The Star Wars movies are undoubtedly a powerhouse of cinema. Millions of fans across the globe debate the series daily, and with Disney set to release countless new feature films the series will undoubtedly be entertaining cinema goers for generations to come. But which films are the best? Read on to see Chit Hot’s list of all the Star Wars movies ranked!
Whether or not you’re a fan of midi-chlorians or Force ghosts, you’ll undoubtedly have an opinion on which Star Wars movies are your favourite. From the original trilogy to the prequels and new generation of movies, below are the Star Wars movies ranked from worst to best.
Star Wars Movies Ranked from Worst to Best
In this article we’ll be concentrating on the 11 mainline films released thus far. That means the animated features are out. Also, there’s no lookin for Ewoks: The Battle for Endor. Sorry not sorry.
Of course, we’re very much expecting a lot of disagreement! Feel free to leave your comments below, but please, keep it civil! May the 4th be with you…
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The final chapter of the prequel films had a lot of work to do. It needed to connect the youthful characters with their mid-life counterparts, in the process connecting the dots and providing answers for a lot of questions. So, how did it do this? It threw out a rollercoaster of action scenes before presenting a slapdash patchwork of story in the last 20 minutes. A disappointment to say the least.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Yet another film with a huge amount of opportunity to play with story threads already established. It also had free reign to establish some credible new characters within the Star Wars universe. However, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story instead chose to throw in some very un-Star Wars personalities and have them die after only a few minutes of screen time. The ending does save the film from being an utter waste of more than two hours however, which could not be said of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Anticipation for the Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace couldn’t have been higher. Star Wars fans had been enduring a 16 year wait since Return of the Jedi. However, instead of an action-packed return to the franchise, fans got a political drama. The Phantom Menace was partly saved by the epic Darth Maul lightsaber battle and the pod racing scenes which remain some of the most thrilling sequences of the whole franchise.
Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Let’s get this straight: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens wasn’t awful. In fact, it was pretty good. It established some new characters, saw the return of some familiar faces and set a pace for the rest of the trilogy. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi simply had to follow this formula, then. But no. It didn’t. Obstinate refusal lead to The Last Jedi basically ignoring all of the plot threads left open and adding in some ridiculous new premises of it’s own. The meandering plot changed nothing (except adding some absurd new Force powers) and answered no questions.
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones gets a bad rap. Aside from the appalling romance scenes, it handled a lot of key elements with grace. We see Anakin begin his journey to the Dark Side. The Jedi moved from protectors of the galaxy to outcasts. Jango Fett in action, setting into motion the backstory of fan favourite Boba Fett. The climactic lightsaber duel between Yoda and Count Dooku has also been debated a lot, with some fans loving it and other suggesting it’s underwhelming, consisting largely of unnecessary backflips.
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker was always going to have a rough time. Following from the misstep of The Last Jedi, it had a huge amount of loose ends to tie up. Most notably, who was the big bad guy? It opted for plot holes in order to provide fan service. Fan service that, in reality, was never going to please the fans. In fact, this finale was never going to please everyone; bringing together all the collective strands of the Star Wars universe in one movie was always going to be difficult. The Rise of Skywalker hits many of the right notes, but falls a little flat as a trilogy finale.
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
This is a fun film. Flying motorbikes on the Forest Moon of Endor and the epic final duel between Luke and Vader. All accompanied by John Williams’ score for plentiful giddiness. However, having been preceded by two really great films, it’s difficult not to be a little hard on Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. After a fantastic opening, Luke gets a bit too serious. Many folks also count the eewoks as a cash-in for family friendly toys.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Throughout my 20s there was a lot of debate about the potential of a Han Solo, err… solo movie. After the prequel trilogy it was widely rumoured this would be the next Star Wars movie we’d be seeing in cinemas. And why not? Solo is a fan favourite character, can pack in plenty of action and enough romance to satisfy all audiences. However, it wasn’t to be. By the time we received Solo: A Star Wars Story audience fatigue had begun to sink in. It is regardless, a fantastic movie. Riotously fun and very well cast; Donald Glover fizzes with charisma as the sartorially astute Lando Calrissian and Woody Harrelson makes his long overdue Star Wars debut.
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Memberberries. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens was designed to please the fans longing for more. But at the same time, be a satisfying enough solo experience to please newcomers. It was welcomed by both audiences. Director JJ Abrams delivered a crowd pleasing movie that was reverential to the franchise, but never allowed itself to become overly nostalgic. Introducing a new generation of characters, including the most conflicted and multi-faceted villain in Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, The Force Awakens set a standard that the rest of the newest Star Wars trilogy found impossible to follow.
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
There’s a long-running debate: which is better? A New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back. Well, it’s not that much of a debate, to be honest. Most people sit with the sequel atop of the chain. As do we. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was groundbreaking for innumerable reasons, however it has suffered from the ravages of time fare greater than it’s successor.
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Of course, it had to be. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is widely recognised as the best Star Wars movie of all time. A New Hope might have introduced fans to the cinematic world of Star Wars but The Empire Strikes Back VI built on that universe. The sequel transported us from the frozen landscapes of Hoth to the swamp planet of Dagobah. It introduced legendary characters like Lando Calrissian and Yoda, and featured some of the most iconic moments in the series; from Darth Vader’s ‘father’ reveal to the AT-AT Walker battle. It’s a classic, and many would argue the greatest sci-fi movie ever made.
That concludes our list of all the Star Wars movies ranked! Do you agree with Chit Hot’s selection? We’re guessing not entirely! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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