The Star Wars universe has come a long way since I was watching the films on DVD in the early 2000s as a kid. We've had a whole new sequel trilogy, two spin-off anthology films, and a bevy of Disney+ series that have expanded the universe in a galaxy far, far away. But given the amount of content I watch for work and leisure, the films are the primary source of Star Wars content that I consume, we're going to rank the 11 feature films that have come out on May the Fourth Be With You Day.
Ranking all 11 Star Wars films (Worst to Best)
Note: The feature-length Clone Wars film is not included on this list.
11. Episode II — Attack of the Clones
Even as a prequels kid — I grew up in the early 2000s — I have the hardest time rewatching Attack of the Clones out of all the Star Wars films. It's just a mess both story-wise and script-wise (the sand conversation is truly horrific).
10. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Sorry, I've never been a fan of Rogue One. Not only was the whole film stake-less — as is most franchise fare these days — but the whole film is so dreary and dull that it took the joy out of Star Wars for me. I get that people go head over heels for it, but it's hard for me to get invested in a film that you know the ending to. Plus, none of the characters were that interesting (not even Andor) and the only time the film showed any sign of life is when it brings nostalgia into it.
9. Episode VIII — The Last Jedi
While I can appreciate Rian Johnson's craft and the overall quality of The Last Jedi, it doesn't feel like a Star Wars film. It really is the most expensive fan fiction ever made on the silver screen and a puzzling continuation of The Force Awakens at best. Seeing The Last Jedi makes you question why Disney/Lucasfilm thought it'd be a good idea to hand each entry in this trilogy off to a different director in the first place.
8. Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker
Okay, okay — The Rise of Skywalker is not even half the film The Last Jedi is from a filmmaking perspective, but it's still a ton of fun. Moving at the pace of one of Jason Statham's straight-to-DVD action flicks, The Rise of Skywalker is simultaneously juggling retconning the mess Johnson made with his film while attempting to wrap up the stories of Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac), and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Does it land? Absolutely not. But it's the type of car crash that you can't look away from. And at least it was brisk and didn't feel like an eternity as The Last Jedi did.
7. Solo: A Star Wars Story
I get why Solo is unpopular — I'm very adamant that Indiana Jones should never be played by anyone other than Harrison Ford again given that he's synonymous with the character, and the same mindset applies for Han Solo. That said, Alden Ehrenreich nails it in terms of cadence and swagger as a young Han Solo and who doesn't love Donald Glover as a younger Lando Calrissian? Star Wars has always borrowed from Westerns (especially with The Mandalorian), but Solo was the first time that a film leaned into those influences and it felt like Star Wars meets Indiana Jones meets A Fistful of Dollars.
6. Episode I — The Phantom Menace
The final act fight is still the best lightsaber duel in the entire series, but The Phantom Menace suffers slightly from things like Jar Jar Binks. Ewan McGregor in his inaugural appearance as Obi-Wan Kenobi is great, and it's definitely one of the better non-original trilogy entries in the series.
5. Episode III — Revenge of the Sith
Perhaps my favorite film growing up (bar none), Revenge of the Sith in hindsight is a messy trilogy-closer but is still the best of the prequels. All of the lightsaber duels stick the landing — I'm still waiting on a General Grievous-led Star Wars horror film — and Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman finally nail a performance in this trilogy.
4. Episode VI — Return of the Jedi
As a kid, this was my favorite of the original bunch. The sequence on Jabba's ship with the green lightsaber reveal was the coolest thing to four-year-old me, and I love the Ewoks. However, in the years since, it's not quite as perfect as I remember it. The middle is a bit muddled and Han Solo is treated like an afterthought after being broken out of the carbonite.
3. Episode VII — The Force Awakens
I actually hated The Force Awakens upon first seeing it — I was an angsty 14-year-old after all — for it being too close to the original. Since then, I've realized that it actually is the perfect relaunch of the series and served its purpose of introducing a new generation to Star Wars. Plus, the new cast is amazing (this is their peak, unfortunately), and the film balances the legacy characters in a way that's not alienating (looking at you, The Last Jedi).
2. Episode IV — A New Hope
A New Hope is actually an amazing origin story when you think about it. When watching it, you have to remember that Star Wars was far from a proven entity at this point, and all the mumbo jumbo that would become a part of the franchise lore in the following years was new to audiences. It does a great job setting itself up with a unique setup and has real stakes (imagining seeing this for the first time when it was originally released). The infiltration of the Death Star is also so much fun and something I spent hours dreaming about as a kid.
1. Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back
Call me basic, but The Empire Strikes Back is still the gold standard of Star Wars. Immaculately paced, great performances, and stakes that the franchise has yet to create in the years since show why Empire is often replicated but never duplicated as the middle chapter in a trilogy.
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