50 Greatest Star Wars Movie Moments

By Michael Thompson / October 10, 2013

24. Obi-Wan Kenobi Vs. Jango Fett - Episode II

Along with the battle in the arena, the duel between Jango and Obi-Wan in Attack of the Clones really made the movie. This scene, and later on in the asteroid field where they play a deadly game of Jedi Fighter vs. Slave I.

Obi-Wan is just one of those characters who is good to have around, but what really makes these moments in the film is, of course, Jango Fett. As the last of the Mandalorians, he puts up a tough fight even for a Jedi, which is why his death left me feeling a little more than disappointed.

For anyone who is a fan of the Expanded Universe, you'll know that even without his jetpack Jango Fett means business. Meeting his son, Boba, is pretty cool too.

23. The Battle Of Hoth - Episode V

The Empire Strikes Back is arguably the best Star Wars film ever made. Don't think so? Go back and watch the opening minutes and - more specifically - the battle of Hoth.

The Imperials have found the rebels hiding spot and have sent an armada to crush them. While fleeing for their lives, the Alliance employs the use of snow-speeders and ground forces, but what comes out of the snow at them? The most intimidating tank ever made, the AT-AT Imperial Walker.

Not only are they huge, but one zap from its giant blaster cannons and the spot of snow the rebel trooper was inhabiting is now a smoking crater. They were so powerful the only way to take them down was to wrap wires around their ridiculous legs with tow cables from the speeders. Having one of these things appear in front of you in a tundra would be a nightmare.

The Empire wins due to superior firepower and the rebel base is destroyed, but - c'mon - they knew that was going to happen anyways. When the Empire is so hot to destroy you that they're sending AT-ATs and Darth Vader, its time to pack your bags.

22. "Great Kid... Don't Get Cocky!" - Episode IV

After Old Ben Kenobi vanishes in his fight with Vader before the horrified eyes of Luke, the Millennium Falcon barely escapes from the Death Star. They think they're fine for a second, that they've made it, but then a squadron of tie fighters closes in for the kill. One has to ask why the Death Star sent the fighters at all? If they wanted the Falcon destroyed, they could have sent hundreds of fighters (then again - why didn't they do that in the battle for the Death Star?), but since they were tracking the Falcon to follow them back to the rebel base, why even take the risk of blowing up the ship? Were the four fighters they do send just for show? This scene actually doesn't serve any purpose to the story, but is still awesome. Episode IV would definitely have been missing something as Han and Luke climb into the slow-moving turrets to fight off the agile, screaming tie fighters. "Great kid... don't get cocky!"

21. Palpatine Corrupts Anakin - Episode III

Talk about one of the best-written scenes in Star Wars history. This is easily some of Lucas' best work - on a character level, at least. It's not enough just to have Anakin become evil at the end of Revenge of the Sith. There has to be a strong reason why he chooses to become enslaved to the will of Darth Sidious. A simple lust for power would not have worked either. While by the end of the movie, Anakin has gone insane from the Dark Side filling his soul with illusions of owning the galaxy, it all starts out with his innocent fear. Anakin is afraid Padme will die and he will not be able to save her like he was not able to save his mother. Palpatine, sensing how weak Anakin is to his fear, coaxes him into a mentoring friendship then preys upon that fear by telling Anakin that there are powers the Jedi will not allow him to learn. Powers that can save people from dying. So what master Yoda said came true. Anakin's fear leads to his decision to embrace the dark side in spite of his initial guilty conscience. His fear soon turns to feelings of anger and hatred for the Jedi, who he believes are lying to him. Soon his journey to the dark side will be complete. Another factor that separated Revenge of the Sith from the first two prequels: Character driven conflict. Very well written, too.

20. "Now This Is Podracing!" - Episode I

Sometimes I think that the only reason for Episode I to even exist was Podracing. I know that's a little harsh to say, but besides the final battle and Duel of the Fates, Episode I feels a little lackluster to me. Podracing serves as the vehicle (yes, it was intended) for which Qui-Gon Jinn uses to leave Tatooine while at the same time taking Anakin Skywalker with him. In a way, the entire middle part of the movie that takes place on Tatooine revolves around the podracing sequence. So in a way, Episode I exists to serve podracing.

Feel free to disagree. The podracing sequence definitely deserves mentioning on this list. It's the first big step Anakin takes towards fulfilling his destiny. It's also one of the coolest moments in Star Wars, anyway, and even has a video game entirely around it.