Ranking All 11 Star Wars Movies from Least to Most Favorable

      Here’s a ranking of all 11 Star Wars films from worst to best. Spoilers ahead.

      **The Rise of Skywalker (2019)**

      We have a strong fondness for Star Wars, but the sequel trilogy that began with The Force Awakens sometimes felt like new players toying with old favorites. Although the costumes and spaceships appeared authentic, the CGI backgrounds were somewhat distracting. Unfortunately, the characters seemed flat or underdeveloped, prompting the question: Why are we here? Hasn’t the Skywalker saga already been told?

      The Rise of Skywalker seemed to be the most desperate entry in the sequel trilogy, bringing Emperor Palpatine back for no real reason and resolving the mystery of Rey’s parentage (which was met with indifference) by revealing him as her grandfather.

      The usual magic just wasn’t present.

      **The Force Awakens (2015)**

      While not particularly pleasing for the reasons mentioned, we have additional concerns: the film resurrected Han Solo only for his son to kill him, which served no purpose beyond making the whiny Ben Solo/Kylo Ren appear threatening. It’s not Adam Driver’s fault that Ren lacks the malevolence of Darth Vader or the Emperor; he’s simply written as a brat.

      The new central figures—Rey, Poe, and Finn—failed to leave a lasting impression as they didn’t have enough substance. Additionally, casting the talented Lupita Nyong’o, an Oscar-winning actress, as the forgettable CGI character Maz Kanata was a major misstep; she should have played a lead role in her human form. We regretfully placed both The Rise of Skywalker and The Force Awakens on our list of sequels that are unnecessary to see.

      At least it was nice to see the original stars return.

      **The Phantom Menace (1999)**

      Our experience during the premiere of The Phantom Menace was perhaps the most disappointing of all time: Odd aliens with stereotypical accents discussing… trade routes? After a 16-year wait since Return of the Jedi, we queued for a midnight screening… for this?

      There were other issues with The Phantom Menace — its CGI never matched the practical effects of the original trilogy, Jar Jar was grating, and the midichlorians subplot was confusing and unnecessary — but there were some positives.

      Natalie Portman excelled as Padmé Amidala, Liam Neeson was a solid presence as Qui-Gon Jinn, and Ewan McGregor did a remarkable job channeling Sir Alec Guinness while establishing his individuality as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Darth Maul, portrayed by Ray Park, was an outstanding villain who faded away too quickly.

      **Attack of the Clones (2002)**

      This film was acceptable. We liked the title and enjoyed meeting Jango Fett.

      Natalie Portman delivered another strong performance, embodying one of the most sympathetic characters in the franchise, serving as the heart of the prequels.

      **Revenge of the Sith (2005)**

      Revenge of the Sith reinforced the unfortunate realization that, even at their best, the prequels perhaps should never have been made.

      Like many iconic movie villains, including Hannibal Lecter and Freddy Krueger, Darth Vader becomes less compelling the more details are revealed about him.

      Nonetheless, Vader remains one of the coolest aspects of the Star Wars universe, and it was exciting to see him again, 22 years after his death in Return of the Jedi. We just wish it didn’t take three occasionally tedious prequel films to arrive at this conclusion.

      **Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)**

      This film feels unnecessary, primarily aimed at profit: it doesn’t significantly enhance Han Solo's legend and instead elaborates on stories sufficiently addressed through brief mentions in the original trilogy. Knowing the Millennium Falcon made the Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs is somehow cooler than watching it unfold.

      However, Solo doesn’t tarnish the Star Wars legacy: Alden Ehrenreich did well in stepping into Harrison Ford’s shoes as the iconic smuggler, and the film introduced enough novel elements to maintain a fresh feel. Although it was enjoyable to watch once, we don’t desire to see it again.

      We do lament that it resurrected the most underutilized character from the prequels, Darth Maul, just to assign him a cameo role. We hope he makes a more significant return.

      **The Last Jedi (2017)**

      Kudos to writer-director Rian Johnson for taking significant risks.

      Rather than repeating themes explored in The Force Awakens or Revenge of the Sith, The Last Jedi attempts to explore how ordinary beings perceive the conflict between the Rebels and the Empire (or the Resistance and the First Order, as the newer films rebrand them).

      It’s a solid film, showcasing Poe’s best moments in the new trilogy. It was also great to see Mark Hamill shine again as Luke