A series as legendary as Star Wars tends to generate as many opinions as it does fans. So naturally, this leads to a multitude of rankings as to which films are better and which films are worse. But, if there's any sort of "definitive" ranking system, it's sure that of the number of times each film has been seen, and recently Amazon put together a ranking of the most-streamed Star Wars content on the subscription service this year. Through the data provided by the company itself, we have what just might be the most accurate Star Wars pecking order, according to the fans. With that in mind, here are all eight entries of that galaxy far, far away, in ranked order.
8. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
We know, it's kind of shocking to see Rogue One: A Star Wars Story at the bottom of the rankings. But there's a good explanation for why Gareth Edwards' blockbuster mid-quel is at the bottom of the pile: It's the freshest of the lot. With the film just coming out in theaters last December, and its Digital release occurring this March, it's understandable that the film just hasn't had enough time to rack up the views that could put it in a higher ranking in years to come. After all, fans and critics seem to herald Rogue One as a franchise revelation of sorts. Still, the bottom of the barrel kind of sucks, considering some of the other films included in the Star Wars canon. In fact, if the next film was the true bottom of the stack, it'd feel a little better.
7. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones is the second-least streamed of the much maligned prequel trilogy, what with the bulk of the "love story" in this trilogy taking place during the 2002 snooze-fest. There's definitely some redeeming qualities, as Samuel L. Jackson gets to be his macho self, and some of the battle scenes and intrigue making for the more interesting moments in the film. But much like sand, Attack of the Clones is an experience that ends up being more coarse than comfortable. It's really a shame, because the storied history of the Clone Wars, both in passing mention and in the future cartoon series, fare much better outside of this film, which set up that era of storytelling. Still, someone had to take the hit.
6. Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith (2005)
You'd think Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith would manage to make the top of the prequel portion of our list, what with its slightly darker approach to the Star Wars mythos, and some key pieces of fan service being tucked away in its confines. But no, the third in the line of Anakin Skywalker's adventures had to settle for a middle slot in the rankings of George Lucas' last efforts in the series. For a film as comparatively strong as Revenge of the Sith, the fandom seems to have some reservations about revisiting the 2005 film through Amazon's streaming platform, which is more than likely due to the after effects of the Anakin and Padme relationship taking its final bows in this film. Romance and Star Wars can, and have, mixed in the past. The trick is, it has to work with the rest of the story.
5. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999)
Get ready for another shocker folks: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace has somehow become the most "beloved" entry in the Star Wars prequel. Placing not only in the highest ranking of the prequels, but also in the fifth spot overall, there's a lot of questions that come up when looking at where young Annie's first adventure fits into the order of preference. After all of the Jar Jar Binks and other criticisms of that movie, how in the world does The Phantom Menace manage to get so high in the streaming numbers game? Well, if there was anything we'd attribute this feat to, it'd have to be the performances of Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor, as their rapport does manage to anchor a lot of the film's weaker elements. Not to mention, there's still some impressive action beats that make up for most of Jar Jar's antics.
4. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983)
It may or may not surprise you to learn that Star Wars: Return of the Jedi is the least streamed entry of the original trilogy. Maybe it's because after all of this time, the Ewoks are still considered to be the beginning of the merchandising machine that some believe the franchise has turned into. Still, the rankings do re-enforce one important fact: even on its worst day, the classic trilogy outranks any of the prequels on any day of the week. This is especially important to consider when you remember that even out of the Special Edition versions of the films, this is the one that tends to take the most flak. Not even "Jedi Rocks" could sink this baby!
3. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
It's kind of surprising that out of all of the original trilogy entries, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back has somehow been moved to the middle of the pack by Amazon's streaming audience. After countless think pieces, many fan testimonials, and professionals that have named this the end all, be-all of Star Wars film since its release, it's hard to think that this could somehow be outdone by two other Star Wars films. Quite arguably the darkest, and most thematically solid film in the series, The Empire Strikes Back epitomizes the Skywalker saga on its best day, and still remains the gold standard for comparison both inside of the series, and in the sci-fi world in general. But for the fine folks that are choosing to view Star Wars films on Amazon, it's only in the top 3. Which leaves us with only one more classic trilogy entry that may or may not be the top dog of all.
2. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
Out of the classic trilogy from a long time ago, in that galaxy far, far away, the first steps into the Star Wars galaxy are king as A New Hope is the most watched classic movie entry on Amazon's platform. It's hard to argue with this finding, as not only do the beginnings of Luke Skywalker's journey still hold up, they invoke the best memories we tend to have when it comes to the Star Wars adventures. No matter how old you are, it's a safe bet that George Lucas' origin story is the first experience you had with the gang. And it it makes the impression it tends to make on audiences since its initial release, this is going to stand out pretty impressively in your mind. So with old school and newbie fans alike weighing in, A New Hope's legendary reputation lives on. Which means that the most viewed Star Wars film is...
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Oh man. The look on some of your faces right now is priceless, as it's probably the same surprised look we had when we looked at what made the tippy-top of the Star Wars pyramid. Typically, you'd think that Star Wars: The Force Awakens would have encountered the same fate as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. But with almost two years to its credit, and a lot of families raising their children on J.J. Abrams' series revival, it's pretty clear that age isn't any guarantee of Star Wars glory. Perhaps it's also an effect of the film's box-office triumph, as the film did clean up with some massive box office records being crushed during its release. So naturally, a lot of families with young children, as well as younger, more streaming savvy audiences, are going to be more familiar with this film, hence its rank as the most streamed Star Wars title on Amazon. If this is any indication on how Amazon rankings shake out for the Star Wars franchise, it may not be long before a new champion graces this coveted position.
