1. This Will Be The Last Happy Ending For A While
The final shots of A New Hope (which again mirror those of The Phantom Menace) see our heroes medal-clad (apart from Chewbacca, who for some reason doesnt have one) and receiving the adulation of hundreds of members of the Rebel Alliance, stood in formation in front of them and lapping up the acclaim for destroying the Death Star, courtesy of Lukes one-in-a-million shot (the execution of which is staged brilliantly). Its all very rousing, and, as the credits roll, one is left with an overwhelming sense of victory, of happiness. Savour it, because this is the last semblance of that particular emotion the franchise will conjure until the dénouement of Return Of The Jedi, nearly two whole films later (Ewoks aside). From there, its the darkness of The Empire Strikes Back, and the prophetic bleakness of the majority of Jedi, with the idea of a stirring, crowd-pleasing blockbuster vanishing into the rear-view mirror of the franchises sweeping tragedy.