May 4th has become an unofficial holiday for Star Wars fans, thanks to the clever play on words of “May the Fourth be with you” of the iconic Star Wars phrase, “May the Force be with you.” For many fans, the celebration continues into May 5th, with “Revenge of the Fifth” being a play on “Revenge of the Sith.” With that being said, it’s the perfect time to list every Star Wars movie ranked worst to best.
We’ve seen nine mainline Star Wars movies released over the years across three separate trilogies, as well as two spin-offs. Some of these films are universally agreed upon to be incredible; the same is true for the other side of the coin. Others, however, are far more controversial, mainly The Last Jedi.
In honor of “Star Wars Day,” let’s get straight to it and present our list of every Star Wars movie ranked.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
It’s hard to believe that The Clone Wars became the iconic animated series it was, given how poorly it began.
The 2008 film presented itself as the pilot for a full-blown series taking place during The Clone Wars. The characters were all there, with Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi front and center. This was also the introduction of Ahsoka, who has become a fan-favorite and even received her own series in 2023.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars simply doesn’t work as a film. There’s not enough time to tell the stories it needs to tell, and it suffers for it. Thankfully, Lucasfilm stayed the course and let the animated series do its thing.
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Obviously, hindsight is 20/20, but it’s clear that nothing involving the adaptation of The Clone Wars worked when it came to the big screen.
Say what you want about The Phantom Menace, but at least it has its moments. The same can’t be said for Attack of the Clones. It’s silly, it’s random, and aside from the Obi-Wan Kenobi detective story, there’s nothing here that’s salvageable.
The film’s biggest selling point, the budding romance between Anakin and Padme, is so poorly written that it feels more at home in a comedy.
Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker
The modern Star Wars trilogy is incredibly divisive for various reasons. We’ll talk more about the first two films later on in our list of every Star Wars movie ranked, but for now, we need to discuss the disaster that was Rise of Skywalker.
I can’t believe this is still real, but the return of Emperor Palpatine not only took place off-screen, but it happened in Fortnite. Dead serious. It led to the infamous line by Oscar Issacs where he says, “Somehow, Palpatine returned.”
The Rise of Skywalker feels less like the culmination of a trilogy and more like an attempt to placate an audience who found The Last Jedi divisive and controversial.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Solo is a fine film, don’t get me wrong, but is it one that we really needed to see?
There’s definitely something satisfying about it being a self-contained story rather than being involved in the mainline story, something that Rogue One was also directly tied to.
Having said that, Solo can’t escape one of the biggest sins of any movie: it’s completely forgettable.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
On the plus side, The Phantom Menace has podracing. All these years later, that scene still rocks and has aged like fine wine. It also has Darth Maul.
That’s where the compliments end, though. There’s so much wrong with Phantom Menace that it’s hard to figure out where to start: Jar-Jar Binks is one of the most annoying characters in movie history. We also didn’t need a full-blown explanation of how the Force works. That just ruins the magic and mystery!
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
Revenge of the Sith manages to, for the most part, fix the sins of its predecessors.
The movie is still plagued by poor writing, but as we draw closer to the events of the original trilogy, George Lucas was able to find a way to successfully land the ship.
Is it perfect? Far from it, but Revenge of the Sith is still an incredibly satisfying conclusion to the prequel trilogy. Ewan McGregor once again proves he was made for the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this was without a doubt Hayden Christensen’s best performance as Anakin Skywalker.
Star Wars Episode VII – The Force Awakens
There’s nothing inherently wrong with The Force Awakens, the first entry in the sequel trilogy, but that’s also because the film is content with simply replaying all the hits.
Despite introducing a new set of main characters (Rey, Kylo Ren, Finn, Poe Dameron), the classic characters arguably have a bigger presence. Not just because they’re still a part of the story, but also because it’s far too easy to compare the new characters to the older ones.
I was hoping that The Force Awakens would usher in a new era of Star Wars. Instead, it proved that it wanted to simply live in the past.
Star Wars Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
Look, following in the footsteps of The Empire Strikes Back was always going to be a hard task. Add in the fact that Return of the Jedi was going to be the conclusion to the Star Wars trilogy, then yeah, it was hard to live up to the hype.
For the most part, Return of the Jedi meets that hype, delivering the happy and satisfying conclusion we were all hoping for. I just wish we didn’t have to deal with the Ewoks to get there. Even as a kid, I would fast-forward through that part. It brings the film’s pacing to a halt.
Rogue One – A Star Wars Story
We all knew how Rogue One was going to end before it even released in theaters. We knew that it was going to have a tragic ending, and yet, we can’t help but root for everyone. We want them to succeed because we know how important this mission is to the Star Wars mythology.
The final moments of Rogue One are some of the best in Star Wars history (digital recreations aside). It perfectly captures that imposing feeling of the strength of the Empire, as well as how it was still vulnerable to not just the brave soldiers of the Rebel Alliance, but also that one driving force that always keeps us going despite the odds being stacked against us: hope.
Oh, and that final fight scene with Darth Vader absolutely rocks.
Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope
The one that started it all.
A New Hope works because it avoids the traps and pitfalls of the prequel trilogy. There’s no over-explaining of the mythos of Star Wars. It’s just a modern-day fairy tale that incorporates the best of movies.
It has the look and feel of a classic western, the classic coming-of-age story centered around a young Luke Skywalker, and a charismatic cast that carries the film from start to finish.
Star Wars Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
Okay, so hear me out.
Yes, I know that The Last Jedi has been absolutely destroyed by large portions of the Star Wars fanbase online, but there’s an overarching theme within the movie that gives credence to its plot.
At one point, Kylo Ren tells Rey, “Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to. That’s the only way to become what you’re meant to be.” It’s almost serving as a meta-commentary for the other sequel films, which are far too content to live in the past rather than forge their own future. I understand the argument that it feels like some characters (looking at you, Luke) seem to be making dumb decisions throughout the movie, but again, I point back to that quote. Forget the past, look to the future.
The Last Jedi doesn’t desecrate the history of Star Wars; it’s one of the few modern films brave enough to move past it.
Star Wars Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
An absolutely perfect movie from start to finish.
The Empire Strikes Back does an excellent job of capturing the magic of what makes its predecessor Star Wars and uses it to expand its universe.
We’re introduced to some of the franchise’s most iconic characters in Yoda, Lando, and Boba Fett. The story takes a leap forward that you hope to see in a sequel. The Empire Strikes Back is the very definition of movie magic.
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