What Is the Best Star Wars Trilogy?

Ranking the best Star Wars trilogy is a monumental task. The movies cause about as much division as the Grand Canyon separating two plateaus. One would be hard-pressed to defend a story-line over the next without a proverbial tomato being hurled in their general direction.

The epic space opera spans, at the time of this writing, nearly four decades, with a lot to unpack over the eleven films that have been released thus far. (Twelve, if you are one of the brave few that include the beloved Star Wars Holiday Special) With many shifts through the years in terms of production and story, the series has generated its fair share of both acclaim and criticism.

Needless to say, I too have my own opinions of the series. With The Rise of Skywalker just around the corner, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on the saga, and where each trilogy falls on the official Shanerator spectrum.

*dons armor and prepares for imminent tomato barrage*

Note: In the slim chance you haven’t seen some of the films, this article contains spoilers for all Star Wars movies between Episodes I – XIII.

You’ve been warned.

The Original Trilogy

Oh yes, the films that started it all. Few could have predicted the groundbreaking landmark event that A New Hope had caused with its debut in 1977. Furthermore, fewer still could have expected the film series to become what it is today – one of the largest IP’s in history, and one of the most bankable franchises in nearly every market segment in existence. Heck, there’s even perfume inspired by Carrie Fisher’s “Slave Leia” available for purchase.

But what made these original films so special? Why would the risky first entry make many times more than its minuscule budget of $11 million, reigning for several years as the highest-grossing film ever made?

It was different.

Up until that point in cinematic history, movie audiences had not witnessed anything else quite like Star Wars. With its memorable characters, breathtaking special effects, and intriguing premise, the original trilogy has rightfully earned its place as one of the titans of modern entertainment.

The Pros

Okay, I’ll stop singing praises and delve a little further into my own personal thoughts on the series. For me, the biggest aspect of the first three films that I enjoy the most is the characters, and the interactions between them. This might come off as blasphemous (though some may consider any strong opinions on Star Wars in general to be blasphemous) in light of the numerous other elements that make the original trilogy great – but hear me out.

Without a great cast, the movie will likely suffer. The film may have the greatest and most interesting premise in the world, but without solid stars to carry the story, it will fall flat. The original trilogy had the benefit of not only having a great original premise, but also a strong crew of cast members to facilitate escapism in the space opera universe.

When I think back to all the films I’ve seen to date, the interactions between these actors stick out in my memory more vividly than most other movies. And I’m referring to films even outside of the Star Wars universe. From the optimistic outlook of Luke Skywalker, to the plucky personality of Han Solo, to the undeniable swagger of Lando Calrissian – the list goes on and on of memorable portrayals of these characters. Fans will be divided on the quality of writing that George Lucas imbued into his characters, but few can deny the significance of the world he built and the denizens within it.

The other huge facet of the original trilogy that strongly resonates with me personally is the element of intrigue. Out of all three trilogies, this one had the biggest pull for me in terms of wanting to see what happens next. Don’t get me wrong, there are a plethora of instances in the other Star Wars films that keep me coming back; but there’s a mysterious aura of the fictional universe that commands my attention across the first three films more than any other.

A Force that arouses my curiosity, if you will. (Buh dum, tsssh)

Bad puns aside, the biggest low-hanging fruit that I can provide as an example to illustrate my case is The Empire Strikes Back. The sequel is widely regarded as possibly the best in the series, with one of the most prominent reasons going to the iconic “I am your father” sequence at the denouement of the film. I can’t even pretend to imagine what audiences had to go through in waiting for Return of the Jedi.

The Cons

If there was one criticism I could draw from the first three movies, it’s the dated special effects, editing, and fight choreography. Some of these aspects do show their age. (and fan releases like this do make me wish some elements were updated)

This, of course, is not necessarily a fair bone to pick, as it’s been over forty years since the original Star Wars movie released. Thus, I do have to give the original trilogy the benefit of the doubt.

But luckily, we have Lucas’s Special Edition changes to fix any potential problems with the original films. (mild sarcasm)

The Prequel Trilogy

One of the fondest memories I have from my younger days is seeing The Phantom Menace for the first time. I still watch the final battle between the Trade Federation and Gungan army with childlike awe, and the showdown between Darth Maul and the two Jedi with unmitigated emotion. There’s so much I love about the movie, and really, about the prequel trilogy as a whole.

Allow me to explain.

The Pros

The thing I absolutely love the most about the 2nd set of Star films is the universe. Narratively and visually, the prequel trilogy elevated Star Wars to a whole new level; a level that simply couldn’t be accomplished in the original trilogy due to budgetary or technological limitations.

From a narrative standpoint: Star Wars feels like a true space opera in these three films given how robust the universe is presented. I understand that one of the many criticisms leveled against the prequel trilogy is its over-reliance on the political undertones, and the 8-year-old inside of me agrees. All I wanted back then was more lightsaber battles. But presently, I have an appreciation for what Lucas tried to do by fleshing out the world. With the exciting mix of new alien races, planets, and rival factions, so much was incorporated into the Star Wars universe that populated it with rich and interesting history.

Visually, much of the same could be said for the prequel trilogy. The Phantom Menace treated us with the vast underwater world of Naboo. Attack of the Clones delivered thrilling battle sequences on the barren wastelands of Geonosis. The long-awaited showdown between Obi-Wan and Anakin took place on the fiery surface of Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith. While much of the original trilogy is fairly drab in terms of visual effect and coloration, the prequels veer in nearly the polar opposite direction. Some would contend that this is to the detriment of the series – I, on the other hand, appreciate the effort to expand on the universe in this way. Even if some of the CGI isn’t perfect.

The Cons

But unfortunately, not all of the changes made to the series were necessarily good changes. If you have but a cursory knowledge of the Star Wars prequels, you are likely very aware of some of the lackluster aspects of the films. Many of them I do agree with. The most troublesome of these to me personally is some of the sub-par acting present in the movies – mostly from the main character: Anakin Skywalker himself.

It’s unfortunate that both actors that play pre-Vader Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen) are not exactly Academy Award material. Good child actors are hard to come by, and for me, Jake Lloyd in The Phantom Menace didn’t quite fit the definition. His on-screen interactions with great actors like Ewan Mcgregor are not all that convincing. Not to mention, he scarcely looks like his adult counterpart. But I digress.

Along the same lines, Hayden Christensen’s acting is adequate at best, and downright laughable at worst. In what should be some of the most emotional instances of the prequels, the wooden delivery of his lines can make it difficult for me to stay invested in the moment-to-moment. Jar Jar Binks is held in infamy by most fans of the series, yet I can overlook his childish demeanor because of the ludicrous alien race he’s a part of. The Gungans are part of the Star Wars universe, and I can choke down that pill for the sake of the plot. But when it comes to core elements of the movie-going experience such as the acting – that I can’t easily overlook.

Though it may seem that way, this isn’t meant to be another “bash Hayden Christensen” expository piece. Purportedly, he’s had some great films in the past, and some critics would argue Lucas’s script was to blame for Anakin’s divisive portrayal. I’m not here to say who’s at fault. But the bottom line is that escapism is important to me as a theater attendee. And that level of emotional investment can be hard to sustain if the protagonist isn’t believable.

However, you can’t deny the quality memes that have seen the light of day as a result of the prequels.

The Sequel Trilogy

Surprising no one, The Force Awakens was announced shortly after Disney made the historic acquisition of the Star Wars IP back in 2012. Since that time, we’ve seen several installments in the series, comprised of no fewer than two additions to the “Skywalker Saga,” and two releases in the new anthology series. At the time of this writing, Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker is but a couple of months away, with ticket pre-sales ranking higher than even Avengers: Endgame.

All that to say: Like it or not, Star Wars is here to stay. But where does that place the sequel trilogy in the spectrum of the other films? Though its box office potential can’t be denied, the recent wave of movies has garnered some of the harshest criticisms to date.

To keep in step with my personal observations so far, I’m going to break down some of the positive aspects of the last few movies. (Note: With The Rise of Skywalker still yet to debut in cinemas, I am going to cheat a bit and include the anthology films in my analysis) No doubt, there will be some naysayers who will tune me out; but nonetheless, I believe there are some redeeming qualities in these recent movies that make them worth seeing.

The Pros

In my breakdown of the prequel trilogy above, I embraced what Lucasfilm did with the expansion of the Star Wars universe. Disparate home-worlds like Kashyyyk and Naboo were explored in-depth along with their unique inhabitants, giving rise to the imagination of the universe. However, from a strictly visual standpoint, the scenes don’t always age well. To me, the most egregious example of this is the epic battle between Jedi master and apprentice on Mustafar — the usage of green screen and CGI sticks out like a sore thumb.

The Sequel Trilogy largely fixes this, providing some of the best VFX I’ve seen in recent years. The Last Jedi, for instance, features eye-popping environments and gorgeous cinematography in a number of sequences. One of my favorite visual moments in the movie involves Admiral Holdo’s last stand: pulling off a maneuver which involved a deliberate crashing of the rebel flagship through Snoke’s own ship in an effort to save the rebel fleet. While the narrative merits behind the scene itself are up for debate, the hyperspace jump played out beautifully, both visually and audibly (by utilizing a distinct lack of audio).

Rogue One is right up there with some of my favorite Star Wars films, and the expert camera work and visual effects largely factor into this preference. In his few cameo appearances, Darth Vader has never been more terrifying. Thanks to cinematic techniques such as forced perspective and low-angle shots, the Sith Lord commanded fear and internal rage in his interactions with Orson Krennic and the Rebel Alliance, respectively.

On a similar note, the climactic battle on Scarif placed the viewer right in the middle of the action. For the first time, I felt like I was on the battlefield with the foot soldiers, experiencing the looming threat of the AT-AT’s first-hand as they eclipsed us in their intimidating shadow.

While the VFX and cinematography are undoubtedly my favorite aspects of the Sequel Trilogy, there are other elements I truly enjoyed, such as the fight choreography and deliberate pacing. However, these are largely visual attributes. Where does the trilogy stand as far as content goes?

It depends on who you ask. Many fans have pooh-poohed the films since The Force Awakens, bringing up complaints centered around the “Disneyification” of the franchise, as well as fundamental changes to the beloved lore (mostly thanks to director Rian Johnson).

On a broad note, I do agree with the tonal shift that has been imbued within the series. It’s really difficult to condense every single objective change into a few mere statements, but for me, it comes down this:

The movies just don’t feel the same.

The Cons

I won’t get into the politics of the Mouse House’s impact on the franchise’s vision as a whole — but both the scope and core essence of what I know of Star Wars seems substantially different from what they once were.

A chief complaint I have about the last couple of films is the narrow focus that is placed on the ragtag band of rebels, comprised of characters such as Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron. My reservations don’t necessarily lie with the characters themselves, but with how little we see of other fascinating angles of the Star Wars galaxy. The argument could be made that the original trilogy did the same thing: focusing on just the core group, and their individual motivations.

But what I thought was necessary for the series to evolve, was more or less accomplished in the prequel trilogy with their expansion of the universe. We met diverse alien races, encountered intense political intrigue, and witnessed a culmination of various events that resulted in A New Hope and its subsequent follow-ups. With the release of Episode VII: The Force Awakens, I feel like the series had begun a period of regression, and did away with the epic, broad scope that was diffused throughout episodes I – III. And that feeling of a true space opera: a feeling of wonderment, mystery, and melodrama — all of that seems to be suppressed in the most recent installments.

To me, that epic sensation was largely replaced by a more action-oriented focus.

It’s not for me to say whether or not this is a good thing, as that comes down to a matter of personal opinion. But I will say: I miss feeling that childlike sense of awe when viewing a new Star Wars film for the first time. Since the debut of The Force Awakens in 2015, I’ve felt that Star Wars has become more of fun popcorn-viewing experience, rather than deep immersion in a galaxy far, far away.

Maybe I’m just getting old.

Conclusion

So what is the best Star Wars trilogy?

At a high level, there are elements of all three trilogies in the Star Wars saga that I personally find enjoyable. Therefore, I find ranking them in a definitive order to be a futile endeavor, as each set of films are so markedly different from the next. Like apples and oranges, each trilogy is sweet in their own way, and appeals to various demographics.

It’s easy for me to play armchair critic, and point out the faults in the movies. It’s easier still to participate in the zeitgeist of Mob Mentality and let the vocal minority influence my way of thinking towards the films. But in sifting through the many vociferous opinion pieces, something occurred to me:

The flip-side of being overly critical of something is the fact that we care so much about it.

Regardless of how I feel about the overall direction Star Wars is heading, I always get excited for the brand new trailer every time it drops. While the level of satisfaction I derive from Rise of Skywalker remains to be seen, I still very much look forward to the discussions and ramifications the movie has for the franchise as a whole.

The films themselves are just a small piece of the puzzle. Part of what makes Star Wars so fun is the fanatical community, and the pop culture paradigm shifts it spawns with every new installment. I get that not all new changes are welcome changes, but at least we are seeing efforts to grow the IP, rather than letting it stagnate. Each trilogy has a vastly different feel. And as someone who digs unique experiences, that’s exciting to me as a movie-goer — not knowing exactly what to expect.

It’s never been a better time to be Star Wars fan.

12-22-19 Update:

After attending our local Rise of Skywalker premiere a few days ago, I mulled over my thoughts on the movie, and the series as a whole now that all three trilogies are available in full.

I came away with some newfound discoveries.

One of the biggest in recent memory is that the Rise of Skywalker did not elevate the newest trilogy for me. Within my immediate circle of influence (and perhaps beyond it), I know I am in the minority, but I contend that it did more wrong than right. Even amid divisive critical consensus, I attended the premiere with an open mind, as some of my favorite films of all time have been bashed by reviewers I know and respect.

After seeing the movie for myself, I tend to side with the critics on this one.

The climactic end to the trilogy was, no doubt, a fun and entertaining film. But I’m not convinced it was a great Star Wars film. There were many moments in the movie that I felt were not earned, were rushed, or altogether eye-rolling in their presentation. Comedian, nerd, and Star Wars enthusiast Christian Spicer echoed my sentiments perfectly when he said:

“I think The Rise of Skywalker shares a lot w/The Dark Knight Rises. Both were likely hurt by the untimely passing of an actor set to play a major role, both had moments I LOVED, both tried to do too much for one film, both were the weakest of their trilogy.”

Perhaps subsequent viewings will soften my hardened perception of the film, but my initial impressions were not positive. Yet for me, believe it or not, there were a number of good things that did come out of the film — one of them being the ability to compare and contrast the movies in the Skywalker Saga, with all of them now officially released.

In my original pre-update post above, I backed down from the notion of definitively ranking the sets of Star Wars movies, instead opting for the “They’re all great!” approach. Don’t get me wrong, I still hold to that ideology: All three trilogies have elements that make them great in their own way. But with at least one viewing of every current Star Wars film in the current saga under my belt, I’ve changed my mind.

I now have a formal ranking of Shanerator’s Star Wars trilogies. Here it is:

1. Prequel Trilogy

2. Original Trilogy

3. Sequel Trilogy

Allow me to explain. That is, if you haven’t already stopped reading due to my personal feelings above about Rise of Skywalker.

The Prequel Trilogy gets a tremendous amount of flak for the aforementioned poor acting (or writing, depending on who you ask), spotty CGI, and questionable decisions made to certain plot elements. However, when comparing the separate parts of the Star Wars triptych, I keep landing on the Prequel Trilogy as my clear winner.

“Why?” you ask?

It comes down to two main factors: nostalgia and world-building.

I have fond memories of the The Phantom Menace as my first actual Star Wars movie experience. Iconic sequences such as the Darth Maul and Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon duel have left an indelible mark on my memory banks. The many hours I spent researching the Star Wars universe was synonymous with the release of the Prequel films at that point in time. Something about re-watching those movies, in spite of their faults, sparks a childlike sense of awe that dates back to my first viewings.

I LOVE good science fiction, as it facilitates escapism. Thus, I am always appreciative of any franchise that manages to break the mold and seeks to feed my imagination. Out of any set of Star Wars films, I believe the Prequel Trilogy achieves this the best. Earlier, I spoke at length about the world-building aspect that was attained with these set of films — which is a main reason (along with Nostalgia) why the Prequel Trilogy narrowly beats out the Original Trilogy for taking the cake in my book.

* * * * *

It’s crazy to think that the Skywalker Saga has officially drawn to a close with the release of The Rise of Skywalker. While I obviously have mixed feelings about how things have concluded, it really is remarkable what George Lucas and his franchise has managed to accomplish over their 40+ year stint.

There is so much to the Star Wars universe. I for one am excited to see how far it has come, and where the galaxy far, far away will end up in the next 40 years.