George Lucas brought Star Wars to life in 1977, forever changing the way in which audiences would view both cinema and the blend of sci-fi and fantasy. Star Wars was George Lucas’ epic space opera, and millions of fans across the globe will have their own ranking to debate their definitive ranking of every Star Wars movie, indulging in what makes some incredible, others mediocre, and some straight-up bad.

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The Star Wars franchise has been on somewhat of a rocky road over the years, and not everyone is in agreement with what makes a Star Wars movie good, and certainly not what makes a Star Wars movie one of the best ever made. Whether it’s critic reception or fan celebration, it’s time to rank every Star Wars movie from worst to best.
12 Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Unfamiliar and Stiff Animation With an Unsatisfying Plot
Director |
Dave Filoni |
Release Date |
August 15, 2008 |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
19% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
40% |
Star Wars: The Clone Wars brings audiences back into the era of the Grand Republic and the Jedi by showcasing an average day in the life of a Jedi Knight. The story itself follows Anakin Skywalker and his new Padawan learner, Ahsoka Tano, while they battle through the Clone Wars to rescue Jabba the Hutt’s son. By today’s standards, it may seem like an average episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but as a movie, it doesn’t work on its own two feet.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars suffered from its animation, and while the style and animation have expanded significantly to be some of the best stylised animations out there, it wasn’t always the case, and for 2008 it seemed more like a demo reel than what would eventually be one of the most defining TV series of Star Wars.
11 Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise of Skywalker
Uninspired Fan Service That Attempts to Bring Back a Damaged Fanbase
Director |
J. J. Abrams |
Release Date |
December 20, 2019 |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
51% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
86% |
Star Wars’ decline began around The Last Jedi, in which the fanbase would be forever torn. As such, the supposed finale to the Skywalker family saga sought to bring back Emperor Palpatine as the saga’s “big bad”, which resulted in a questionable McGuffin chase involving Rey, all while sidling the potential for Finn’s character growth to bring forth some random fan-service that never paid back the fans.
The fan service in The Rise of Skywalker is a tad uninspired, and it seemed that the entire movie was set up to correct the course of The Last Jedi. A mediocre and seemingly random romance between Rey and Kylo Ren blossomed in the last 5 minutes, and the closing chapter of the Skywalker Saga didn’t really involve any Skywalkers except what the name represents, leading many to believe that in the end, the blood of Palpatine won.
10 Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi
Visually Stunning, But Damages Characters For the Sake of Subversion
Director |
Rian Johnson |
Release Date |
December 15, 2017 |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
91% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
41% |
Nobody can deny that The Last Jedi looks like a compelling movie with incredible visuals worthy of discussion. However, something that has long overstayed its welcome is the discourse surrounding the movie itself. Many were disappointed by the plot that involved a broken blue-milk-drinking Luke Skywalker who would rather rot on an island and forsake his destiny and his friends, all while a nonsensical B-plot involves a casino and a codebreaker that doesn’t amount to anything.

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The Last Jedi has been a hot topic of debate in the Star Wars fandom since 2017, and it’s easy to see why it’s so divisive. The film looks great, and some of the meta-commentary about destiny, fate, and the profits of war could lead to interesting topics, but it all boils down to an attempt to subvert expectations in which division forms and nobody ends up happy.
9 Solo: A Star Wars Story
A Fun and Satisfying Origin in the Galaxy Far, Far Away
Director |
Ron Howard |
Release Date |
May 25, 2018 |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
69% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
63% |
Doing away with the central Skywalker Saga, Solo: A Star Wars Story attempted something more disconnected, light-hearted, and straight-up fun. Solo was an origin story for everyone’s favorite scruffy-looking nerf herder: Han Solo. Except no de-aging was required to bring forth a charismatic casting of Alden Ehrenreich, who respects Harrison Ford’s irreparable wit, but also brings forth his own charm.
While Solo: A Star Wars Story might play some aspects too safe, and for others, seem uninteresting due to the fate of the characters involved already being sealed, it’s still a fun ride for those who want something less serious to sink into. Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian and Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo are true show stealers, and it’s a shame they didn’t receive more time in the galaxy far, far away.
8 Star Wars: Episode 2– Attack of the Clones
Cheesy Dialogue Gets in the Way of Anakin’s Necessary Dark Side
Director |
George Lucas |
Release Date |
May 16, 2002 |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
65% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
56% |
George Lucas learned a few lessons between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, and with the exposition all set and out of the way, it was time to get into the meat of Star Wars and understand Anakin’s story better to prepare for his fall into the metallic shoes of Darth Vader. To do that, Anakin would protect Padmé Amidala, the woman he loved since he was a boy, from an assassin plot, while Obi-Wan Kenobi uncovers the commissioned Clone Army for the Republic, as tensions with the Separatists grow.
Attack of the Clones sets the pieces into play for the Galactic Republic’s war with the Separatists, directly involving the Jedi in a tragic conflict that would see them as generals, not peacekeepers. Yet, the necessary tragedy and the shining moments of Anakin’s dark side boiling into his moments of frustration and youth are downplayed somewhat by cheesy dialogue and too much going on at once.
7 Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace
Creatively Inspiring, But Heavy on Exposition
Director |
George Lucas |
Release Date |
May 19, 1999 |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
52% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
59% |
Returning to the galaxy far, far away had audiences and critics excited, but that excitement would soon begin to dwindle after the opening credits when heavy exposition and space politics would take the stage. The story itself follows Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, while they try to ease tensions on Naboo.
A plot thick with politics and exposition, with a lot to set up for the sequels to come, The Phantom Menace can drag on a bit, but when it gets rolling with the Darth Maul battle with John Williams’ Duel of the Fates, it all becomes worth it. The Phantom Menace experiments with a new wave with George Lucas’ creativity and use of CGI, but it doesn’t have the same magic as the practical effects and humbleness of the originals, and it perhaps indulges too much in silly antics.
6 Star Wars: Episode 7 – The Force Awakens
A Nostalgic Heavy Trip Back to the Galaxy Far, Far Away
Director |
J. J. Abrams |
Release Date |
December 18, 2015 |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
93% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
84% |
When Disney purchased Lucasfilm and the keys to the Star Wars franchise, it was inevitable that the stories of the Skywalkers would continue. It had been 32 years since audiences had last seen Luke Skywalker, and The Force Awakens would blast into theaters, returning to the nostalgic-heavy set pieces and familiar plots of the original Star Wars in a hunt to find Luke Skywalker to save the galaxy once more.
Most of The Force Awakens aids in reintroducing audiences to familiar concepts surrounding the Force and the characters that fans had long loved for decades with Leia Organa, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and C3-PO, all while bringing new and interesting faces to the crowd like the mysterious origins of the scavenger, Rey, and the Stormtrooper defector, Finn. The Force Awakens perhaps played it too safe with its plot retreading Star Wars (1977) with modern twists, but it was a promising start to an underwhelming trilogy.
5 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
The Most Inspired Disney Star Wars That Holds Strong with a Familiar yet Unique Aesthetic
Director |
Gareth Edwards |
Release Date |
December 16, 2016 |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
84% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
87% |
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story brings audiences back to the original 1977 Star Wars, and involves the story of how the Rebel Alliance acquired the Death Star plans that directly shaped the story years prior. This spin-off takes audiences around the galaxy, as Jyn Erso teams with a rag-tag group of rebels to find her father, the scientist responsible for the Empire’s super weapon, so they can find the necessary plans to destroy it.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story takes desirable risks with the Star Wars franchise by showcasing likeable characters that they aren’t afraid to kill off. Rogue One presents a realism to the fantasy sci-fi elements of Star Wars with its depiction of war, and who could ever dare forget the impressionable return of Darth Vader and that epic hallway scene?
4 Star Wars: Episode 4 – A New Hope
The Start of a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Saga That Changed Everything
Director |
George Lucas |
Release Date |
May 25, 1977 |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
93% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
96% |
A New Hope (More familiar to some as just Star Wars) may just be the movie that changed cinema forever, by showcasing to audiences of children and adults just what a blockbuster could be. It was creative, fun, and unique in every layer of visuals, sound, and story. Following a farm boy on Tatooine desperate for an exciting life, Luke Skywalker is thrust into the midst of a war against the evil Empire with a smuggler and a former Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, as they attempt to destroy the dreaded Death Star.

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A New Hope is responsible for unlocking the creativity and joy that cinema could have in many thanks to George Lucas’ worlds, and while by today’s standards, some elements might seem like they have aged poorly, it’s impossible to deny the believability of the characters, the technology, and the pure magic involved.
3 Star Wars: Episode 6 – Return of the Jedi
What Some Consider the True Conclusion to the Skywalker Saga
Director |
Richard Marquand |
Release Date |
March 25, 1983 |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
82% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
94% |
The conclusion to the original trilogy brings forth Luke Skywalker, a Jedi Knight who has completed his training with Yoda and brings forth his wisdom, skill, and optimism to try and save his friends, and the galaxy, and return his father to the Light side of the Force. Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance take to the forest moon of Endor where an alliance with Ewoks could see the Dark Side forever defeated.
Return of the Jedi has many great elements to admire as a finale to George Lucas’ Star Wars series. On top of having one of the most satisfying endings of any saga, Return of the Jedi entertains with its adorable, yet somewhat goofy Ewoks, and captivates with the alluring seduction of power from Emperor Palpatine and his seeming lapdog, Darth Vader.
2 Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith
The Tragic Fall of the Jedi, and the Birth of Darth Vader
Director |
George Lucas |
Release Date |
May 19, 2005 |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
79% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
66% |
One of the most essential viewings of Star Wars involves the final days of the Clone Wars, and how at its end, Darth Sidious reveals himself to a troubled Anakin Skywalker in a bid to seduce him to the Dark Side and save the ones he loves. This tragic fall of a hero causes the ruin of the Jedi, leaving Anakin’s former friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to seek him out and put an end to a tyranny that could rule the galaxy.
Revenge of the Sith is arguably Star Wars at its highest caliber of potential. It’s the most Star Wars in its DNA, with incredibly choreographed lightsaber fights, immense tragedy in the key failings of its characters in their turns and falls, and its ties to Star Wars (1977) to create a six-part story with a clear beginning and end. While some stiff dialogue and bloated scenes come to play, it’s still one that will forever be fondly remembered by fans with grand nostalgia and love for its two central characters: Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker and Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi.
1 Star Wars: Episode 5 – The Empire Strikes Back
A Blistering Romance Woven with Destiny, Defeat, and an Iconic Twist
Director |
Irvin Kershner |
Release Date |
May 21, 1980 |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
95% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
97% |
A return to the Star Wars galaxy after the defeat of the Death Star, the Rebel Alliance hides out in far reaches to avoid the Empire’s expansive grasp. Yet, destiny involves itself with Luke Skywalker who must venture out to find the Jedi Master Yoda, while Han and Leia evade the Empire by venturing to Bespin, yet not all is as it seems as the mechanical breath of Darth Vader lingers ever closer.
There is so much to love about The Empire Strikes Back, and it all starts with the love story that could make anyone’s heart swell. Han Solo and Leia Organa’s organic love blossoms through war and tragedy, and the dialogue remains witty and entrancing. Luke’s own side adventure with his Jedi teachings further expands the concepts of the Jedi and the Force, while leading to one of the best duels in all of Star Wars that further mystify the beauty of this thrilling saga.

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