Saga The Definitive Thread to Rank All Star Wars Films (in terms of Your Favorite), TPM to TROS

During my last re-watch, I would rank them like this:

1. RotJ
2. RotS
3. ESB
4. ANH
5. R1
6. AotC
7. TPM
8. Solo
9. TFA
10. RoS
11. TLJ

This isn't a new definitive list, but is just based on how much I enjoyed each film this time around. I'm surprised how much I enjoyed RotJ this time around and I realized that I could make a strong case for RotS being my favourite of all of them. TPM and AotC seem to be destined to always be paired together in my rankings. I didn't re-watch the ST during my re-watch, but TFA has aged the best in my mind, even though I enjoyed RoS the most in theatres.

 

I’m glad you’ve mentioned that. It’s a weird one because I still absolutely love A New Hope. Id rank all of the films apart from Solo, 7, 8 and 9 above an 8.5/10 so it’s not that I dislike it.

My biggest issue with ANH is that when I’m doing a full rewatch, it does suffer a bit when you’ve watched TPM, AOTC and then in particular TCW, ROTS, Rebels and R1 back to back. There’s so many emotionally charged moments at the end of TCW, throughout ROTS, the final season of Rebels and then the end of R1 is just pure action. The first half an hour of ANH suffers a bit for me personally.

If I just watch ANH on it’s own then that issue isn’t there, but I do tend to only watch the saga in one big loop

 

I think for me, ANH lapses after the emotional, climatic, action that is in ROTS. It is just a slower film, especially in the beginning, and it's sort of a "reset" into a simpler and different, yet connected, story in comparison to the politically-charged, operatic PT.

Plus, since ANH was made before the Skywalker family soap opera dynamics (which I really enjoy about the Skywalker story), everything feels ambiguous about Luke and Vader's relationship in comparison to other films that are explicit about the father/son story.

 

That of course is true. And this is one of the reasons why I prefer to watch the Saga (for me the 6 Lucas movies) in the order they were made.

 

Well, I can only speak for my own list but for me it's less "ANH is bad" and more "some of the stuff we've had since is better."

 

My current ranking of the films, but I haven't seen some of them for years.

1.) Revenge Of The Sith
The movie is still the same masterpiece that it was when I first saw it. One thing I love about Episode III is its editing. There are so many brilliant sequences: the opening, the ending, Order 66, birth of Vader and the twins, Palpatine's declaration of the Empire intercut with Anakin wiping out the Separatists, the intercutting between the Vader/Obi-Wan and Palpatine/Yoda duel. That's so well done and what's remarkable: There are numerous parts in ROTS that scream for more screentime, but Lucas kept the movie cut tight. And it works. It's effective and one hell of a ride.

2.) A New Hope
Mostly for the much slower pace. After the operativ grandeur of ROTS, ANH works very well as a small break to get things into perspective again. One thing I like about watching ANH straight after ROTS is that the droids guiding us through this movie works even better now with Episode I - III than when the movie was made. They are the only familiar faces and they introduce us to the new state of galaxy and the new characters. That alone justifies the existence of R2 and 3PO in the Prequels, which has often been questioned.

3.) Attack Of The Clones
Still the most underrated of all the films and in my opinion the closest Star Wars gets to being a "character study". Anakin is such a complex character in this one and the story is definitely captivating. It is also probably the greatest achievement in terms of world buiding. Love the experimental sides to it, like the Anakin/Dooku dual being similiar to dance.

4.) The Phantom Menace
Well made movie for all ages. There is nothing that really bugs me about this one, but the other three have just higher heights. Love the "family scenes" with Qui-Gon, Shmi and Anakin. The Qui-Gon/Shmi relationship is noticeably adult and nuanced.

5.) The Empire Strikes Back
Bespin is the best action sequence in the OT for me. Love Luke's training and Yoda's introduction. I'm just not into the Han and Leia "romance" and Hoth drags quite a bit.

6.) Return Of The Jedi
The Jabba scenes are really hard for me to sit through. Han and Leia are pretty much wasted characters. What saves the movie is Luke and his scenes with Vader and the Emperor. The celebration in the end is a wonderful conclusion to the Lucas Saga.

7.) The Force Awakens
Definitely entertaining in a shallow kind of way. Flat characters, a repetitive storyline and I still can't forget about all the anti-prequel propaganda surrounding the release of this film.

8.) The Last Jedi
Definitely more ambitious than TFA, trying to find its own identity - which I think it did. I just stopped to care. I stopped to care about the characters that hadn't even yet won over me by TFA. I stopped to care about the story which lacked focus. I stopped to care about the franchise.

9.) The Rise Of Skywalker
Don't want to say too much. This is a bad movie, in my opinion. Just bad. I don't want to bash, so that's it.

 

At the moment, I’d say my ranking is:

1. Return of the Jedi
2. The Empire Strikes Back
3. The Last Jedi
4. A New Hope
5. The Force Awakens
6. Revenge of the Sith
7. The Rise of Skywalker
8. Rogue One
9. The Phantom Menace
10. Attack of the Clones
11. Solo

I know A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back are objectively better films than Return of the Jedi, I enjoy the latter a tiny bit more. I also go back and forth between Revenge of the Sith and The Rise of Skywalker because I think Revenge of the Sith is undoubtedly the better film, but I’m more emotionally invested in the sequels and those characters, and enjoyed a lot of the specific scenes in The Rise of Skywalker (like the Rey and Kylo sequences and all of Leia’s scenes) significantly more than a lot of the stuff in Revenge of the Sith.

To be honest, there really is not a single bad film on this list, though. I love them all so much. It’s really hard to rank them.

 

I’ve been thinking about it.


While TROS in my opinion hurts the Lucas saga’s purpose with the Palpatine family having it’s legacy redeemed at the expense of the Skywalkers, it is also the most entertaining of the ST. If I separate Lucas canon from Disney canon, it’s got the most visually imaginative and exciting scenes.


So while I’m still not a fan, I’ll put TROS above TFA, which is still above TLJ.


ROTJ
ANH
ROTS
TESB
TPM
AOTC
Solo
RO
TROS
TFA
TLJ

 

No they weren't bad at all and even though the movie feels dated now, I think it still holds up. This movie is amazing anyone who ranks it low is really missing out in my opinion. I think it ranks low because compared to all the other films it is probably the slowest with the least amount of action. Movies are so in-your-face these days. To me ANH is perfection. (except for that awful added Jabba scene!)

 

1. Star Wars/ANH
2 ESB
3. R1
4 TFA
5 ROTS
6. TROS
7. AOTC
8. ROTJ
9.TPM
10. SOLO
11 TLJ

I love of them all as films but if I am want to watch a film this is the order first to last I would watch .
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Long overdue for a complete re-watch of the saga, but right now I would go with something like this..

1. ESB
2. ANH

3. ROTS
4. ROTJ
5. TLJ
6. TFA

7. TPM

8. AOTC
9. TROS

 

1. TESB
2. TLJ
3. ROTJ
4. ANH
5. ROTS
6. TROS
7. TPM
8. AOTC
9. TFA

1. RO
2. Solo
3. TCW

1. Mandalorian
2. Clone Wars
3. Rebels
4. Resistance

 

1. A New Hope/Revenge Of The Sith (tie)
2. Return Of The Jedi
3. The Last Jedi
4. Rogue One
5. Attack of the Clones
6. The Empire Strikes Back
7. Solo
8. The Phantom Menace
9. The Rise of Skywalker
10. The Force Awakens

 

1. Episode I and III
2. Episode IV
3. Episode V
4. Rogue One
5. Episode II
6. Episode VI
7. Episode IX
8. Episode VII
9. Episode VIII

 

I like going back to see how my rankings have changed over time, and how I view each movie is fluid and always changing. I did a complete re-watch of our wonderful saga, and here's my new rankings: The top 4 are still locked in, but they've all gotten closer to each other that after Empire, two through four are pretty interchangeable. And here's where it gets a little foggy. TPM kept me engaged, but ROTS fell flat for me. TFA felt less and less like it was part of the saga on the whole, and TROS was entertaining. ROTJ was slow and un-engaging until the third act. Solo was still solid as always. The middle four movies are pretty interchangeable and will always depend on my mood. The next two just didn't hit like they used to, and as usual, AOTC brings up the rear. It's becoming more and more difficult to watch. It feels like 2 hours of filler.

1) ESB
2-4) TLJ
2-4) RO
2-4) ANH
5-8) Solo
5-8) TPM
5-8) ROTJ
5-8) TROS
9-10) ROTS
9-10) TFA
11) AOTC

 

1 - ESB
2 - ROTS
3 - ANH
4 - RO
5 - ATOC
6 - ROTJ
7 - TPM
8 - SOLO
9 - TFA
10 - TROS
11 - TLJ
12 - TCW

 

After finishing an episode-order Skywalker saga marathon with my girlfriend, here’s both of our rankings for I-IX. For context, while I am obsessed with Star Wars (in a completely normal, healthy way) she has passively enjoyed it, but gained a much greater appreciation for it and engaged more heavily during this marathon. I also enjoyed the prequels the most since I was a kid this way. I now swear by episode-order after years of being a release-order purist.

Mine:

1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. A New Hope
3. The Last Jedi
4. The Force Awakens
5. Return of the Jedi
6. The Rise of Skywalker
7. The Phantom Menace
8. Revenge of the Sith
9. Attack of the Clones

Hers:

1. The Last Jedi
2. The Empire Strikes Back
3. Return of the Jedi
4. The Rise of Skywalker
5. The Force Awakens
6. Attack of the Clones
7. The Phantom Menace
8. A New Hope
9. Revenge of the Sith

 

really interesting lists
i feel guilty sometimes that Rogue one is now my fave when its not an episode

 

1. Return of the Jedi
2. A New Hope
3. The Last Jedi
4. The Empire Strikes Back
5. Revenge of the Sith
Duel of the Fates might have gone here
6. Rogue One
7. The Force Awakens
8. The Phantom Menace
9. Solo
10. Attack of the Clones
11. The Rise of Skywalker

 

1) Return of the Jedi
2) Revenge of the Sith
3) Rogue One
4) A New Hope
5) The Empire Strikes Back
6) The Rise of Skywalker
7) The Force Awakens
8) Attack of the Clones
9) Solo
10) TPM
11) TLJ

 

1. ESB: Coolest new worlds and characters IMO as well as seemingly really deciding where they wanted to go with the franchise. The "reveal" was actually a reveal for me at the time and quite shocking. Nostalgia also plays a huge role as this was right in the prime of my childhood fandom.

2. Revenges of the Sith: Lots to pick apart I suppose but it's the definitive movie of the prequels and I've come to view Star Wars as Anakin's story as much or moreso than Luke's. Pre-suit Vader marching toward the Jedi temple is my all time favorite SWs scene.

3. A New Hope: The movie that started it all and really tough to even have it this far down the list.

4. Attack of the Clones: I think this movie provided us the most in terms of the contemporary understanding of the Star Wars universe. The politics, the backstories, etc.

5. Rogue One: Good movie that did well filling gaps and, of course, that Vader scene. This is the movie that started getting me more interested in the EU.

6. The Rise of Skywalker: This is where the merits become at least it wasn't "insert other movie". To be clear, I enjoy every Star Wars movie and am pretty easy to please overall. I don't get caught up in the plot holes and character development issues as much as most but recycling Palpatine was a let down. I enjoyed the easter eggs and references to the EU though.

7. Solo: What can I say... I didn't hate it like everyone else does. Liked the Enfys Nest and Crimson Dawn story lines and, of course, the return of Maul. I really hope Waititi's move ends up being a sequel to close the loop here.

8. The Force Awakens: Plagiarized A New Hope pretty blatantly but still fun especially given how long we'd waited for a new movie.

9. Revenge of the Jedi: Not really a good movie... hate the Ewoks, but at the time it gave fans the closure they needed. I remember thinking Luke was so bad ass in his all black Jedi suit.

10. The Last Jedi: I don't care how you feel about TFA, just tossing Snoke aside like that was such a bad move. Just a weird movie caught up in trying to be different.

11. The Phantom Menace: Jake Lloyd and Jar Jar. Plus it didn't really connect with the Star Wars universe much for me. Assuming that the plan was always for Padme and Anakin to have a romantic relationship the age difference and her being more of a big sister made the future movies seem kind of awkward.

 

1. ANH
2. ROTS
3. TESB
4. ROTJ
5. TPM
6. AOTC
7.TFA
8. TLJ
9. Solo
10. RO
11. TROS

 

ANH is one of the most dynamic SW films. His entire second hour is almost incessant action. Events there even happen too quickly, especially at the time when the film was shot. Next two films were slower (and they looked more like an episode of the big series).

TPM and AOTC are also pretty slow films, even compared to ANH. They accelerate closer to the final acts.

 

My ranking would probably be

1. ESB
2. ANH
3. ROTJ
4. ROTS
5. RO
6. TFA
7. AOTC
8. TPM
9. Solo
10. TROS
11. TLJ

This doesn't necessarily equate to outright quality as I think TFA and Solo are technically better made films than the Prequels for the most part, but I love the Prequels for their general story arc. The OT will most likely always be untouchable and I just really haven't enjoyed the ST once TLJ came out. TFA gave me a lot of excitement for future films and I don't feel like anything satisfying was delivered after, despite TFA's problems itself.

 

My current ranking of all things Star Wars canon after a re-watch:

1. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (series)
2. The Empire Strikes Back
3. Star Wars
4. The Mandalorian
5. Return of the Jedi
6. Solo: A Star Wars Story
7. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
8. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
9. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
10. Star Wars Rebels
11. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
12. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
13. Star Wars Resistance
14. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
15. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
16. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (film)