When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.
“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.”
But which ones deserve recognition as some of the greatest in the series?
To commemorate the ongoing film series, we count down the 35 greatest moments in Star Wars movie history.
For clarity, we’re sticking to just the theatrically-released movies in the Skywalker Saga.
The Binary Sunset (A New Hope)
Have you ever heard the call to adventure?
“I Am All the Jedi” (The Rise of Skywalker)
Yeah, it’s corny.
And few fans will ever openly admit if they enjoy The Rise of Skywalker.
Plus: Who doesn’t love a good fireworks show?
In 1983, fans accepted Darth Vader lifting up Palpatine and chucking him like a WWE wrestler.
No reason that “more electricity” can’t be a good offense.
(Remember: Yoda is entirely a CG character in this movie.)
But Yoda’s skills prove how size doesn’t matter.
And only Ian McDiarmid can make a meal out of his best line: “Iamthe Senate.”
Now a Jedi apprentice under Obi-Wan, Anakin returns home to Tatooine with his love Padme.
Hoping to reunite with his mother, he learns she’s been kidnapped and enslaved by Tusken raiders.
The Millennium Falcon is back in proper hands, and the spirit of Star Wars is truly restored.
For now, at least.
The Broom Boy (The Last Jedi)
Some fans deride The Last Jedi for being offensive to canon.
The broom in his hand is suddenly no longer a broom.
It isn’t how it respects canon or whatever nonsense.
It’s how they make you feel, and what they instill in you to believe.
Thing is: Anakin won’t learn it from a Jedi.
Han Solos Death (The Force Awakens)
Nothing hits hard like the death of a loved one.
You might not like it, but you gotta respect it.
It’s maybe the coolest way to get out of a job.
“Help Me, Obi-Wan Kenobi” (A New Hope)
“You’re my only hope!”
And that, my dear reader, is how you kick off a life-changing adventure.
Observe how Luke thinks Leia is “beautiful.")
But those are small prices to pay to save the galaxy.
Han Solo instinctively reaches for his blaster.)
Luckily, Billy Dee Williams has enough charisma in his pinky to make fans still love him afterward.
Never mind how it defies established logic.
Anakins Redemption (Return of the Jedi)
Even Darth Vader isn’t so far from redemption.
Although a tyrant with blood on his hands, you could argue Vader should have suffered more.
But given his final act to save the galaxy, his death is a good reward.
It’s an affair that will end in tragedy, but love is just that powerful.
(Never mind how The Rise of Skywalker quickly bent over backwards to change this.)
The subtext here is about the closest Star Wars has ever gone to being sensual.
But with Star Wars, Lucas took those affections into the now-iconic podracing sequence of The Phantom Menace.
This is podracing, indeed.
“Why Are You Here?"/“Do.
There Is No Try.”
(The Empire Strikes Back)
Expecting someone else, were you?
But while Yoda looks like an unemployed Santa’s elf, that’s by design.
There is no try.”
The genius of the scene, however, is in its sound.
Observe the absence of any John Williams' music.
you’re able to see the gravity of the situation written on Yoda’s face.
If you ask Yoda, it’s the inevitability of falling short.
(And he would know.)
It also posits that weakness and failure are as valuable to pass on as strengths.
“The greatest teacher, failure is,” Yoda tells Luke.
If only most fans got the message.
Relishing over his victory at hand, Palpatine engages in a battle of wits against young Luke.
When Luke and Vader clash again, the smirk in Palpatines face says it all.
Obviously, Obi-Wan has issues with Anakin calling all of the galaxyhis.
Or have his X-Wing get damaged and necessitate Luke use the Force as a last resort.
Luckily, Lucas made Star Wars when he did, and this climactic victory stays perfect as is.
Versus Kylo Ren (The Force Awakens)
Anakin’s lightsaber sure has changed a lot of hands.
Both times when our heroes ignite their lightsaber, it’s exhilarating for different reasons.
For Finn, it’s a former Stormtrooper’s stand against his forced programming.
For Rey, it’s a lonely girl’s certainty towards her place among the stars.
When Rey uses the Force to take the lightsaber away from Kylo Ren?
That moment is something else.
“I Love You.”
“I Know.”
But just before Vader turns Solo into stone, Han and Leia declare their love for one another.
Even in defeat, Han Solo never loses his swag.
