The Star Wars saga is ending, with The Rise of Skywalker poised to bring over 40 years of epic storytelling to a close. Fans have been treated to three separate trailers so far to get their pulses racing, and the majority are looking forward to things such as Kylo Ren and Rey’s relationship, Emperor Palpatine’s return and the sight of the heroes going up against the First Order one last time.
There’s so much to be excited about, it may be hard to pick one standout scene. We now try our best to do that for the previous 10 installments in the Star Wars series, starting with 1999’s The Phantom Menace.
The Phantom Menace: Duel of the Fates
After a hiatus, Star Wars returned in 1999 with George Lucas attempting to tell the story of Anakin Skywalker’s transformation into the villainous Darth Vader. To get the ball rolling he started with The Phantom Menace which, ultimately, has turned out to be one of the most divisive chapters of the entire saga.
But while fans may point to Jar Jar Binks and the constant political chatter as negatives, the majority agree that the epic showdown between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul is the highlight. The trio face off in a stunning lightsaber duel with the epic "Duel of the Fates" playing in the background. It's one of the most iconic scenes in Star Wars history.
Attack Of The Clones: The Worlds
We nearly went with Jango Fett, who was arguably the most interesting character in Attack of the Clones. But instead, we’ve decided that it’s the incredible worlds and planets shown that make the movie so interesting, with the terrains of Kamino, Coruscant and Geonosis all varying and full of intrigue.
It’s not the best Star Wars movie by any stretch, but the planets are a stunning backdrop to some enthralling scenes. Kamino hosts a brilliant fight between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jango Fett, while Geonosis is the perfect setting for the massive battle between the Jedi Knights and Trade Federation at the blockbuster’s end. Visually, it’s 10/10.
Revenge Of The Sith: The Lightsaber Fights
One of the biggest complaints of the sequel trilogy so far has been the lack of lightsaber fights but for 2005’s Revenge of the Sith, nobody had any complaints about that. George Lucas chose to go all-in for the final movie of his prequel trilogy, having various characters face off on a variety of different planets throughout the film.
Anakin Skywalker vs Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar is the highlight, but Emperor Palpatine vs Yoda on Naboo comes a close second. We also see Anakin and Obi-Wan take on Dooku, Obi-Wan kill General Grievous, Palpatine lock swords with Mace Windu and much, much more. The prequel trilogy certainly bowed out on a huge high.
Rogue One: The Ending
Rogue One is Disney’s finest movie to date, despite the blockbuster not featuring a Skywalker as its lead. Instead, it shows a group of Rebel Alliance soldiers led by Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor who are willing to pay the ultimate price to get the Death Star plans and them on so the wicked space station can be destroyed.
The ending is pulsating. It’s heart-wrenching when Jyn and Cassian realize they're destined for death while the scene where Darth Vader slaughters countless of soldiers is Star Wars at its best. It speaks volumes that an ending where most characters die is brilliant to watch. Rogue One deserves all the credit.
Solo: The Kessel Run
We’d been waiting years to see how Han Solo was able to make the Millennium Falcon do the Kessel run in 12 parsec; Solo: A Star Wars story gave us the chance to see it play out on the big screen. The scene failed to disappoint and provided an entertaining ending to a movie that, ultimately, didn’t hit the heights many expected.
A close second, though, is the brief cameo made by Darth Maul, who had last been seen on the big screen falling down a huge chute on Naboo in The Phantom Menace. The sight of the villain back in live action has got us hoping the former Sith Lord returns again — whether it be in theaters or Disney +.
A New Hope: Darth Vader
It’s hard picking a single thing about A New Hope that stands out, given it’s one of the best Star Wars movies ever made — and was released at a time when expectations weren’t as high as they are now. But while the action scenes, worlds and characters are all epic, nothing quite matches the brilliance of Darth Vader.
Vader became an instantly iconic villain because of this movie. His entrance on Tantive IV is jaw-dropping, particularly when he uses his evil powers to mercilessly murder some Rebel soldiers. He’s dark, brooding and formidable throughout, with his mask making him unreadable to enemies and viewers alike — and he just gets progressively more evil as the blockbuster goes on. Absolutely epic.
The Empire Strikes Back: The Twist
Darth Vader spends most of The Empire Strikes Back focusing on finding Luke Skywalker, who had angered the Sith Lord by destroying the Death Star at the end of the previous movie. Everybody thought that was the sole reason Vader wanted to find the Rebel Alliance hero but as it turns out, he has a second motive.
That’s because he’s Luke’s father — news he relays to his son after their adrenaline-fueled lightsaber fight on Cloud City. Nobody saw this coming and, even to this day, it’s regarded as the biggest twist in movie history. What’s also memorable is that Luke chooses to snub Vader’s offer of an alliance and, instead, allows himself to nearly fall to his death.
Return Of The Jedi: Luke Skywalker
Once again, it’s hard to pick a highlight from Return of the Jedi. The scenes at Jabba’s Palace are brilliant, the introduction of the Emperor a masterstroke and any scene involving Darth Vader leaves audiences wanting more. But we’ve gone with Luke Skywalker, whose so brilliantly complex and whose heroism shines through.
For most of the film it looks as though Luke may turn to the dark side. And he appears on the cusp of doing this when he gives in to anger in order to defeat Darth Vader. However, he shows he’s the ultimate hero by stopping short of killing his father, standing up to the Emperor in the face of adversity and choosing to back his friends. This gamble pays off, with Vader choosing to turn on Palpatine as a result in a satisfying conclusion.
The Force Awakens: Han Solo
The Force Awakens was a good first outing for the Star Wars sequel trilogy, with new characters Kylo Ren, Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron all proving to big hits among fans. However, while all four were good additions to the saga, it was original trilogy Han Solo who was the best thing about the movie.
Any fears that Harrison Ford wouldn’t put his heart and soul into the role were dismissed, with Ford producing some of his best work to date. Han is just as likable, mischievous and loyal as he was during the old movies and his death scene, where he’s murdered by son Ben Solo, is among the most devastating in the entire series.
The Last Jedi: Kylo Ren and Rey’s Relationship
The Last Jedi didn’t win the plaudits it hoped it would, with a large section of the fanbase left feeling disappointed by Rian Johnson’s blockbuster. However, despite that, it has several highlights with the very best being the evolving relationship between Kylo Ren and Rey.
It’s hard to work out what they both want as, despite being on opposing sides, they regularly communicate throughout the movie. Adam Driver as Kylo is particularly superb, cutting an unreadable, sullen, formidable character as he battles for supremacy. The chemistry between both Driver and Daisy Ridley is at its best in the throne room scene, where Kylo surprisingly murders Snoke but then fails in his bid to turn Rey into his villainous partner.
