Star Wars Movies Ranked

7.  The Phantom Menace

The first prequel is arguably the worst of the bunch.  The movie had one of the coolest Star Wars villains of all time in Darth Maul, and the cool aspect of seeing some of our beloved characters from the original as their younger selves.  Yet, Episode I suffered from being overly focused on the younger demographic and strayed away from what made the originals so good.  I could also really do without a quantification of the abstract and mystical force.

6.  Attack of the Clones

The second of the prequels wasn't much better.  Attack of the Clones had some really cool and memorable scenes, like the the battle with the three monsters, Yoda vs. Count Dooku, and Obi Wan vs. Jango Fett.  Still, the story is a little lackluster, and the end had me wanting a little bit more for all the wrong reasons.

5.  The Force Awakens

From here on out the movies are really, really good.  Episode VII kicked off the new trilogy of the Star Wars franchise much better than Episode I.  The introduction of new and intriguing characters like Kylo Ren, Lord Snoke, and Rey gave fresh life to the series, which was much needed.  The only reason that this movie is not higher on the list is because it borrows too heavily from Episode IV, but other than that, it was a tremendous addition to the franchise.  

4.  Return of the Jedi

The finale of the original trilogy was the worst, unfortunately.  Where I was expecting a finish that would build off the successes of the first two and climax in an epic fashion, I was letdown to find out that it is a clear step back.  Even with this, the movie is still an incredible Sci-fi adventure, with a satisfying conclusion to Luke and Vader's story.

3.  A New Hope

The first Star Wars movie was a beautiful introduction the universe we would come to know and love.  The story was completely knew and inventive, and provided viewers with a great story that allowed its characters to truly shine.  I love the relationship between Luke, Han, and Leia, and seeing them grow as characters throughout the movie was great to see.

2.  Revenge of the Sith

This is going to be a wildly unpopular opinion, but this is an opinionated based list for a reason.  Episode III was a fantastic conclusion to the prequels.  This movie made me love the character of Anakin, and broke me down to a pit of despair when his eventual downfall came about.  To see his turn to Vader happen in such a tragic way, with the killing of younglings, his turn on Padme, and most of all, his turn on Obi Wan, was truly heartbreaking.  The action and set pieces in this movie were incredible, but its true strength is in its devotion to its characters.

1.  Empire Strikes Back

The most iconic movie in the Star Wars franchise, and, in my opinion, the best, Episode V was truly a masterpiece.  To look back on this movie and see how many incredible characters and scenes it has makes me wonder how it was able to fit it all in.  The best part of this movie, though, was the moment where the audience and Luke learn that Vader is is father.  This was one of the best twists in movie history, and one that completely changed the course of the franchise for the better.