Ever since “A New Hope” premiered more than 45 years ago in 1977, the world has been captivated by the galaxy far, far away. I was first introduced to the franchise when my dad showed me the first movies. From the moment I saw the end credits, I was hooked.
With “Star Wars” being such an expansive universe, it is hard to list just five pieces of “Star Wars” media as my favorites. Some honorable mentions that didn’t make my list are “The Phantom Menace,” “Andor,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” and “Star Wars: Rebels.”
- “A New Hope”
“A New Hope” premiered all the way back in 1977 and was the introductory film for the “Star Wars” franchise. The film introduced the main protagonists, Luke Sywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia and the droid pairing of R2-D2 and C-3PO. It also introduced the greatest villain of any movie franchise or piece of media — Darth Vader.
The movie began the plot for the whole franchise by introducing the conflict between the Jedi and the Sith and the Rebel Alliance against the Empire. The film marked breakthroughs for special effects technology and ultimately changed the landscape of filmmaking as a whole. It’s hard to leave out the movie that started this whole cinematic universe off.
- “The Mandalorian”
“The Mandalorian” is the most recent piece of “Star Wars” media I have in my top five, as the first season aired in 2019. The series follows a bounty hunter known as “The Mandalorian,” mainly due to his Mandalorian armor and heritage. The show takes place after the fall of the Galactic Empire, where the galaxy has fallen into a lawless state. Mando, while on a bounty, comes across a young child who is force sensitive and coincidentally looks like Yoda. Due to this, “The Child” was affectionately nicknamed “Baby Yoda” by fans. The show shares the journey of a space cowboy through Mando and his affectionate sidekick. This is definitely my favorite series of recently released “Star Wars” media.
- “The Empire Strikes Back”
“The Empire Strikes Back” was the second film of the original “Star Wars” trilogy premiering in 1980. The iconic battle scenes on the planet Hoth are some of the best from the original six films, along with the breakthrough special effects technology used. It stands to reason why fans think it’s the best. The storytelling was also impressive. The film saw the growth of the main protagonist Luke Skywalker, where he traveled to find Jedi master Yoda and learn the ways of the force. Even though “The Empire Strikes Back” isn’t my highest-ranked movie from the original six films, it is still a great piece of cinematography.
- “Revenge of the Sith”
“Revenge of the Sith” was the final of the original six films released, premiering in 2005. The film marks an end to the era of the original “Star Wars” saga. It’s also the best of the original films due to its storytelling. The film marks the culmination of Anakin Skywalker’s journey as a Jedi, as he is corrupted by Chancellor Palpatine and turned to the dark side of the force. One of my favorite parts of the film is when Anakin, a Jedi knight, and his Jedi master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, travel to the fiery planet of Mustafar. Anakin struggles with and eventually succumbs to the pull from the dark side, leading to arguably the best fight scene in the entire “Star Wars” cinematic universe.
- “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”
“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” is an animated series that debuted in 2008. The series takes place in the time period between episode two, “Attack of the Clones” and episode three, “Revenge of the Sith” of the prequel trilogy. “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” was probably the most influential show of my childhood. It almost created its own universe within the “Star Wars” universe, with its intricate and phenomenal storytelling mixed with top-tier animation. I remember coming home from school and waiting to see if a new episode had aired or not. The show developed beautiful and emotional storylines for characters that would have otherwise been irrelevant, like Darth Maul, Captain Rex, Ahsoka, Boba Fett and countless others. The sheer scope of the show provided infinite reasons to fall in love with it. The connections that I made with characters forever changed my view of the events that took place in the original trilogies. Watching “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” is essential for true fans and those looking for a captivating piece of “Star Wars” media.
