan Kenobi’s investigation into who has been trying to kill Padme Amadala, leading to the search into Syfo Dias, the discovery of the clone armies, and eventually leading to the Separatists and their plot to begin a war against the Republic, which begins in the film’s grand finale. This entire plot is fantastic, with great reveals, good suspense, wonderful action, and an enjoyable villain in Jango Fett. Their chase through the asteroid field and the sound design within is especially a highlight.

Where the film suffers is of course in the half-baked romance with Anakain and Padme. This is especially apparent when the original trilogy had a wonderful romance between Leia and Han. While I disagree with those that say the two leads have no chemistry, there is no denying that their relationship is filled with awkward scenes, and stilted dialogue. However, there is still a saving grace in their romance, and that is when they go to Tatooine. The entire sequence with Anakin’s mother and the Tusken Raiders, along with Padme’s and Anakin’s scenes thereafter are another highlight of the film, including their capture on Geonosis.

With the major characters together, we finally have what is one of the greatest battle sequences in film, when audiences everywhere finally saw a full Jedi Order, but also the beginning of the end for the Republic, as it shows that the Jedi alone cannot face this rising threat built up by the same Sith Lord that has control of the Republic. The Jedi fail at the end of this film, with clones being the saviours. This is again reiterated at the end of the film when Count Dooku defeats Anakin and Obi-Wan in combat, and plays on Yoda’s Jedi sensibilities to escape capture. 

While the battle of Geonosis is won for the heroes, this film shows that the Jedi Order’s days are numbered. While the characters feel triumphant, the truth is that they are playing into their own destruction, and that is part of why this is a great Star Wars film, as even the audience cheers for the Jedi as they fall into the perfect trap.

4. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Star Wars began with a bang that still captures the same wonder and amazement as it did nearly fifty years ago. This film is a classic hero’s journey, with the archetypal farm boy destined for greatness, the wise old mentor, the dark and evil villain, the beautiful princess, and the dashing rogue. There is a reason that this film should still remain the first Star Wars film that anyone should see, and that is because it is the most complete story of any film.

That may sound a weird statement to make, yet it is true. George Lucas made the movie in a way that a sequel could come in the future, and a sequel would not be necessary. Watch A New Hope again and you will see that if this film needed to, it could have ended the whole franchise: the villain is defeated, the heroes are triumphant, and hope returns to the galaxy. Luckily, we have more Star Wars films, especially seeing that this one is fourth on my list, but my point remains that this is the most well rounded.

Every character receives a complete arc, every plot is wrapped up nicely, and more than that, the pacing was never better than in this initial film. I would argue that there are no moments that are too fast nor too slow, and the sequencing of the plot manages to bring in just the right amount of story with no subplot needing to stall or quickly run through moments. However, A New Hope is not without its faults.

Just as A New Hope has being a complete story as an advantage, so too is it a disadvantage. This film’s versions of Han and Leia are the least well rounded versions of themselves within the original trilogy, and less in depth even to characters like Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Padme even in The Phantom Menace, with Chewbacca especially being a very one note character, who does become more three-dimensional in later films. The one exception to these faults is of course, Luke Skywalker, who begins the franchise as a fully realized character and emerges as one of its best, even in just one film. This film also has the least menacing Darth Vader, especially after what is still the worst lightsaber battle in the entirety of the George Lucas films, but it was also the first. The story does also have less time to breathe and allow for more character driven moments that its two direct sequels have, which are some of the better moments of Star Wars, with the exception once again being given to Luke Skywalker who does still get to have those character driven moments.

A New Hope or just Star Wars if you saw it in its original theatrical run is a triumph and a truly great movie, but it is just shy of being a masterpiece.

PART V: THE MASTERPIECES

3. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

There is a reason many critics, essayists, filmmakers, and general audiences repeatedly compare sequels to the masterpiece that is The Empire Strikes Back. This film did what all great sequels do: it built upon the original while also respecting it, advanced the story with new revelations and greater stakes, and deepened the characters’ own inner conflicts.

To begin, this film has the third greatest finale of any Star Wars film, with the only two better finales being the next two movies on this list. The Darth Vader reveal still packs an emotional punch, even if the twist is no longer a twist, as it is still new information to the main character, Luke Skywalker, which is what every good twist should be. The duel between Luke and Vader is wonderful and began to show what lightsaber duels could be, and I dare say that the music of the original trilogy was never better than in this film.

But it is not just the music that was never better, as said before, this is the best version of Han we received, his transition from selfish rogue in A New Hope and fully fledged hero in Return of the Jedi. And his relationships with Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and Lando are all highlights of the film. In fact, the entirety of the Cloud City sequence is nearly perfect, filled with great character moments, suspense, and incredible conclusions to every character’s arc within this film, including Luke Skywalker who continued to cement himself as the best character of the original trilogy. His literal inmost cave moment on his new hero’s journey is one of the best representations of inner turmoil ever put to screen, and his dichotomy of wanting to become a Jedi and wanting to protect his friends continues to guide his actions through this film’s sequel.

Where this film falters, and why it is not higher on this list, is the first half of Han’s and Leia’s story. As said before, Cloud City is fantastic, but the empirical chase is less so. Whenever I watch this film, I repeatedly want to just get back to Luke Skywalker in dagobah due to the meandering, aimless story of Han and Leia. Now it is not all bad, with some great lines of dialogue, more great character moments, and some fun action, it just does nothing to drive the plot forward and it feels as though the filmmakers just needed something for those characters to do before sending them off to Cloud City.

Just like the Mona Lisa has no eyebrows, so too is The Empire Strikes Back not without its blemishes. No movie is perfect, and that is still true about the next two films, but even a few flaws cannot take away from this film being a masterpiece.

2. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

A wonderful conclusion to the original trilogy and the original saga as a whole, Return of the Jedi offers the end that was more than what was initially promised. Like all great conclusions, the characters in this film complete the arcs they began all the way back in A New Hope in a spectacular way.

Luke has finally become a fully fledged Jedi Master, but he still has to control his anger and fear, which he conquers in the finale. Han has fully become a hero, but now he must become a leader. And Leia has become a capable leader, but now must be willing to sacrifice everything to succeed. Luckily, the three main characters survive, despite Harrison Ford’s protests, and rejoice in celebration after the fantastic battle of Endor and what is the second best lightsaber duel in all of Star Wars.

While much of this film focuses on Han Solo’s rescue, and plans to defeat the Empire, which are all fantastic, the true emotional core of the film comes from Darth Vader, also known as Anakin Skywalker. Luke’s goal in this film is not to defeat the Empire, rather that is given to Leia. Instead, his goal is to save his father. The relationship between these two characters is the most complex and compelling piece of the film, and again carries the most emotional stakes. Despite an entire Galaxy hanging in the balance, the suspense is truly whether Luke, our hero for the whole trilogy, can save just one person.

While I have a few minor gripes, such as the lackluster death of Boba Fett, which yes was later retconned, and a want for Han to have more to do than just essentially be a sidekick to Leia, these are truly minor. The major battles may not be as epic as what came before or what has come since, and the Ewoks may not be the most enticing of aliens, but none of that can change the fact that this film still has the perfect happy ending.

1. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

The best of the George Lucas films, a true Shakespearean tragedy that finally completed the story of Star Wars’ best character, Anakin Skywalker, the greatest film in the entire franchise is Revenge of the Sith. This is not decided because the film celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year, though I did see it once more in theaters and loved the experience, rather this has been my opinion for the entirety of my time as a Star Wars fan.

Objectively, this film does have more flaws than Return of the Jedi, such as some rather poor dialogue and a weak fight scene to end Mace Windu, among others, but the bulk of the film completely outshines the other movies in the franchise and overshadows all flaws. The path to the dark side is believable and well crafted as a reversal of the redemption story, with Darth Sidious being the best he has ever been in this film, cementing himself as one of the greatest cinematic villains in history.

The romance between Padme and Anakin in this film actually works well, despite again some strange dialogue, and Obi-Wan Kenobi continues to shine as Ewan McGregor gives the most emotional performance in the entirety of the saga. When Anakin and Obi-Wan have the greatest duel of any piece of Star Wars media, and much like Luke and Vader before, holds the greatest emotional stakes of the entire prequel trilogy. And the tragedy of the Jedi Order as a whole is absolutely devastating, from Mace Windu and the council alienating Anakin, to Yoda being defeated by the Emperor, and the dreaded moment Order Sixty-Six was enacted, an event so infamous that it has appeared in multiple television shows, comics, and video games.

Rarely do films, especially the end of a trilogy, finish in absolute failure of the heroes. While The Empire Strikes Back showed the hero’s loss, they are not definitively defeated. The Revenge of the Sith on the other hand fully shows a complete loss as evil wins. Yet, just as all Star Wars films should do, it still ends with a glimmer of hope.

Your Turn…

Watch these films again, or for the first time if you have never seen them and randomly decide to see a Star Wars ranking, and formulate your own list, make up your own mind. Try forgetting the worst ones, and rewatch the best ones. Enjoy with your family and friends, and may the force be with you…