A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away: My Star Wars film rankings (updated May 2018)

In 2016, I put together a blog post ranking my favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe films that I could just return to and update as more films came out; that way I wouldn’t have to make a new post every time a new MCU movie was released. 😉 Anyway, since Star Wars films and TV shows are now coming out on a more regular basis, I figured it was time to make a Star Wars post too. As with the MCU post, I’ll just update it as the new films come out, and some of the films will probably shift around over time as well. I’ve also now added tiers to my list because there are groups of Star Wars movies/TV shows I love, ones I like, and ones that are just “okay.”

Tier 1 – I love it! 

1. The Empire Strikes Back

I’m pretty sure this comes as a surprise to absolutely no one, since I’m quite vocal about “The Empire Strikes Back” being my all-time favorite movie. 😉 There’s so much I love about this film. The “Luke I am your father” moment is also my all-time favorite plot twist, and the Skywalker family connection elevates the villain dynamic from “good” to “great.” Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill are at their best as Han, Leia, and Luke. There’s so many great moments, from the asteroid field, to the battle on Hoth, to Vader and Luke’s showdown on Cloud City. This movie captures everything people love about Star Wars.

2. Return of the Jedi

At one point, ROTJ was actually in the bottom half of my Star Wars list. But it’s really grown on me over the years, just because I think it’s such a satisfying resolution to the original trilogy. The poignant ending with Darth Vader finally discovering freedom from the dark side and sacrificing himself to save his son always makes me a bit misty-eyed (and darn that emotional John Williams music!) 😉

3. The Last Jedi

TLJ proved to be surprisingly controversial amongst the Star Wars fan base. However, I like it more and more each time I see it, and it may end up rising as high as No. 2 on my list (depending on how Episode IX wraps up the sequel trilogy). I like that Disney took some risks and didn’t play it safe. I love that they dared to give us a more broken, flawed Luke than we expected to see. I love that they explored themes like balance and failure, and added complex layers to characters like Kylo Ren/Ben Solo. It also has a couple of my all-time favorite scenes in the Star Wars franchise: the fight in Snoke’s throne room and Luke’s Force projection across the galaxy.

4. Rogue One

At one point, I think “Rogue One” was as high as No. 2 on my list. While for now it has settled in at No. 4, I still really, really love this film. It was cool to see a Star Wars film that felt more like a war movie than a space opera. It’s really about a bunch of ordinary people — no chosen ones with heavy legacies this time — who rise up and become heroes…and make the ultimate sacrifice. I’m so glad Disney had the courage to give us a bittersweet ending with all the characters sacrificing themselves; it’s a powerful gut-punch that drives home the film’s theme. And that Darth Vader in the hallway scene is another Star Wars highlight for me.

5. The Force Awakens

I know some have criticized “The Force Awakens” for feeling too much like “A New Hope,” but I didn’t see it that way. It does play things a little safe (safer than “The Last Jedi”), but after the response to the prequels, TFA *needed* to be a little safe. It’s a fun, nostalgic movie that brings back some beloved characters and introduces some new ones. I also loved its use of actual sets (rather than an overload of CGI), making the universe feel more natural and “lived in” once again.

6. The Clone Wars

When people say they don’t like the prequels, I immediately have to ask, “But have you seen ‘The Clone Wars’?” 😉 This series does a great job of redeeming some of the characters, themes, and plot lines that were poorly executed in the prequels. Although it’s animated, don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s “just a kids show.” “The Clone Wars” manages to tackle some surprisingly deep and nuanced themes. It dives into the ethics of clone warfare and shows that the clones were still people with personalities, dreams, and fears. It does a better job demonstrating how and why Anakin falls to the dark side, and it also shows the fun side of Anakin and Obi-Wan’s friendship.

7. A New Hope

It feels weird putting the first Star Wars movie so far down the list, especially since it’s the one that started it all. I don’t want it to seem that I like this movie less than I do (I really love it!) It’s a fun space opera that will always be an entertaining adventure to watch. I do prefer the later films, though, which are an emotionally deeper viewing experience, at least for me.

8. Solo

This is actually the movie I added the “tiers” for! 🙂 I really enjoyed “Solo,” and I felt weird putting it in the bottom half of my Star Wars ranking, especially since my enjoyment of it is considerably higher than the movies/TV shows that come after it on this list. With all the drama taking place behind the scenes of this film (the director shake-up, reshoots, etc.), “Solo” is better than it has any right to be. It’s a really fun heist movie with some cool action scenes, though not as epic as the films above it on this list. I’m glad it’s part of the Star Wars universe, and I hope we’re getting a sequel!

Tier 2 – I like it! 

9. Rebels

There’s a lot to like about the other Star Wars animated show, “Rebels.” It introduces some cool new characters and even works some old Expanded Universe characters back into the canon (it’s good to see you again, Grand Admiral Thrawn!) However, I don’t like this as much as “The Clone Wars.” The animation doesn’t feel quite as polished, and it’s not as deep as “The Clone Wars” was.

10. Revenge of the Sith

Ah, the Star Wars prequels. I actually used to be a bit of a prequels apologist; I enjoyed them when I was younger but found they haven’t held up well over time, at least for me. I’ve found it harder to overlook some of the acting, dialogue, and directing issues, especially after seeing the sequel trilogy. However, there are still some bright spots in these movies, even though they could have been so much more. ROTS is the best of the bunch, and I may actually like it more than “Rebels.” Maybe another Star Wars marathon is in order…

Tier 3 – It’s meh…

11. The Phantom Menace

I commonly see TPM listed as the worst of the Star Wars movies, but I think it’s actually better than “Attack of the Clones.” I won’t get into all the issues with the film here. But the parts I did like were Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi (who’s my favorite part of the prequels overall) and Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn. And that double-bladed lightsaber battle with Darth Maul is still pretty cool, as is John Williams’ epic choral piece “Duel of the Fates.”

12. Attack of the Clones

I really liked the Jedi and clones vs. droid army battle pictured above, as well as the theme that the Jedi Order’s moral compromises and inability to see the truth later lead to their own downfall. But the Anakin/Padmé romance (and accompanying dialogue) are difficult to watch. And the over-reliance on CGI really stands out, especially in comparison to the sequel trilogy films, which feel less computerized.

How would you rank the Star Wars movies? I’d love to see your own list!