Better of Every Decade Ranked

The Star Wars franchise has been round for almost 5 a long time, that includes a number of the greatest cinematic tales of all time. From 1977 to 2025, there have been so many nice films, exhibits, video games, books, comics, and extra tales set within the galaxy far, distant. Nonetheless, it is enjoyable to consider the most effective one from every decade.

The Star Wars galaxy is likely one of the most huge and interconnected franchises of all time. Regardless of having skilled a number of highs and lows through the years, most Star Wars followers will hopefully agree that the franchise has featured a really distinctive venture in each decade. With that in thoughts, listed below are our ideas on the perfect Star Wars story from every decade.

Star Wars (1977)

1977’s Star Wars was the film that began all of it, from the thoughts of creator George Lucas. Clearly, there aren’t very many different Star Wars tasks launched between 1977-1979 with which to check A New Hope…aside from the notorious Star Wars Vacation Particular launched in 1978.

Even so, the Star Wars galaxy probably would not exist in its present state or be as huge if A New Hope hadn’t been nice. Being among the many film business’s first true blockbusters, it is also fairly outstanding how nicely the film holds up as the beginning of Luke Skywalker’s traditional Hero’s Journey.

A groundbreaking movie by way of visible results for its time, A New Hope will at all times maintain a particular place because the daybreak of this legendary house opera of epic proportions all of us love and adore.

The Empire Strikes Again (1980)

The ’80s has extra tasks for comparability, although The Empire Strikes Again simply takes the highest spot as the most effective Star Wars venture of the last decade. Episode V continues to be thought-about to be one of many biggest Star Wars films of all time, and is usually cited as one among cinema’s most excellent sequels.

That includes the Battle of Hoth as among the best opening battle sequences, Luke Skywalker’s Jedi coaching with Yoda, and the main twist revealing that Darth Vader is Luke’s father, there are just too many iconic moments in The Empire Strikes Again for it to not be thought-about the most effective story of this explicit decade.

As culminating as Return of the Jedi is with Darth Vader’s redemption and Emperor Palpatine’s (first) defeat, most will agree it would not deserve the highest spot. The identical goes for the Ewoks trilogy of made-for-TV films. Whereas they’re enjoyable and nostalgic, The Empire Strikes Again continues to be the GOAT of the ’80s by a protracted shot.

The Phantom Menace (1999)

As an honorable point out, Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy of novels deserves to be credited because the sequence of books that saved the Star Wars fandom alive, having kick-started a serious publishing increase that ensured fan engagement with the franchise remained robust by means of the ’90s (whereas additionally offering among the best Star Wars villains ever).

Nonetheless, 1999 noticed the discharge of The Phantom Menace, a real cultural phenomenon, and the beginning of Lucas’ prequel trilogy. As groundbreaking visually for the late 90s as A New Hope was throughout the late ’70s, Episode I is well one of many greatest spectacles in all the franchise, that includes droid armies, high-speed podraces, sea monsters, double-bladed lightsabers, and extra.

Likewise, The Phantom Menace’s narrative is such a important a part of the franchise, debuting the origins of Anakin Skywalker and his future because the prophesied Chosen One, in addition to how all the trajectory of his life modified following the film’s ever-iconic “Duel of the Fates” and its unbeatable rating from John Williams.

Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Whereas the Star Wars franchise options increasingly more tasks inside every new decade, there is no doubt that the 2000s greatest venture was 2005’s Revenge of the Sith.

The end result of the prequel trilogy, Episode III revealed Anakin Skywalker’s tragic corruption into Darth Vader, whereas additionally displaying the destruction of the Jedi Order and Republic with the rise of Palpatine’s Galactic Empire with the tip of the Clone Wars.

Though the 2000s additionally gave us tasks like 2002’s Assault of the Clones and a number of seasons of The Clone Wars, Revenge of the Sith is well the most effective venture of the last decade, a serious favourite amongst numerous Star Wars followers.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

The 2010s introduced us the daybreak of the Disney period after George Lucas bought Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Firm in 2012. This resulted in a serious increase of recent films and exhibits, notably together with the sequel trilogy launched between 2015-2019.

As The Clone Wars lastly completed in 2019 with its last seventh season, we additionally received the four-season Star Wars Rebels animated sequence between 2014-2018.

Likewise, 2018 additionally noticed the discharge of Solo: A Star Wars Story concerning the origins of Han Solo, whereas 2019 gave us the primary season of The Mandalorian with the daybreak of Disney+, the primary in a sequence of live-action Star Wars exhibits which were launched ever since.

Nonetheless, there could be little doubt that the perfect Star Wars story of the 2010s was 2016’s Rogue One. That includes the Rebels who gave their lives securing the Demise Star plans for the Rebel forward of A New Hope, Rogue One was in contrast to something we might seen from the galaxy far, distant.

Whereas it nonetheless felt like Star Wars, Rogue One’s distinctive deal with common heroes combating for a free galaxy was immensely refreshing, in addition to seeing one among Darth Vader’s most unimaginable motion sequences on the film’s very finish. Moreover, Rogue One additionally impressed the spin-off sequence Andor, which is simply as beloved and critically acclaimed (if no more so).

Andor (2022-2025)

Talking of Andor, the live-action sequence that first aired in 2022 and simply ended with its second season in 2025 actually deserves its place as the most effective Star Wars story of the 2020s (thus far).

At the moment, there have but to be any Star Wars films this decade (The Mandalorian & Grogu would be the first in 2026). Evaluating the sequence to different exhibits launched on Disney+ since 2020 (and even latest books, video games, and comics), most Star Wars followers would agree that Andor has been the most effective story but.

Ahsoka is unquestionably a detailed second, with The Mandalorian season 2, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Skeleton Crew being robust honorable mentions as nicely. Even then, many will argue that Tony Gilroy’s Andor is a lot increased than all of the aforementioned tales.

The writing and narratives at play are merely on one other stage, and the identical goes for Andor’s brutal motion and high-stakes as members of the Rebel measure and face the true price of resisting systematic oppression and galaxy-wide fascism.

That includes darkish tones and extra mature themes, Andor is in contrast to something we have seen from the Star Wars franchise, taking what made Rogue One so nice and taking it even additional, a lot in order that it is exhausting to see if we’ll really see something prefer it once more.

That being mentioned, we nonetheless have 5 years to go within the 2020s with a number of upcoming Star Wars films, exhibits, and extra on the best way. As such, will probably be very thrilling to see if any new Star Wars tasks find yourself surpassing Andor (if it is even potential).