With The Last Jedi hitting theaters today, we wanted to continue our Star Wars week with a pretty heated debate — the Top 10 Scenes from the Star Wars Universe. The staff got together, voted, and like the Imperial Senate would do (or not actually because we feel we’re a little more competent than them, I mean they DID ask Jar Jar Binks to make a crucial decision that actually ended up creating the Empire), and we came to a resolution. Here they are…
The Top 10 Star Wars Scenes of All-Time
9. (tie) Darth Vader Attacks (Rogue One)
Lucas Jones: The OG badass Darth Vader is back, and he is not happy. I’ve always been a fan of Vader, and have enjoyed the added backstory to his character. But this is the crowning achievement. If you thought that Vader might still be a little sad after Revenge of the Sith, wonder no longer. We finally get to see him in all of his glory, mowing down helpless rebels in a way that seems disconnected from emotion, until you realize that Vader is adding flair to his attack. Pinning rebels to the ceiling, tossing guns with the force like toys, and the coolest part is that he never stops walking at the same pace the entire scene.
Again, this is a scene that relies on the faces and emotions of the people involved to make us care. By cutting the lights, and announcing Vader’s presence with the signature breathing and ignition of his red lightsaber. It sets the scene for the “oh, shit” look that comes over the face of the rebels in that hallway. Not grim determination and acceptance of death, but rather panic and fear. The soldier with the plans yelling to be let out, until he gives up, hands the disc off, and gets stabbed as a way to open the jammed door. Star Wars succeeds when it tells a story through people. If there is one big thing Rogue One got right, it was the intense focus on the characters rather than the surrounding action. This scene showcases that in red-tinted brilliance
9. (tie) The Cantina (Episode IV: A New Hope)
Tommy Tracy: Can we just all agree that the entire scope of Star Wars can be summed up in the fantastic Mos Eisley Spaceport scene, aka, the Cantina scene?
Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we can talk about this epicness. What’s not to love here? We get excellent music from Firgran D’an and the Modal Nodes, tantalizing their audience with those sweet sounds of irrationally repetitive music. We have an abundance of characters and creatures to choose from, such as Ponda Baba and Cornelius Evazan, who unwisely pick a fight with Luke.
Then there’s the little case of being introduced to the two greatest characters in Star Wars canon, Han Solo and his wookie co-pilot, Chewbacca. Ever since I was a kid, I always dreamed of being Han, acting as though my dog was Chewie and pretending I was a cool, hard-drinking, ladies man. I cannot picture a better way of introducing Han than in this scene, one filled with the most wretched hide of scum and villainy. And let’s not forget, Han f-ing shot first!
This scene is pure magic, from the music to the setting to the characters. It’s a large scale wonderment in a small scale setting and right then, at five years old, is when I knew I loved Star Wars more than anything else on this planet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6PDcBhODqo
8. The Death of Anakin Skywalker (Episode VI: Return of the Jedi)
Daniel Cohen: This is the greatest Star Wars scene there is.
At the time, this was the climax to the entire saga. Obviously, that’s now changed, but its meaning does not. Who knows? Maybe this scene will mean even more once we see the next two episodes.
At the end of the day, this is the emotional exclamation point to the entire series. Luke spends the entire movie trying to convince everyone there is still good in Vader. Everybody tells him he’s wrong. The Emperor. Yoda. Obi-Wan. Leia. And most important of all, Darth Vader. There’s one thing they all forgot though. A power greater than even the force – father and son. That’s what Luke believed in. He believed his father was somewhere inside the monster, and he was willing to die for it.
I can’t imagine what the removal of that mask was like for people who watched Return of the Jedi in the theater back in 1983. Sure, you saw the back of Vader’s head one time, but that was just a tease. For three movies, we saw nothing but an evil madman force choke anyone who looked at him funny. Now redeemed, he’s nothing but the shell of a man, beaten and damaged, barely able to speak.
The dialogue between Luke and Anakin could not have been more perfect. Anakin is only able to muster up a few words, but they were impactful. Luke saved him. He was right. Tell your sister. That’s it. Mark Hamill is flawless in this scene. Even when he sees Vader actually die, he’s still telling him he won’t leave. Then the John Williams score goes to a transcendent level. Luke gets to see his father for all of sixty seconds, and then it’s over.
As much as I love all the lightsabers, the battles, the force, Han Solo and whatever other great elements there is to Star Wars, this is the greatest moment of them all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNDwCsFzS8c
7. Duel of the Fates (Episode I: The Phantom Menace)
Daryn Kirscht: Although the prequels did not get off to a good start with The Phantom Menace, easily the best sequence in the entire film happens to be the final lightsaber battle with Darth Maul confronting Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The double-bladed lightsaber of Maul is one of the best conceptual aspects of the entire Star Wars saga and the epic, grandiose score from John Williams featured in the lightsaber showdown, titled “Duel of the Fates,” is also quite possibly the best in the series. Plus, the battle choreography is largely improved from the original trilogy. The way the battle ensues is almost lyrical in terms of the intense moments and the slower, suspenseful moments – similar to the original trilogy – but this one has much more excitement and action involved.
From the epic opening all the way through the ending with the unfortunate death of Qui-Gon and defeat of Maul, this lightsaber battle is a classic and among the best in the franchise. It is too bad that the rest of the prequels failed to conjure a lightsaber duel that matched the level of this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IezQw6dJs4I
6. Kylo Ren Kills Han Solo (Episode VII: The Force Awakens)
Bill Bodkin: I have never been more frightened in a movie theater before (or after) in my life. When Han Solo yells “Ben!” to Kylo Ren, I knew one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history was going to die. Actually, I had this premonition throughout the film. There were subtle hints that Han wasn’t coming back from his mission with Chewbacca and Finn. However, when they stood there on the bridge, with everyone watching, I just knew Han Solo was going to die.
With every hair on my arm standing at attention, chills running up and down my spine, and knuckles white as a ghost I watched this scene. The dialogue is perfect. The acting is phenomenal. The chemistry between Harrison Ford and Adam Driver is mind blowing.
Then it happens. Just when you think Han has talked his son out of being a bad guy (and the dialogue in this exchange is just exquisite), Kylo murders his father.
But to top it all off…Han lovingly looks at his son, touches his face, and plummets into the abyss of Star Killer Base. I honestly had a tear in my eye. It’s one of the most powerful scenes in the Star Wars Universe — hands down.
5. “I Know” (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)
Josh Sarnecky: There may be no scene in all of Star Wars as emotional as Han and Leia’s final interaction before the daring pilot is frozen in carbonite. The scene hits all the emotional beats you want in such a tragic scene. With the knowledge that she may never see Han again, Leia finally admits to him and herself that she does in fact love him. What makes this scene so iconic, though, is that it still stays true to who these characters are; even as he faces the possibility of death and the certainty of unconscious imprisonment, the ever-cool Han responds in a way that only he could. Heartbreaking yet romantic, this moment cements Han and Leia as one of the greatest couples in pop culture.
Aspiring writers and storytellers should take note: this is how you develop a romance. Yes, Han’s “I know” is incredibly cool and quotable, but this interaction also represents how to make a unique relationship that avoids clichés. It’s difficult to imagine how different we would view this scene, these characters, and their relationship throughout the series if Han had simply given the standard response originally in the script. These few words, their timing, and the delivery by Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford really are that important. The fact that Leia could not acknowledge her feelings until the very last moment and Han’s response that he was already aware of these feelings reveal so much about these two characters and their bond. Obviously, their relationship continues and evolves on from this point, but this scene is undoubtedly the climax of their love story and probably the most romantic moment in the entire franchise.
4. Anakin Skywalker Vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episode III: Revenge of the Sith)
Daryn Kirscht: The final, climactic duel between master and apprentice is the moment fans of Star Wars anticipated once the prequels were announced. It is the very moment teased in A New Hope during the lightsaber duel between Ben Kenobi and Darth Vader when Vader says “I’ve been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I’m the master.”
The emotional sequence sees the two of them fighting on the lava-filled planet of Mustafar. Just seeing Obi-Wan try to wrap his head around the idea that Anakin had turned to the dark side and confronting him about it is resonating to me (even despite the questionable acting and dialogue choices for Anakin). After a long, physical, grueling fight, Anakin is badly defeated and puts in motion the connection between the prequels and the original trilogy by way of Anakin being put into the black Darth Vader suit for the first time and Obi-Wan taking Luke to Tatooine.
This fight and its aftermath is easily one of the best parts of the prequel trilogy.
3. Luke Skywalker Vs. Darth Vader (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)
Daniel Cohen: I still get chills whenever this scene begins. It’s one of the most perfectly set up cinematic sequences of all time. Luke shoots up the elevator to the coldness and machinery of the carbon-freezing chamber. Darth Vader breathes, standing still, as he waits for Luke. And of course, the immortal line to begin the fight:
“The force is with you young Skywalker. But you are not a Jedi yet.”
I recently posted my Top 10 Greatest Movie Fights, and spoiler alert, this was #1. It is, simply put, the ultimate movie duel. While I appreciate the artistry and epic nature of some of the prequel bouts, and love the climactic nature of this rematch in Return of the Jedi, they still can’t touch the emotional weight and pure tension of this clash.
What’s strange is that it’s not even much of a fight early on. Vader completely toys with Luke, even fighting him with one hand on the saber (“All too easy”). As the fight goes on though, Luke truly proves he’s “full of surprises.” With not that much training, he manages to force Vader to actually try (“Impressive. Most impressive”). Obi-Wan and Yoda never thought he had a chance, but even they most have been sensing the fight, going “Whoa, this guy is over performing right now.” It lends credence to why the Emperor wanted to convert Luke. He saw that potential early on.
Eventually, Vader goes crazy with the force and completely owns Luke. We were almost two full movies into the Star Wars saga, but this is where the power of the force was on full display.
While the next part of the duel leads to the revelation to end all revelations, it’s that initial igniting of the lightsabers on Cloud City that perfectly encapsulates the powerful and emotional core of Star Wars that I love so much.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgyitSlMtMY
1. (tie) The Battle of Yavin/Luke Destroys the Death Star (Episode IV: A New Hope)
Lucas Jones: The original high stakes moment in Star Wars is the Trench Run at the end of A New Hope. It’s a car chase, dogfight, and space battle all in one, but where this scene shines is its focus on individuals rather than full scale combat. The Death Star attack involves dozens of ships in combat over a large area of the battlefield, but it will only take one well placed “impossible shot” to secure victory. Everything in this scene works towards an effect that still keeps me on the edge of my seat to this day
Two failed trench runs caused by the universe’s OG badass Darth Vader leave the job to Luke and his wingmen. They drop in, and the trench turbo lasers stop firing for a third time, which means Vader has come back to finish the job. Wedge gets knocked out of the fight, Biggs gets blown away, R2 gets knocked out, and Luke is all alone. Then out of nowhere, Han Solo shows up and gives Luke the clear shot he needs, combined with some last minute guidance from the ghost of Obi-Wan, and manages to blow the Death Star up in time to save the rebellion.
The scene focuses on the small details of individual pilots. We learn their names, hear and see their emotions, and get sucked in by the always impressive musical score. The coolest thing about this scene has always been how the small details make it feel real. We see Vader calmly adjusting his targeting computer before coolly blowing rebel scum out of the sky. We see rebels pressing the buttons to launch the proton torpedoes, and Death Star personnel pulling levers to activate the main laser. The focus isn’t on the action, it’s on the people that make the action happen. This scene feels like a throwback to the great war movies of old, where we were told a story through real people, not by watching hundreds of CGI deaths from afar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WBG2rJZGW8
1. (tie) “I am Your Father” (Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)
Josh Sarnecky: It is nearly impossible to overstate the impact this scene has had on the Star Wars franchise and on pop culture since Darth Vader first revealed the shocking truth of his identity in 1980. This one scene single-handedly altered the entire trajectory of the series, suddenly turning the space opera into an intergalactic family drama. Without this reveal, we would have never gotten the redemption of Darth Vader, the prequel trilogy (for better or worse), and the adventures of the Skywalker family (in both the Expanded Universe/Legacy stories and the now canon sequel trilogy).
On the other hand, the cultural significance of Luke Skywalker’s parentage is just as dramatic. Even though the line is often misquoted (“Luke, I am your father” rather than the correct “No, I am your father”), you will be hard-pressed to find an adult in the US who doesn’t have some familiarity with the true connection between Luke and Vader. Likewise, this scene has been referenced in more shows, movies, and books than I have the time or space to recount. And though it was perhaps the most stunning twist in pop culture at the time, Vader’s relationship with Luke has become firmly ingrained in our culture.
Even ignoring the meta-significance of this scene, this moment represents one of the most brilliant turns in the series. Luke’s fateful encounter with Vader was already a dramatic confrontation due to Luke’s understanding that Vader had betrayed his father, killed his mentor, and was torturing his friends. But this scene suddenly turned an already emotional conflict that much more personal. And with that, a battle of good and evil immediately became much more intimate, powerful, and memorable. In other words, this one scene is nothing less than the very core of Star Wars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GueBXRYVhe0
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