Ranking All 11 Star Wars Films from Least to Most Favorable

      Here are the existing 11 Star Wars films ranked from least to most favorite, as we anticipate the release of the 12th installment, The Mandalorian & Grogu, this summer.

      Warning: Spoilers ahead, and may the Force always be with you.

      Let's get started.

      But First

      Credit: Disney

      We are passionate about Star Wars. However, part of this passion involves defending our interpretation of it—especially against sequels that feel like mere cash grabs or are unworthy of the franchise's legacy.

      Rogue One serves as a prime example of a project that captures the essence of Star Wars beautifully.

      Below is the ranking of all 11 Star Wars films from worst to best.

      The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

      Disney – Credit: C/O

      Look, we adore Star Wars. Yet, the sequel trilogy, which began with The Force Awakens, often felt like newcomers playing with classics. Although the costumes and starships seemed right, the CGI backdrops could be a bit distracting. The characters, however, felt largely unengaging and poorly developed. One might wonder: What’s the point? Haven’t we concluded the Skywalker saga?

      The Rise of Skywalker felt particularly desperate within the sequel trilogy, as it (spoilers ahead, final caution) brought Emperor Palpatine back without justification and addressed Rey’s parentage (also: who cares?) by revealing he was her grandfather.

      We simply didn’t sense the usual enchantment.

      The Force Awakens (2015)

      Disney – Credit: C/O

      An unpleasant film for multiple reasons as mentioned previously, but we have a few more issues: Han Solo was brought back only to be killed by his son, which served no purpose beyond making the whiny Ben Solo/Kylo Ren seem threatening. It’s not actor Adam Driver’s fault that Ren lacked the maliciousness of Darth Vader or the Emperor; he's written as a petulant child.

      The new characters Rey, Poe, and Finn never truly sparked; they just didn’t have enough to do. The film made its biggest misstep by casting Lupita Nyong’o, a captivating Oscar-winning actress, as a forgettable CGI character named Maz Kanata. She deserved to be one of the leads—in person. Regrettably, we included both The Rise of Skywalker and The Force Awakens on our list of Sequels Nobody Needs to See.

      Though, it was great to see the original cast again.

      The Phantom Menace (1999)

      Lucasfilm – Credit: C/O

      We have never experienced a more disheartening movie-going moment than the premiere of The Phantom Menace: odd aliens with stereotypical accents discussing… trade routes? After waiting 16 years since Return of the Jedi and standing in line for a midnight screening… for this?

      There are many flaws in The Phantom Menace—its CGI never matched the remarkable practical effects of the original trilogy, the inclusion of Jar Jar, and the convoluted midichlorian discussions—but there were bright spots as well.

      Natalie Portman excelled as Padme Amidala, Liam Neeson provided a strong performance as Qui-Gon Jinn, and Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi did an impressive job of embodying Sir Alec Guinness while also putting his own spin on the character. Darth Maul, portrayed by Ray Park, was a fantastic villain who vanished all too quickly. More on that later.

      Attack of the Clones (2002)

      Lucasfilm

      It was acceptable. We appreciated the title, and it was exciting to see Jango Fett.

      Once again, Natalie Portman delivered a strong performance—one of the most relatable characters in all Star Wars and the emotional core of the prequels.

      However, we wish her chemistry with Hayden Christensen had been stronger. It wasn’t due to either actor; the dialogue was just awkward at times.

      Revenge of the Sith (2005)

      Lucasfilm – Credit: C/O

      Revenge of the Sith underscored the unfortunate reality that, even at their best, the prequels perhaps should not have been made.

      Similar to iconic villains like Hannibal Lecter and Freddy Krueger, Darth Vader loses some of his intrigue as we learn more about him.

      Nevertheless, 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 hadn't taken three sometimes tedious prequel films to reach this moment.

      The Last Jedi (2017)

      Disney – Credit: C/O

      This film has many critics, but let’s acknowledge writer-director Rian Johnson for taking bold risks.

      Unlike its surrounding films in the sequel trilogy, The Force Awakens and Revenge of the Sith, The Last Jedi ventures into new territory by exploring how everyday people perceive the conflict between Rebels and the Empire (or the Resistance and the First Order