Ranking All 11 Star Wars Films from Least to Most Impressive

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

      Be warned that spoilers are included, and may the force be with you, always.

      Let's begin.

      But First

      Credit: Disney

      Our love for Star Wars is immense. However, part of that love involves championing and defending personal interpretations of Star Wars while also critiquing versions of the saga that come off as cash grabs or fail to honor the legacy.

      Rogue One, mentioned above, serves as an excellent example of a project that encapsulates the best elements of Star Wars.

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

      The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

      Disney – Credit: C/O

      We truly enjoy Star Wars. Yet, the sequel trilogy that commenced with The Force Awakens sometimes felt like newcomers playing with classic toys. While the costumes and spaceships appeared correct, the CGI backgrounds were a bit off-putting. Unfortunately, the characters lacked depth or development, prompting the question: Why are we here? Hasn’t the Skywalker saga been fully explored?

      The Rise of Skywalker seemed the most desperate entry in the sequel trilogy, as it (spoiler alert, final warning) resurrected Emperor Palpatine for no particular reason and resolved the mystery of Rey’s lineage (and honestly, who cares?) by revealing that he was her grandfather.

      The usual magic simply didn’t resonate with us.

      The Force Awakens (2015)

      Disney – Credit: C/O

      An unsatisfying film for numerous reasons already mentioned, plus some additional complaints: The film resurrected Han Solo only to have his son kill him, which served little purpose other than to position the whiny Ben Solo/Kylo Ren as a legitimate threat. This is not actor Adam Driver’s fault; Ren was just written as a spoiled brat.

      New characters Rey, Poe, and Finn never made a significant impact — they were simply underutilized. The film’s biggest misstep was casting Lupita Nyong’o, an award-winning and magnetic actress, as a forgettable CGI character named Maz Kanata. She should have been a leading character — in human form. Both The Rise of Skywalker and The Force Awakens regrettably made our list of Sequels Nobody Needs to See.

      On a positive note, it was lovely to see the original cast return.

      The Phantom Menace (1999)

      Lucasfilm – Credit: C/O

      We’ve never experienced a more disappointing movie theater moment than the premiere of The Phantom Menace: strange aliens with stereotypical accents discussing… trade routes? After waiting 16 years since Return of the Jedi and lining up for a midnight screening… for this?

      The Phantom Menace had its fair share of negatives — the CGI was never as impressive as the practical effects of the original trilogy, and Jar Jar along with the pointless midichlorian dialogue were missteps — yet some positive elements existed.

      Natalie Portman shone as Padmé Amidala, Liam Neeson brought stability as Qui-Gon Jinn, and Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi effectively channeled Sir Alec Guinness while establishing his own identity. Darth Maul, portrayed by Ray Park, was a wonderful antagonist who vanished far too quickly.

      Attack of the Clones (2002)

      Lucasfilm

      This film was adequate. We appreciated the title, and meeting Jango Fett was intriguing.

      Once again, Natalie Portman excelled — she is one of the most relatable characters in all of Star Wars and served as the emotional core of the prequels.

      We wish her chemistry with Hayden Christensen had been stronger. Neither actor is at fault; their dialogue simply lacked finesse.

      Revenge of the Sith (2005)

      Lucasfilm – Credit: C/O

      Revenge of the Sith underscored the unfortunate realization that, even at their best, the prequels probably never should have been created.

      Like other famous movie villains such as Hannibal Lecter and Freddy Krueger, Darth Vader loses some intrigue the more we learn about him.

      Nonetheless, Vader remains one of the coolest figures in the Star Wars universe, and it was thrilling to see him again, 22 years after his demise in Return of the Jedi. We just wish it hadn’t taken three sometimes tedious prequel films to arrive at this point.

      The Last Jedi (2017)

      Disney – Credit: C/O

      This film has many critics, but we must commend writer-director Rian Johnson for taking bold risks.

      Unlike its predecessor The Force Awakens and successor Revenge of the Sith, The Last Jedi explores how ordinary beings perceive the conflict between the Rebels and the Empire (or Resistance and First Order in the new films).

      It’s commendable. It’s the highlight for Poe in the new trilogy. Additionally,