Star Wars is one of the most popular franchises of all time, but it all began with a single trilogy. What began as one has now become three, and the majority of the franchise is now labeled into three distinct sagas which can be broken down by each Trilogy. Yet, many fans have already decided which trilogy is the best of the best.
There is a matter of subjectivity to the ranking, it can't be denied that each Trilogy has its own positives and drawbacks. Although certain trilogies have a lot more drawbacks than others. At the end of the day, although every Star Wars movie has something to offer, not every set of films was created equally.
3 The Sequel Trilogy is One of the Worst Things to Happen to the Star Wars Franchise
The Films Nearly Ruined the Original's Incredible Reputation
The Force Awakens is the first and arguably the best of the sequel films and features a plot extremely similar to A New Hope. The story mainly follows a completely new cast of characters, with original characters thrown in for nostalgia. Easily the most important character from the classic films in this specific movie is Han Solo, but he dies before the end of the film by his son's hand. The film has some good action, but the lightsaber battle is sloppy, and the story is simply a repeat of the original film.
The Last Jedi is probably the worst of the sequel trilogy for one reason, its treatment of Luke Skywalker. Luke is the most important figure of the original trilogy, and the sequel completely assassinates his character. Luke refuses to actually participate in the final conflict, shows up as a force projection, and then becomes one with the force after projecting himself across the galaxy. Fans of the original trilogy were completely heartbroken and Legends fans were completely disgusted.
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The Rise of Skywalker is the last film in the sequel trilogy and what it lacks in story, it makes up for in action. The Rise of Skywalker isn't a good film, but it is an entertaining one. Without the Star Wars story and franchise, it could have been a success, but to call it a Star Wars film feels like a discredit to the previous films. After all, why build up to Palpatine's eventual and ultimate defeat only to have him unceremoniously return during the final film of the trilogy?
Overall, the sequel trilogy isn't necessarily terrible, but it's not good. It completely trashes the previous films and only has nostalgia to build it up. The dialogue is bad, the fight scenes are sloppy, and every popular character is either ruined or removed. Rey is an interesting character, but the trilogy never decides what to do with her character and her ending leads much to be desired. Hopefully, future trilogies can fix the damage the newer trilogy has done.
2 The Prequel Trilogy Has Recently Become Much Higher Respected Among the Fans
The Trilogy Has its Flaws, But is Good Star Wars Content at its Core
The Phantom Menace has a much worse reputation than it deserves. It is often chastised for young Anakin's less than ideal acting, paired with some slightly clingy dialogue. That said, it has some of the greatest action in the entire franchise. The podracing sequence is nothing short of iconic. Darth Maul's duel with a young Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn also defined the entire sequel trilogy. Not only did it introduce a new style of lightsaber, but it promised a quicker and more spectacular form of combat than ever seen. It wasn't a perfect start to the newer series, but it definitely has more to offer than the original fan base had originally decided.
Attack of the Clones is a fantastic film, but it doesn't reach the prequel's true potential. The series has both close combat and large scale duels on a never-before-seen scale. It featured the largest gathering of Jedi in the entire franchise and was surely something to behold among the original fans. Anakin's dialogue is slightly cringy, but it makes sense when considering that he is a Jedi who has been taught to avoid romance and attachment his entire life. The film is the perfect set-up to the final film's payoff. It beautifully demonstrates the folly of the Jedi as they charge into battle using an army that will eventually be their largest downfall.
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Revenge of the Sith is arguably one of the greatest Star Wars films of all time. It demonstrates the Jedi's ultimate destruction at the hands of Emporer Palpatine in a truly breathtaking way. The way Palpatine orchestrates their downfall is nothing short of ingenious and truly demonstrates the cunning of the Sith. It has the greatest battle in the entire franchise, Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Anikan Skywalker, and easily makes the trilogy worth the rewatch time and time again. It is a huge hit among modern, older, and even original fans.
The prequel trilogy is becoming more popular than ever, especially the fallout from the sequel trilogy. It features some slightly bad dialogue, but more than makes up for it with incredible action. It introduces the most popular characters in the franchise, and demonstrates a necessary part of the story that had been previously untold until the films came out. The prequels have received a ton of adaptation and elaboration since they first came out and has only added to the franchises' popularity.
1 The Original Trilogy Remains Some of the Greatest Sci-Fi Films of All time
The Original Defines Several Generations of Fans, To This Day
A New Hope was the start of something truly incredible. It introduced the entire world to a never-before-seen sci-fi spectacle. The practical effects were truly something never done before and quickly garnered the series a set of dedicated fans. What started as a sci-fi action soap opera quickly turned into one of the most successful films of the decade. What started as a simple tale about an alien farmboy attempting to understand his father's death became much bigger than it had any right to be. Luke Skywalker is one of the greatest characters ever written and is unknowingly tied to the entire livelihood of the galaxy. He becomes intermixed in a truly unforgettable plot that holds the galaxy in the balance and destroys one of the most powerful weapons in sci-fi history.
The Empire Strikes Back is exactly how it sounds, the Empire's response to the rebel's destruction of the Death Star. They completely destroy the Rebels throughout the film and truly make it seem like there is no chance for success. The movie is also responsible for introducing Yoda, one of the most important characters in the entire franchise. Luke receives some significant Jedi training, but not enough to contend with Darth Vader, nor to handle the Sith Lord's surprising truth. The film easily features the greatest plot twists of all time. One of the main antagonists throughout the entire original trilogy, Darth Vader, is actually Anakin Skywalker. The realization that his greatest enemy was also his father was almost too much for Luke. He only lost a hand in the process, but nearly lost his entire life during the slightly slower but emotional duel.
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Return of the Jedi is the most underrated film in the entire Star Wars franchise. It features the rise of Luke Skywalker to his ultimate potential as well as fully accepting the reveal of the previous film. He might not have everything completely figured out, but he has enough skills to successfully bring his father back to the light. Their ultimate victory over the Emperor and the empire is easily something to behold. It is the perfect ending to an incredible trilogy, which is mostly undone by the recent films.
Ultimately, there is no beating the sequel trilogy. It beautifully combines everything that Star Wars has to offer, and it mostly did so with practical affects. Watching it for the first time is truly unforgettable, and it might be slightly dated, but it remains one of the most important sci-fi films of all time.
