Which Star Wars Movie Can Never Be Skipped? 11 Star Wars Films Ranked

After the amazing original Star Wars trilogy of the late 1970s and early 1980s (Episodes IV–VI), George Lucas made a significantly weaker prequel trilogy (Episodes I–III) at the turn of the millennium, but after Disney bought out Lucasfilm studio in 2012 and started creating its own Star Wars films and series, the brand went down the drain.

However, sometimes quality and interesting projects emerge, and given that you can currently watch the entire first season of the ambitious series Andor on Disney+, we decided to help you choose other well-made films from this world.

11. The Rise of the Skywalker – Episode IX

The final part of the Skywalker saga is to be avoided. Here, all attempts at impartiality g out the window. After all, no one can close such a legendary saga and the ultimate expected return of beloved characters (after 40 years!), with so many failed expectations.

These 6 seconds probably perfectly represent people's feelings related to the plot in this picture.

We expected more epic battles with lightsabers, better resolution of storylines and characters, and especially a meaningful ending to the entire saga. What the creators did with Rey and Palpatine was disgustingly cheesy, clichéd, and stupid. The big denouements of this movie seem to have been written by a 10-year-old Mandalorian fan who once heard something about Luke Skywalker.

10. The Last Jedi – Episode VIII

Director Rian Johnson is extremely talented, but this one was a failure. He tried to push the Star Wars brand in a different, original direction, but it did not fall on fertile ground.

Luke Skywalker's character here is a parody of what fans loved about him, they didn't even enjoy the lightsaber fights, and the tragic storyline with Finn and Rose Tico disgusted even the biggest fans of awkward romance. The Last Jedi had some amazing moments, but the concept didn't work for the penultimate part of the saga, and Johnson should have chosen to direct the spin-off instead.

9. The Phantom Menace – Episode I

This is where we're getting into the territory of not bad movies, but still a significant drop in quality compared to the original trilogy. George Lucas expanded the world of Star Wars in an interesting way and the audience could finally enjoy the expanded mythology.

On the other hand, we witnessed some controversial decisions of the characters. Several sequences that captivated us as children, we now perceive (as adults) perceive as unnecessary. But the Duel of the Fates musical score and the fantastic lightsaber showdown at the end make up for it all.

8. Attack of the Clones – Episode II

Hayden Christensen isn't a great actor, but we certainly can't blame him for the trivial script and awkward lines. The second part of the prequel trilogy slightly improved the first film's  shortcomings, but Lucas still couldn't get rid of the annoying Jar-Jar Binks and the overly digital look. Fortunately, the fights of the Jedi Knights are the icing on the cake of the prequel trilogy, and even in this case they saved the shortcomings of the picture.

7. Solo

A painfully underrated, brilliant adventure film directed by Ron Howard and starring a young Alden Ehrenreich, didn't make big money at the box office. It's a shame, as it introduced some great characters and we enjoyed a young Han Solo, although it must be said, no one can replace Harrison Ford in the role.

It's ironic that the best Star Wars movies (since Disney owns the brand) are the spin-offs and the more overlooked titles, because they don't feature Jedi Knights. If you're in the mood for a funny, exciting and action-packed blockbuster, don't hesitate and give Solo a chance.

6. Rogue One

Rogue One is even better. The film runs into some minor problems in the third act, but overall it's a fantastic heist movie with charismatic characters and some original ideas within the Star Wars universe. Suicide Mission, featuring people willing to sacrifice everything to stand up to the Empire, is the best of the new Star Wars movies.

You'll fall in love with heroes, anti-heroes, and villains, and if you've been to the cinema, you've probably felt decent chills during the final minutes. We also highly recommend watching the series Andor, which captures what happened to Cassian Andor 5 years before the events of the film.

5. A New Hope – Episode IV

A timeless classic that transformed the sci-fi genre. George Lucas fulfilled a dream not only for himself, but for millions of people who longed to experience something unimaginable, out of reality and at the same time human in the cinema. Sci-fi, whose computer and practical effects have aged, is still a very high-quality film, even if the fight between Obi-Wan and Vader is not as delicious to watch as it once was.

The meeting of Luke, Leia and Han gave us beautiful lasting memories and a feeling of nostalgia every time the Star Wars sound is heard. Plus, creator George Lucas created one of the most iconic, if not the most iconic movie villain - Darth Vader.

4. The Force Awakens – Episode VII

The aforementioned feeling of nostalgia is why Episode VII ranks so high. The announcement of new Star Wars movies came like a bolt from the sky and we couldn't believe it was really happening, for a long time. The chilling first teaser made every fan at the edge of their seat and even though director JJ Abrams practically copied Episode IV - A New Hope, we had a lot of fun.

The creators managed to create completely new characters that we fell in love with, we got a fantastic and very raw fight with lightsabers, beautiful visuals and several heartbreaking moments.

Counting down the days until the premiere and then humming the theme song on the way to the cinema is one of the most memorable moments in the life of a Star Wars fan. 

3. Return of the Jedi – Episode VI

The liberation of Han, the final meeting of Luke with his father, the delivery of the main message of the entire saga and the emotional end of Darth Vader moved us all. Return of the Jedi is a great, if at times naive, conclusion to a magnificent sci-fi saga.

The lightsaber fights, computer tricks were greatly improved and we also enjoyed Princess Leia in her iconic costume. Leia was our childhood sweetheart and we were pleased that she also showed her really tough side in the last part.

2. Revenge of the Sith – Episode III

Many viewers would argue that Episode III is not as good as the original trilogy. But some of us absorbed Star Wars first with the prequel trilogy. In our teenage eyes, watching Anakin fight with Obi-Wan was an extremely exciting and visually captivating experience.

People often criticize the prequel trilogy, and sometimes it's unjustified. Episode III is a great movie that benefited from several quality storylines of the previous two episodes. The transformation of Anakin into the monster Vader and the start of Order 66 perfectly connected the character of little Anakin with Vader.

Plus Ewan McGregor and Samuel L. Jackson are absolutely amazing here. Actors and some technical categories simply fell behind in older films.

1. Empire Strikes Back – Episode V

Few expected that the sequel of the episode A New Hope would have such a depressing and sad undertone. The creators chose a bold path and prepared several huge surprises. We also saw an exciting meeting between Luke and Vader and a "million" witty quips from Han Solo, Lando and co.

The opening of the film on the snow-covered planet Hoth is also memorable. Empire Strikes Back is the perfect sequel, focusing on fate, suspense and the telling of powerful themes in the Skywalker family saga.

Series

We also recommend watching the animated series Bad Batch, Clone Wars (especially the series of the same name by Genndy Tartakovsky) and Rebels. Then watch the last part of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series (feel free to skip the first five, as it is at best a weak average).

The Mandalorian is an enjoyable, fun, if mediocre, one-liner with likeable characters. Skip the Book of Boba Fett, but take a look at Andor. This ambitious and dramatic spy thriller, is something we have not seen before in the world of Star Wars.