20 Movie Sequels That Are Totally Flawless
8. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
It wouldn't be a list about the greatest movie sequels without shouting out the space opera masterpiece that is The Empire Strikes Back, released three years after A New Hope and cementing Star Wars as the blockbuster phenomenon it continues to be to this day.
The brilliance of Empire isn't just that it upped the action of the story or complicated matters with the truth of Luke Skywalker's parentage or Yoda's iconic introduction. Nor is it how gorgeous the opening battle sequences of Hoth are, or Han Solo saying "I know" after being told Leia loves him.
No, the best part of Empire is how incredibly against expectation it is. Luke spends the film honing his craft, becoming a true Jedi, whilst the Rebellion grows and grows, only for the final moments to shock audiences when the good guys lose and Han is kidnapped. It's an epic tragedy, and from twist to twist doesn't put a foot wrong.