Ranking Every Canon Star Wars Project From Worst To Best

When Disney bought the "Star Wars" franchise for $4 billion in 2012, the House of Mouse made some changes. With the stroke of a pen, almost everything produced previously was wiped away and given the label of "Legends." The little that remained became part of Disney's "Star Wars" canon, and a ton of new content has been released since 2012. On top of the new feature films, Disney has created several television series, novels, comic books, and video games, all of which are tied into the larger franchise.

The number of comic book series and tie-in novels is massive, and they deserve their own list. That said, you can lump video games with unique narratives, films, and television series into one homogenous storyline. There's a lot of debate over how to rank every aspect of the "Star Wars" franchise, so instead of doing it in-house, it's up to the fans this time. By looking at the viewer and player rankings on IMDb, Metacritic, and Rotten Tomatoes, the users' aggregate scores determined how each TV series, film, and video game ranks from worst to best. That said, every franchise title has its fans, so don't be surprised to see your least favorites higher than you might prefer.

"Star Wars Forces of Destiny" is a micro-series designed for young children and their viewing habits. Its primary focus is on the franchise's many female characters, and Disney managed to get most of the live-action and animated voice actors into the recording booth to reprise their characters. These include Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka Tano), Felicity Jones (Helen Sadler), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Lupita Nyong'o (Maz Kanata), Daisy Ridley (Rey), Toya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Gina Torres (Ketsu Onyo), and Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico).

The episodes are each around three minutes long and depict tie-in scenes that haven't been shown previously in the franchise. "Ewok Escape" sees Leia walking through the forest of Endor with Wicket when the Ewok is captured, leaving Leia to rescue him from stormtroopers. The episode fits snugly into the narrative of "Return of the Jedi," but does little to add to the story. Each of the episodes is similar in that respect; they focus on a female hero and a small act that fills a gap nobody needed filling.

What you're left with is an incredibly short series that's not bad, but it's not required viewing for fans. Still, it appealed to children, and the accompanying toys and other products likely helped secure a second season. You can watch the series in just over 44 minutes on Disney's YouTube channel, and while it's not the best canon series, it does an excellent job of bringing a much younger audience into the franchise.

"The Last Jedi" stands as one of the franchise's most divisive entries. The primary complaints from a very vocal group of fans center around depicting Luke Skywalker as a bitter old man, breaking norms related to in-universe physics, and "progressive" messaging. That said, critics and fans don't agree, and if this list were organized by the former, "The Last Jedi" would be much higher.

Whether fans love or hate "The Last Jedi," it serves as a bridge between "The Force Awakens" and "The Rise of Skywalker." The film attempts to progress beyond the franchise's tropes established decades earlier, and it effectively does this via the Canto Bight scenes, which many fans hated. Canto Bight quietly exposes the nature of a fascist regime and its impact on every facet of life in the galaxy. 

The film also attempts to examine more closely the nuances of light and dark within the Jedi tradition, and how this plays out with tragic consequences in the relationship between Luke and Kylo Ren. Whether you consider this an intriguing take that adds texture to the "Star Wars" lore, or a warped interpretation of beloved characters is, as ever, entirely a matter of taste.

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" was the first feature-length animated film in "Star Wars" canon — it's just a pity it doesn't make more of an impression. The film does serve the franchise well by introducing one of its greatest characters, Ahsoka Tano, but beyond that, it's got a lot of problems. The movie was given a paltry budget of only $8.5 million, which wasn't enough to dynamically animate it. The film doesn't look as good as the TV show it brought into existence, which is what "The Clone Wars" was essentially made to do.

As a result, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" is less a feature film than it is an extended pilot episode for the series released shortly after the movie hit theaters. Still, the film remains the lowest-rated in the franchise, and yes, critics panned it far more than "The Last Jedi." Because the movie was meant to usher in "The Clone Wars" TV series, you might think it's required viewing before sitting down to binge all seven seasons on Disney+, but surprisingly, it isn't.

You can fire up the first episode of "The Clone Wars" without seeing the movie, and you won't miss anything. Sure, you won't get to see how Anakin Skywalker became Ahsoka's master, but it's not necessary. The other plot elements fall between an episode in season one and season three, so it isn't as impactful as the movie makes it out to be. After all, George Lucas described it to Entertainment Weekly as "almost an afterthought."

"Star Wars Battlefront II" is the second title in the rebooted "Battlefront" series, so it falls within Disney's canon. Before release, the game was highly controversial over fans' dislike of loot boxes and their associated microtransactions in the playable beta. Just 24 hours before the game's launch, EA DICE removed them from the game, but the outcry hampered sales. Fortunately, development continued, adding a great deal of new content, which fills some narrative gaps between "Return of the Jedi" and "The Force Awakens."

The game focuses on the aftermath of the second Death Star's destruction. The Empire doesn't fall when the space station is lost — Imperial remnants consolidate their forces and unleash hell on several systems. This is all due to the Emperor's standing orders regarding Operation: Cinder, a plan to lay waste to more than a dozen worlds through orbital bombardment. This leads to several notable battles on Mon Cala, Chandrila, and Theed, among others.

Ultimately, the plot is foiled, but not before a great deal of death and destruction is unleashed. The final battle between the Rebel Alliance and the Imperial remnants takes place on Jakku, which explains Rey's salvage operations, taking components from a downed Imperial Star Destroyer at the beginning of "The Force Awakens." What remains of the Empire travels to the Unknown Regions, where the First Order is established, and Darth Sidious is resurrected via cloning on Exegol.

"Star Wars Resistance" is set after "Return of the Jedi" and establishes the beginning of the First Order's incursion into the galaxy from the Unknown Regions. Unlike previous animated series and films, the lead, Kazuda "Kaz" Xiono, is not a Force user. Instead, he's a regular guy trying to make it in the galaxy, and he becomes a hero without the use of ancient weapons and hokey religions guiding his way. This grounds "Resistance" in more of a slice-of-life setting than we see in other series and films.

"Resistance" utilizes an animation style reminiscent of Japanese anime, making it look very different from the franchise's other 3D animated series. Series creator Dave Filoni explained in an interview with USA Today that "the idea for 'Star Wars Resistance' came out of my interest in World War II aircraft and fighter pilots ... There's a long history of high-speed racing in 'Star Wars,' and I think we've captured that sense of excitement in an anime-inspired style, which is something the entire team has been wanting to do for a long time."

"Star Wars Resistance" is an underrated series – it isn't as well known as "The Clone Wars" and other popular shows. It shows the lives of civilians in the same ways that were emulated (and celebrated) in "Andor," so it deserves more attention than it has received.

Boba Fett is arguably one of the most beloved characters in the franchise. He has numerous backstories that became Legends, so fans were happy to learn he was getting the live-action Disney+ treatment in 2021. Jon Favreau brought back Tamuera Morrison, who played Jango Fett and all the Clones in the prequel trilogy, but he wasn't the only character to return. Ming-Na Wen and Pedro Pascal also stopped by for a few episodes, so "The Book of Boba Fett" included several franchise favorites.

Still, of all the Disney+ canon "Star Wars" series, "The Book of Boba Fett" is perhaps the least appreciated by fans. Some of the complaints centered on its slow pacing and the overuse of fan service. Numerous characters from other properties were brought into the series, including Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and Cad Bain. While some fans loved this, others felt it unnecessarily shifted the focus away from Boba Fett.

This was clear in the episode "Return of the Mandalorian," which is effectively an episode of "The Mandalorian" rather than "The Book of Boba Fett." Other complaints brought up the portrayal of Fett, who was a ruthless bounty hunter in the original trilogy, but is toned down and humanized in this series. Ultimately, fans weren't impressed with the lackluster finale, but hopefully, a second season is on the horizon to give them another chance to get it right. 

When "The Phantom Menace" concludes, Anakin Skywalker is taken in by Obi-Wan Kenobi to train per his master's final wish. "Attack of the Clones" picks up ten years later; Anakin is a rash young man, and he's often derided for his impulsivity. At this point, the audience is well aware of his eventual transformation into Darth Vader, but it's unclear what will push him down that path. "Attack of the Clones" offers some answers via the relationship between Anakin and now-Senator Padmé Amidala.

Their romance establishes a love Anakin is clearly unwilling to lose, and it also features some of the corniest dialogue in the franchise. Hayden Christensen took a lot of flak for his performance in this film, but given his dialogue, it wasn't all his fault. Regardless, "Attack of the Clones" is the least liked of the prequel trilogy by fans and critics alike. Despite this, the film adds numerous elements to the franchise previously absent from the canon.

The establishment of the Grand Army of the Republic, the subsequent Clone Wars, and the loss of Anakin's right forearm all fill plot holes hinted at previously in other films. The prequels were derided for years, but have since been looked at in a new light. As a result, "Attack of the Clones" isn't as loathed as it was in the past, which Christensen noted in an interview with Digital Spy: "It's hugely meaningful to me. And the love and support that those films get now is very heart-warming."

"The Phantom Menace" may have been the most anticipated movie sequel of all time when it was released in 1999. It came 16 years after the last "Star Wars" film, and fans were excited to see what George Lucas had in mind for his franchise. The film adds a great deal to the franchise lore, including the nature of the Republic, the Jedi Order, the introduction of Anakin Skywalker to said order, and much more. The film is set 32 years before the events of "A New Hope," and while it has many fans, it also brought about a lot of negativity from detractors.

The film is an excellent addition to the franchise, but has several elements the fans didn't appreciate. Most notable is Jar Jar Binks, who was greeted with outright hate and derision when the film was released. This resulted in some of the worst fan reactions to a film performance in history, with the blameless actor Ahmed Best bearing the brunt of this cruelty. Similarly, Jake Lloyd was mercilessly bullied due to his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker, and he went on to quit acting entirely.

Despite the negativity centered around the plot, dialogue, and characterizations of several characters and species, "The Phantom Menace" has become more appreciated over time. This is true of all the prequel films, and like "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith," "The Phantom Menace" adds a plethora of lore to an ever-expanding franchise for a fanbase with an outspoken but toxic minority.

"Galaxy of Adventures" is a child-oriented micro-series released on YouTube and StarWarsKids.com in 2018. The series is essentially a selection of key scenes from throughout the franchise animated in shorts. The episodes are comprised of scenes previously seen but from different perspectives, with narration and sound bites from the original trilogy. This makes for a beautifully cinematic approach to the "Star Wars" franchise that utilizes a fresh and dynamic animation style that sets it apart from other "Star Wars" animated series.

In the episode "Yoda – The Jedi Master," Yoda is introduced through his dialogue with Luke in "The Empire Strikes Back." When he says, "Yoda! You seek Yoda," the episode breaks into a series of otherwise disparate scenes involving Yoda from the prequel trilogy, concluding with his fight against Count Dooku in 'Attack of the Clones." Ultimately, this results in a series that introduces children to the franchise in bite-sized vignettes, but it also serves as a fun journey through the original trilogy.

"Galaxy of Adventures" is the series you need to show to your six-year-old to get them into "Star Wars." Series producer Josh Rimes told StarWars.com, "We were looking for ways to invite young kids into the saga through exciting and vibrant bursts of animation that didn't talk down to them." Outside of that, there's a great deal of nostalgia spread throughout the series, and since each episode is about a minute long, you can watch it all in under an hour.

"Solo: A Star Wars Story" provides the backstory of Han Solo and how he went from an orphan on Corellia to the scruffy-looking Nerf Herder first seen in "A New Hope." While there are plenty of backstories to go around, including Han and Chewbacca's first meeting and partnership, "Solo" is a heist movie at its heart. It is mostly set 10 years before the events of "A New Hope" and features Lando Calrissian, as well as the fateful game of sabacc that earned Han the Millenium Falcon.

The film is centered around a plot to steal unrefined coaxium from the planet Kessel, and it plays out in such a way as to correct a bit of dialogue from "A New Hope." As any fan will tell you, a parsec is a measurement of distance, not time, so when Han said, "It's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs" to describe the Millenium Falcon's speed, fans had to wait 41 years for it to make sense.

When Han makes the Kessel Run in the film, which normally follows a route equaling 20 parsecs, he does it in 12, justifying the dialogue. The film has its ups and downs, and it wasn't as beloved as Disney hoped. It is the first box office bomb in the franchise, and plans to make more anthology films were put on an indefinite hiatus in 2019. Similarly, plans for a "Solo" sequel bounced around the Internet for a while, but it doesn't look like it will happen.

After "The Last Jedi" upset some fans with Luke's characterization and Leia's Mary Poppins moment, tense fans had high expectations for "The Rise of Skywalker." Rey's true parentage is revealed, and Kylo Ren is defeated, bringing Ben Solo back to the light side of the Force. By the end, the combined might of the Resistance and nearly every capable ship in the galaxy destroy the Final Order. It's a monumental conclusion to an epic story, no matter how you look at it.

As with every new "Star Wars" movie, the fanbase took issue with several elements of the film. Most notable was the return of Palpatine, which isn't explained particularly well. He was cloned — don't ask questions. "The Rise of Skywalker" also undoes many of the plot elements of "The Last Jedi," which was seen by some as an effort to kowtow to the more toxic elements of the fanbase. Regardless, Palpatine serves as an effective foil for Rey, his granddaughter, and the stakes couldn't be higher now that he has a fleet of Star Destroyers capable of destroying whole planets.

It's all wrapped up in the end, and Rey adopts the name Skywalker to honor Luke and Leia. The film closes with her burying their lightsabers at the Skywalker farm as their Force spirits look on with pride. Some appreciated this ending, while others found the entire film an incoherent mess. If the sequel films prove anything, it's that you can't please the entire "Star Wars" fanbase.

There have been hundreds of games in the "Star Wars" franchise, and while most of them have been relegated to Legends, a few exceptional examples have been released as canon. Even fewer are virtual reality titles, and one of the best is "Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series." The game was first released in 2019, and over the course of the year, two additional episodes dropped, making for a three-chapter story about a Force-sensitive smuggler who falls in with Darth Vader.

The story involves the player winding up on Mustafar, where Lord Vader enlists his aid in finding a powerful artifact called the Bright Star, an ancient weapon capable of wiping out all life on the planet. The smuggler goes on an adventure through Mustafar, learning to use their Force powers. The player meets several friends along the way who help in their journey, and it all ends with a confrontation with Vader himself.

If you've ever thought you could take on Darth Vader, this is the game that gives you the opportunity. In terms of canon, "Vader Immortal" falls between the events of "Revenge of the Sith" and "Rogue One." Vader's hope in finding the artifact revolves around his desire to return Padmé Amidala from the dead. It's a fantastic VR title and a fun addition to the franchise. Ultimately, the story, written by David S. Goyer, outperforms the gameplay, which is why it falls here on this list.

When audiences first meet Obi-Wan Kenobi in "A New Hope," he's an old hermit living on the Outer Rim planet of Tatooine. He reveals his connection to Luke Skywalker and trains him in the way of the Jedi to prepare him for the fight ahead. He is killed in the film, becoming one with the Force, and guides Luke as a Force Spirit. His story was expanded upon significantly in the prequel trilogy and "The Clone Wars," but one period that hasn't received much attention is his time spent in self-exile between "Revenge of the Sith" and "A New Hope." Until recently, that is.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi" offers a glimpse of this time, showing a man defeated by regret and sorrow who cuts himself off from the Force. Obi-Wan is doing little more than keeping an eye on Luke and no longer follows the Jedi Code. It takes the kidnapping of Leia Organa to get him off his proverbial couch, which leads to the confrontation fans have wanted to see for a long time. In the finale, Obi-Wan faces off against Darth Vader in an epic standoff that plays out for nearly nine minutes.

All of the negativity thrown Hayden Christensen's way over the prequel films was washed away via his triumphant return as Vader. Ewan McGregor was similarly praised for his return to the character, and "Obi-Wan Kenobi" stands as one of the best live-action series to date. Sadly, some toxic fans attacked Moses Ingram over her portrayal of the Third Sister, leading to responses from McGregor and the Star Wars Twitter account itself.

Fans have been flying spacecraft in "Star Wars" games since the 1982 release of "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" on the Atari 2600. Subsequent games released on home media put players in the pilot seat of X-Wings, TIE Fighters, and other intergalactic vessels. None of those titles are canon, but some exceptional games remain. "Star Wars: Squadrons" is unlike any game that came before, mainly due to the immersive first-person experience afforded by the hardware capabilities of eighth-generation consoles.

The game's story begins after the destruction of Alderaan in "A New Hope." It follows an Imperial pilot's defection to the Rebel Alliance. Four years later, that pilot is in command of a cruiser and is responsible for ensuring the completion of Project Starhawk, a massive battleship made from Star Destroyers. Players fight for the Rebel Alliance to preserve Starhawk. At the same time, the Imperial side seeks to destroy it, leading to a confrontation that involves a massive fleet of Imperial craft and Starhawk.

The game is innovative, immersive, and a lot of fun, and while you can play it on various consoles, "Squadrons" works incredibly well in VR, though you need a PlayStation VR or a powerful PC to play it. The story is an excellent addition to the franchise's lore, and it's long — all told, the cut scenes and gameplay stitched together are just shy of four hours long. Ultimately, the story is good, but the gameplay is far better, making for a fun addition to the growing library of canon video games.

The final film in the prequel trilogy is arguably its best due to the depiction of Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side of the Force. "Revenge of the Sith" begins with a massive space battle, culminating in Anakin's decapitation of Count Dooku. He's plagued by visions of Padmé's death and seeks help from the Jedi to prevent it, but gains nothing. This leaves the door open for Darth Sidious to lead Anakin down the path of the Sith, and in the end, Anakin helps kill Mace Windu and bows before his new master as he's renamed Darth Vader.

After that, he demonstrates his lightsaber proficiency to the younglings at the Jedi Temple and wipes out the entire Separatist leadership at Mustafar. He's later confronted by Padmé, whom he Force chokes, and is only stopped by Obi-Wan Kenobi. What follows is arguably the greatest lightsaber battle in the entire franchise, as two men who considered one another brothers for years fight it out over a streaming river of molten lava. Vader loses his remaining limbs and burns as he cries, "I hate you," to the man who essentially raised him. It's an emotional end everyone knew was coming, and it's executed brilliantly, making "Revenge of the Sith" the best chapter of the prequel trilogy.

"Tales from the Galaxy's Edge" is a VR first-person-shooter inspired by the real-life park of the same name at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Galaxy's Edge is considered canon, though it's called Black Spire Spaceport in-universe, and is on the planet Batuu, on the very edge of the galaxy's outer rim, hence the name. "Tales from the Galaxy's Edge" has players crash on Batuu and embark on a story that takes them across the franchise's eras.

The game is incredibly immersive, as any VR game should be. Everything from the people you meet to the weapons you use and the places you visit all scream "Star Wars" in one way or another. If there's one issue with "Tales from the Galaxy's Edge," it's that the story is far too short, and players wind up completing it in around three hours.

That said, the game has been updated with a downloadable expansion called "Last Call," which Techradar claims "Makes you feel like Han Solo." More than that, it offers new locations to explore, and while it builds on the primary game, it adds enough new content to make it feel almost like a sequel. The only reason it falls here on this list is due to the limited content available.

"The Bad Batch" is a sequel and spinoff of "The Clone Wars" centered around Clone Force 99, first introduced as a squad of elite Clone Troopers with genetic modifications that enhanced their abilities. Each member of Clone Force 99 is different, and their codenames offer a glimpse into their specialties: Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Crosshair, and Echo make up the team. While they're officially known as Clone Force 99, they're the Bad Batch to the rest of the Troopers.

In the series, Crosshair's inhibitor chip activates following the execution of Order 66 during the events of "Revenge of the Sith." This separates him from the rest of the unit, which picks up another clone, Omega, an unmodified female. The Bad Batch goes from being the best of the best in the Grand Army of the Republic to wanted fugitives in the Empire, which doesn't abide Troopers who aren't controlled via their inhibitor chips.

"The Bad Batch" effectively closes the chapter on the Clone Wars and sees the fallout of the transition into the Empire. The diversity of the characters is impressive, given that nearly all of the leads are voiced by Dee Bradley Baker. You'd think this might hinder the series in some way, but that couldn't be further from the truth. "The Bad Batch" was widely acclaimed by critics and fans, earning itself a second season and continued praise.

It didn't take long for Disney to greenlight its first addition to the "Star Wars" franchise following its purchase in 2012. The first film in the sequel trilogy, "The Force Awakens," hit theaters in 2015 with high expectations and anticipation. "The Force Awakens" managed to introduce an entirely new cast of characters while grounding them to the stars of the original trilogy. This helped usher in Rey, Finn, Poe, and all the rest for a new generation of fans, but more than that, the film followed a familiar format.

There are clear similarities to the narrative structure of "A New Hope," and that's no accident. Director J.J. Abrams told IGN that the film "was a bridge and a kind of reminder; the audience needed to be reminded what 'Star Wars' is, but it needed to be established with something familiar, with a sense of where we are going to new lands."

The gambit worked, and while Abrams is correct about some fans deriding his creative choices, most loved the reintroduction to the franchise. "The Force Awakens" made over $2 billion worldwide, proving that Disney's investment paid off.

Following the success of "The Force Awakens," Disney released the first of its solo anthology films with "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." Instead of focusing all of the movie's attention on Jedi, Sith, and the Force, "Rogue One" tells the story of the Death Star's construction, who was involved, and how the plans for the battle station wound up in the hands of the Rebels. It takes place immediately before "A New Hope" and is arguably one of the best films in the franchise.

The film introduced Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, Orson Krennic, amongst others. It also brought animated characters like Saw Gerrera into live-action. One of the film's best aspects is its story, which hadn't been delved into in "Star Wars" canon with much detail. Despite this, it's a story the fans are somewhat familiar with, at least enough to know that it doesn't necessarily have a happy ending. This adds a sense of finality to each character, which ups the ante for everything they do on-screen and makes the film incredibly engrossing.

"Rogue One" was a major success, earning more than $1 billion at the global box office. While it proved "Star Wars" could tell stories that don't center around the Skywalkers — at least not directly — the failure of "Solo" similarly proved not every story works. Regardless, "Rogue One" remains an excellent addition to the franchise and one of the most compelling "Star Wars" properties.

"Star Wars Rebels" picks up the story a decade after the events of "Revenge of the Sith." The series is centered around a group of rebels who call themselves the Spectres. They aren't affiliated with a larger Rebel organization and spend most of their time fighting against the Imperial occupation of Lothal. This puts them on Grand Admiral Thrawn's radar, who acts as the primary antagonist throughout the series. "Rebels" introduces Ezra Bridger, Hera Syndulla, Kanan Jarrus, Sabine Wren, Zeb, and Chopper to the franchise, along with the Sith Inquisitors. 

Additionally, several franchise veterans make appearances, including Darth Vader, Ahsoka Tano, and Lando Calrissian. "Rebels" tells an essential part of the saga's story, as it focuses on the creation of disparate rebel cells that are brought into a larger organization. Ahsoka Tano, Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and several other important figures in the franchise accomplish this. "Rebels" effectively ties the prequel and original trilogies together by filling numerous gaps in the story.

Perhaps the best aspect of "Rebels" is the introduction of the Inquisitors, who hunt Jedi across the galaxy. These characters play a significant role in subsequent series like "Obi-Wan Kenobi," numerous comics, and video games. The Grand Inquisitor, who the inimitable Jason Isaacs expertly voiced, is a particularly dastardly enemy who hounds Ezra and Kanan in an attempt to kill or convert them to the dark side of the Force.

Following the events of "The Empire Strikes Back," the Rebel Alliance has mustered its strength in an effort to destroy the Empire's ongoing construction of a second Death Star. Simultaneously, the Empire devises a plan to lure the Rebels to Endor, where they intend to destroy them in one fell swoop. Hanging in the balance is Luke Skywalker's belief he can turn his father, Darth Vader, back to the light side of the Force, resulting in their final confrontation aboard the second Death Star.

It's an amazing ending to one of the greatest science-fiction trilogies of all time. That said, most consider "Return of the Jedi" to be the weakest chapter in the original trilogy; hence, its place on this list. Critics and fans loved the film, but there was some criticism surrounding the use of Ewoks, which were clearly targeting children (and toy sales). Still, what little criticism went its way paled in comparison to the praise the film received on release and in subsequent years.

When it was released in 1983, "Return of the Jedi" was easily the most anticipated film of all time, and it made a ton of cash. It broke records on opening day and went on to make over $475 million at the worldwide box office, which is roughly $1.4 billion when adjusted for inflation. "Return of the Jedi" closed the chapter on the "Star Wars" trilogy — or so we thought — and it offered a satisfying conclusion most fans loved.

"Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" is set five years after "Revenge of the Sith" and tells the story of Cal Kestis, a former Jedi Padawan who lives during a time when the Inquisitors are running around the galaxy, killing or converting anyone like him they find. Soon after he uses the Force to save a friend, the Inquisitors arrive, and Cal must flee for his life. He restarts his Jedi training, using a lightsaber and various Force powers as he progresses.

As the player goes through the game, they unlock new areas as Cal's power grows. The story sees him working to rebuild the Jedi Order with the Second and Ninth Sister chasing him all the while. This takes him to several familiar locations, including Kashyyyk, Dathomir, and Nur, the oceanic moon of Mustafar, which is home to the Fortress Inquisitorius. This location went on to feature prominently in "Obi-Wan Kenobi" a few years later.

"Fallen Order" was a massively successful title, earning more than 10 million sales in its first year of release. The game's narrative expands the known Jedi still alive throughout the galaxy following the fall of the Republic, and it adds elements that greatly improve the franchise's lore surrounding the Inquisitors. "Fallen Order" did well enough to earn a sequel, "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor," in 2023. The sequel is set five years after the conclusion of "Fallen Order" and follows Cal on his journey to save the Jedi and himself.

"Rogue One" proved "Star Wars" didn't need to rely on the Force to tell a compelling story, and it inspired a spinoff in 2022's "Andor." Since the main character dies at the end of "Rogue One," the series is a prequel that tells the story of how Cassian Andor wound up on the wrong side of the Empire, and ultimately joined the growing Rebellion to fight against the oppressive government. 

Andor isn't just another Rebel fighter — he's a brilliant spy and, let's face it, a terrorist who gets the job done no matter the cost. The first season of "Andor" is brilliantly written, acted, and set within the bowels of the Empire. It tells the story of the people impacted by the Empire at the lowest levels. At the same time, it shows how the Empire affects the people occupying the highest class of society, their indifference to everyone's struggles, and their acceptance of the status quo.

Of course, not everyone feels that way, which is why Mon Mothma and franchise newcomer, Luthen Rael, are such engaging characters. Despite their status, they risk everything, just as Andor does, to bring peace and order to the galaxy. It's an amazing story, and "Andor" is easily one of the greatest "Star Wars" series in canon. "Andor" was widely beloved by audiences and critics, with outlets like Variety praising it for telling "the story of people who have nothing to do with Solos, Skywalkers or Palpatines, but whose lives matter nonetheless."

"Tales of the Jedi" is an anthology miniseries that seemingly came out of nowhere in mid-2022. The series' first season consists of only six episodes, each between 13 and 17 minutes long. You might think that wouldn't offer much to the franchise's lore, but that wouldn't be further from the truth. There are a lot of knowledge gaps surrounding the franchise, many of which come from unanswered questions from the prequel trilogy and the series that followed. 

The purpose of "Tales of the Jedi" appears to be to answer those questions, and it does so remarkably well. The episodes deal with Count Dooku's time as a Jedi and his fall to the dark side of the Force. They also go into detail about Yaddle, who was only seen briefly in "The Phantom Menace" but had no dialogue. Other missing details that are filled include Ahsoka Tano's first usage of the Force and her decision to help launch the rebellion.

While short, "Tales of the Jedi" offers much in the way of franchise lore, and it's beautifully animated in the style of other popular animated series on this list. It also features a brilliant cast of voice actors. Bryan Young of /Film wrote of the series, "These episodes are full of pathos and interesting connections to the broader 'Star Wars' lore. The quality of work from the writers, from Lucasfilm Animation, and the music of Kevin Kiner has never been better."

Fans weren't sure what to expect when Disney announced it would launch Disney+ with a series titled "The Mandalorian." After all, the sequel movies may have made an ungodly amount of money, but they divided the fans, many of whom felt anything new from Disney would be sub-par. Fortunately, those fears were washed away with the introduction of Din Djarin in "The Mandalorian." Not only is he one of the best characters in the franchise, but he also comes with the most adorable bounty-hunting accomplice of all time: Grogu.

Granted, fans didn't know that was his name during the first season, and while Disney wanted him called "The Child," he was Baby Yoda to the fans. "The Mandalorian" manages to do everything right when it comes to the franchise, with numerous allusions to the works of Akira Kurosawa and Joseph Campbell. There are so many references to the films that inspired George Lucas to create "Star Wars" in the first place, and for the most part, fans love it.

"Tha Mandalorian" helped usher in Disney+ as a viable entry into the streaming market, and it has done so much more. The success of "The Mandalorian" helped bring about "The Book of Boba Fett," "Andor," and all the rest Disney has produced since launching its channel. That places "The Mandalorian" in an important place in the "Star Wars" franchise as a model for how to move forward with new original content.

While "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" may be the lowest-rated film in the franchise, it succeeded in drawing attention to the TV series of the same name. "The Clone Wars" tells the story fans have wanted to see ever since Luke mentioned the conflict in "A New Hope." Each episode opens with a propaganda-like voiceover reminiscent of World War II newsreels that establishes the setting of what's to come. The episodes tell the story of the Clone Wars while focusing on several core characters, most notably Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano.

Many others are involved in the Clone Wars throughout the series run, but those three are the primary leads. The series goes in-depth into the structure of the Jedi Order, the fate of Darth Maul, the Mandalorians and their place in the galaxy's affairs, and so much more. "The Clone Wars" ran for five seasons on Cartoon Network, was picked up for a sixth by Netflix, and finally, a seventh season aired on Disney+ after a six-year hiatus.

The series' final season closes the narrative gap between the events of the Clone Wars and "Revenge of the Sith," which is mentioned through several references to the killing of General Grievous and the execution of Order 66, among other aspects. The story is captivating, heartbreaking, and beautifully told, making "The Clone Wars" the best animated TV series in the franchise by a fairly wide margin.

The first film in the franchise, retroactively titled "A New Hope," was a nightmare to make. After relentlessly pitching his story to studios, George Lucas finally got the green light from 20th Century Fox, but at a smaller budget than he would have liked. Production delays and cost overruns made nearly everyone involved think the movie would be a massive failure. But when it was finally released in the summer of '77, it took off in a way that no one could have anticipated.

The movie was a cultural phenomenon right out of the gate, and it managed to bring in a whopping $775 million in domestic and foreign ticket sales. That's more than $3.7 billion when adjusted for inflation. The franchise it spawned hasn't been the most consistent over the years, but it has nonetheless remained one of the most profitable in cinematic history.

While it would make a lot of sense for "A New Hope" to stand at the top of this list, it's nudged into second place. "A New Hope" is great, but there's one remaining "Star Wars" film that's just a tiny bit better.

At the end of "A New Hope," the Rebel Alliance celebrates a great victory. The Empire has lost the Death Star and a catastrophic amount of personnel, but unfortunately for the Rebels, they only put a small dent in the Empire's armor, and the rest of the Imperial fleet amasses and hunts them down across the galaxy. They barely escape at the Battle of Hoth, and soon after, many of the major players are captured by the Empire.

Han Solo is frozen in Carbonite, and Luke loses his hand fighting the biggest bad in the entire galaxy, who may or may not be his father. In what is arguably the biggest cinematic twist in history, Darth Vader delivers a lesson in genealogy to Luke in an epic scene that ends the movie on a serious down note. There's no celebrating, some of the best characters are lost, and there's very little hope for the Rebel Alliance.

Why, then, is "The Empire Strikes Back" such a good movie? After all, it is antithetical to the first film, but that's what makes it so amazing. Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett created a script that turned the entire story on its head, taking a risk by seemingly ending it in defeat. In doing so, it establishes the plight of our heroes as a temporary setback in a much larger saga.