It’s not easy to rank the Star Wars movies. This is one of the biggest, most successful franchises in history; what’s more, even films that have struggled prove well worth the rewatch. Some tend to look back at review aggregate sites like Rotten Tomatoes, but even those are of limited value; there was a major review-bombing campaign against the prequels back when Rotten Tomatoes began, before we really knew review-bombing was even a thing.
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Naturally, the question becomes all the more pressing when a new Star Wars film has released at last. Where does this movie sit in relation to the others? Here’s our view, ranking every Star Wars film from worst to best – including The Mandalorian and Grogu.
12. The Rise of Skywalker
The Star Wars sequel trilogy ended not with a bang, but a whimper. Victim of so many course-corrections, The Rise of Skywalker is easily the least satisfying (and least rewatchable) movie in Star Wars history. While it’s not unusual for Star Wars to give us meme-worthy lines in the worst possible way, “Somehow Palpatine returned” has literally gone down in cinematic history. Incredibly, that line was added during reshoots in an attempt to add clarity, which kind of shows just how messy this film really is.
Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Adam Driver all put in their best, but it can’t compensate for a weak script that overdoses on nostalgia. Palpatine’s return dominates the film, leaving each character arc in something of a mess, and the “Rey Palpatine” reveal sits uncomfortably after The Last Jedi (even if Lucasfilm insist it isn’t a retcon). The sad truth is that a stellar cast deserves so much better than J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars swan song, and there’s a reason it has taken Lucasfilm seven years to get back to theaters after this.
11. Attack of the Clones
Speaking of dialogue that’s meme-worthy in the worst possible way, Anakin Skywalker thinks “I hate sand” is a chat-up line. There are so many good ideas in Attack of the Clones, but it’s sadly brought down by frustrating dialogue that actually hampers the chemistry between Hayden Christensen’s Anakin and Natalie Portman’s Padmé Amidala. There’s sadly a reason Star Wars has tended to forget “romance” subplots since the prequel trilogy.
That said, it must be noted that Attack of the Clones has improved over the years – largely because of additional stories crafted by Lucasfilm and Disney. The Clone Wars, in particular, adds much more depth to Anakin and Padmé’s relationship, retroactively fixing the romance subplot. Meanwhile, the film will always be praised for some stand-out performances, and it gave us the delight of a Yoda-Dooku duel.
10. The Phantom Menace
Like most of the prequels, The Phantom Menace is absolutely stuffed with great ideas. It’s really three separate stories put together, each set on a different planet: the slave freedom plot on Tatooine, the Trade Federation invasion on Naboo, and the political machinations on Coruscant. Any one of them would have made for a tremendous film, but the problem lies in the way they’re all stitched together. The result is an uneven plot that wastes its most exciting characters (Darth Maul has a minimal role, and his reputation has only been fixed through a resurrection plot in the TV shows).
Some Star Wars viewing orders actually advocate skipping The Phantom Menace entirely. They’re wrong to do so; this story is an important part of the Skywalker saga, and far more than a deep origin for Anakin. It’s the real story of how the Republic fell, because The Phantom Menace ends with Palpatine literally running the galaxy. But, while this is essential viewing, it’s still not one of Lucas’ strongest films.
9. Solo: A Star Wars Story
Starring Alden Ehrenreich as the young Han Solo, Solo doesn’t really deserve its reputation as Star Wars’ first ever box office bomb. In truth, the film never had much of a chance; it didn’t have a strong pitch behind it in the first place (it was inspired by the vague idea of Han being given his surname when he tried to join the Empire, with everything else added on). Poor marketing, an unfortunate release at a time of controversy for Star Wars, and several major clashes guaranteed Solo would underperform.
Solo was never going to be one of the best Star Wars films. But, despite all its weaknesses, it’s fun; Ehrenreich and Donald Glover are phenomenally well-cast as the young Han and Lando, while the Crimson Dawn plot and the heist format are enjoyable enough. Behind-the-scenes drama meant it could never transcend beyond a middle-of-the-range film, simply because it doesn’t feel cohesive enough.
8. Revenge of the Sith
Revenge of the Sith is one of the hardest Star Wars films to rank. On the one hand, it contains some of the most memorable scenes from the entire prequel trilogy – up to and including the iconic “Battle of the Heroes.” On the other, again, the editing is poor and far too much time is spent on Kashyyk, while Padmé is criminally underused (George Lucas wanted to focus on Anakin, so cut Padmé scenes that – appropriately enough – have become fundamental to Star Wars canon.
In part, Revenge of the Sith ranks so low on this ranking because it had so much potential. That’s proven by Matt Stover’s incredible Revenge of the Sith novelization, an unparalleled interpretation of the film that was actually released ahead of the movie. (For the record, yes, I picked it up at the time; it took me quite a few years to learn to love Lucas’ Revenge of the Sith as a result, because the book is so much better.)
7.The Mandalorian and Grogu
The Mandalorian and Grogu is basically a middle-of-the-range Star Wars film. From a critical viewpoint, it’s hardly the best film; it has more plot holes than the Second Death Star’s infrastructure, and you could probably fly a Star Destroyer through them rather than the Millennium Falcon. The three-act structure really doesn’t work, leaving the film feeling like multiple episodes of The Mandalorian shoved together. Secondary characters lack arcs (several primary characters don’t have notable ones), and the villains aren’t even named.
And yet, despite all these criticisms, one thing has to be said: The Mandalorian and Grogu is, quite simply, fun. That’s clear simply from the difference between the critic and audience scores on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes (64% against 89% at time of writing). Grogu steals every scene he’s in, kids are adoring the Grogu and Anzellan scenes, and it features one of the most inventive scenes in Star Wars history – an entire sequence that’s utterly dependent on making you care about a puppet.
6. Return of the Jedi
The final film in the original trilogy, Return of the Jedi is oddly mismatched – but somehow holds together despite all that. The redemption of Darth Vader is easily the most important scene in Star Wars history, the perfect conclusion to George Lucas’ Skywalker saga. There’s so much to love about this film, which – as with many in this ranking – makes it very difficult to place.
And yet, for all that’s the case, Return of the Jedi does have several things going against it. The plot lacks originality (literally bringing back a Death Star, cementing Star Wars’ reputation for overusing superweapons). Lucas rightly understood that Star Wars films are for kids, but some of those elements jar with the more mature themes. Other elements have aged quite poorly; it take Star Wars quite a while to figure out how to turn Slave Leia into the Huttslayer, largely thanks to Carrie Fisher’s own interpretation of the Jabba scenes.
5. The Force Awakens
The Force Awakens was undoubtedly one of the greatest cinematic moments of the 21st century, a triumphant return for Star Wars that grossed over $2 billion worldwide. Unfortunately, the first film in the sequel trilogy also sows many of the seeds of Star Wars’ current problems. Writing in his autobiography, The Ride of a Lifetime, Disney CEO Bob Iger insisted J.J. Abrams’ overly nostalgic film was the only way to win viewers over. Whether he had a point or not, the sad truth is that nostalgia has proved to have diminishing returns.
Still, The Force Awakens remains a strong film for rewatching. The performances are electrifying, those nostalgic moments do hit hard (“Chewie, we’re home”), and the villain is truly intimidating. The film consciously riffs on A New Hope pretty much throughout, but it just about works, and there’s a tremendous sense of narrative momentum that means audiences remain glued to their seats until the credits roll.
4. The Last Jedi
No Star Wars film divides the modern fanbase quite like The Last Jedi. Depending on your point of view, it’s either the film that broke Star Wars, or a cinematic masterpiece the franchise panicked and ran away from because the fandom couldn’t cope with it. Rian Johnson faced the unenviable task of picking up from The Force Awakens‘ excessive mystery box storytelling, and he faced a particular challenge coming up with an explanation why Luke Skywalker had exiled himself to Ahch-To – despite needing to keep the focus on the new generation.
For this reviewer, it is the scale of Johnson’s challenge that elevates The Last Jedi. It’s true that the film breaks down the legend of Luke Skywalker, but it does so only to build it up again. That said, The Last Jedi does feature several other subplots that strain credulity, and its strange hyperspace chase – one that completely breaks with Lucas’ love of speed and momentum – is the reason this doesn’t appear higher in this ranking.
3. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One shouldn’t have worked. According to Tony Gilroy, the film was basically a corpse on the table when he took it over from Gareth Edwards, and the result – one of the best Star Wars films ever made – is testament to Gilroy’s skill and vision. Designed as a prequel to A New Hope, Rogue One is a film with attitude; it offers a stunning portrayal of the cost of rebellion. Its themes have only improved over time, courtesy of transmedia releases and (of course) Gilroy’s own Andor.
Rogue One breaks all the rules of Star Wars, literally killing off all its main cast – and yet, despite the cost (or perhaps because of it), they win. Darth Vader gets one of his best moments in Star Wars, a phenomenal hallway scene that’s all the more startling when you realize he actually loses. For all his power, for all his lethal efficiency, even the Dark Lord of the Sith is powerless against ordinary people who dare to hope.
2. A New Hope
Only one word can be used to describe A New Hope (as Lucas later retitled the first Star Wars film): masterpiece. This is the film that sired a franchise, and it remains delightful to this day. The first Star Wars film is an everyman adventure, with Luke Skywalker as the ordinary guy who discovers he has the Force and goes on to save the galaxy. The characters are electrifying, the concepts are staggering, and the galaxy already feels so very well-developed.
At heart, A New Hope is exactly what it says on the DVD cover: it’s a film all about hope, a bold declaration that good will always triumph over evil, no matter the technological prowess and vast armies of the Empire. A New Hope‘s message transcends history, always relevant and vital, and the performances are absolutely stunning. Easily one of the most influential sci-fi flms of all time, it’s a worthy second place on this ranking.
1. The Empire Strikes Back
Few sequels match the original. Even fewer exceed it. The Empire Strikes Back is one of those rare few; directed by Irvin Kershner, it makes bold swing to expand the Star Wars mythology and turn a standalone film into an epic franchise. It does so through what is easily one of the best pieces of retroactive continuity ever, the famous “I am your father” moment. That single scene turned Star Wars into a generational saga, and it’s no exaggeration to say that everything else flows from it.
The Empire Strikes Back is, quite simply, another masterpiece. It’s flawless, with a tight narrative and an epic ending where the bad guys (spoiler) actually win. Dialogue is sharp and on-point (sometimes thanks to Harrison Ford’s refusal to read Lucas’ lines), the effects are fantastic, and the themes and concepts are absolutely stunning. The Empire Strikes Back rightly earns its place as the best Star Wars film so far, and is unlikely to ever be beaten.
Where does The Mandalorian and Grogu go in your Star Wars ranking? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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