At the time of writing, there have been eleven Star Wars movies released. The saga started back in 1977 with Star Wars (since then retitled A New Hope) a blockbuster that captured the hearts of many and inspired a generation. Since ending, the saga would reemerge with two more trilogies that began in 1999 and 2015, but to varying degrees of success.
But which movie has the shortest runtime, and which has the longest? How did these runtimes affect the story, if at all? We'll now take a look at the numbers and rank them accordingly.
11 A NEW HOPE - 2 Hours & 5 Minutes (125 Minutes)
When George Lucas first made A New Hope, it was simply called Star Wars. He had no idea that it would be the start of a flourishing franchise and be the beginning of a journey that would span years and generations in equal measure. Unsurprisingly, this first step is the shortest in the entire series.
It was the blockbuster that introduced fans to iconic heroes such as Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa and Han Solo as well as famous villains like Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin. With everybody falling in love with Star Wars, the franchise's legacy was all but set in stone.
10 THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - 2 Hours & 7 Minutes (127 Minutes)
At the time of its release, The Empire Strikes Back divided critics, with some praising its twists and others calling it an incomplete sequel. But in the decades since, its popularity has soared and it's now considered by many to not only be the saga's best, but one of the greatest sequels ever made.
Luke begins his Jedi training on Dabobah, Han and Leia grow closer while Darth Vader chases after the heroes the whole time. The movie's biggest scene is when Vader informs Luke that he's his father, in a twist nobody saw coming - including the majority of the cast and crew. Planets like Hoth and Bespin were well-received as well, as they set the stage for some of the saga's most iconic battles and scenes.
9 ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY - 2 Hours & 13 Minutes (133 Minutes)
Initially, fans weren't quite sure what to expect from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which was the first of the Star Wars spin-offs to be released and a bridge between the Prequel and Original Trilogies. Luckily, it garnered positive reactions from critics and fans.
It tells the story of Jyn Erso and a band of Rebels obtaining the Death Star plans that would be used to destroy the battle station, thus paving the way for the Empire's defeat in the Original Trilogy. Jyn and Cassian Andor are both standout new characters for the series, while it's good to see cameos from Grand Moff Tarkin, Leia Organa and Darth Vader. Vader's murderous rampage at the end is arguably the highlight of this thrilling and yet tragic movie.
8 THE PHANTOM MENACE - 2 Hours & 13 Minutes (133 Minutes)
It may be hard to imagine today given its current status in popular discourse, but The Phantom Menace was a major event at the time. The first of the Prequel Trilogy got every Star Wars fan eager to get a ticket immediately, with some even watching other films just to see the trailer. Unfortunately, the movie was divisive upon release.
Some enjoyed the special effects and even took to new characters such as Jar Jar Binks, Qui-Gon Jinn and a young Anakin Skywalker. Others felt it was the polar opposite of what made the Original Trilogy so special and felt it suffered from too much adult themes, such as politics and trade disputes. Regardless, it's a solid enough entry and was the biggest box office hit of 1999.
7 SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY - 2 Hours & 15 Minutes (135 Minutes)
The second Star Wars featured a young Han Solo in action. Solo: A Star Wars Story wasn't a box office hit, with many choosing not to see it after being disappointed by The Last Jedi, which had released the previous year. But, that said, it's still an enjoyable action blockbuster.
We get to see a young Han, who is enjoyable to watch despite the fact he's played by Alden Ehrenreich instead of Harrison Ford. Donald Glover nails the role of a younger Lando Calrissian, Emilia Clarke is enjoyable as Ki'Ra and it was good to see Darth Maul again, years after his apparent death. It's just a shame not enough people decided to watch the film.
6 THE FORCE AWAKENS - 2 Hours & 15 Minutes (135 Minutes)
As the first of the Sequel Trilogy, The Force Awakens was a huge cinematic event. After decades, the Original Trilogy's heroes were back with a new cast of heroes and villains in that galaxy from far, far away.
The Force Awakens definitely treads lightly, being a soft recreation of A New Hope mixed with the other movies' greatest hits. Still, it's enjoyable and gets the trilogy off to a positive start. The Force Awakens was a huge box office hit and, arguably, was when the newer Star Wars movies peaked.
5 RETURN OF THE JEDI - 2 Hours & 16 Minutes (136 Minutes)
Another big cinematic event from 1983 was when Return of the Jedi released, bringing the Original Trilogy to an end. It was the longest of the first three Star Wars movies and brought the original saga to a satisfying conclusion.
Luke resists the temptation of the dark side to stand tall against Emperor Palpatine, triggering an unforeseen change of loyalties from Darth Vader. Vader kills the Emperor and, in turn, the Empire. Also, Han and Leia's love story is given a happy ending with the pair finally choosing to settle down. Plus, Ewoks. You've got to love the Ewoks given how cute and cuddly they are!
4 ATTACK OF THE CLONES - 2 Hours & 22 Minutes (142 Minutes )
Like the entirety of the Prequel Trilogy, Attack of the Clones was loved and loathed in equal measure, but it's still enjoyable nonetheless.
There are some big battle sequences, with Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi's fight against Count Dooku particularly memorable. New characters like Dooku and Jango Fett went down well with fans, as well. Also, the planets were all visually stunning thanks to the use of revolutionary special effects. Attack of the Clones has its flaws, but there are many highlights as well.
3 THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - 2 Hours & 22 Minutes (142 Minutes)
The conclusion of the Sequel Trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker had lots of damage control to do given how The Last Jedi was really more style than substance and filled with twists for twists' sake. Still, this movie did a solid job of bringing the story to an end.
Kylo Ren's death is a negative but the overall film is entertaining throughout, moving quickly through the story and leaving audiences breathless in the process. Rey triumphs while Finn and Poe Damaron get more screentime than they did before. Plus, it was great to see Emperor Palpatine back on the big screen... even if his return wasn't properly explained.
2 REVENGE OF THE SITH - 2 Hours & 26 Minutes (146 Minutes)
Out of all the Star Wars movies, Revenge of the Sith is arguably the darkest. We see Anakin Skywalker go from a Jedi to a Sith, the Jedi being slaughtered in droves and Palpatine goes from Chancellor to Emperor after defeating Mace Windu and Yoda in battle.
Famously, it ends a Star Wars trilogy on a bittersweet note rather than a triumphant one. There's barely a minute without any action and that's what makes the Prequel Trilogy's ending one of the best Star Wars entries to date.
1 THE LAST JEDI - 2 Hours & 32 Minutes (151 Minutes)
The second part of Disney's sequel trilogy definitely has sensational moments, such as the death of Supreme Leader Snoke and the Battle of Crait, which leads to Luke Skywalker's final sacrifice. But that being said, it definitely has some glaring negatives.
Luke isn't the same as he was in the Original Trilogy, Poe and Finn get shoved to the side of the action and Snoke's otherwise exhilarating death scene is bad from a story-telling point of view. Fittingly, the longest of the Disney sequels is also the most polarizing.
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