Star Wars Saga Ranked
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One of the greatest Sci-Fi fantasy series of all time, Star Wars has captured the imagination of people for decades now. As a huge Star Wars fan through the years I decided it was time to put pen to paper rank the Star Wars saga from worst to first. This is the Star Wars Saga Ranked.
9. Episode 8 - The Last Jedi
Episode 8 being at the bottom of the list is probably is not a shocker to most people exposed to the Star Wars Franchise in recent memory. But if there is one thing that I can say about this movie that affirms my belief that it should be at the bottom of the list comes from a memory. My first memory of leaving the theater after seeing The Last Jedi movie was being so appalled and saddened as to what was happening the the franchise I cared for so deeply.
Rian Johnson took a franchise that had a chance to really expand on the story and still go in a new direction and turn it into a shock factor, “Not what you think” movie that trashes the ideas and concepts that the series has been known for while also rehashing many of the visuals and themes of past movies.
I don’t place The Last Jedi at the bottom of the list lightly, it deserves to be down here. I think that even Star Wars fans that were not so deeply intrenched in the series before the Disney acquisition can still agree as well.
Misrepresenting characters like Luke Skywalker, tossing out good potential scoundrel’s for really nothing but a plot device like DJ is just disrespectful. Create a completely pointless side plot and main plot that do not fit the logic the Star Wars Universe had already set in place. It surprises me that Disney let this out of the writing room to begin with.
8. Episode 9 - The Rise of Skywalker
Suffering from being the sequel to the most disastrously bad movie in the Star Wars franchise, The Rise of Skywalker tries everything in it’s power to be a meaningful conclusion to an otherwise pointless and directionless trilogy that is designed to close out the Skywalker saga.
Saying that the previous two films were leading to this point would be an outright lie. To the point where the entire movie premise is simply diminished and the payoff not as great.
There are redeeming things about this movie however. The interaction from the main cast is the most realistic it has ever been. It took 3 movies for there to feel like there was even a remote amount of chemistry or an actual group at all in this trilogy to follow.
Poe Dameron and Finn are great in this movie regardless of the film being cut to pieces around the Finn force sensitivity concept leading to jarring unanswered questions.
Rea’s character is more developed but still horrendously overpowered for the understanding of the time and training that she exhibited. throughout the entire trilogy.
Leia Organa, I get that she passed away, but I do feel that how they handled the situation was tasteful and well done.
But at the end of the day, this movie suffers from a lack of build up leading to a lack of a sense of stakes to the trilogy as a whole and therefore fails. I consider this movie to be to much, to late.
The Rise of Skywalker is valiant effort to dig up Star Wars from the grave Last Jedi dug for it. But there was just no way that it would have been done and still been a great overall film leading to a great overall trilogy.
If you want a more in depth review on this movie you can check out our Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker Review.
7. Episode 7 - The Force Awakens
Yes, unapologetically, all three of the final 3 films for the Skywalker saga are at the bottom. Are there good thing about the force awakens? Absolutely. Was this film really made for me. Sort of. The Force Awakens was the Star Wars film that was literally designed to pull in everyone.
The Force Awakens was intended to both introduce Star Wars to a new generation, while at the same time, display that the series was in good hands as it was the first Film released since the Disney Acquisition in 2012 for around $4 Billion.
For the most part I left the theater satisfied with this film. The Force Awakens was it a blatant rehash of past Star Wars scenes and plot lines. Did it intentionally play on nostalgia at just the right times to strike emotion in the fans of the series from years prior. yes. But as a Star Wars fan, I didn’t mind and actually appreciated it.
But the characters in this film are more believable then they ever are in the rest of the trilogy. The film is new to everyone and the taint of the Last Jedi has not set in yet.
The actors and their chemistry is good. The throwback of past characters is healthy but not heavy handed allowing for the new characters to develop on their own.
The Force Awakens had the potential to be a great jumping off point for the trilogy. It’s just to made that the rest fall flat and pull this film down with it.
And I have to mention it because it needs to be heard. But I will never get over Han and Leia’s son being named Ben. That’s the name of Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker’s son in the original expanded universe. Why they could not just use the name Anakin Solo, or Jacen Solo will always perplex me and leave me feeling dead inside.
6. Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones
The prequal trilogy in many peoples opinions was also no good. Now I come from the generation that these films where the ones I went to see in the theaters as a kid. So there may be some bias, but I really don’t think so.
The acting in the prequal trilogy is not great. But at least there is a direction that these movies are going. I didn’t realize that it was so difficult for there to be a sense of direction before starting to make the trilogy and that is the core reason that the prequal trilogy will always outshine the latest films in my mind.
The characters are rich and plentiful. We are introduced to actual wars in the stars. There is political intrigue and a sense of growing doom in this film.
I get that this movie above all others was a great way to really hammer in the lightsaber porn and in effect sell tons upon tons of toys. But this film still has redeeming qualities to it.
The worlds that this movie sets up are believable and not forced. The further exploration of the world of Coruscant and Naboo are great. The explanation behind where the clones come from feels like it makes sense and adds to the plot at the same time.
Obi-wan is fantastic, Count Duku is great, Mace Windu feels bad ass. And the introduction to Boba and is dad Jango is an added bonus.
The biggest downfall to this movie is really the acting. It was likely at it’s worst in this film. But that does not mean that it should be placed anywhere close to the other films in the most recent trilogy.
5. Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace
Ohh the Phantom Menace. Talk about a movie that aged.. well ok. It’s not terrible. but it also is not the best. This movie had a lot of work to do in order to set the foundation of George Luca’s vison for this prequal trilogy.
This movie had to handle setting up new worlds. Setting up the political discourse that is the entire reason that later movies would come to be. It had to set the mystery of the Sith, and it had to set up the clone wars, a concept that at the time was only mentioned in A New Hope.
And for that point, it did really well. It also really displayed some cool new space battles that were eye candy to any Star Wars fan.
The characters that were created in this movie were excellent. Those yes the acting was not great, the sets and scenes that the entire movie are set up in are a pleasant blend of brand new worlds and environments in addition to expansion of the world it all started in of Tatooine.
This movie feels like a Star Wars movie to me. And it does a very good job setting up what is to come for it’s own Trilogy while also giving fans of the original Trilogy what they want with back story to characters just like Obi-wan and Darth Vader.
Be sure to look at our full dive review of Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace here.
4. Episode 6 - Return of the Jedi
I struggled to place Episode 6 and episode 4 in this list. They are very close to each other in terms of memorability and story.
But really when it comes down to it, the entire core trilogy is simply great. Episode 6 to me is the weakest of the bunch as the end story feels much like A New Hope, but with extra steps.
The conclusion however that is pulled off is fulfilling and great. I love the Empire and Darth Vader in this film. I love Luke, Han and Leia with their interactions as they have felt like a strong group of friends since the last movie, so building on that was not difficult.
The environments are different from each of the previous films while also taking viewers back to Tatooine with the rescue of Han Solo from the Hutts.
The Ewoks and the moon of Endor though is just a little bit of a drag to me. But not by much, there is still much good to be had with this part of the movie as it sets up the discovery and part of the scene of the final battle.
3. Episode 4 - A New Hope
The movie that started it all, how could it not rank up here towards the top. This fast paced science fiction adventure easily introduces all the main cast of characters and builds up the world we have never seen before really well. The space battles feel epic in scope and the story is fast paced while also showing many different worlds.
When I say fast pace, I really mean it. at points this movie can be moving so fast that it feels like I could get whiplash from moving from event to event. This is something corrected in the subsequent films.
The characters are well introduced and each of them have a pretty similar amount of time in the spotlight. The way they introduce Han Solo will always be a classic bringing the question “Who shot first?”
It’s things like that which make me place this movie so high up on the list. It might be lower to others, but it’s iconic, it started it all, and it does such a good job at creating a world we have never seem before that I don’t think this movie could be ranked any lower.
Though it does not count, the Rouge One film expands the severity and dire state the galaxy is in. So even through this film is a side story to the series, it really adds more depth to the main film here.
2. Episode 3 - Revenge of the Sith
This movie was epic in scope, epic in story, and epic in visuals. Revenge of the Sith was the last film to be directed by George Lucas and was the best of the prequel series.
The things that this movie have going for it was the build up of not just the two movies before hand that lead to so really epic battles twists, but also the following movies that would be the original series that were to follow.
Revenge of the Sith ties the two series together in a way that makes all 6 movies in the series up to this point feel like 1 big story. Something the sequel trilogy created by Disney failed to accomplish.
Anakin Skywalker and Obi-wan’s battle is epic. The story of the rise of the Empire though still a little rushed closes the loop and explains how the galaxy got to the state it was in during A New Hope.
This movie is easily one of my favorites in the franchise despite it’s darker feel to the rest of the series, it still feels like a Star Wars film.
1. Episode 5 - The Empire Strikes Back
Any Star Wars fan would tell you the same thing. The Empire Strikes Back is the best in the series. And I personally don’t think it’s even close. This movie is tight. The story beats are strong and the locations are new and interesting.
The Empire Strikes Back is Star wars firing on all cylinders from the epic battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader to the training on Dagoba with master Yoda. When people think of Star Wars, the generally think of the scenes set up from this movie.
This movie sets up the Return of the Jedi as well as gives real consequences to the characters actions as the come closer together as a group. Luke through is off doing his own thing during most of this movie still feels connected to everyone else in the series like Han, Leia, and Chewbacca.
The entire opening with Hoth is awesome as well as the rebellion is discovered and routed out by the Empire. This was done so much better the first time and the Last Jedi has nothing on it.
No Star Wars movie captures that feel of adventure in space like Empire Strikes Back and that is why we rank it up at number one on our list.
So how does our list compare to yours? comment below and let us know. also be sure to check out our individual movie reviews for a greater breakdown of what we love and dislike about each of the films.
Star Wars may have changed over the years but I still hold onto a lot of what makes the series great and I hope that despite the things that have happened to it over the years that everyone else is able to do the same.
If you want to watch the entire series for yourself, it’s available for streaming on Disney+. If you want to pick up the entire series on physical media, they release a blu-ray set that you can pick up using our amazon affiliate link here.
