The Star Wars sequel trilogy is, without a doubt, one of the most divisive things in the entire sci-fi fantasy franchise. After Disney purchased Lucasfilm in the early 2010s, work began almost immediately on developing the next Star Wars trilogy. Fans of the series had been speculating what Episodes VII, VIII and IX would look like since the end of the original trilogy with Episode VI: Return of the Jedi in 1983. At first, those stories came to life in the form of Timothy Zahn’s trilogy of books centered on Grand Admiral Thrawn, which are now being loosely adapted by Dave Filoni in the live-action Ahsoka series and his upcoming feature film. However, as the franchise’s canon was reset with the Disney acquisition, a new story depicting the events after the original trilogy had to be created.
This story became the trilogy of films consisting of Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015), Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017), and Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019). With the first and final chapters directed by J. J. Abrams and the middle part directed by Rian Johnson, the Star Wars sequel trilogy is a group of films that often feels actively at war with itself. After Abrams played on nostalgia for The Force Awakens, Johnson took the franchise in many unexpected new directions with The Last Jedi, before Abrams returned to attempt a redirection back toward fan service with The Rise of Skywalker. This clear lack of cohesion can make the trilogy pretty bumpy and even contradictory at times.
However, it wasn’t all bad. Amid the various negative aspects of the sequel trilogy were some truly great moments and ideas. It is in these moments that Star Wars sequels are at their best, and they provide both casual and die-hard fans with the kind of excitement and depth they’re looking for in the franchise. With that in mind, here are 11 of the best moments to come from the Star Wars sequel trilogy:
11 Episode VII: The Force Awakens – Rey on Jakku
Right off the bat, The Force Awakens does an excellent job at establishing the trilogy’s new ideas and characters, most of all is the new central hero, Rey, played by Daisy Ridley. When we meet Rey, she is a scavenger living on the junkyard planet of Jakku. She’s on her own, she has very little recollection of her family, and she has dreams of going off on her own adventures across the galaxy. This set-up is reminiscent of Luke Skywalker’s in A New Hope, which continues the “rhyming” motif of the franchise, while still being different enough to differentiate Rey from Luke.
Her introduction in The Force Awakens, as she’s hunting for scraps and treasure in crashed star destroyers, was exactly what it needed to be. Accompanied by John Williams’ excellent new musical theme for the character, this sequence is a real highlight of the entire Star Wars saga.
10 Episode VIII: The Last Jedi – The Holdo Maneuver
One of the new characters that Rian Johnson famously introduced in The Last Jedi was Vice-Admiral Holdo, played by Laura Dern. The character was a commander of the Resistance who was put in charge after Leia Organa was injured in an attack by the First Order. As she leads the Resistance in a desperate escape from the First Order’s fleet, Holdo sacrifices herself in dramatic fashion in order to buy the heroes more time. This involved her taking the star cruiser she was aboard and jumping into hyperspace directly through Supreme Leader Snoke’s flagship.
It’s an incredible act of sacrifice in the film, and it makes for the most jaw-dropping moment in the entire trilogy. Johnson’s directing is top-notch in the sequence, as the sound entirely cuts out for a moment before blasting back, which really conveys the power and intensity of the action.
9 Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker – Kylo Ren vs Rey on the Death Star
One of the consistently great things about the sequel trilogy is the quality of its lightsaber duels. All three of these films provided some of the most high-energy and emotionally resonant saber battles of the franchise. While there were numerous duels in The Rise of Skywalker, the one that stands out the most is the fight between Rey and Kylo Ren amid the ruins of the second Death Star. Beyond the striking visuals of the fight, the sequence also stands out because of how it presents its characters.
Our hero, Rey, is fighting primarily through impulse and anger, while Kylo Ren, is much more reserved and purposeful with his actions. It shows how the two of them are mirror images of each other, and it speaks to their individual motivations and mindsets at the time. They’re complex, imperfect characters with their own conflicting ideas, and this duel between them is an excellent visual communicator of that.
8 Episode VIII: The Last Jedi – Snoke’s Death
Of the various unexpected twists in The Last Jedi, none were as out-of-nowhere and beneficial as the sudden death of Supreme Leader Snoke. In The Force Awakens, Snoke had been set up as the equivalent of the Emperor in this trilogy, and everyone expected he would have a major role in all three films. Some fans even speculated that Snoke had a deeper connection to the universe, and he could secretly be the old Sith Lord Darth Plagueis. However, Johnson turned that idea on its head by having Kylo Ren kill Snoke outright and take direct control of the First Order halfway through The Last Jedi.
This decision gives Kylo much more individuality and agency as a character, as he begins to be defined by his own actions rather than his relationships to other characters. On top of that, the Star Wars galaxy has often been defined by its incredible plot twists, most notably Vader’s paternal revelation to Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back, and this twist in The Last Jedi upholds that tradition in spectacular fashion.
7 Episode VII: The Force Awakens – The Introduction of Kylo Ren
No matter what followed over the three films of the sequel trilogy, it cannot be denied that it has a stellar opening scene. After the opening crawl of The Force Awakens, the film showcases an attack from the First Order and its stormtroopers upon a village of innocent civilians in order to acquire the McGuffin of the film. In addition to the striking imagery of the First Order’s brutality, Poe Dameron’s attempted escape from it, and FN-2187’s (later Finn) horror at the scene, the sequence then ends with the introduction of Kylo Ren.
There’s no denying that Darth Vader is one of the greatest villains in film history, but this scene made Kylo out to be a villain of equivalent power, stature, rage and confidence. The costume design for the character is outstanding, Williams’ score is haunting, and the overall energy of the sequence sets the stage for an exciting story to follow.
6 Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker – Ben Solo Battles the Knights of Ren
While there were certainly issues with the character arc of Kylo Ren throughout the sequels, his return to the light as Ben Solo in The Rise of Skywalker certainly makes for one of that film’s best sequences. While the scene of him speaking with the specter of his father Han Solo is great, it is seeing Ben in action fighting against the Knights of Ren that really gives fans the experience they’d been looking for.
While it was unfortunately one of the few moments in which we really got to know Ben Solo, Adam Driver’s performance as the character is fantastic, and he quickly establishes his place as a true successor to his grandfather Anakin Skywalker’s style and personality. Plus, as cartoony as it may be, the handing-off of a lightsaber from Rey to Ben through the Force makes for an exciting moment paired with a great visual.
5 Episode VII: The Force Awakens – Rey’s Awe of the Universe
One of the best aspects of The Force Awakens is its characterization of Rey, as she is being introduced to the adventures and legends of the galaxy far, far away. Through its opening, the film makes it clear that Rey has only ever experienced the junkyards of Jakku, but one of the best moments for the character comes when she arrives on the planet Takodana with Han Solo. As they fly closer to the planet, Rey is clearly in awe of the lush planet. She remarks to Han that she “didn’t know there was this much green in the whole galaxy.” It’s a small moment, but it’s one that adds a lot of depth and personality to Rey as a character.
4 Episode VIII: The Last Jedi – Kylo Ren and Rey Fight the Praetorian Guards
Following the death of Supreme Leader Snoke, The Last Jedi provides one of the best action sequences not just of the sequel trilogy but of the entire Star Wars saga. This sequence shows both Rey and Kylo Ren facing off with the various Praetorian Guards that were tasked with defending Snoke. As Rey and Kylo team up to fight off the Praetorians, it becomes clear that the two of them work quite well together. Throughout the film, the two had formed a close connection, and they each attempted to sway the other to their side of the dark side/light side conflict.
This adds to the tension of their battle, which frequently forces the two of them to help one another. On top of all of that, it’s one of the most visually stunning lightsaber fights that the franchise has to offer, despite the fact that their two lightsabers never actually clash.
3 Episode VII: The Force Awakens – Luke Skywalker Returns
The final moment from The Force Awakens that we want to include on this list is also, coincidentally, the final moment from the movie itself. This is the silent return of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker to the franchise, after Rey makes the journey to find him in his isolation on the planet Ahch-To. The entire film had been building up to the return of Skywalker into the fold, and it ultimately concludes with Rey finding him, approaching him and offering him his old lightsaber. While the interaction that follows at the beginning of The Last Jedi may not have been what fans expected, that ending for The Force Awakens was perfect.
It was Rey embracing her journey to become a Jedi through seeking out the greatest Jedi that the franchise has ever produced. It was executed perfectly, as it served as a satisfying conclusion for The Force Awakens while also teeing up plenty of excitement for The Last Jedi.
2 Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker – The Voices of the Force
While the end of The Rise of Skywalker may not have been the immensely satisfying end to the Skywalker Saga that fans had been hoping for, there is one specific moment that ties Rey’s journey in with those of the rest of the saga. This comes as Rey is seemingly losing her fight against the resurrected Darth Sidious, and in her moment of need, she is comforted and encouraged by the spiritual voices of many Jedi that came before her. This includes Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn, Mace Windu, Kanan Jarrus, Ahsoka Tano and more.
It’s a short scene, but it’s one with immense effect. Not only does it bring Rey more closely to the many great heroes of Star Wars’ history, but it also serves as a moment for fans to get to experience all of these characters through a cinematic frame once again. With the announced development of a standalone Rey film that will see her building a new Jedi Order, we cannot wait to see if and how this scene is followed up on.
1 Episode VIII: The Last Jedi – Yoda and Luke
Finally, the last scene from the Star Wars sequel trilogy that we’ve included on this list comes from The Last Jedi. This scene follows a moment where Luke Skywalker, in his desperation, goes to the ancient Jedi Temple on Ahch-To with the intent to burn it down. When he hesitates and ultimately decides against it, he is greeted by the Force Ghost of Yoda, who strikes the temple with a bolt of lightning and sets it ablaze himself. The following conversation between the two of them is what makes the scene great.
Yoda teaches Luke that he still has much to learn, and that his teachings to Rey and Ben Solo should not solely be the ancient ways of the Jedi but also of his and the Order’s failures, so that they may in turn grow beyond them. The inclusion of Yoda is not just fan service, but it rather provides an important lesson for Luke to learn from. In a meta way, it also speaks to the franchise’s need to grow beyond what it used to be and that relying too heavily on the past will inevitably lead to failure in the future.
