Have you ever thought about which are your favourite moments in Star Wars? It’s tougher than you think.
For starters, there are six films. Although, to be honest, the three prequels rarely entered our minds when coming up with the list. Then there is the fact that we had to somehow whittle it down to just 10, which is almost impossible.
It could seriously have been a top 100, but there are limits, right? And we really wanted to come up with the perfect 10.
Please feel free to tell us your favourites.
Anyway, here goes:
10. Jabba killed
Return of the Jedi
Now, this could easily have been simply Princess Leia in a gold bikini. But combine it with Princess Leia dressed in a gold bikini choking the life out of a big, fat monster with her slave chain and you get, er, what sounds like a scene from an S&M dungeon.
9. ‘Let’s blow this thing and go home’
A New Hope
We used to know a lad at school who once told us he hated the Star Wars arcade game because he always died in the Death Star trench bit. He said: “I just don’t understand it. It tells me to use the force, so I let go of the controls, but I always crash.” Suffice to say, we had no idea why he did that. Thankfully, Luke Skywalker was not so boneheaded and with a little help from Han Solo finally gets to destroy the Death Star. Just brilliant!
8. Yoda fighting
Attack of the Clones
Yoda finally dropping the hyperbole and picking up his lightsabre was certainly a brave decision by George Lucas. Goodwill towards Lucas was in short supply at that point and he could have got it so wrong. Thankfully, he didn’t. And it is without doubt one of the best scenes in the series and deserves its place.
7. AT-AT attack
The Empire Strikes Back
The Imperial ground assault on the Rebel base on Hoth is certainly one of the most exciting action sequences in the whole series. It happens surprisingly quite early in Empire Strikes Back, and the effects (just about) hold up to today’s standards.
6. Greedo gets it
A New Hope
Greedo’s demise at the hands of Han Solo is certainly one of the most memorable scenes in the series. It’s the climax to an incredible bar scene in Mos Eisley, where we are treated to the strangest creatures ever seen on screen since the Olsen twins.
5. Enter Darth Vader
A New Hope
Has there ever been a better entrance? We really don’t think anyone had ever seen anything like it before.
A really tall, asthmatic guy dressed as a Nazi? Whatever next! Prince Harry maybe?
4. Shot of Luke and the suns
A New Hope
A really poignant moment as Luke Skywalker gazes longingly into the night sky. We’re welling up now just thinking of it. Thinking of it, however, is all we can do at the moment, as we can’t find a damn clip for it. Can you help?
3. ‘I Know’
The Empire Strikes Back
Han Solo responds to Princess Leia’s “I love you” in the only way he knows how. “I know” is the perfect response. It could have been a lot worse. He could have said: “No, I love you more… No, you put the phone down…” Urrgh!
2. Star Destroyer
A New Hope
There are few moments that have captured kids’ imaginations as much as the opening sequence. OK, so maybe we didn’t read the writing at the beginning (too much like school), but suddenly this ship flies into view being attacked by another ship, that just keeps getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger. Special effects were never the same again.
1. I am your Father
It’s one of the biggest shocks in movie history and the defining moment of the series.
David Scarborough says
No Dual of Fates? Come on!
Mithaearon says
Nothing with Jar Jar in???? Shocking!
Shooty* says
Re: Greedo. Can’t get youtube at work. Have you linked to the brilliant original version, or the crappy “greedo shoots first” version?
Xenolan says
Here’s my choice for #11: the moment at which Luke ascends the stairs in the carbon-freezing room and faces Darth Vader. The fight itself is also great stuff, but in that moment before Luke even draws his saber, the tension and excitement is almost unbearable. Back in the late 70s, when we first heard that there would be a sequel to Star Wars, this was the moment we wanted so badly to see… and it didn’t disappoint.
Oh, and give #10 the boot, replace it with this:
“You’re not actually going into an asteroid field?”
“They’d be crazy to follow us.”
Dallas says
Pretty telling that there are 3 prequels but only 1 “moment” from any of ’em… although my top ten contains nothing from the prequels…
Rhino says
What about the redemption of Anakin when he kills the Emperor in VI? Or the battle over the Sarlac pit?
mmmm Sarlac.
gir says
what about you faggots stop being such faggots
Yoda says
what?! No Ackbar going “Its a trap!”
Kanuel says
The best moment of the entire saga is in the Episode III, when robots reconstruct Anakin’s body with a black suit, a mask is putted on hiss face and Darth Vader takes breath fo the first time.
No other moment is better than that. The moment when Anakin is no longer a Skywalker and Lord Vader gets born.
J Bollocks says
Fucking hopeless.
The best scene is quite clearly the one with Jabba when the slave girls tit falls out of her top.
It’s on youtube somewhere…
Wymaroo says
The moment when Anakin slaughters the tusken raider camp to try and rescue his mother, realising his slide to the dark side.
i agree with kanuel says
i agree with kanuel, but also one of the best moments is when han gets frozen.
Another amazing star wars moment is in A New Hope, right after they board the Death Star, when one of the stormtroopers walks into the door.
schischa says
nice collection, but you are right, 10 picks are hard to make as there are so many good moments. I missed the scene when anakin gets bad and walks up the stairs in front of the jedi temple with a whole lot of storm troopers. the cinema experience with the bombastic soundtrack was quite impressive
db says
you’re missing one of the best fight sequences of all time! episode VI with the evil emperor trying turn Luke over to the dark side. The epic father vs. son battle ensues, haunting/dramatic music in the background, with Vader finally throwing over his master… one of my favorite moments of the whole series!
not to mention the ewoks–no ewoks anywhere in the top ten?
erichansa says
Darth Maul and his Dual Lightsaber anyone?
Paul says
found the clip for #4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_CIdZJBx1k
The title of the music playing is “Binary Sunset”, and in my opinion, is one of John William’s greatest pieces
Josh B says
What? No scene from Episode IV where Luke and the gang are in the trash compactor, 3PO and R2 are trying to save them and the storm troopers come in the door?
That part where the storm trooper says “Take over” just as the one in the back smacks his head on the door frame is the only reason I even watch that episode.
Joke Police says
The bit when Darth Vader realises Padme is dead.
DO NOT WANT
Geekfather says
#1 should be the scene on Cloud City when Lando has just set up Han, Chewie, Leia and 3PO… the door opens and there is Vader and Fett. Solo draws and fires at Vader who deflects the shots and force-pulls his blaster away from him. They enter and the door closes.
BRILLIANT!
Park says
In Empire, when Lando takes Han, Leia and Chewy into the dinning hall and Darth Vader is stitting there. What does Han do? He pulls out his blaster and starts shooting right away. Ballsy.
Mark says
@i agree with kanuel Says:
August 12th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Another amazing star wars moment is in A New Hope, right after they board the Death Star, when one of the stormtroopers walks into the door.
Death Star? What film where you watching?
swfan says
Here’s the clip for No.4 on the list.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_CIdZJBx1k
Rob says
WRONG!
Best scene, the dialogue before Obi and Anakin fight in Revenge
Anakin’s line, “You will try.”
Sent shivers down my spine!
Zoof says
I disagree with a few of those but they are all good moments. I think the Darth Maul entrance should be in the top 5 for sure. The obi-wan vs Anakin fight should be in the top 10 too. I would take out darth Vader entrance for Emperor entrance in ROTJ. Take out Greedo and Jabba’s death to replace the other two.
Shooty* says
He was watching Ep 4, A New hope, clearly. Death Star. Big round thing. Destroys planets. Can’t miss it. Looks like a small moon. Main plot device in said film. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Star
Why, what film were you watching?
Mental says
The final battle between Vader and Luke is the number one scene by far. Luke turns to the dark side to protect his sister. It’s the climax of the whole trilogy. Can’t beat that.
Jason Bartholme says
Definitely, the Battle of Hoth FTW. Also, in Empire Strikes Back, I’d think the revealing of the Super Star Destroyer is worth mentioning. New Hope gave did it well when they showed the Star Destroyer dwarf the cruiser. The introduction of the Super was just as much, if not more awe-striking for me.
gir says
The Empire thought that the name “Death Star” had too many negative connotations, so they came up with some alternates:
-Spanking Star
-Mild-electrical-shock Star
-Ruler-across-the-knuckles Star
-Tickle Torture Star
-Purple Nurple Star
-Timeout Star
-Silent Treatment Star
CartesianFish says
Just so you guys know, if you didn’t, the Han line in V…”I know”…was an ad lib, he was scripted to say “I love you, too”
The Dread Pirate Sausage! says
My ALL TIME FAVOURITE scene:
the bit where Lando’s flying the Millenium Falcon and his tiny, big-lipped mate turns to him and says,
“Bgdbyb’bgdbb’gdy. B’bub’bb’gdybgdyb’b’bubb’bgdlb…!”
Almost cried. And I weren’t high.
The Dread Pirate Sausage! says
P.S.: While the effects may’ve been quite nice, nothing about Darth Maul excited me genuinely. He was a ‘badass’. We already knew about him.
Now, stand an old Alec Guinness up against a vengeful, hysterically powerful Darth Vader and you’ve got me freaked out. Or a tiny Yoda against a lazily named Count Dookie – and then I’m watching just to see Dookie’s character get his arse handed to him by a for sporting such a jackass tag.
Shooty* says
*nods* Apparently, coz Carrie Fisher was so spazzed out on drugs, Harrison Ford got tired of repeating the same scene over and over and over and over again that he adlibed.
BoredQuiz says
I definitely would have thought “it’s a trap” would have been on here.
bob says
Neither the “Return of the Jedi” sequence with Jabba getting killed nor the Yoda fight with Dooku is worthy of a Top 10 list. While the prequels had their moments, the entire REAL trilogy was in and of itself a top 10 lis..Ok..so maybe not Return of the Jedi.
Let’s face it, the opening sequence of A New Hope is one of the best openings of any film.
By the way..yes, Han’s line in Empire was ad-libbed. they did multiple takes with “I love you too” and it just didn’t work, so the director just told Ford to say whatever came to mind..and “I know” came out and it worked..because it was much more in character.
Sam says
TPM:
-The Appearance of Darth Maul.
-Darth Maul rides over a 150 foot cliff deliberately, because he is hardcore.
-Darth Maul makes Qui-Gon half die in about 20 seconds.
-Duel of the Fates
AotC:
-Dooku pwns Anakin
-Dooku pwns Obi-Wan
-Dooku pwns Anakin again.
-Yeah, Yoda fights.
RotS:
-Two starfighters fly around for a while, take a nose-dive and BANG! YOUR HIT WITH AN EPIC SHOT OF AN EEENORMOUS RAGING SPACE BATTLE!! … Got ME going.
-R2-D2 cleverly dispatches 2 super-battle droids with oil and a jetpack thrust.
-R2 electricutes a superbattle droid and then gets BANNED
-Dooku owns Obi-Wan. (I like Dooku.)
-For some reason Grevious is flammable.
-Yoda slaughters a clonetrooper by hurlin his lightsaber thru him droppin him to his knees and climbin on him to pull it out.
-Emperor Palpatine throws a frigin room at Yoda.
Star Wars:
-All previously mentioned
-Tusken Raider makes Luke faint.
-R2-D2 runs away from Luke
-Luke gets belted in a bar fight by a guy with an ass for the lower half of his face.
-Luke kisses his sister.
-Luke nearly drowns in garbage juice
-Luke kills… ohhh… about 3000000 ppl with two proton torpedos
-Luke gets a medal, CHEWBACCA doesnt!!
ESB:
-Luke’s keen jedi intuition allow him to get faceclawed by a bear wit tusks.
-Luke makes out with his sister
-Luke… alright this is gettin old
-I am your Father
-Darth Vader chokes Admiral Piett through a viewscreen
-Darth Vader chokes Captain Needa
-The Millenium Falcon escapes and everyone stares intently at Vader to see who is about to die next
RotJ:
-Emperor’s Throne Room and the tempting of Luke.
-Emperor shows the full extent of his darkness by unleashing a barrage of unstoppable lightning.
SW freak says
Come on, no Boba Fett? That’s so lame.
cannonlab says
I can’t believe no one has mentioned the podracing scene from Episode 1 yet?
Or the bit in Episode 2 when Padme gets scratched by the cat thing and arches her back while going “ah”?
Or C-3PO’s greatest line “Shut me down”
Jedi Master says
If you want MY opinion, it should be the throne room scene from Star Wars: Episode 4: A New Hope. That is my favorite