Summary
It has been over 47 years since audiences from around the world were introduced toStar Wars, providing a lens into a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Since that time,Star Warshas been on quite the rollercoaster, and whilst mostStar Warscontent is produced for streaming, there have still been plenty of movies for audiences to enjoy, with many more well on their way.
Despite the global appeal and resounding success of mostStar Warsmovies, not all of them are regarded with such high caliber, and there have even been the odd couple ofStar Warsflops. However, out of the 12Star Warsmovies available so far, some of them have managed to make an incredible splash at the box office.
12Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Worldwide Gross: $68,282,844
Star Warsenters the 3D animated medium to provide a canon look into the years before Revenge of the Sith duringthe Clone Warsera. With a focus on Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and his new responsibilities as a sassy Padawan learner, Ahsoka Tano,Star Wars:The Clone Warswould act more as a demo and pilot for a TV series thansomething worthy of movie quality.
It’s no surprise thatThe Clone Warsdidn’t do well at all at the box office compared to otherStar Warsmovies, as many might have been confused as to what it was. With stylistic CGI that developed further over time as a show, and extremely childish themes and plot,The Clone Warsmovie didn’t have much to do for a franchise that just saw Anakin Skywalker burn alive on Mustafar.
11Solo: A Star Wars Story
Worldwide Gross: $392,924,807
Star Warstakes audiences back in time to a prequel involving Han Solo’s defining adventure before his death at the hands of his son.Solo: A Star Wars Storyacts as a pretty risky movie, as not only does it show audiences the defining Kessel run, a meeting of Han and Chewie, who shot first, andmany otherStar Warsclassics, but it also changed directors during production.
Even with the muddles from behind the scenes,Solo: A Star Wars Storyis still an enjoyable ride, and the soul ofStar Warsfeels very present, Alden Ehrenreich does a great job as a charismatic and younger Han Solo, not to mention the stellar Billy Dee Williams’ Lando from Donald Glover. Sadly, Solo was Disney’s firstStar Warsflop, and it’s most likely attributed to a post-Last Jedirelease and a lack of care in origin stories.
10Star Wars: Episode 6 – Return of the Jedi
Worldwide Gross: $475,106,177
After the traumatic end ofThe Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker returns, having learned from his mistakes and developing as a Jedi to save Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, so that together, they can finish off the Empire and rid the galaxy of Darth Vader and the elusive Emperor Palpatine. Return of the Jedi is a triumphant conclusion to the story of Anakin Skywalker and a wonderful goodbye to the galaxy far, far away.
Return of the Jedi is an epic conclusion to the original trilogy, and the culmination of the greatest space fantasy couldn’t be denied by audiences who came in droves. Becoming the highest-grossing movie of 1983,Return of the Jediwas unstoppable, but perhaps word of cuddly teddy bears beating Stormtroopers into surrendering affected the box office draw somewhat, as it made less than previous entries.
9Star Wars: Episode 5 – The Empire Strikes Back
Worldwide Gross: $538,375,067
AfterStar Warstook over the world, it was inevitable that a sequel deserved to be made. The adventures in theStar Warsgalaxy continued with a grander scale in terms of emotion, character growth, and spectacle. Despite the fact that The Empire Strikes Back does practically everything better, it surprisingly made less money than its predecessor.
Despite not making the same amount asA New Hope,The Empire Strikes Backstill outperformed everything for 1980, and remained one of the highest-grossing movies of its decade, and that’s not even accounting for if it was adjusted for inflation.The Empire Strikes Backis regarded as the peak ofStar Wars’ potential for a reason, and box office gross doesn’t equate to amazement.
8Star Wars: Episode 2 – Attack of the Clones
Worldwide Gross: $645,256,452
Star Warsembraces a hefty time skip withAttack of the Clonesand presents a decade-older Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker and their disjointedMaster/Padawan relationship. The movie embraces some of Anakin’s darker tendencies and indulges in the awkward and forbidden love that he shares with Padme Amidala, providing a central love story for the series.
Attack of the Cloneswas the lowest-grossing of theStar Warsprequel trilogy, but it still impresses with its action spectacle and clone armies. Count Dooku easily holds as one of the more interesting antagonists of the series, andto see Yoda with a lightsaberis the epitome of cool. The low box office numbers might come from the disappointment withThe Phantom Menace, or simply the fact that it was competing withSpider-Man,Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, andThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
7Star Wars: Episode 4 – A New Hope
Worldwide Gross: $775,398,507
The movie that started it all,Star Warswould open to electrifying results in 1977, and would dominate the silver screen for a reason. The intimidating stature of Darth Vader and the evil Imperial Forces were iconic and villainous, and the heroic trio of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Leia Organa had the defining characteristics of heroism and chemistry.
The undisputed king of the box office for the 1970s wasStar Wars, later retitledA New Hope.Star Warstruly changed the game, providing hopeful stories, and wonderous action with a sci-fi serial flair that went deeper than what was just on screen.Star Wars’success was inevitable with the assortment of aliens, themes, and weaponry presented in the movie, providing spectacle for kids and adults alike for decades to come.
6Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith
Worldwide Gross: $868,352,530
The end of the Clone Wars is nigh, and with it, comes the finale of the Skywalker Saga, showing fans thefated duel of heroesthat created Darth Vader and the birth of Luke Skywalker. The hype forStar Warscouldn’t have been higher than its potential finale for 2005, and there’s proof of that in the stellar box office numbers for that year (which were beaten byHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire).
Fans wanted to see the conclusion of the franchise and to see the events that made Anakin Skywalker embrace the Dark Side and become Darth Vader.Revenge of the Sithdid not disappoint, as it indulged heavily in action and lightsaber battles, as well as character drama that has only been further enriched over the years thanks to investment inThe Clone Wars.
5Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace
Worldwide Gross: $924,305,084
Decades of waiting sawStar Warsreturn to the big screen, and the franchise would be given an origin point to follow the story of the Jedi in their prime and to see the relationship of Anakin Skywalkerand Obi-Wan Kenobiunfold through action and tragedy. It’s not a shocker to see how successfulThe Phantom Menacewas in 1999, asStar Warswas on top of the world, and the hype was at an all-time high.
The desire to see the likes of Darth Maul, and to get more lightsaber action was at the height, but there were some concerns with the franchise. Not only was there a reliance on political babble and awkward dialogue but there was an experimental CGI character that made a tad too many jokes. Either way,The Phantom Menacehas grown in audiences in recent years thanks to its classic status and nostalgia from younger fans now grown up.
4Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Worldwide Gross: $1,058,684,742
For the first time in theStar Warsfranchise, the Skywalker family is left behind for something new, but familiar. No Jedi are here to save the day, andRogue Oneprovides an intense lens into the conflict of the galaxy with the oppressive heel of the Empire choking life, and the dreaded planet-destroying Death Star well on its way to creation.
The stakes are high, and the diverse cast of characters makes for an excellent watch.Rogue Onemay not have made as much money as the main episodicStar Warsmovies, but for a rag-tag group set on a plan to steal the plans to the Death Star, it’s a resounding success for the box office, and worth it for the Darth Vader hallway scene alone.
3Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise of Skywalker
Worldwide Gross: $1,074,144,248
The finale of the Skywalker Saga saw the Resistance come up against the First Order, with Rey and Kylo Ren’s fates forever entwined as an old enemy emerges from the darkest corners of the galaxy. Somehow, Emperor Palpatine returned, but it seemed that not even this iconic foe that was bested by Darth Vaderand Luke Skywalkercould provide the franchise with its top-grossing movie.
Over a billion dollars is still an incredible achievement, but compared to otherStar Warsmovies in the Disney era,The Rise of Skywalkerdid the least, which is surprising for a finale. Many factors may be involved. Dwindling interest, soured expectations from previous entries, or simply the cost of movie tickets in 2019.
