Star Wars: A Visual History
3. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Empire Strikes Back (the Episode naming was in the crawl, but not the actual title for another decade) was initially met with mixed reviews, its darker tone and open-ending confusing critics. Time has been very good for the film, now regarded as a highlight of the series and one of the best of all time.
The scope of the galaxy is greatly increased, with new worlds and concepts introduced. The ending, with Han Solo frozen in carbonite and Luke discovering Darth Vader is his father, is one of the bleakest blockbuster cinema has ever delivered.