Happy May the 4th! Every year, Star Wars Day celebrates the galaxy far, far away that we have come to love over the near-fifty years since the release of the original film. The Star Wars franchise is near and dear to the hearts of every single one of our contributing writers, and so to celebrate this special day, which nearly coincides with the 25th anniversary of The Phantom Menace, our writers’ rankings have been accumulated into a single list that reflects, in some cases, unabashed love, and in others, complex feelings about the biggest media franchise in history.
- The Empire Strikes Back
In 1977, movie audiences were treated to a hero’s journey that would go down in cinematic history. Star Wars was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, shattered box office records, and spawned a massive ongoing franchise. But, impressive as that film was, the sequel was arguably all the better. The Empire Strikes Back is not just the greatest film in the history of Star Wars as a franchise, but it is also one of the greatest films ever made. Irvin Kershner and George Lucas came together to create a true sci-fi/fantasy masterpiece. A film that expands upon the fascinating world-building of A New Hope while diving much deeper into meaningful character development powered by rich performances. To top it all off, we got a challenging narrative that was one of the first blockbusters to give audiences a dark ending, setting up a thrilling finale to the original trilogy. The Battle of Hoth, the lightsaber duel in Cloud City, surviving a chase through an asteroid field, and the intense training on Dagobah (complete with a provocative cave sequence that really made us question where our hero was headed) all comes together for a gripping and magical story. And, to top it all off, this movie gave us the greatest twist in cinema history, so ubiquitous in pop culture that even non-Star Wars fans could tell you who Luke’s father is. When all is said and done, this is the very best film in this franchise – the pinnacle of this beloved series. (Heath Lynch)
- A New Hope
For a film that started a franchise with this many characters, this much lore, and a toxic amount of discourse, it’s amazing that under all that it still tells such a compelling story. Why Star Wars as a property is successful is immediately apparent in the very first outing. Everything is so fully realized creatively, drawing up entire planets, political landscapes, and fantastical religions entirely from scratch in a way that is believable, entertaining, and completely wondrous. Escaping into the Star Wars galaxy has only proven to be part of its staying power, though. The ace up its sleeve has always been its incredible characters, all performed by such a perfect cast. Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker is arguably the most famous and important hero in the cinematic medium, Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia is an excellent subversion of the usual damsel in distress archetype firing off with snark, wit, charisma, and weight in equal measure, and Harrison Ford’s Han Solo is just oozing with style and danger with a subtle undercurrent of good-heartedness that tops off the main trio perfectly. In fact, you could go into depth about every single little aspect of this film and not quite feel like you’ve summed up the whole thing. The innovation in special effects, the invention of a soundscape that is to this day the most recognizable in any movie ever, the unparalleled genius and greatness of the John Williams score…it just goes on and on. The legacy of escape, adventure, and triumph of good over evil is the legacy that is still going strong to this day, and the one that makes it still holds up as we all still compulsively rewatch this cinematic landmark. (May Honey)
- The Last Jedi
Rian Johnson is an extremely talented filmmaker who has made a career out of subverting genres and expectations. His Knives Out films have become incredibly popular and beloved by subverting every murder mystery trope he can find. Except that didn’t go over so well when he tried to do it to Star Wars. It would seem like Star Wars fans just want their media exactly how they want it and how it was done in the past (except for the fact that The Force Awakens was apparently too similar to Star Wars). What makes The Last Jedi so great is the fact that it is the best-looking and most impressively-directed film out of all the entries in this decades long franchise. There are many striking visual moments, from the salt planet to the Holdo maneuver. On top of all that, Luke Skywalker returns in a complex and dynamic way as he must overcome his own self-doubt and the ramifications of his failures. Hamill delivers his best performance as Luke yet with so many layers. There is a richness to the themes of choosing your own destiny and overcoming your past. Failure is part of the journey (just like in Empire Strikes Back) but Johnson opened up the galaxy to the idea that the Force can choose any of us. The dynamic between Rey and Kylo becomes even more intriguing as they stand tall after one of the coolest action sequences in the franchise. Their future clash was built up perfectly (but unfortunately never followed up with). This is another great work from Johnson, even if it does not go exactly how you would want it to go. (Shane Conto)
- Revenge of the Sith
You see, the thing about Revenge of the Sith is that it’s awesome. It’s the one prequel where George Lucas’ heightened, soapy dialogue is perfectly calibrated to what’s happening on screen. After one or two movies, depending on the person, the actors finally seem comfortable with it, and it improves the movie. Lines like, “Only a Sith deals in absolutes,” “You will try,” or, “Anakin, you’re breaking my heart!” fit what we’re seeing and what we’re feeling. Incidentally, all three of those lines appear in the climactic showdown on Mustafar between Anakin and Obi-Wan, which is simultaneously the best lightsaber fight in the entire Star Wars canon and some of the most emotional that the entire franchise has ever gotten. In this case, the heightened, stilted dialogue is a feature and not a bug because, “You were my brother, Anakin,” is as simple and direct as you can get. And when I say direct, I mean the line stabs me directly in the heart every time I hear it. (Robert Bouffard)
- Return of the Jedi
Wrapping up one of the most beloved trilogies in the history of film is a tough mission. Lucas and company were able to deliver a film that might not reach the heights of the previous two entries but it does capture the magic and joy of Star Wars so well. The Empire Strikes Back was the harder and darker twist in this fantastical space adventure. Luke has a final duel with his father, Darth Vader, that is filled with tension and emotion. Vader pushes Luke towards darkness and Luke tries to find his father, Anakin, deep inside this robotic being. The forest moon of Endor was a great setting for this final confrontation, and the Ewoks are an adorable addition to this family-friendly galaxy. You cannot tell me that one moment with a mourning Ewok does not hit you emotionally. Each character gets their moment to shine, especially in the climactic trio of events that are perfectly cross-cut together. The opening sequence on Tatooine is a fantastic way to open this story and the final conquest and destruction of the second Death Star is the perfect ending. This beloved film might have its fair share of traps, but this is still an endlessly watchable and joyous cinematic experience. (Shane Conto)
- The Force Awakens
There was no escaping Star Wars in 2015. The franchise returning after ten years, this time under the all-powerful Disney banner, was a cultural phenomenon, and one that any fan worth their salt was obsessing over. I remember intricately dissecting the trailers, hoping for any nugget of plot information, and still being completely surprised at every story turn when I first saw The Force Awakens, no matter how obvious, impressed that everything had been kept so under wraps. My thirteen-year-old self was so incredibly excited to return to a galaxy far, far away that I was willing to overlook any inconsistencies or questionable moments in favor of basking in the nostalgic atmosphere of my favorite fictional universe, and that’s what this film does the best – capturing that feeling and cranking it up to the max, delivering dopamine hits at every opportunity. I recently rewatched The Force Awakens, and my abject love still holds true. Sure, it’s a quasi-remake of A New Hope with much less originality than I initially thought, but it’s pure Star Wars, distilled to perfection, and I will not be taking questions at this time. (Rowan Wood)
- Rogue One
Still riding the high of The Force Awakens, Rogue One (the first of the short-lived Anthology films) was a tonal shift I didn’t know I needed. A theoretically unnecessary prequel, Rogue One justifies its own existence by bringing an overtly political, spy-thriller energy to a series that has been political from the very start. The central characters are nothing more than sketches representing different core ideals – the spectacular Disney+ series Andor is the place to go for a deeper look at Rogue One’s most interesting new personality – but all of them, from the rebellious Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) to the Force devotee Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen), bring crucial new dimensions to a franchise that has been continually defined by the complex, dogmatic ways of the Jedi. The shift away is a bold move that I have to respect. Eight years on, it still holds true as both a taut action thriller and the longest, most expensive retcon in cinematic history. (Rowan Wood)
- The Phantom Menace
The Phantom Menace (with its new and improved budget and very 1999 special effects) expanded the Star Wars universe significantly, but with that came a lot of…politics. To go from the Original Trilogy, in which it was clear which guys were bad and which guys were good based on the color of their lightsaber and their fascist uniforms, to The Phantom Menace, in which a blockade from the Trade Federation obscures the true villain, feels a bit overly complicated. It comes across like an entire setup movie for the trilogy that is supposed to act as a setup. The movie also puts itself in an uncomfortable bind by declaring that Jedi should be trained from a very young age (much younger than Anakin, played by child actor Jake Lloyd, by the time he starts his training) but also having Natalie Portman play Padmé in Phantom Menace as she does for the rest of the prequels. So Anakin can’t possibly be any older than he is, but Padmé barely ages between the movies, setting up a romance between a child and what appears to be a full adult. Darth Maul is pretty cool, though. (Kat Rutschilling)
- Solo
Solo takes risks where other Star Wars projects don’t, and to me that’s admirable. Upon its release, Solo was critically panned for things like Alden Ehrenreich’s performance, the low-key finale, and a lack of lightsabers. To its detriment as well was the fact that many people just didn’t care. Star Wars fatigue had long since set in with Star Wars: Rebels having wrapped two months prior, and the sour taste that The Last Jedi left in people’s mouths was still six months fresh. Many people, myself included, felt that Han Solo was untouchable, that the idea of anyone stepping into Harrison Ford’s massive boots was a mistake, and the box office would tell you it was, which is a real shame. Alden Ehrenreich had a mountain to climb, not just to fill Ford’s boots but to dull any media suspicion that the pressure was getting to him, and I would say he did that admirably. No, young Han Solo isn’t a carbon copy of the 30-year-old, grizzled smuggler we see in A New Hope, and that’s okay! Ehrenreich is able to breathe life, spunk, tenacity, and yes, hope into a character we thought we’d seen all of. He bounces off of his ensemble cast so well who do a stellar job of adding depth to a story, that on paper, nobody was dying to tell.
That isn’t to say that Solo is without fault. The dark seedy underbelly that this movie tries to shine a light on is often (visually) way too dark to see anything. The story ends somewhat abruptly, and that is the result of Disney pulling the plug before this planned trilogy got its chance to shine. This, ultimately, is where my problem lies. Star Wars has a galaxy of stories that it is ready to tell, and so often these stories feel that they need to be connected to a Skywalker, Palpatine, or even a Solo. When these stories deviate from the norm, people get upset. I don’t think it will come as a shock to anyone that this was the last “A Star Wars Story” film we got to see, and that all subsequent plans have been moved to the small screen.
I will leave you with this. Star Wars should be allowed to take risks, Rogue One and Solo were the building blocks for those risks, and they ultimately failed, in my opinion by no fault of their own. So when you goto the theater and sit down for the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth iterations of a Skywalker story that shouldn’t have been given a chance to rise again, remember that there are stories waiting to be told, ones with a smuggler instead of a Jedi. (Javier Vela)
- Attack of the Clones
Unlike most of the contributors to this website, I am not a film nerd. I don’t study it, I don’t have Letterboxd, and I prefer watching movies on my laptop to going to the theater. So maybe I am uninformed when I say that I love Attack of the Clones, or maybe my lack of film expertise is what makes me the perfect demographic for it. This movie is fun. The drama! The costumes! Poor Natalie Portman chewing on some of the most unnatural dialogue ever written. You’re telling me you watched a giant cat monster turn Padmé’s shirt into a crop top and you didn’t like it? There is a reason that this movie translated into my favorite levels of the LEGO Star Wars games when I played them growing up. Sure, maybe in an objective sense, it’s not a well-done movie. But in Jar Jar’s position, you’d probably do the same thing. (Kat Rutschilling)
- The Rise of Skywalker
The Rise of Skywalker, much like the entire Sequel Trilogy, has some cool ideas but is ultimately bogged down by poor story choices. For every interesting sequence or character beat there is an equally baffling beat that feels so jarring it is impossible to ignore. Kylo talking to Han! But then…Rey Palpatine?!? One week after my sister was first hospitalized, my English teacher told my class to write down things that bring up pain or sadness in ourselves and the first thing I thought of was “Reylo kiss.” Maybe I was deflecting, but maybe the Reylo kiss is the most traumatizing thing to ever happen to me. He could have just died in her arms! That would have achieved the same emotional intensity, but also not be stupid and nonsensical! If the writers wanted to indulge the fanfiction community, FinnPoe was right there! I get angry to this day. I can hardly even objectively evaluate the quality of this movie because of the blinding white hot rage that fills me when I think about all the egregious missteps and missed opportunities. One of the most interesting parts in this trilogy was expanding on a series that started as a Chosen One story and centering it around a total nobody, but they abandoned that so she can be related to Palpatine. The end of The Last Jedi was phenomenal (even if you don’t like the movie, you have to admit the throne room scene kicks ass) and sets up Kylo as such a great villain for the third film, but they ditch that because, big surprise, he’s working for Palpatine. I like Palps as much as the next guy, but maybe the writers overestimated how much the fandom was clamoring for more of him. (Davis Mathis)
Honorable Mentions
The Clone Wars Movie
The Clone Wars movie is a truly bizarre footnote in the Star Wars release canon. It clearly is and has been confirmed to be simply a three-episode arc that was initially going to kick off the television series all pasted together to then be called a movie. The Clone Wars is truly a fantastic show, but it is also a very cold take to say that it got better and better the more it went on. At first, the show was kind of finding its footing. The arcs and episodes at the start truly ranged from “okay” to “pretty good.” So, the first of these arcs all pasted together to look like a movie before they’d even had the chance to experiment yet…? Not quite optimal results. It’s by no means a disaster, but it’s fair to say it’s below average. The animation isn’t of feature film quality, the voice actors haven’t completely settled into their roles yet, and it simply isn’t even built to be truly narratively satisfying on its own. This film’s biggest mistake is being a film in the first place. This isn’t much worth watching unless you plan on watching the show and treat it as an extended pilot. (May Honey)
The Star Wars Holiday Special
Not all Star Wars is good Star Wars. As much as the blind fanatics can stick up for what they love and bully those involved with what they don’t, everyone can agree that the ill-fated Star Wars Holiday Special, which aired on CBS in the fall of 1978, is, simply put, terrible. It’s a microcosm of cocaine-fueled weirdness on a spectacularly awful scale, from featuring unsubtitled Wookies as protagonists to long sketches that are neither funny nor coherent – but it’s important to remember that Star Wars is in itself an inconsistent franchise. If this list has taught us anything, it’s that rankings are subjective, and some films that are beloved by some can be disliked by others. What sets the Holiday Special apart is that it arrived in the franchise’s early days, and the various companies that have owned the rights to it have all renounced it and pretended it never existed, a fate that has never befallen any of the other films. Hell, even Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher (who would apparently play her tape of the Holiday Special when she wanted people to leave her parties) are sleepwalking through their cameo appearances, and when you see how good their performances are The Empire Strikes Back, released less than two years later, it’s clear that they phoned in the Holiday Special because it just wasn’t worth it for them – and I couldn’t agree more. It’s the foulest-tasting cherry on top of any Star Wars marathon. I still can’t believe it actually exists. I have seen it three times, and though I have never enjoyed it, I have (somewhat paradoxically) always had a great time.
And, on another hand…it introduced the world to Boba Fett. I think a hefty amount of forgiveness should come along with that. (Rowan Wood)
Knock on Wood 
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