Ed Sheeran reveals his favorite Star Wars movie and the controversial character he loved

Ed Sheeran is known for being a major Star Wars fan and even made a cameo in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Recently, Sheeran revealed which one of the 12 live-action Star Wars movies he loved the most, and which characters from the film he liked, giving two surprising answers!

The singer-songwriter recently appeared on the Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce podcast and revealed that Episode I: The Phantom Menace is his favorite movie in the Star Wars franchise.

"I'm not going to lie. I think Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is my favorite film out of the Star Wars films," Sheeran said. "I know that's unpopular, but I was eight when it came out, and I really liked it. It gives me a lot of nostalgia."

The Phantom Menace, as well as Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith received severe backlash from a large section of the Star Wars fandom over the years. Even Jacob Matthew Lloyd, the 10-year-old actor who played young Anakin in Episode I, received harsh criticism for his portrayal.

However, sentiments took a turn in recent years. Many attribute the change to the fact that the fans who were young when the prequel movies came out and loved them now have a more vocal presence in the media and on the internet. Sheeran seems to be one such fan.

He added that it was a memorable experience to witness Darth Maul break out his red lightsaber into two. He also loved Jar Jar Binks, a character that has divided the fandom since 1999.

"The Phantom Menace - as an eight-year-old, going to see that in the cinema and seeing Darth Maul do his double lightsaber. I liked Jar Jar Binks. I like the originals! They are great. They bang. You put them on, and you're like, 'This is a classic.' I'm actually really excited to play them to my kids and for them to be, 'Darth Vader is who?'"

A lifelong Star Wars fan, Ed Sheeran made a cameo appearance in Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, but no one recognized him because of the character design. Disney revealed in an Easter egg blog post later that he played Engi Golba, a Resistance member who originally worked as a miner.

Before the movie's release, he was rumored to have played a Stormtrooper. He did, in fact, play one, but the scene did not make it to the final cut. In a 2024 photo dump, Sheeran shared a picture of himself wearing a Stormtrooper outfit without the helmet. He revealed that he shot for 12 hours and was later told the sequence was not being used in the movie.

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