Revenge of the Sith has been my favorite Star Wars movie for as long as I can remember. It was the first Star Wars film I saw in theaters, and at that point, I’d been interested in the franchise and waiting for the new installment to the saga for several years. It was a magical experience — one I’m immediately transported back to any time the opening crawl begins.
Honestly, though? I’m not sure if it’s my favorite Star Wars movie anymore. Or if I even have a favorite at all.
The more Star Wars grows, the more skeptical I become of the idea that picking a favorite story is even remotely possible. When it comes to movies in particular, each one has benefited so much from other media that has come out since their release that I simply cannot bring myself to choose “the best” of what’s available.
I have nothing against ranking Star Wars movies — we’ve done it here, and we’ll probably do it again. If Solo is your top pick and The Empire Strikes Back lands at the bottom if only because the others are all just so good, who am I to judge?
But that’s exactly the problem with trying to decide what gets the top spot and what doesn’t. What ends up at the top might not even be there because it’s the best one. It might have ended up there because it has your favorite line delivery, or because it’s the one you turn on when you need a comfort rewatch. Or maybe it’s there because you like a specific character, and they just happen to be at their best in that particular movie.
I love Revenge of the Sith both for its personal nostalgic value and because it makes me stay in touch with my feelings (translated: I sob every time). But I also love A New Hope because it’s the perfect, classic beginning. I love The Last Jedi because it’s the most unique yet true to its source material of them all.
Maybe we don’t need a favorite Star Wars movie because each new one that comes out might become the best one we’ve ever seen.
With so much still to come, and seemingly endless possibilities, there’s too much to be able to narrow down “the best.”
Maybe it’s all good for different reasons. Maybe it always has been.
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