Star Wars: The Best Moment From Every Movie, Ranked
Did you ever hear the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?
Over the years there have been 12 Star Wars movies, made up of three standalone ventures and three trilogies that form the basis of the epic Skywalker Saga.
Charting the rise and eventual fall of Jedi Anakin Skywalker, the Star Wars franchise has been leaving audiences awe-inspired for decades, and whilst it hasn't always been smooth sailing - some of the films fit firmly in the Not Very Good category - its highs have always been undeniably brilliant.
From iconic lightsaber duels to nostalgic character introductions, menacing monologues to twists that would change pop culture forever, Star Wars has proven time and time again that even at its weakest, the results of its biggest risks and greatest scenes are to die for, and more often than not actually get better with age.
With that in mind, in celebration of a franchise that has inspired entire generations of moviegoers, here are the single best moments from all 12 Star Wars movies to date, ranked from worst to best. It should go without saying that this article will contain major spoilers. You have been warned.
12. The Final Duel - Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise Of Skywalker
Despite being perhaps the weakest Star Wars movie to date, Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker is not without some solid action sequences and visual daring, such as when Palpatine is revealed alive (silly as it is plot-wise) in a storm of lightning flashes and gloomy darkness.
The best of the film, though, comes in the final confrontation between Rey and Kylo Ren, who have spent the previous films at war but unmistakably linked together in their struggle for purpose.
In a bracing duel set to a stormy sea backdrop aboard the old, collapsing Death Star, Rey and Ren battle it out one more time, with Rey reigning victorious and Ren, defeated and disillusioned, renounces his evil ways and the Dark Side of the Force.
For a film so overflowing with bizarre ret-cons, anticlimactic character assassinations (Leia! Hux!), and unconvincing villainy, The Rise of Skywalker makes perfect use of Rey and Ren's connection, creating in their final fight a brilliant duel built as much on twisty choreography as it is on deeply felt emotional strain.