Star Wars is one of the most successful franchises in cinema history, capturing a perfect combination of a dedicated fanbase with popular appeal and box office domination. Since its first appearance in 1977, the franchise has been a constant source of inspiration to millions.
Over the years, the story has been expanded with prequels, sequels and spin-offs. Each new entry brings something new to the franchise, and often hold a special place in fans' hearts with their timeless appeal and universal messages of hope, friendship, and bravery.
15 Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Letterboxd Score 2.4/5
The final movie of the sequel trilogy, and the latest Star Wars movie so far, The Rise of Skywalker had something of a troubled time on its release. Closing out the story of Rey and her rise as a powerful Jedi in her own right who could overcome Palpatine and free the galaxy from the rule of the First Order.
The sequel movies all had a rough time, with older fans disliking the decision to change characters like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, and struggling to accept new additions like Rey, Finn and Poe as their replacements. The trilogy also suffered from a lack of overall creative direction, changing tone with each entry. The reception to this movie was enough to put Disney off making any new Star Wars films, choosing to focus on live-action shows like The Mandalorian instead.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
PG-13 Sci-FiActionAdventureFantasy- Release Date
- December 20, 2019
- Director
- J.J. Abrams
- Cast
- Daisy Ridley , John Boyega , Oscar Isaac , Adam Driver , Carrie Fisher , Mark Hamill , Anthony Daniels , Naomi Ackie
- Runtime
- 141 minutes
14 Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Letterboxd Score 2.8/5
Star Wars television really took off with The Clone Wars animated series. It was the first real attempt to make a show that matched up to the movies in vision and style, and has become one of the most popular pieces of Star Wars media.
To kick of the series, an animated movie was released in theaters, following the Jedi and Republic forces as they try to get the Hutts on their side, allowing them access to important hyperspace lanes. It's essentially a four-episode arc spliced together with a few cinematic shots added and feels a lot like the show, providing a good set up and introducing important characters like Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
PGScience FictionAnimationActionAdventureSet between "Episode II" and "Episode III" of the Star Wars saga, the animated film serves as the introduction to the subsequent TV series, showcasing the expansive Clone Wars. The story follows Jedi Knights as they lead the Galactic Republic's newly formed clone army in a fight against the Separatist forces, highlighting the adventures of Anakin Skywalker, his Padawan Ahsoka Tano, and their allies during this tumultuous period.
- Release Date
- August 15, 2008
- Director
- Dave Filoni
- Cast
- Matt Lanter , Ashley Eckstein , james arnold taylor , Catherine Taber , Tom Kane , Dee Bradley Baker , ian abercrombie , Christopher Lee
- Runtime
- 98 Minutes
13 Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Letterboxd Score 2.8/5
Set ten years after The Phantom Menace, Anakin is now a Jedi padawan and is assigned to protect Padme after an attempt on her life, leading to the two falling in love as they spend time together on Naboo.
This wasn't a popular movie on its release, with criticism falling on its writing, in particular the awkward love affair between Padme and Anakin which had become a source of endless memes on account of the pair's unnatural dialogue. The visuals were also held up to scrutiny, as they pushed the limits of what was possible with CGI at the time, sometimes falling short of the target as a result.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
PGActionAdventureFantasy Sci-Fi- Release Date
- May 16, 2002
- Director
- George Lucas
- Cast
- Ewan McGregor , Natalie Portman , Hayden Christensen , Christopher Lee , Samuel L. Jackson , Frank Oz
- Runtime
- 142 minutes
12
11 Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Letterboxd Score 2.8/5
More than fifteen years after the original movies, Star Wars returned to cinemas with a new trilogy that introduced a new cast of characters, a new era, and showed where the Skywalker Saga began. The first movie released was The Phantom Menace in 1999, which recieved a great deal of praise and criticism in equal measure.
Visual effects had advanced since the original movies, meaning George Lucas was given more freedom to create the film exactly as he wanted it, and he also took over full writing and directing duties. This gave him a chance to experiment with new ideas, creating a more political plot and inserting characters like Jar Jar Binks which put off more traditional Star Wars fans who disliked the changes in style.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
PG Sci-FiActionAdventure- Release Date
- May 19, 1999
- Director
- George Lucas
- Cast
- Liam Neeson , Ewan McGregor , Natalie Portman , Jake Lloyd , Ian McDiarmid , Pernilla August , Oliver Ford Davies , Ahmed Best
- Runtime
- 136 minutes
10
9 Solo: A Star Wars Story
Letterboxd Score 2.9/5
After acquiring the rights to Star Wars, Disney set about expanding the franchise with a series of new movies and shows. The greater resources available to the studio allowed them to experiment with projects that would have never been made otherwise, including spin-offs like Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Despite being the origin story of a hugely popular character, the movie performed badly at the box office, losing a huge amount for Disney. It's an enjoyable movie on its own merit, but came at a bad time for Star Wars, with fans tyring of the franchise after the divisive nature of The Last Jedi released a year earlier.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
PG-13 Sci-FiActionAdventure- Release Date
- May 25, 2018
- Director
- Ron Howard
- Cast
- Alden Ehrenreich , Woody Harrelson , Emilia Clarke , Donald Glover , Joonas Suotamo , Thandiwe Newton
- Runtime
- 135 minutes
8 Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Letterboxd Score 3.0/5
Picking up soon after the events of The Force Awakens, the second installment of the sequel trilogy focused on Rey trying to convince Luke Skywalker to join the fight against the First Order. This quickly became a huge controversy as fans hated the depiction of Luke as a cynical failure, rather than the symbol of hope and optimism he used to be.
Other complaints centered on the way it deviated from the story set up in The Force Awakens, its treatment of Finn and Poe, and new characters like Admiral Holdo and Rose Tico. All this led to the film becoming a divisive entry that still polarizes fans years later.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
PG-13 Sci-FiActionAdventureFantasy- Release Date
- December 15, 2017
- Director
- Rian Johnson
- Cast
- Daisy Ridley , John Boyega , Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , Adam Driver , Oscar Isaac , Andy Serkis , Lupita Nyong'O
- Runtime
- 152 minutes
7
6 Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Letterboxd Score 3.3/5
In 2015, Disney released its first Star Wars film, starting off a new trilogy set thirty years after Return of the Jedi. Like any serious change to a franchise, initial reactions from fans were mixed, but it was a huge success financially, bringing in more than two billion dollars at the box office.
The film introduced a host of new characters, like Rey and Finn, while bringing back the original cast, of Han and Leia, and Chewbacca. It established a brand-new era for the franchise, dealing with the rise of a new threat known as the First Order, which continues today with shows like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka building up to this time period.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
PG-13 Sci-FiActionAdventure- Release Date
- December 18, 2015
- Director
- J.J. Abrams
- Cast
- Daisy Ridley , John Boyega , Oscar Isaac , Domhnall Gleeson , Harrison Ford , Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , Adam Driver
- Runtime
- 138 minutes
5 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Letterboxd Score 3.7/5
Set directly before the events of A New Hope, Rogue One follows a small group of rebels who are desperately trying to steal the plans for the newly completed Death Star, hoping they can find a way to destroy the Empire's new super weapon.
It's the highest rated Star Wars movie released by Disney, and also the first not to include any member of the Skywalker family in a prominent role. Fans took to its darker, more realistic style, which didn't hide away from the realities of armed conflict. It also led to a prequel show, Andor, on Disney Plus, which follows this movie's protagonist before he joins the Rebellion.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
PG-13 Sci-FiActionAdventure- Release Date
- December 16, 2016
- Director
- Gareth Edwards
- Cast
- Felicity Jones , Diego Luna , Alan Tudyk , Donnie Yen , Wen Jiang , Ben Mendelsohn , Guy Henry , Forest Whitaker
- Runtime
- 133 minutes
4 Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Letterboxd Score 3.8/5
Bringing the prequel trilogy to a conclusion, Revenge of the Sith closed off the Skywalker Saga up to that point, showing Anakin's fall to the Dark Side and rebirth as Darth Vader, the formation of the Empire, and the destruction of the Jedi with Order 66.
Despite all the criticisms of the prequels, with their bad dialogue and overdone effects, Revenge of the Sith is generally considered to be one of the best Star Wars movies. It's a heavier and more emotional watch, dealing with the deaths of popular characters like Padme and Mace Windu, and showing the galaxy fall under an evil terror that would rule for the next quarter of a century.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
PG-13 Sci-FiActionAdventureFantasy- Release Date
- May 17, 2005
- Director
- George Lucas
- Cast
- Ewan McGregor , Natalie Portman , Hayden Christensen , Ian McDiarmid , Samuel L. Jackson , Jimmy Smits
- Runtime
- 140 minutes
3 Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Letterboxd Score 4.0/5
The original trilogy holds a special place in Star Wars fan's hearts. For many, it was where their experience with the franchise first began. Return of the Jedi is the perfect close to the trilogy, filled with classic moments, like the fight on Jabba's sail barge, the destruction of the second Death Star, and Vader redeeming himself by killing Palpatine to save his son Luke.
It's also where we first got to see some of Star Wars' most controversial creatures, the Ewoks. Many fans thought of them as teddy bears which would stand no chance against the Imperial forces in the final act. Over time, though, most have come to accept them as just another quirky part of a galaxy far, far away.
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
PG Sci-FiActionAdventureFantasy- Release Date
- May 25, 1983
- Director
- Richard Marquand
- Cast
- Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Billy Dee Williams , Anthony Daniels , Peter Mayhew
- Runtime
- 131 minutes
2 Episode IV: A New Hope
Letterboxd Score 4.2/5
The place where it all began in 1977, with the classic story of Luke Skywalker, a farm boy from Tatooine who teams up with Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi and smuggler Han Solo to rescue Princess Leia and save the galaxy from a horrifying superweapon.
There are so many moments in this that can only be described as iconic, and it really changed cinema forever, bringing a new look and feel to the sci-fi genre that moved away from the clinical cleanness of shows like Star Trek, presenting a more realistic idea of another galaxy, filled with crime, hardship, and bravery.
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
PGActionAdventureFantasy Sci-Fi- Release Date
- May 25, 1977
- Director
- George Lucas
- Cast
- Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Peter Cushing , Alec Guinness , Anthony Daniels
- Runtime
- 121 minutes
1 Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Letterboxd Score 4.4/5
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Making a good sequel to one of the most popular movies ever is no easy task, but making a sequel that's even better than the original is almost impossible. Nevertheless, that's what Star Wars did in 1980, with The Empire Strikes Back. Set a few years after A New Hope, the conflict between the Rebellion and Empire has increased after the Death Star's destruction, leading to the rebels constantly running to stay ahead of Vader.
The movie is darker than its predecessor, moving away from its hopeful, optimistic tone. Here, the Imperial forces constantly getting the upper hand over the rebels, resulting in Han Solo being frozen and leaving his fate uncertain. It also features one of the most shocking reveals in movie history, that Darth Vader is actually Luke's father, a device that has often been repeated but never bettered.
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
PG Sci-FiActionAdventureFantasy- Release Date
- June 18, 1980
- Director
- Irvin Kershner
- Cast
- Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Billy Dee Williams , Anthony Daniels , David Prowse , Kenny Baker , Peter Mayhew , Frank Oz
- Runtime
- 124 minutes
NEXT:15 Unforgettable 'Star Wars' Quotes That Define the Saga
