Star Wars Skywalker Saga Films Ranked as of 2021

#1 – The Empire Strikes Back

Needs no explanation. This is the greatest Star Wars film of all time. No prequel nor sequel trilogy film could match its greatness.

#2 – The Last Jedi

I loved this movie the first time I watched it. Before the movie started, people in the theater were chatting about who they thought Rey’s parents could be. A stranger asked me what I thought, and I said, “I hope she’s nobody. That would be the greatest revelation. I don’t want her to be a Skywalker. Nor a Kenobi. I want her to come from nowhere.” That’s what I got, and I was extremely happy.

Then I heard all the criticism. People HATED this movie and I started to second-guess my opinion. So I watched it for the second time, with all the “flaws” pointed out to me beforehand. NOPE! Still loved it! Even to my ninth viewing, I still loved it.

I loved Rose Tico and her place in this story. I loved that Leia used the Force to float through space. I loved that Luke Skywalker sacrificed himself to save the rebellion and became a legend not by fighting with a “laser sword” but by using his wit. It blew my mind.

Rian Johnson took Star Wars in a new, bold direction. It needed to deconstruct what a Star Wars film is, and it did so with such brilliance.

#3 – The Force Awakens

Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill reunite after 32 years off screen! I wish they all had a reunion scene together, but the story was bigger than that. I remember hearing the premise for the first time, back in 2014 before most people knew. That it was about a new generation of kids who find legendary Luke Skywalker’s lost lightsaber from The Empire Strikes back. They meet Han Solo, who hasn’t seen Luke since the end of Return of the Jedi. Together, they go on a quest to find him.

Ultimately, the movie was slightly different from that premise, but most of the ideas were intact. I got excited over the thought that Han hasn’t seen Luke in 30 years, which made me assume that maybe he hasn’t seen Leia in 30 years either. It completely erased the Expanded Universe canon, and it truly felt like a new start. The movie’s opening crawl has a first sentence that sent shivers down my spine: “Luke Skywalker has vanished.”

#4 – Revenge of the Sith

The end of the Clone Wars. That Obi-Wan vs. Anakin/Vader fight we’ve all been waiting for. The birth of Luke and Leia. It’s all here. This was the best of the prequel trilogy films.

#5 – A New Hope

The film that started it all. It seemed fitting for my list that there would be four films I liked more, and four films I liked less than this original. It’s a near perfect movie that introduced the world of Star Wars, its characters, music, visual effects, sounds, etc.

#6 – Attack of the Clones

We got to see Luke and Leia’s parents get together, fall in love, and eventually marry in a secret ceremony. Anakin and Obi-Wan’s relationship dynamic was something we’ve never seen before in the saga. We also got to see an army of Jedi and Clones fight side by side. Finally, Yoda gets to debut his lightsaber skills for the first time on film.

I liked that George Lucas tried something different and experimental with this story. Whether it worked, is a subject of debate. I wish we got to see more Anakin, Owen, and Beru interactions, but there was no time in this movie. I also wish we got more Clone Wars as a full movie backdrop. We only got the beginnings in this movie.

#7 – Return of the Jedi

The Good: Luke’s dope green lightsaber.

The Great: Hutt slayer Leia.

The WTF: Ewoks help defeat the Empire.

#8 – The Rise of Skywalker

The title reveal was the most satisfying and electric. At first viewing, this movie ranked #2. But with each subsequent viewing, this movie ranked lower. There were so many missed opportunities to close out this saga properly. I wish Rose Tico wasn’t sidelined. I wish Finn had a stronger arc. I wish a younger body and face was used for Palpatine, so it makes more sense. I wish Anakin had more than a cameo. I wish the final shot of the saga included the group of Rey’s friends & allies. Rather than focus on the negative, I’d like to remember the positives and how I felt after that initial viewing. My top three moments:

1) Kylo Ren reconciles with Han Solo.

2) Luke Skywalker lifts the X-Wing and helps Rey continue her path.

3) Leia’s lightsaber reveal and flashback.

Bonus: Rey ignites her yellow lightsaber.

#9 – The Phantom Menace

Believe me, I get it. Start the saga with a nine-year-old Anakin, so that we see him grow up to become the hero of the Clone Wars, only to fall into villainy as the iconic Darth Vader.

I get that. Then we end the saga on Anakin’s redemption. Except, the saga kept going and it became less centered on Anakin and as a whole. The Phantom Menace therefore doesn’t fit with the other eight saga films. We get introduced to new characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Darth Maul, Jar Jar Binks, and Jake Lloyd’s Anakin Skywalker. They all get discarded and don’t carry over to the rest of the films. Thus, this movie ranks at the bottom.

Conclusion

I’m sure my rankings might irk some people and could use more explanation. It’s really fun to have dialogue. Let me know what you think and comment below!

-Russell