A definitive ranking of ‘Star Wars’ films ahead of ‘Rise of Skywalker’

In anticipation of the release of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” next week, we asked members of Sports Radio 104.3 The Fan to grade all 10 previously released “Star Wars” films. Yes, there are plenty of nerds that work here.

The results were aggregated to create this ranking:

10. “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” | 1999

“The one with Jar Jar Binks?! That was terrible!” – DMac

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9. “Star Wars: Attack of the Clones” | 2002

“This is the worst ‘Star Wars’ movie. Hayden Christensen left a lot to be desired as Anakin Skywalker. They turned Darth Vader into a big baby, and I just couldn’t stand that.” – John Davis

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8. “Solo: A Star Wars Story” | 2018

“I love origin movies, so to get the backstory on Han Solo and Chewbacca was fascinating because of the huge impact those two characters have had on cinema history. I loved Alden Ehrenreich and thought he did a great job portraying young Han. I’m disappointed because I was hoping there would be sequels made.” – Mike Evans

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7. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” | 2017

“I absolutely understand why ‘The Last Jedi’ is the most divisive ‘Star Wars’ movie ever made. While creating an indisputably visually stunning film, Rian Johnson subverted expectations and made shocking choices that elicited polarizing emotions. ‘The Last Jedi’ may be the perfect ‘Star Wars’ film for this generation because, like so many areas of current society, it provokes intense passion from fans who either love it or despise it.” – Raj Sharan

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6. “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” | 2005

“I loved ‘Revenge of the Sith.’ The fight between Obi-Wan and Anakin is amazing. For years, I wondered how Anakin became Darth Vader. Why is he asthmatic? Why was he all burnt up? ‘Revenge of the Sith’ gave us all the answers. Ever wonder why Darth Vader was so mad? Well, he got burnt up, he lost his girl, he had all his limbs chopped off and he was encased in a metal shell. You’d be pretty mad too! ‘Revenge of the Sith’ was by far the best prequel!” – Nick Ferguson

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5. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” | 2016

“’Rogue One’ connected the dots of the ‘Star Wars’ saga. It gave us information as to why the Rebels were fighting the Empire and led right into the original story.” – Mike Pritchard

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4. “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” | 1983

“’Return of the Jedi’ provides closure on everything you’d want from the original trilogy. You begin with Leia and Luke saving Han, then later Lando destroys the second Death Star and it all concludes with Luke redeeming his father. Oh, and you can pretend you’re too cool for them, but when you were a kid you loved Ewoks. Don’t lie.” – Shawn Drotar

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3. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” | 2015

“It was awesome to see the blending of the old into the new. It brought closure and hope all at the same time.” – Tyler Polumbus

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2. “Star Wars: A New Hope” | 1977

“I remember going to see it during my junior year of college. The effects stood out immensely. I had never watched a movie like that before. It was unlike anything I had seen, a cultural phenomenon.” – Sandy Clough

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1. “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” | 1980

“‘Empire’ is almost a perfect movie; this is what a sequel should be. It builds on the original story while introducing new characters and places the audience wants to learn about. Whether you are a ‘Star Wars’ fan or not, the phrase ‘I am your father’ is etched in the world of pop culture. That came from the climax of this film in arguably the biggest plot twist in cinematic history.” – Cecil Lammey