Star Wars remains one of the biggest sci-fi franchises of all time. The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s box office may not have been everything Lucasfilm hoped for, but next year’s Starfighter promises to be an absolute cinematic event. Even better, the 50th anniversary celebrations will include the re-release of A New Hope‘s original cut – a true moment in cinematic history.
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No matter how you rank the Star Wars movies, every one of these films includes some iconic moments. What’s more, there’s often a massive difference between overall ranking and the best scenes; whatever your views on The Mandalorian and Grogu, there are some real standout scenes. So here are some of the best scenes in Star Wars history, with one chosen from each film…
12. Solo – Han Wins the Falcon
Solo is an odd film. Starring Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover as the younger Han and Lando, it was greenlit because of a single scene: one where Han is given his surname by an Imperial when he joined the Empire to escape Corellia. But that’s not really the strongest scene in the film; rather, that’s at the ending. Here, we finally got to see how Han won the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian, and the scene is an absolute delight.
What’s most striking, though, is that Han doesn’t win because of luck (for once). Rather, he wins because he’s figured out Lando’s cheating, and he undermines his fellow scoundrel’s strategy. It’s a delightful twist, with some wonderful implications; Lando can never accuse Han of cheating, simply because it would mean admitting it about himself. Solo may not have performed well in the box office, but this is easily its best contributon to Star Wars canon, and it’s done so well.
11. Attack of the Clones – Obi-Wan Versus Jango Fett Dogfight
Obi-Wan Kenobi may hate flying, but Attack of the Clones proves he’s good at it. The film gave us some fantastic showdowns between the Jedi and bounty hunter Jango Fett, but the most impressive was fought in the depths of space. Obi-Wan tracked Jango Fett down, only for Fett to weaponize an entire asteroid field against him. This scene showcased ILM’s phenomenal CGI, introducing some of the prequel trilogy’s most memorable weapons: seismic charges.
At the same time, though, the Kenobi versus Fett dogfight doesn’t really work because of the seismic charges. It’s a demonstration of sheer skill more than anything else, with each using the environment against the other. The seismic charges turn the entire asteroid field into a death-trap, and both pilots then duck and dive through asteroids, with Obi-Wan ultimately faking his own death. I love how Temuera Morrison gradually increases the emotion of his performance, as Jango begins to wonder whether he can actually get this Jedi off his back – and he doesn’t know he’s failed until later.
10. The Rise of Skywalker – Rey Versus Dark Rey
Personally, I find The Rise of Skywalker one of the most frustrating movies in the entire Skywalker saga. There are so many good ideas here, and yet they never quite live up to their potential: Force Dyads, healing powers, ancient Sith redoubts, and the like. Dark Rey is a perfect example, briefly appearing in the shattered husk of the Death Star. “Don’t be afraid of who you are,” Dark Rey tells the real version – a stunning moment, a warning that there is darkness lurking deep within Rey’s soul.
The encounter is brief, yet incredibly powerful. It’s the sequel trilogy version of The Empire Strikes Back‘s Dagobah cave, and it works almost as well, helped by giving Dark Rey a stunning design and an incredible switchblade lightsaber. Oddly, I think Lucasfilm knew Dark Rey was something of a wasted idea; this brief scene featured so heavily in The Rise of Skywalker‘s marketing.
9. The Phantom Menace – Arrival at Coruscant
You may be surprised to see me pick this scene for The Phantom Menace. That’s largely because I came to see it through fresh eyes when the film was re-released for its 25th anniversary; I suddenly understood how incredible a genius Lucas is when it comes to symbolism and imagery. The heroes have arrived on the galactic capital of Coruscant, and you’d expect this place to offer safety and sanctuary. Instead, Coruscant is shrouded in shadow as the Naboo ship approaches; the galactic capital is already the heart of darkness, but the Jedi are blind to it. Lucas often established a paralel between the light of nature and the dark of over-industrialisation, and that’s on display here.
As the Naboo ship arrives, Senator Palpatine is waiting. Notice that he is waiting in the shadows, already presented as a symbolic creature of darkness. Others arrive and enter the shadow; he waits there, manipulating everything, drawing others to him. Lucas is primarily a visual storyteller – one reason his dialogue is so often criticized – and the depth in this scene is absolutely breathtaking.
8. The Mandalorian and Grogu – Grogu Looks After Din Djarin
Modern fandoms often seem obsessed with the box office, as though tickets are the definitive proof of quality. For all The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s faults, though, the film has a sequence that is absolutely unique in Star Wars history; one where Grogu treats Din Djarin, looking after him. The whole thing is entirely dependent on puppetry, while the narrative is steeped in emotion; Grogu discovers the limits of Force Heal, unable to restore his adopted father, and he’s forced to seek help.
Even more remarkably, this scene plays with so many different emotions. It’s actually laugh-out-loud hilarious watching Grogu try to put Din Djarin in the mud hut he’s created for him; Baby Yoda can’t figure out size, and he’s left banging the Mandalorian’s helmet against the edge as he tries to push him in again and again. And who can forget that delightful moment of Yoda meditating, showing he really did learn from Luke? This is, genuinely, one of the most refreshing and emotionally complex scenes in Star Wars history – and it’s all puppetry.
7. The Force Awakens – Han Solo’s Death
All good things must come to an end. The Force Awakens played the nostalgia card straight, deliberately evoking memories of the original trilogy, and then it made the most shocking choice of all – with Han Solo playing the Obi-Wan Kenobi role. The dynamic between Harrison Ford and Adam Driver was superb, all the more powerful because Lucasfilm did a fairly good job of hiding Kylo Ren’s true identity until the film released (one common theory was that he was actually Luke Skywalker). The result is an emotional death that has only gained meaning as the lore has deepened.
We now know that Palpatine (via Snoke) intended this as a version of a Sith ritual, where someone binds themselves to the dark side by brutally killing a person who matters to them. The problem, though, is that it only works if the person who dies is resisting; Han completely undermined the whole ritual with his willingness to de, a sacrifice he hoped would bring his son peace. It’s a wonderful twist, making Han the whole reason Kylo Ren could still be redeemed.
6. The Last Jedi – Yoda’s Final Lesson to Luke
The Last Jedi‘s Luke Skywalker may have been controversial, but one scene will always stand out: a delightful reunion between Luke and Master Yoda, as Yoda’s Force Ghost manifests to him on Ahch-To. The scene is a bluff, of course; Yoda apparently destroys the sacred Jedi texts, well aware Rey has quietly taken them with her when she left the planet. But Luke doesn’t know that, meaning their supposed destruction is a wonderful teaching aid. Luke’s entire approach to the Jedi has failed, because he tried to honor the past just a little too much.
I love this portrayal of Yoda; a true wise master, one who understands the importance of failure. There’s a sense in which this summarises the entire Skywalker saga for Yoda, who failed with the Jedi and failed to defeat the Sith; and yet, who learned and passed on his wisdom to the generation who succeeded. Now, he’s here passing on that one last lesson to the student who has made the same mistake.
5. Rogue One – Darth Vader’s Hallway Scene
Darth Vader’s hallway scene in Rogue One initially feels like something of an afterthought; a distraction from the main story, introduced purely because of the “Rule of Cool.” But, over the years, I’ve come to understand that it is far more than that. Here, we see the true power of the dark side; the power behind the Empire itself, the Sith Lord brought out of the shadows in defense of the superweapon. And here’s the wonderful thing: for all his powerful, for all his brutal efficiency, Darth Vader loses.
Rogue One is about how everyday heroes can triumph over impossible odds, simply because of their willingness to sacrifice themselves. Vader storms through the rebels, and instead of trying to save themselves, they focus only on getting the Death Star plans away. His own power – his aura-farming and bloodlust – work against him. At any moment, Vader could have telekinetically grabbed those plans and ended it there and then. But he lost because that it is his nature, because the dark side can never truly triumph.
4. Revenge of the Sith – Battle of the Heroes
Let’s face it, there can only be one candidate from Revenge of the Sith: easily one of the greatest lightsaber duels in Star Wars history, the fateful confrontation between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar. Watching this, I always find myself remembering Matt Stover’s phenomenal novelization; his focus on the fact this is not light and dark, Jed and Sith. No, this is simply two wounded people, lashing out at one another in pain.
There’s a grandeur and spectacle to the battle that can never truly be matched. We all knew how this had to play out; we all knew Anakin had to be defeated, and even lose his lightsaber. And yet, the choreography is absolutely spectacular, and the outcome feels truly deserved. It all comes to a heartbreaking climax as Obi-Wan walks away from the student he trained, from the man he thought of as his brother, leaving him for dead as his body burns.
3. Return of the Jedi – Darth Vader’s Redemption
Two moments transformed Star Wars forever, reshaping the entire franchise on a thematic level. Darth Vader’s redemption is one of them, because it turned Star Wars into a story of forgiveness and hope; Darth Vader can never undo the evils of his life, but he can and will bring an end to them. He doesn’t achieve this because of his power, nor does he particularly care about the Chosen One prophecy (even as he fulfills it). No, Darth Vader’s sole concern is for saving his son’s life.
Star Wars canon has quietly rewritten this scene. The Rise of Skywalker suggests Palpatine’s spirit could only possess someone if they were under the influence of the dark side when they killed him; it’s why he taunted Luke, believing young Skywalker would become his next vessel. But Vader doesn’t kill Palpatine out of a desire for revenge; he does it because of his love for Luke, redeeming himself and thus dooming Palpatine’s spirt to wander and only return in a broken shell.
2. The Empire Strikes Back – “I Am Your Father”
This, of course, is the other standout scene that redefined Star Wars. Looking back, Darth Vader’s “I am your father” revelation is incredibly bold; it transforms Star Wars into a generational saga, one where each generation strives to undo the evils of the last, and where good or evil is assessed by its impact on children. This is when Star Wars became the Skywalker saga, centering itself on the ongoing story of the Skywalker bloodline.
Modern viewers would probably reject this, shocked at how much it dared to change everything that came before it. There’s no hint of all this in the first film, after all, with Return of the Jedi blandly confessing Obi-Wan told Luke the truth “from a certain point of view.” Fundamentally, this is a retcon – and it contradicts everything we thought we knew. And yet, it’s so tremendously effective, and it is surely the main reason The Empire Strikes Back is often considered the best Star Wars film.
1. A New Hope – Twin Suns
But let’s step away from all the drama for this final scene. As I’ve already mentioned, Lucas is a creator who excels when it comes to visuals; and this, for me, is the very definition of Star Wars. Luke Skywalker stands, staring out at the impossible double sunset, dreaming of action and adventure on a galactic scale. He’ll get everything he dreamed of and so much more, he’ll pay a terrible price for it, and yet… and yet, there is something wonderfully optimistic about this scene.
Hope. Longing. A desire for adventure. A belief that one man, a mere teenager living in a backwater, can change history. That’s what Star Wars stands for to me, and this double sunset will always feel like the most important scene of all. It’s easy to miss; there’s no action beat, there are no Jedi powers, but the character shines through in the moment, and we see everything we need to see.
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