All 12 'Star Wars' Movies Ranked From Worst to Best!

After the release of The Rise of Skywalker, I figured that it was time to update my ranking of the Star Wars films. But then, I had to postpone it because I realized there was a certain Star Wars theatrical release that I hadn't seen yet.

It's at the bottom of my list, as expected, but anyways, now that I've watched all twelve Star Wars theatrical releases, I wanted to give you my personal ranking of these films from the worst to the best. This is my opinion; your list may vary greatly.

12. The Clone Wars (2008)

Now, the content of this film was originally intended to be four episodes of The Clone Wars TV series which I recently finished and really love, but after seeing some footage, George Lucas decided to turn four episodes into a theatrically released feature film.

And the results are quite lackluster—this is a poorly paced adventure with a story that clearly wasn't written to be a film. Certain characters appear and disappear for 20-minute intervals, which would make sense in a story arc for a show, but not for a movie.

The animation resembles cardboard, as the characters' mouths move, but their faces don't emote. It's a big, endless battle that fails to be exciting in the slightest, and while it is watchable and the clankers are pretty funny, it doesn't work as a movie, and the conflict with Jabba the Hutt's son is a bit ridiculous.

11. The Phantom Menace (1999)

Our second worst pick is the first Star Wars movie I ever watched. I saw it on cable TV and it was not a great first impression for the Star Wars galaxy. I found this film to be quite dull and bogged down with uninteresting intergalactic politics.

While the duel with Darth Maul is one of the best scenes in the saga, so much of this movie deals with trade routes, peace treaties, and Senate meetings that could not have been more boring–it's a dialogue-heavy film with a story that can't support the film's overabundance of exposition.

Jar-Jar Binks is a character that many have found to be quite annoying, but he doesn't get under my skin too much. In fact, I'd say he was the least bland part of the film given how one-note and emotionless everyone else is in this film.

10. Attack of the Clones (2002)

I found this to be an improvement over its prequel predecessor. It corrects a few of the mistakes of the first by having a bit more action, less Jar-Jar, and less political mumbo-jumbo, but what we get instead is a very cringey, unrealistic romance between Anakin and Padmé.

The dialogue is laughable and Hayden Christensen's performance is a bit uneven. Count Dooku isn't given nearly enough to do in this film, and there is still a large amount of dull conversation scenes that are quite uninteresting.

And while the Battle of Geonosis has its good moments, the lightsaber dueling isn't some of the best we've seen in the series, and overall, it's a passable film with a good amount of issues.

9. Rogue One (2016)

Just to be clear, there is a major lapse in quality between Episode II and Rogue One. This film is considerably better, but you may be curious about why this film is so low on my list when many say it's the best of Disney's Star Wars films.

Put simply, this is a very different look at Star Wars. It's a mature war film with some fantastic cinematography and a wonderful final battle in the third act as we get to see some wonderful scenes with Darth Vader and it ties into A New Hope very well.

But my problem is that the characters were a bit bland and uninteresting. It takes a while for the film to get going and the first and second acts are largely forgettable for me. It's the Star Wars film I've seen the least amount of times largely because I just haven't really felt the need to see it again.

8. Solo (2018)

This is the Star Wars film that ties in the least with the overarching story. It has no references to the Jedi order or the Force and the conflict between the Rebellion and the Empire plays a very minimal part in this film.

But what this film is is an action-packed adventure that gives us a bit of an origin story for Han Solo, whose background was a bit obscured in the original trilogy. We get the chance to learn about him, his past, and how he met certain people.

I had a ton of fun with this film's action sequences and it feels like a Western heist film but set in the world of Star Wars, and that was a pretty nice idea that makes up for how inconsequential this film is to the rest of the Star Wars films.

7. Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Without a doubt, this is the best film in the prequel trilogy. It has a fascinating inner conflict with Anakin that was executed well for the most part.

The film has some very memorable sequences and there is a reduced amount of boring dialogue. It still has its moments of poor dialogue, but overall, this is the film where you could tell George Lucas had wanted to tell this story, and he does so very well.

It's a very watchable film that may not be perfect, but remains a fascinating film to watch and a necessary film for Darth Vader's origins.

6. Return of the Jedi (1983)

Many people adore this film, and I do as well. But when Star Wars has so many films that I love, there are certain films that end up lower than expected.

This was a great conclusion to the original trilogy. It has a sense of unpredictability as we don't know whether Luke will turn to the Dark Side or not, and it gives us the Emperor, a very well-written, iconic villain that made this film even better.

However, the sequence at Jabba's palace feels a bit long and bloated, and the Ewoks took away from the maturity and darkness of its predecessor. It's a film that I really enjoy, and the space battle at the end is fantastic, but it's not a perfect film.

5. The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

The conclusion to the Skywalker saga has had very mixed reactions from critics and audience members have also had their fair share of complex responses, but for me, this is a film that really worked for me.

While I wasn't a fan of certain creative choices made in this film and the way it forgets about ideas set up in its predecessor, it answers a few burning questions and gives us an action-packed roller coaster ride of fan service and joy.

It has one of the best final battles in Star Wars history, and it gives us some great resolutions for its characters. It pays homage to other Star Wars films and brings in a few surprises, and it made me happy when I watched it.

4. The Last Jedi (2017)

Now, this film may be the most divisive film in Star Wars history, and it is the film that I've watched the most number of times (seven, as of now), because it's a movie that I didn't like when I first watched it, but grew to love with each rewatch.

Believe it or not, I'm not being paid by Disney to say this (I'm not nearly famous enough); I'm just a guy who watched this movie and was entranced by its absolutely beautiful cinematography, fantastic action sequences, and some very surprising ideas for the trilogy.

It has a few missteps, as I'm not in love with Canto Bight or Holdo's character, but overall, this was a bold, daring Star Wars film that gave us ideas we hadn't seen before. It was shocking and stunning, John Williams's score is off the charts, and it was one hell of a ride.

3. The Force Awakens (2015)

This is the Star Wars film that may have brought me the most pure joy. While my top two are better in terms of their storytelling, this is the movie that I could watch over and over and never get tired of.

It has well-choreographed lightsaber fights, some very fun space battles, and I love how it introduces us to a bunch of new characters while combining them with the old ones. It's a fast-paced adventure that is effortlessly watchable and fun.

And yes, it is a recycled plot, but honestly, the story still worked in this film, so that fact didn't bother me. I can't help but grin like a child every time I watch this movie.

2. Star Wars (1977)

What we have here is a classic in every single way–the introduction to the Star Wars galaxy, the film that spawned millions of sequels, comic books, and merchandise–is one of my favorite films ever made.

It has some wonderful performances, CGI that still holds up today, and the main characters are characters that I really like watching together. My problem with the sequel trilogy is that Rey, Finn, and Poe don't have too much about them that's interesting and their chemistry isn't clear.

But with Han, Luke, and Leia, we have a crew of people that find each other in this film and have a fun adventure together as they learn about themselves and each other, and the Battle of Yavin is an amazing finale.

And our #1 pick is...

1. The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I just used this joke in my top ten Christmas movies article and IT NEVER GETS OLD! HAHAHAHA!!

No, seriously. F this movie. We're only talking about the theatrical releases so this and the two diseased Ewok movies don't count.

1. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Look, when it comes to sequels, they're usually not as good as the original. But this? This is the best sequel of all time. It's my third favorite movie of all time. It's perfect in virtually every way.

It takes our characters to darker places while still giving us a fun adventure story. Leia and Han have a closer relationship and Luke receives his Jedi training from Yoda in this film. We have some iconic scenes and a shocking twist.

This is a film that breathes everything Star Wars should be–dark, dramatic, funny, energetic, and incredible. I love this movie so much, and it is my favorite Star Wars film.

And that's it! Thanks for reading and may the Force be with you.