The Star Wars franchise has been running strong for over forty years. Since 1977, fans have loved being transported to a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away for some epic fantasy space adventures with characters that have become iconic.
Now, the highlight of every Star Wars film is the final battle of the film, where our heroes fight the bad guys in a series of lightsaber duels and dogfights between X-wings, TIE fighters, and many more ships fighting for the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance. Here is a ranking of the ten best Star Wars battles.
Battle of Geonosis
At the bottom of the list is the Battle of Geonosis from Episode II: Attack of the Clones. This is a somewhat messy battle where an army of Jedi arrives to fight the Separatists. What could have been a thrilling sequence ended up lacking in tension or exciting moments.
This ends in a lightsaber battle with Anakin and Obi-Wan fighting Count Dooku, and soon after, Yoda duels Dooku while performing a bunch of over-the-top flips. Unfortunately, this battle managed to be very disappointing, as was the rest of the film.
Battle of Naboo
The prequel trilogy began with a battle that, like in Attack of the Clones, was very disappointing. While the duel with Darth Maul, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan is iconic, especially when paired with John Williams's "Duel of the Fates," the rest of the battle is very forgettable.
A significant portion of the battle includes large armies of droids made with very dated CGI. Jar-Jar Binks accidentally kills a few droids, and a 9-year-old Anakin somehow finds a child-size helmet in his starfighter and helps the Resistance to victory. While the lightsaber battle is great, nothing else about this battle is.
Battle of Starkiller Base
Some have taken issue with The Force Awakens, as it follows the formula of A New Hope very closely. This flaw exists with the final battle as well, with the Resistance leading an attack on Starkiller Base to blow it up, similar to what they did with the Death Star.
The dogfight is not memorable, as it takes a backseat to the lightsaber battle between Kylo Ren and Finn. After Finn is knocked unconscious, Rey uses the Force to grab Anakin's lightsaber in a truly chill-inducing moment. It's a fun sequence, but it isn't one of the better Star Wars battles.
Battle of Scarif
Easily the best sequence in Rogue One is the final sequence. It's a unique battle between the Rebels and the Empire, with a ground battle on the beach in Scarif and an exciting space battle above the planet.
In a surprising turn of events, the members of Rogue One perish in the battle, but not before successfully transmitting the Death Star plans to the Rebels, who manage to escape with it just as Darth Vader massacres a group of Rebels in an exhilarating scene.
Battle of Crait
The Last Jedi is filled with thrilling action sequences, and the ending does not disappoint. The final battle of the film is an exciting face-off on the snowy, salty planet of Crait. The Resistance led an attack in rusty ski speeders as the X-wings closed in. Rey arrived on the Millennium Falcon and Rose saved Finn from a suicide run.
But the highlight of the battle is when Luke Skywalker arrives and faces off against his nephew, Kylo Ren. This is a battle filled with emotion, and in a shocking twist, we discover Luke had sent a Force projection across the galaxy to help the Resistance escape and he becomes one with the Force as he looks at the twin suns of Ahch-to. It's an emotionally rich ending to a great battle.
Battle of Endor
The final battle in Return of the Jedi is iconic. The attack on the Death Star II is grand and exciting and the duel between Luke and Darth Vader is filled with excitement. Luke's conflict between the light side and the dark side is extremely investing and it is hard to predict his next move.
However, the battle is held back by a very silly battle where Stormtroopers are easily overpowered by an army of Ewoks, which cheapens the danger the Empire is known for, given that their troops lost to a pack of teddy bears. However, it does manage to be a very enjoyable battle.
Battle of Hoth
One of the more unique decisions in The Empire Strikes Back is to have its main battle closer to the beginning of the film. While Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader's duel on Cloud City is great, it isn't really considered a battle.
Earlier in the film on the planet of Hoth, we have an iconic battle between the X-wings and the AT-AT walkers, with Luke participating in this battle against the Empire. The way the Rebels take down the walkers is brilliant, and it has aged very well.
Battle of Exegol
The Rise of Skywalker closed out the Skywalker saga with the mother of all Star Wars battles. On the ground, Rey confronts her grandfather, Palpatine, and she defeats a group of Sith. Meanwhile, Ben Solo has returned to the light side of the Force. He kills the Knights of Ren, as Rey passes him Anakin's lightsaber through the Force and Rey manages to kill Palpatine after hearing voices of Jedi past.
In the air, Poe Dameron is leading the Rebels in a fight to prevent the creation of the Final Order. Finn, Jannah, and Rose have a battle on the surface of a Stardestroyer, and just when all hope is lost, Lando Calrissian arrives on the Millennium Falcon with an army of fighters from people all over the galaxy, rising up to fight for their freedom. It's a thrilling battle with nearly everything a Star Wars fan could want.
Battle of Mustafar
Revenge of the Sith ends in an amazing battle with the Emperor executing Order 66. The clones turn on the Jedi and commit mass genocide, as Anakin turns to the dark side of the Force. Yoda has a duel with the Emperor and Anakin and Obi-Wan have a duel on the planet of Mustafar.
While it looks a bit overchoreographed at times, there is a lot of emotion between master and apprentice in this battle. It ends with Obi-Wan taking the high ground, chopping off Anakin's legs and in a tearjerking moment, telling Anakin he loved him as a brother. It's perhaps the most emotional battle in the Star Wars franchise.
Battle of Yavin
And the best battle of the Star Wars franchise is the Battle of Yavin, a perfect battle to close out A New Hope. Luke and the Rebels enter their X-wing fighters and launch an assault on the Death Star in an attempt to destroy it.
The sequence has the most tension out of all the Star Wars battles, as we are in a constant state of worry over whether the Empire may win. The Empire was readying to blow up the Rebel base on Yavin, and with the help of Han Solo's return on the Millennium Falcon, Luke was able to blow up the Death Star just before they could blow up Yavin, in one of the most iconic, exciting sequences of the Star Wars films.