Every numbered Star Wars movie, ranked worst to best

3. A New Hope (Episode IV)

And so we arrive back where it all began. Forty-two years have passed since George Lucas’ first foray into the Star Wars universe. Does it stand the test of time? Yes, the effects are aged. Yes, this is a movie from the 70s…

But it’s still just an undeniable classic. It set the tone for the entire franchise. Episode IV has arguably the clearest visual style of any Star Wars movie. Just look to newer works like The Mandalorian, which takes more of its tonal cues from A New Hope than any other film in the franchise.

A New Hope was made as a movie that could stand on its own if needed, since at the time of its release it wasn’t certain whether there would be enough demand for a sequel. That gives it a unique leg-up in the Star Wars catalog. Luke’s X-Wing race down the trench to blow up the Death Star is Star Wars at its very best, and when we look back on the saga, it’s that scene that really stands out as the genesis of all the spacefaring action sequences to follow.

Of course, there’s some weirdness that happened because Lucas hadn’t quite decided where he was gonna go with the series yet (looking at you, incest kiss), but in general, this is still an excellent movie immune to the ravages of time.