Star Wars Movie Rankings

     Star Wars has been a part of my life for well over a decade now. I would go as far to say that I am more of a fan now than when I first watched the movies when I was nine years old. Say what you want about the new trilogy, but I am honored to have seen them all in theaters. That is something surreal that I will look back on as I get older. Though some movies in the franchise are better than others, every movie has something unique to offer. Today, I will be ranking the nine “Skywalker Saga” movies from my least favorite to most favorite. Spoilers ahead!








9. Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace 



It should come as no surprise that we find the first movie of the prequel trilogy in dead-last. The movie is a heaping pile of garbage. It is just a genuinely bad movie. The only good things about it are Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn. That is about it. The plot is awful as the Sith are really not the main concerns. The child actor who plays Anakin cannot act to save his life, so that is something you have to deal with throughout the film. I thank god that Darth Maul was expanded on in The Clone Wars, but I really wish the movies would have acknowledged him a bit more. Also, we do not have to talk about Jar Jar Binks considering I have the same opinion of him as about 90% of the rest of the fanbase. The Phantom Menace is by far the worst entry of the Star Wars franchise. 







8. Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi


Ugh. I really did not like this movie. Sure it is better than Phantom Menace, but is that really saying much? I saw this in theaters, and I came out scratching my head, searching for the logic in the movie’s choices. We have Luke Skywalker being the opposite of who he used to be, Leia surviving being exposed to space, Rose and Finn’s subpar side plot, Snoke and Phasma’s premature deaths, and Laura Dern’s character. So many ideas that The Force Awakens had are completely dismissed in this movie, it is almost a slap in the face to fans of that movie. I really did not understand the logic in Rian Johnson’s writing and why he chose to go in a completely different direction than what the previous movie was setting up. There are so many things that made me cringe during this movie; however, I think the cinematography is this film is the best in any Star Wars film, so I will give the movie that badge of honor. The space battles are beautiful, and the set designs are so amazing. Other than that, The Last Jedi barely holds at the number eight spot of this ranking. 






7. Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones


At this point, I actually like the following films on the list. Yes, even Attack of the Clones. Did George Lucas show his greatest potential with the second entry? No, but he did not fail in my opinion. The lightsaber duels are some of the best in the entire franchise. Dooku versus Yoda still remains one of my favorite battles ever. The clone army being introduced in this film probably is the best part especially after watching The Clone Wars and learning more about the clones. Ewan McGregor’s gives a great performance as Obi-Wan as well. The cons for this movie include the acting, the love story between Anakin and Padmé, and the number of things they cram into the film. To me, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman never had chemistry in their roles which really affects the prequel trilogy as a whole. Also, the movie starts to get boring after awhile due to the number of events that happen, which drags the movie down if I am being honest. Nonetheless, I still do like this movie, and I look forward to re-watching it in the near future.







6. Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker




Ok. This is probably an unpopular opinion of this movie not being lower, but truth is I actually really enjoyed ROS. Call me crazy. Like I said in my review, is it a perfect movie? Nope. Not by any means considering the movie never lets you breathe. Nonetheless, I had so much fun watching it. I think the movie did a great job of acknowledging the entire franchise, so that right there is a plus. Kylo Ren’s transformation as well as Adam Driver’s performance is definitely one of my favorite things about the sequel trilogy, so I was satisfied with this movie since there is a lot of Kylo Ren. Though I loved the way Leia died, I did not like the ad-libbing of her lines into the movie since the dialogue did not fit in those certain movies, but I appreciate the writers for including her in the final film. Also, Palpatine returning was quite strange, but I did not mind it. Maybe it could have been foreshadowed better, but I was honestly fine with it. The ending still gives me chills even after I have re-watched it over and over again. I really hope they expand on Rey again in the future because I do think her character can be expanded quite a bit more. Overall, I did like this movie better than most, but I do understand the criticism of the writing being a little sloppy.







5. Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith


Revenge of the Sith is by far the best film of the prequel trilogy. The movie is a genuinely good movie on its own, but it also makes the prequel trilogy worth it. It does not hold back, and for the only time in the franchise (maybe excluding ESB), the heroes lose. Fans finally got to see Anakin turn to the dark side, and the way the writers make him turn is great. The scene that always has me upset is when most of the Jedi are wiped out. It is something we had never seen in the franchise before, the raw and tragic reality of our heroes being overthrown and killed in cold blood. I also loved how the writers made Anakin become Darth Vader to protect Padmé only for her to give up on life because he turned into Darth Vader. It is the little things in this movie that made me realize that the writers knew what they wanted to accomplish all along even though they had to create a rising action that may have not lived up to its best potential. Despite there still being some below-average acting, Revenge of the Sith does a fantastic job of making its strong mark on the Star Wars franchise. 







4. Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens


My first time seeing a Star Wars movie in theaters did not disappoint. It was a surreal experience being able to see a franchise continuation that had started in the 70s make its way back onto the big screen. My parents had seen the movie when they were kids, and now I was seeing a Star Wars movie as a kid. Despite Force Awakens being somewhat of a retelling of ANH, I thought the movie was incredible. Seeing Leia, Han, Luke, C-3PO, Chewbacca, etc. on my screen again filled me with so much joy. The writers made me interested in the new characters as soon as they were on the screen which cannot be said for other movies. Kylo Ren was a great follow-up villain to the legendary Darth Vader, and Finn and Poe gave us a different perspective of how the First Order was affecting those in the galaxy. Han Solo dying still shocks me to this day, but the decision to kill him off gave the movie a fresh feeling that could not be seen in ANH. The Force Awakens will always have a special place in my heart, and I will always cherish the time I first saw it. 







3. Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi


The second runner-up spot goes to the sixth (technically third) movie in the franchise. Despite being the weakest of the original trilogy, Return of the Jedi is still a classic. The segment of Jabba’s Palace and the ending of the movie are two of my favorite moments of the entire saga. I even enjoy the Ewoks for what their worth. I mean I would rather deal with them than the Porgs or Jar Jar Binks. Even the twist of Leia being Luke’s sister was believable and not overdone after Darth Vader was revealed to be Luke’s father. Also in the film, we see Luke transform into a real Jedi who has control of his actions and the Force, itself which successfully brings Darth Vader back from the Dark Side. Overall, Return of the Jedi remains to be a strong entry in the franchise as it weaves together the stories that were set up in its predecessors.







2. Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back


This is probably an unpopular opinion for this not to be the number one spot, but it is only because I love the original movie so much. The Empire Strikes Back is an important lesson in how to make a worthy sequel to that of a critically-acclaimed original. The Empire Strikes Back expands the lore of the Force, and it explores more places of the Galaxy, creating a more intriguing setting for a viewer. From the Battle of Hoth to Luke force-communicating with Leia, the movie has it all. It balances action with character building that also gives motives to why certain characters are the way they are and why they do the things they do. The best twist of any movie ever is revealed in this film, and it still gives me the chills every time I watch it. I love this movie so much, and I gain an even deeper appreciation for it as time goes on, but the final movie in my ranking has a slight edge over Empire Strikes Back…







1. Star Wars IV: A New Hope


I mean what is there to say about this movie? It’s such an important piece of pop culture. Every single scene in this movie is iconic. The second we see C-3PO and R2-D2 aboard the Rebel ship, we are immediately transported into another universe. Like ESB, the movie meticulously balances action with building the characters. The music in this film is also probably the best music in the entire saga as it immediately became iconic in cinema. It is interesting when you re-watch the movie to see Luke Skywalker as only a kid as in the new trilogy he is an old man. I love how you can see him progress as an ignorant kid who cannot use the Force to a Jedi master in future films. Princess Leia breaks down barriers as a woman in the movie which was something that was not so prominent in the 70s, so the movie also had some important political undertones that paved the way for future films not only in the Star Wars saga, but for other Hollywood blockbusters as well. Her development is interesting too as she matures in later movies yet still manages to be so powerful and so inspiring in this first entry. What else do I have to say? It is one of the best movies of all time, so of course you cannot put into words how phenomenal A New Hope is. It is the reason that I am doing a Star Wars ranking right now, so of course it needs to be number one for me.



Well, that about does it. Thank you for reading my Ranking of the Skywalker Saga! I look forward to writing about more Star Wars in the near future. Like I mentioned in this blog, I have watched Clone Wars, so I can maybe write about my favorite episode of each season because I have a lot of thoughts on the show. Please remember to be nice to one another and to be there for one another during these rough times. Thanks for reading and stay safe out there!