Every Star Wars Climax Ranked

“Star Wars” has been known for many highlights, and their epic final battles are absolutely among them. With some exceptions, the final battles are typically the action highlight of each film, and something I always look forward to. With twelve theatrical movies (yes, that is including the animated "Clone Wars" movie), there’s a huge variety between bombastic space battles, to griping light-saber duels, and I’ve honestly enjoyed everyone of them.

There are certainly some I love more then others, and some climaxes even have their faults, but they always give me just enough to feel satisfied. It makes it interesting to arrange and list them, but that’s what I’m going to do here. These are all 12 theatrical final battles in the "Star Wars" movies ranked from personal least favorite to my absolute favorite. Again, this is all a personal opinion list, I’m not trying to make some kind of official template to view them. Also, I’m only focusing on the battles as individual scenes, and not how they may impact their respected movies or trilogies as a whole.  

#12 The Climax to “The Rise of Skywalker” 

A fleet of Resistance ships launch a full-frontal assault on the First Orders secret fleet of battle ships, and all the while, Rey and a reformed Kylo Ren face a supper charged Emperor for one last showdown to end all battles. For the literal final battle of the saga, this climax was admittedly kind of underwhelming, as it felt like a discount “Return of the Jedi” climax all over again … yet surprisingly less satisfying.

Still, there are enough select highlights for this battle to leave an impression, the spectacle is definitely their, and for as silly as space horses are … I loved seeing them utilized during this climax. Seeing our hero’s charge out on horses felt like an exciting call back to classic epic movies, and I love when “Star Wars” incorporates something old with all the futuristic technology on display. While I think the final showdown between our three mains could have been a touch stronger, I did still get goosebumps when Ray heard the voices of all the past Jedi, and gave her the power to overthrow the Emperor. Throw in a meaningful hero sacrifice, and this climax is just satisfying enough to leave an impression ... although still at the bottom run. 

#11 The Climax to “The Clone Wars” 

Anakin and his young apprentice Ahsoka have rescued the child of crime Lord Jabba the Hutt, and are on their way to Jabba’s palace to return him. Along their trek, master and apprentice are ambushed by Count Dukoo and his droids, and have to split-up to protect the baby. After all the loud battle scenes, and endless fights, this movie actually builds to rather subtle climax, one that’s less about spectacle and more about physical combat.

It’s actually a very satisfying final battle, as there’s no war, no armies and it allows the audience to get excited without getting exhausted. The final light-saber duel between Anakin Skywalker and Count Dukoo is also really cool … in my opinion, it’s their best fight in the whole film series. Rather than just giving us the strait for-word clashing of light-sabers, these two liven things up with some cool force techniques. Dukoo uses lightning energy while Anakin uses wind energy, which creates a sand storm … so it’s almost like a battle of the elements on display. Of cores, we get our usual good choreography mixed with great music, and on the side lines we have Anakin’s apprentice getting in a tense fight with some commando droids. It’s not as memorable as other final light-saber duels, but it’s still done well, and leaves me just excited enough.

#10 The Climax to “A New Hope” 

The very first “Star Wars” movie is of course one of the all-time greats, but the only scene I honestly never really liked was the climax of the movie, in which the Rebels mount a strike against the Death Star. 

While the stakes are high, the cinematography inspiring, and the trench run classic, the battle itself always came off as boring to me. Our heroes are barely seen throughout the whole battle, and the majority is spent watching a bunch of extra pilots getting shot-down one at a time. Also, whenever I come to this scene, I always find myself wishing I was watching “Return of the Jedi” instead, as I find that the superior final battle. Thankfully, this all balances out with a very triumphant ending, and I still get a big cheer from that moment when Han Solo comes back to aid our heroes at the last second.

However, one huge issue I've always had with this resolution was that the Death Star blew-up. Personally, I wish that Luke only destroyed the cannon, and merrily crippled the station. That way, when the Death Star comes back in "Return of the Jedi", it would remove the repetition of a second Death Star, it would also tie-in with the stations in-complete look, and it would feel all the more satisfying when we see it blow-up in that film. Heck, my biggest problem with the special edition's has nothing to do with what they added, but what they neglected to change. Making the Death Star the same in both films could have been an easy fix with one or two alterations, and maybe an added scene.

#9 The Climax to “Solo” 

This climax is also appropriately subdued to fit the tone of a western, without any large-scale battle of any sort. Han, Qi’ra, and the crime lord Dryden Vos get into a little scuffle in his office, which supplies the finale with just enough action, and a surprise cameo from Darth Maul will obviously win me over. However, the important scene is a quick gun duel between Han and Beckett.

 

This is classic western 101, when everything in the film leads to a showdown between two cowboys, and their fate rests on who has either the wits or brains to pull the gun first. Unfortunately, I just didn’t feel the connection between Han and Beckett to justify the emotional context of this scene. Personally, I feel that a standoff between Han and Qi’ra would have been far more impact-full, and a dramatic turning point in Han’s life. Still, I was mostly satisfied with this finale, and I really just appreciated a small-scale climax as opposed to yet another large-scale battle closing a “Star Wars” film. Although, the big scale ones admittedly stick with me the most, hence why this is only at number 9.  

#8 The Climax to “Attack of the Clones”

 

This was a hard one to rank as I find this climax to be pretty damn cool … at first … then it starts to suck, but let’s go about this one step at time. As usual, this final battle is a combination of multiple sequences, but in a rare instance, these battles all happen in sequential order instead of bouncing around from one to the other. Things kick off on a high note in the Geonosis Battle Arena, where our three heroes have to fight giant savage monsters. 

I have to say, the designs and effects of these creatures are excellent, and I love the Gladiator style setting. Plus, our heroes have no weapons, so they have to fight these monsters with ingenuity and force techniques, which is great. Then hundreds of Jedi enter the stadium, a massive battle is under way, and it’s nothing short of awesome. Seeing all these Jedi go into battle is a thrill, and there’s a terrific variety of action on display. Had everything ended in the Arena, this battle would have certainly ranked higher, but unfortunately it keeps going.

Once they leave the arena, we see that there’s an even bigger battle waging outside with lots of war machines, armies of Clone Troopers going head to head, and at this point I always find myself checking my watch wondering when they’ll wrap this up. Seriously, even though it’s a spectacle, it just wears out its welcome and feels tired by this point. Then everything wraps-up with a light-saber duel between our two hero’s and the villain, and it’s one of the most generic duels in the series. I hate the way this was shot and presented, with slow motion close ups of the characters swinging their swords, murky lighting, a boring location, and very little excitement … aside from Yoda kicking ass at the end, that was cool.

#7 The Climax to “The Force Awakens” 

Some argue that this film played it too safe, but I actually thought it took some credible risks, especially in the final act. 

The death of Han Solo was a daring move, but it pays off very well, and sets our villain up as someone to hate. The scene itself was beautifully shot, very well acted, and a perfect, albeit tragic departure for my favorite character from the series. Han Solo dying at the hands of his own son likewise adds a lot of drama, and conflict to the series. The following final lightsaber duel between Fin, Rey and Kylo Ren is sensational. I cheered seeing a non-Jedi like Fin staring down both his fears and a superior force wielding adversary, and putting-up a mostly good fight before getting bested. 

The emotional conflicts were there, the tension was high, the location of the snowy woods was an awesome place to set this battle, and the effects of the lightsabers were very detailed. I loved the steam and the sparks that came off them, and Kylo Ren’s tri-blade was an awesome design. Plus, there are big stand out moments, most especially when Ray uses the force for the first time by summoning a light-saber. I also like that Rey is running from Kylo Ren through most of the fight, proving that she's being challenged, which makes it all the more rewarding when she begins to stand her ground. It was admittedly a mistake to have her win the duel, as it deflates any excitement for further confrontations, which is the one thing keeping this duel from reaching the same highs as others. My other problem with this climax once again is the side-battle with the ships attacking Star Killer base. Personally, I think that should have been completely removed, as it distracted from the superior showdown between our main characters. Had it not been for that, I would have placed this climax much higher.

#6 The Climax to “The Phantom Menace” 

For all the faults with this film, things do liven up when we get to the climax, which is a fun mish-mash of four different battles all happening at once. The queen leads a small band of troops on a mission to retake the castle from the villains, there’s a battle waging in outer-space as a fleet try to take down a supper battle ship, and there’s an army of battle droids waging war on an open field against another warrior breed of aliens that are trying to reclaim their home planet. Some may complain that there’s just too much going on, that it’s too complicated to follow, which is understandable, but personally, I enjoy this. There’s a great verity of fun and action on display, and I’d much rather watch this then one single boring space battle like what we got at the end of the first movie.

Let’s cut to the chase, the best part of the whole movie is the final light-saber duel between Darth Maul and our two Jedi hero’s. This is nothing short of ... AWESOME! From the swift sword fighting choreography, to the exhilarating music, to the awesome interior design where the fight is staged, it’s just a thrilling finale and one of the best light-saber duel's in “Star Wars” history. In fact, I’d put it among the top three best action scenes in the whole franchise. John William’s musical track called “The Dual of the Fates” is just fantastic, and really livens up the action. Maybe there’s not as much satisfying character subtext in this climax, but it’s unmistakably fun to watch.

#5 The Climax to “The Last Jedi” 

I have very mixed feelings about this movie, but one thing I can say with a straight face is that I absolutely love the ending. The final battle on the planet Crait in one of my favorite action set-pieces of the whole saga, and makes for a powerhouse climax to boot. 

The last of our heroes are boarded up in a cave with a massive steel door being their only defense against the First Order army that’s just outside. The villains are equipped with super walkers, and a cannon that will melt right through their mountain sanctuary. With no options left, Poe leads our heroes in a fight, with their only weapons being these beaten-up old ships that can’t even fly, and instead need to skate on the surface of the planet. Seeing these little ships zig zag across the salty terrine, kicking up red debris, and avoiding enemy fire was both a thrill, and a is a visual marvel to behold. I love the energy, I love how the music builds, and the whole sequence was just shot beautifully. 

I also loved seeing the Millennium Falcon flying though the diamond caves while being chased by enemy ships. Then finally, the big show stopper is when Luke Skywalker confronts his fallen apprentice Kylo Ren. Like everything in this film, the scene was shot, lit, and acted beautifully. I especially love that this confrontation was more of an emotional conversation then it was a strait up fight with swords clashing, and that’s when I feel “Star Wars” is doing something special. The twist of Luke being a force projection the whole time was brilliant, and a great example of a Jedi resolving a conflict through non-violent means.

#4 The Climax to “The Empire Strikes Back” 

This climax is like-wise a big event, but it’s also really subtle as it trades in spectacle for engaging character interplay. Princess Leia and the group fight-off storm troopers in the city, while Luke battles Darth Vader in their first light-saber duel. It’s definitely an improvement over the first movies light-saber duel, as they cover more ground, and there's a lot more tension. The image of them both standing as silhouettes at the start of the fight is one of my favorite visuals in the whole franchise.

However, it’s not the duel itself that gets us hyped, it’s the classic twist reveal of Darth Vader being Luke’s father that really gets us thrilled. Personally, it's not the "reveal" that gets to me, it's the scene that happens after. When Luke is lying down in the recovery room, and Darth Vader begins calling out to him through the force. This is the moment when everything changes in our main villain ... he suddenly feels sincere about reuniting with his son, and it helps the audience except the truth. Had it not been for that scene, Vader's reveal just wouldn't have carried the same impact ... at least, not for me. The movie then closes on a nail-biting cliff hanger, as the heroes have been split-up, Han is missing, and the galaxy is in worse shape than ever. It’s such an iconic finale, but if I was being honest with myself, there’s still four more that I feel have a little more kick.


#3 The Climax to “Revenge of the Sith” 

He was the Chosen One, but ended up siding with the most evil villain in the franchise, and now the stage is set for the two greatest hero’s Obi-Wan and Yoda to cross blades with the two most sinister villains, Darth Vader and The Emperor. This climax is a genuinely thrilling finale as it cuts back and forth between these two massive light-saber duel's, and John Williams score once again is about as epic as they get. Seeing Yoda battle the Emperor was a dream come true, because these were the old masters that always seemed at the top of their craft, and it was awesome to see them finally clash.

The final duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan once again is a big spectacle, but I also miss how the original films could get me thrilled without such an overblown setting like this volcanic planet. Regardless, this is still a riveting final battle, and can be regarded as the grandest scale light-saber duel of the whole franchise. Although, in my opinion it still doesn't hold a candle to the final duel from "Return of the Jedi", as that one delivered the emotional impact. That’s mainly my biggest reason this battle doesn’t rank higher, because while it’s absolutely a thrilling event … I just don’t feel the right level of emotion that I’m supposed to. Still, this battle is iconic in it’s own right, and I wouldn’t dismiss anyone calling it their personal favorite.

#2 The Climax to “Rouge One” 

When a small band of Rebel's attack an enemy base to retrieve the plans for the Death Star, it quickly becomes a tragic final mission for all the troops as they parish in a glorious final battle for the greater good of the galaxy. A fleet engages enemy ships in space, while troops battle on a beach bellow. 

We see the classic Imperial walkers battling space ships, while soldiers try desperately to complete their mission, and the whole scene feels like a classic Battle Front video game stage come to life on the big screen. The space battle is also one of the franchises best and most well designed. The stakes were high, it was more tragic and it’s the closest that Star Wars ever felt like a real war movie. Of course, it was great to see Imperial walkers again, ever sense I was a child those were my favorite battle vehicles, and it just brought me joy to see them in action again. The beach setting was also a perfect location that we’ve never really seen in this franchise before, and it kind of felt like a call back to other classic war movies like “Saving Privet Ryan”.

Looking back, this is the kind of war movie I was hoping to get from “Attack of the Clones”, and while that movie had some riveting battles, it wasn’t nearly as powerful as this epic finale. It's one of the darker action scenes, as many hero's we grew to like are all making their last stand, and it ends on a powerful note. The music likewise caries some of the most emotional beats of any final battle. Then the cherry on top is that epic hallway scene with Darth Vader, and a perfect segue into the events of the first movie.  

#1 The Climax to “Return of the Jedi” 

Not only is this climax one of my favorite finales of all time, but it also contains one of my favorite movie sequences ever, and after all these years, this final three-way battle has yet to be surpassed as the most thrilling, and fun send-off to any "Star Wars" movie. The Rebel’s launch one final offensive against the empire, resulting in a massive battle on the forest planet Endor, and an even bigger battle in outer-space above the planet. I get hyped out of my mind just hearing that awesome music when the Rebel ships begin their attack. This is also where the novelty of the Ewoks pays-off, because their methods of fighting against the storm troopers offers a great variety of fun, and creativity. 

The way these guys use the forest location as an advantage against their mechanized adversaries is awesome, and there’s a fun supply of battle vehicles, and weapons at the bad guy's disposal. Most notable are the new walkers that remind me of the weapons from "War of the Worlds". Of course, I’ve always loved space ship battles, and in my opinion, this is the absolute greatest space ship battle ever put to film or television. Seeing these two massive fleets of ships engaging one another is an absolute spectacle that I never get tired of watching. I love the practical model effects on display, and after all these years, these visuals still hold-up. One of my favorite moments of this battle is seeing the Millennium Falcon fly into the massive power chamber of the Death Star, they destroy the generator, everything begins collapsing around them, flames are at their heals, and then the Falcon bursts out of the Death Star just before it explodes. It leaves me breathless every time, and just to put icing on the cake is Lando shouting “YEE-HAW!” 

However, the best scene of all that just elevates this into one of my favorite movies of all-time is the final three way confrontation between Luke Skywalker, The Emperor and Darth Vader. This goes much deeper than a hero fighting off the villains, this is Luke Skywalker battling his fate, and concurring his own demons, while also trying to save his father from himself. There’s also lots of visual symbolism that just adds to the quality of the scene. I love that image of Luke when he’s hiding, and half of his face is in shadows, while the other half is in the light, illustrating how he’s at the cross roads of destiny, and needs to determine which path to take. 

The final light-saber duel is very subtle, and easily my favorite of the series, because it trades over the top fighting choreography for a more human approach. There’s also a hauntingly somber musical score that brings this conflict to life on a grand scale. Then the final scene in which Darth Vader sacrifices himself to save his son is one of my favorite moments in motion picture history. With zero dialog, and no facial expressions, you can just feel the turmoil going on in this character as he makes his choice, and it just ends this series on such a perfect high-note. To call this my favorite climax to any "Star Wars" movie is such a gross understatement ... because this truly is one of my all time favorite finales of any movie every made. 

Thanks for reading my countdown ... and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!