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.

"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 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.

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. 

"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.

"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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

"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.

"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.

"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."

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.

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.