Star Wars Re-Ranked
Ah, Star Wars, the galaxy far, far away that gave us lightsabers, space wizards, and a multi-billion dollar franchise that somehow manages to be both legendary and laughable, often at the same time. From the mind-blowing highs of cinematic greatness to the kind of lows that make you question if George Lucas put a curse on anyone else who touched his universe, the saga spans movies, shows, and... whatever The Acolyte was supposed to be.
My tastes have changed since my last ranking, and recent releases have allowed me to view older entries in a new light. So, here’s my new re-ranking of every major live-action Star Wars movie and TV show, from the absolute garbage fire at the bottom to the glorious, Force-powered triumph at the top. (Yes, I’ve chosen to ignore the Ewok movies from the ’80s.)
Prepare to disagree.
18. The Acolyte (2024)
It’s not just bad, it’s historically, monumentally terrible. It stars a collection of wooden planks with the emotional range of IKEA furniture. The plot actively spits on established lore like it’s going out of style, all while dragging you through flashy but hollow fight scenes that feel more like interpretive dance than actual combat. It has no moral compass, no character development, and a nonsensical story that accomplishes nothing. If you’re wondering how to waste a big budget in record time, this is your crash course.
17. Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
Rian Johnson took Star Wars and asked, “What if I just broke everything and walked away?” This movie is a masterclass in narrative sabotage. Every bit of momentum built in The Force Awakens is thrown out the airlock. What should’ve been a thrilling middle act turns into a slow, baffling side quest about space horses that amounts to nothing. Even the attempted romance between Finn and Rose feels like someone dared the writers to create the most chemistry-free relationship imaginable. If you like beautifully shot trainwrecks, this is your jam.
16. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
While The Last Jedi took a wrecking ball to the franchise, The Rise of Skywalker tried to sweep up the pieces and duct-tape them into a functioning movie. It didn’t work. The plot is a chaotic sprint filled with deus ex Palpatines, contrived treasure hunts, and enough retcons to make your head spin. Yes, it’s technically the worst Star Wars movie, but it feels more like a victim of the previous film’s mistakes than a villain in its own right. It’s a loud, messy, desperate finale that does everything and accomplishes nothing.
15. The Book of Boba Fett (2021)
This was supposed to be Boba’s time to shine. Instead, he’s upstaged in his own show by The Mandalorian. Multiple episodes forget Boba even exists, and the rest make him look like a confused grandpa trying to manage a gang war during nap time. The show turns into a surprise mini-season of The Mandalorian that feels like a collection of rejected plot threads that didn’t make it into the main series. The plot is flimsier than a stormtrooper’s aim, and the tone shifts so wildly it feels like it was directed by multiple interns working on separate scripts.
14. Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
Ewan McGregor does his absolute best to inject life into this limp excuse of a reunion tour, but even the Force couldn’t save this one. It’s a waste of time; a show that feels like a YouTube fan film with Disney+ money. The writing stumbles through a pointlessly contrived plot where, by the end, nothing has changed and every character ends up right back where they started. The villain, Reva, is introduced with a completely nonsensical character arc. We’re somehow meant to like her by the end, despite her being a genuinely horrible person throughout the show. The lightsaber duels, once a franchise staple, are so sluggish and uninspired they feel like two guys slowly waving glow sticks at each other in the dark.
13. Ahsoka (2023)
Visually cool and full of lore… but not much else. Ahsoka expects you to have encyclopedic knowledge of Clone Wars and Rebels, otherwise, you’re going to be more confused than a stormtrooper in a hedge maze. The fight choreography is insanely stiff, to the point where it looks more like rehearsal footage. The actors are embarrassingly uncoordinated, leaving the real martial artist and seasoned veterans to do most of the work just to make the stars look competent. Thrawn, who should be a master tactician, ends up looking like he’s playing 3D chess with missing pieces. The show’s all style, no soul, and definitely no sense.
12. The Mandalorian (2019–)
What started as a gritty space western slowly turned into a Saturday morning cartoon, with an overreliance on Baby Yoda’s cute face to mask the lack of direction. Season 1 was tight, focused, and fresh. Season 2 was entertaining but started to wobble. Season 3? An aimless mess. The writing started phoning it in, the fight choreography devolved into clunky cosplay combat, and the stakes evaporated faster than a moisture farm on Tatooine.
11. Skeleton Crew (2024)
You know what? Skeleton Crew isn’t bad. It’s got charm, it’s got heart, and it genuinely tries to recapture that lost sense of childlike wonder that Disney has otherwise buried under fan service and mid-tier plotting. It channels The Goonies in space and actually pulls it off, sort of. But here’s the thing: it’s so forgettable that I literally finished writing this entire ranking, double-checked everything, and only then remembered it even existed. That’s the show’s biggest flaw. It doesn’t offend, it doesn’t bore, but it also doesn’t stick. It’s like the background music in a Star Wars ride: fun in the moment, gone from memory five minutes later.
10. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Solo was the movie nobody asked for and, shockingly, it turned out... okay. It mostly just had the misfortune of coming out when Star Wars fatigue was setting in. Alden Ehrenreich had an impossible task trying to fill Harrison Ford’s shoes, but he gave it a good shot. The film moves quickly, features some fun action beats, and never overstays its welcome. It lacks the gravitas of other entries, sure, but at least it doesn’t insult your intelligence.
9. Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
This movie is like a beautiful sculpture made of wet spaghetti. The structure’s there, but everything else is floppy and weird. It’s a story told with all the finesse of a high school drama class. The romance between Anakin and Padmé is cringe gold, full of sand complaints and longing stares. The acting is stiffer than a carbonite slab, and the dialogue is a war crime against screenwriting. But buried beneath the awkwardness is one of the saga’s most essential building blocks, complete with epic world-building, clone warfare, and Yoda doing parkour with a lightsaber. It’s a mess, but at least it’s a plot-relevant mess.
8. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Finally, a Star Wars war movie that actually feels like war. The first half is a bit slow, and the characters are thin, but the final act is pure cinema. The Scarif battle is jaw-dropping, the stakes are real, and the Darth Vader hallway scene is the stuff of legends. It’s the only film where the absence of Jedi actually makes things better. A bold side story that deepens and enriches the original trilogy.
7. Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Yes, it’s a carbon copy of A New Hope. And no, it didn’t answer any of the questions it raised. But it was a promising reintroduction to the universe, delivered with just enough polish and nostalgia to spark joy. Rey, Finn, and Poe had chemistry, Kylo Ren was fascinating, and the pacing was tight. The new characters had potential (RIP to that), and the mystery box hadn’t yet exploded in our faces. For one brief, shining moment, it gave us a renewed sense of hope in the franchise… until the sequel trilogy collapsed in on itself like a dying star.
6. Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
The classic that started it all. But let’s be honest, some of that praise is nostalgia in disguise. It’s a great movie, an all-time classic, but just because something is the original doesn’t mean it’s the best. It’s got charm, it’s got adventure, and it’s got that iconic trench run. But compared to what came after, it’s a great beginning, not the peak.
5. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
This is where things finally come together, the redemption arc the prequels needed. The tone is darker, the stakes are higher, and the fall of Anakin Skywalker, though rushed, hits hard. Obi-Wan shines, Palpatine hams it up to perfection, and the Mustafar duel is absolute fire (pun intended). The dialogue may still be awkward, but at least it’s memorably awkward. “You were the Chosen One!” still slaps.
4. Andor (2022-2024)
No lightsabers. No Jedi. No fan service. Just razor-sharp writing, complex characters, and a slow-burn political thriller about oppression, rebellion, and the cost of fighting fascism. The performances are stellar, and the themes hit way harder than anything else in the franchise. From a controversial implied sexual assault scene to the brilliantly brutal Ghorman Massacre, it dares to go places Disney is usually afraid to touch. It’s a more believable, realistic depiction of what the Star Wars universe might actually be like. No cameos, no pandering, just a mature, grounded take that actually treats the audience like adults. If you’d told me five years ago Andor would be this good, I’d have laughed, and I’d have been wrong.
3. Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
People love to hate on The Phantom Menace, but it’s way better than its reputation. Yes, Jar Jar is annoying, and young Anakin has the acting range of a potato, but it’s ambitious and packed with personality. Podracing remains on humanity's list of “Things to Make Real,” and the Darth Maul fight is iconic. It’s not perfect, but it’s got heart, soul, and double-bladed lightsabers.
2. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
I know this is everybody’s #1. It might’ve even been mine if the first half of the movie wasn’t such a grind. Luke’s time training on Dagobah is boring, Yoda is straight-up annoying, and the mud-and-moss aesthetic gets old fast. Meanwhile, Han and Leia spend the whole time running from the Empire in a weird combination of entertaining but uninteresting. Still, the final act delivers some of the most iconic moments in film history. The cinematography, the emotional weight, the twists, it’s all phenomenal. Near-perfect, just not the most perfect.
1. Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
This is peak Star Wars. From Jabba’s palace to the Battle of Endor, it’s wall-to-wall fun with emotional payoff to match. Vader’s redemption is heartbreaking and beautiful. Luke’s final confrontation with the Emperor is as good as this series gets. The Ewoks were surprisingly not annoying, and the speeder bike chase scene spawned an arcade game that everyone sucked at. Every thread is tied up, every moment pays off. With a perfect finale like this, there was no way the other trilogies were ever going to live up to the god-like status of the original.
