Writer’s Rankings: ‘Star Wars’ Skywalker Saga edition

Arguably nothing that has happened recently can be considered more polarizing than one attempting to rank all 9 “Star Wars” movies, but we’re doing it anyway. Photo from pinterest.com.

“Star Wars” is one of the greatest pop culture and film franchises of all time, spanning over movies, TV shows, books, comics and more. The nine main movies of the Skywalker saga each present their own unique strengths and weaknesses, so why not rank them?

Disclaimer: These are my personal rankings, if yours are different that’s your own opinion. Please don’t attack me.   

9. “Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker” (2019)

“Rise of Skywalker” is easily one of the most controversial “Star Wars” movies and even movies in general from 2019. Upon watching it the first time, I was amazed; I liked the film. As I sat back and thought about what I had watched, my opinions changed. This movie was a mess; the story was confusing, hard to follow and the plot twists felt unorganized and rushed. There were missed opportunities with character development, especially with the rebel Finn, who became a background character by the end. Also, the reprise of Palpatine as the main villain was another confusing and rushed plot line. One great thing that I did get out of this film was the development of Kylo Ren/Ben Solo in the final act. The torment of his character, trying to balance the light and dark within him came to an end in a truly great way. His character was far and away the best of the trilogy and Adam Driver deserves all the respect for bringing Kylo/Ben to life.

8. “Episode I: The Phantom Menace” (1999) 

The first film of the prequel era is disappointing. There is too much talk about space politics to the point that it’s really quite boring to watch at times. Most of the dialogue feels forced and there is nothing truly interesting about the politics of the Galactic Republic. Also, the character Jar Jar Binks is hard to watch. Young Anakin Skywalker is another cringe worthy addition; granted, Jake Lloyd was only 9 years old at the time. Most of the larger scale battles are relatively boring and don’t do much for me. Still, there are a couple of redeeming things about this film, starting with Liam Neeson’s character, Qui Gon Jinn. He’s a black sheep compared to the Jedi who sit on the council. I also really enjoy the entire podracing sequence; it’s an exciting addition to the story and helps build the world of Tatooine. Let’s not forget that the ultimate battle between Sith Lord Darth Maul and Jedis, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui Gon, is one of the best lightsaber fights across the saga. Overall, two scenes in this movie make it memorable, but the rest is very forgettable. 

7. “Episode II: Attack of the Clones” (2002) 

This was one of the first experiences I have ever had with “Star Wars,” but it is not a great movie. The dialogue is painfully forced and everything feels so unnatural, including the scenery. Anakin and his master Obi-Wan’s relationship is quite strange in this film. Every conversation is awkward and filled with passive aggressive energy. The dialogue between Anakin and Padme is honestly some of the worst I have ever heard from a movie. It still makes me cringe after every rewatch. There is some great action however, which brings this up a lot in my ranking. The introduction of the Clone army is cool to see and Count Dooku remains one of my favorite villains in the saga. He harmonizes class and evil in such a way that is so fun to watch. 

6. “Episode VII: The Force Awakens” (2015) 

This movie is still quite good, but it felt extremely lazy. Nearly every scene and moment could be traced from “A New Hope.” It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. This movie is not very memorable for me. I do really enjoy Kylo Ren and Finn as characters in this movie and Han Solo’s death at the hand of his own son was tragic and heartbreaking. The final battle is quite fun as well, but all in all, “The Force Awakens” has never stood out to me as a great film.

5. “Episode VIII: The Last Jedi” (2017)

Now this might be one of the more controversial picks on my list, but I truly do enjoy this movie. It is easily one of the most beautiful in the saga. That being said, the story is hard to follow at times and some things were definitely strange. I am in the minority in many of my opinions on this movie, and liking Luke’s character is one of them. He goes from a legendary Jedi Knight to a pitiful hermit living on a rock in the ocean, yet he dies as a hero in the best way possible. I also loved the continuation of Rey and Kylo’s characters and how they become more connected through the Force. The final battles on Krait and on the massive starship are extremely entertaining to watch. This is not a popular movie in the saga, but I actually enjoy it quite a bit.

4. “Episode IV: A New Hope” (1977)

The one that started it all is one of the greatest movies of all time. This revolutionized the science fiction genre forever. The visuals created by George Lucas still hold up to this day, and the action was like nothing that came before it. This is easily one of the most influential movies ever produced. Each character is incredibly memorable, and there are so many great scenes. Nothing speaks to the legacy of this film more than Darth Vader. The black knight of evil did so much to audiences in 1977 with his 12 minutes of screentime, becoming the most iconic villain of all time.    

3. “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” (2005)

Easily the best movie of the prequel era, “Revenge of The Sith” is the tragic tale of the destruction of the Republic, the Jedi order and Anakin Skywalker. This movie perfectly balances exciting action with great acting. I think Hayden Christensen did a phenomenal job displaying Anakin’s anger, sadness and frustration with his peers in the Jedi order. Not to mention the seemingly endless chemistry between Anakin and Obi-Wan that makes the final battle so heartbreaking to watch. It’s also so entertaining to watch Palpatine act as the puppet master who orchestrates the entire plot to create a new empire to establish and enforce his will across the galaxy.  

2. “Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)
The Empire Strikes Back” might be the best sequel to any film ever. There are so many great things about this film, from the story, character development, plot twist and set design, everything is perfect. This is the movie that made “Star Wars” a successful franchise. The revelation of Darth Vader being Luke’s father shook the world in the 80s and still does today. The first time I watched this movie, I was stunned by the sudden twist. Han’s departure in carbonite is heartbreaking for everyone on screen and the ending sets up “Return of The Jedi” perfectly.

1. “Episode VI: Return of The Jedi” (1983) 

This is another controversial pick, but I stand by this movie. I find myself rewatching “Return of the Jedi” more than any other “Star Wars” movie because I simply love it so much. There is something so satisfying about this movie; every character gets their own ending. Luke succeeds in defeating the dark side and saving his father, Han and Leia become heroes of the Rebellion and the oppression of the Empire is destroyed along with the second Death Star. The final duel between Luke and Vader is one of the best; it’s filled with emotion, great action and, again, the presence of Emperor Palpatine orchestrating it all. The final scene is my favorite part, as we see the galaxy rejoice in one of the most cheerful and powerful sequences in the saga.