Star Wars: The Best Scene In Every Movie!

Happy Star Wars Day, everyone! Every year on Star Wars Day, I publish an article surrounding this series of films from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. I’ve published fun facts articles in the past, and last year, I wrote a review of season 7 of The Clone Wars.

While the series premiere of The Bad Batch arrived on Disney+ today and I got to see it a few days early, I decided to save my thoughts for a review of season 1. Instead of a review, I’m going to be telling you my favorite scenes from every single one of the Star Wars films in chronological order.

Episode I: The Phantom Menace

One of my least favorite Star Wars movies is The Phantom Menace. Much of the film is a tedious series of trade negotiations, Senate meetings, and unfunny antics with Jar-Jar Binks. But once the movie treads into familiar territory, it becomes infinitely better.

We have Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi taking on Darth Maul, one of the coolest villains in Star Wars. Combined with John Williams’s iconic “Duel of the Fates” score, this scene is the highlight of the movie, giving a well-choreographed fight and a great amount of spectacle.

Episode II: Attack of the Clones

I thought really hard about this, and truthfully, there is no one scene in the movie that stands out as a fantastic scene. The dialogue in the movie is laughable, which is why I decided to go with potentially the most cringeworthy scene in the entire film.

This scene begins with Anakin Skywalker talking to Padmé Amidala about his hatred of sand. The fact that the scene ends with the two of them sharing a kiss is hilarious, given how awkward and stilted it is. While it’s not actually a good scene, it’s certainly the most memorable of the entire film.

I was gonna do the 2008 movie, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but let’s be honest; you don’t remember a thing from that movie, and neither do I. Let’s continue.

Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

It was difficult for me to choose between this scene and the movie's final scene with Obi-Wan giving Luke to Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. But I decided to go with the ending of Obi-Wan and Anakin’s battle on Mustafar. While there are still a few badly written lines, this scene is heartbreaking.

After their years-long friendship elaborated on in The Clone Wars series, it’s sad to see them battle it out after Anakin descends to the Dark Side of the Force. Obi-Wan pleading with Anakin after cutting off his legs is incredibly sad, and it works very well for the film.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

This one was a toss-up between this and Darth Maul’s cameo at the end, but truthfully, I loved everything about the Kessel run scene. The movie is an action-packed adventure filled with thrills, but getting to see Han Solo and Chewie pilot the Millennium Falcon was awesome.

It’s fun, exciting, and I love how it ties into Episode IV when Han references his 12-parsec trip. We have our crew evading TIE fighters, and I’m always ready to watch an action setpiece with the fastest ship in the galaxy.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

This movie has never really been my cup of tea, but I can see the appeal of this standalone story. My favorite scene in this movie is probably everyone’s favorite scene, which is the film's ending where Darth Vader demolishes a hallway of rebels.

It’s the most badass we’ve ever seen Vader, and honestly, the direction of this scene is on point. This is the “oh shit” moment of the movie, and I love the buildup to it. Seeing Princess Leia at the end is the cherry on top.

Episode IV: A New Hope

One of my favorite scenes in cinematic history is the finale of the original Star Wars when the Rebels launch an attack on the Death Star. It’s one of the most exciting sequences in Star Wars history, with the TIE fighters pursuing the X-wings and two opposite sides racing to blow up the other.

It’s exciting, it has a thrilling return from Han and Chewie in the Falcon, and the way Luke was able to get this one-in-a-million shot right at the last second is so satisfying, as he hears the voice of Obi-Wan echoing in his head, saying, “The Force will be with you. Always.” I love every second of this scene.

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

This is a film where we have one amazing scene after another. I love the cave training scene, the scene where Yoda lifts the speeder, and the scene where Han maneuvers his way through an asteroid field. But my favorite part of this film is the most iconic scene in the movie.

After a thrilling lightsaber battle, Luke gets his hand cut off, and Darth Vader reveals the most iconic twist of all time: “No, I am your father.” It’s shocking and emotional as we see our hero leap down after hearing this information. It’s such a famous scene and for a good reason.

Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

This is another Vader/Luke duel that cemented its place as the highlight of the movie. It works because of how different it is from the first, as Luke is truly trying to grasp who he is and avoid falling to the Dark Side. Luke’s anger comes out when Vader threatens his sister, and he cuts off Vader’s hand.

It’s incredible imagery as Luke looks at his own hand and realizes he was about to become his father. He then does the act of a true Jedi, throwing away his weapon and soon after, turning his father back to the light. While I think this is the weakest film in the original trilogy, this scene is one of the best.

Episode VII: The Force Awakens

I love so many of the action setpieces in The Force Awakens, but my favorite one is the final lightsaber battle between Rey and Kylo Ren. The part where Kylo is trying to grab the lightsaber, and it suddenly flies past him to Rey, is one of the most chill-inducing scenes ever.

And I love the rest of the lightsaber battle because we get to see Rey finally tap into herself and use the Force to take down Kylo Ren. It’s an incredible scene that’s very well-choreographed, and I love the aesthetic of this scene as well.

Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

What may be the most polarizing Star Wars film offers some of the most poignant scenes in history; some of the runner-ups included Rey and Kylo fighting the Praetorian guards, Yoda’s lesson, and the Holdo maneuver. But the final act of this movie is everything I want from Star Wars.

The lightsaber battle between Luke and Kylo isn’t about flashy choreography; Luke doesn’t want to fight his nephew; he just wanted to stall him enough so the Resistance could escape. And we have this breathtaking scene where Luke looks upon twin suns again before becoming one with the Force.

Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

One of my most unpopular opinions is that The Rise of Skywalker is one of the better Star Wars films. Most of that is due to the incredibly crowd-pleasing finale, with Rey passing Ben a lightsaber through the Force, Lando’s fleet arriving to help the Resistance, and Rey crossing the Skywalker lightsabers to destroy Palpatine.

But my favorite part of this ending may be the scene where Rey lies on the ground, powerless, and hears the voices of Jedi past, including Anakin, Obi-Wan, Kanan, Ahsoka, Yoda, Mace Windu, and Luke. It brings together all of Star Wars, and it’s the best moment in the entire film, as we get to see Rey rise and take on the Emperor.

And those are my favorite Star Wars scenes! May the 4th be with you!