10 Scariest Star Wars Moments
7. The Trash Compactor - A New Hope
The famous trash compactor sequence is one of the franchise's most iconic scenes, in which Luke, Leia, Chewbacca and Han take cover from advancing stormtrooper fire by hiding in an unassuming room filled with rubbish. The door closes shut behind them, and it becomes clear that they're less safe in their hideout than outside with the troopers.
The brilliant, gasp-inducing twist (which works on both adults and children alike) comes when Luke is attacked by a bizarre creature, and only then does the compactor begin to...compact.
The group try to stop the advancing walls, and the scene seems to drag for ages, making it all the more intense and scary, until Luke is able to contact C-3PO and R2-D2 and shut the compactor down before it squishes them into nothing.
It's a terrifying moment, particularly if you're young and watching A New Hope for the first time.