Top 12 favorite scenes in Star Wars movies/shows

An old list I made a while back.

10. Duel With Darth Maul (The Phantom Menace)

Despite the divisive reaction the prequel trilogy gets from fans, one thing that is almost universally agreed upon is that the saber fighting is much more exciting in the prequels then in the originals. And no where was that better displayed then during the climatic duel at the end of The Phantom Menace. In addition to displaying the ferocity of saber duels of the new trilogy, the fight also introduced the popular saber staff and was the first to be a 2 on 1 match.
The character of Darth Maul is also something worth noting. Given how well-known Vader had become in the previous decades, it would be difficult to make a new villain that would be threatening without being a Vader-clone. Maul avoids this by being more agile and grandiose is his appearance and abilities. Some much so that debate about who is better continue to this day.

Seeing the Jedi Order when they were at their peak is something that fans wanted to see from day one. In that sense, this is the moment that gave the fans exactly what they wanted.

9. Yoda Revealed (The Empire Strikes Back)

It is ironic that in a series famous for being as loud and bombastic as Star Wars, that a quiet dialogue scene can be so engrossing. It is the moment in which Yoda reveals himself to be the Jedi Master that Luke was searching for. After an outburst from Luke, Yoda goes from a silly old hermit, to a wise Jedi Master reprimanding Luke for his impatience and his inattentiveness. It gave Luke quest a greater sense of purpose as Yoda described the responsibilities, commitment, and discipline that the life of a Jedi entails.

Also worth noting is Frank Oz's magnificent performance both as a voice actor and puppeteer. In an amazing display of skill he is able to apply very subtle expression in both the face and voice of Yoda. Achieving a emotions that puts modern CG characters to shame. A talent that is especially portrayed in this scene, showing a very wide array of emotions such as dismay, scorn, and reluctance.

Most all of, it was an admirable risk the filmmakers took portraying Yoda in such a way. A small, goofy looking puppet such as Yoda is a hard thing to convince an audience to take seriously in any form, let alone a wise and power Jedi Master. But they managed to pull it off and in the process create one of the most well know and beloved characters in science fiction.

8. Demise of the Sith (Return of the Jedi)
The power of the dark side is frequently discussed and warned about through the saga. The Jedi's underestimation of it not only caused their downfall, but ended the Republic that they swore to protect. However, despite the Dark Side's raw power being demonstrated numerous times, this is the one moment in which the power of the Light Side is shown. Not through some grandiose display of power, but through an act of self sacrifice.

Rather then focusing solely on physical combat to defeat Vader, Luke chose to invoke the power of the light by convincing his father that there was still good left in him, even after all the evil he had done. Ultimately, his desire to protect his son convinced to to turn shed his dark side identity and turn of his master. Saving his son in one final selfless act and returning to the Light.

Because of all this, the emperor's death was more a physical defeat for the Dark Side. It was a philosophical one was well as it proved that the restorative powers of the lights side is greater than the destructive powers of the Dark. And that emotions such as love can overcome emotions like anger and aggression.

7. Podrace (The Phantom Menace)

A refreshing departure from the standard violent action that is present throughout the rest of the saga. Every aspect of this sequence works phenomenally. It is well paced, well directed, well edited, and the visual effects hold up great even after all these years. In addition to being very exciting, this scene gave the planet of Tatooine a greater sense of character. It took a setting that we were already familiar with and adds to it a sense of community and culture. It was a part of galactic life that fans had not seen before and adding a bit of "pop culture" to it gave the setting a more engrossing and believable atmosphere. As any sequel/prequel should do, the podrace helped make Star Wars galaxy seem a bit more complete and put this audience through a fantastic ride in the process.

6. Order 66 (Revenge of the Sith)

For all the flack the prequel trilogy gets about cohesion, this is the one continuous story arc the flows perfectly throughout. It is the moment were Darth Sidious's grand plan is clearly and completely realized. In The Phantom Menace, the Sidious creates and exploits a trade dispute to get elected chancellor. In Attack of the Clones, he initiates a separatist movement to justify the creation of a clone army, to throw the galaxy into war, and to increase his powers within the Senate. Finally in Revenge of the Sith, it all come to a head when he orders his clone troopers to turn on their unwitting Jedi commanders and has his apprentice, Darth Vader, exterminate the remaining separatist leaders. With one fell swoop the Dark Lord has exterminated all of his enemies and has taken his place as the Emperor. It was a great evil plot that displayed the devious intellect one of cinema's greatest tyrants.

5. Wedge Saves Luke (A New Hope)

Those not well acquainted with Star Wars are probably asking one question. Who? To those uninitiated, this moment takes place during the climatic battle at the end of A New Hope in which Skywalker is unable to shake a TIE Fighter off of his tail. However, he is saved, in spectacular fashion, by a seemingly insignificant pilot named Wedge Antilles.

While this seems to be nothing more then an entertaining jolt to the audience(and maybe that's what it initially was meant to be), this brief event provided a foundation for a large amount of expanded universe material. As stated before, Wedge was largely a nameless character and yet despite that, he contributed to the outcome of the story in all three films of the original trilogy. (In The Empire Strikes Back he brought down an imperial walker with a tow cable and in Return of the Jedi he helped Lando destroy the second Death Star). Something very usual for what is basically a background character.

In other cases, this may come off as bad story telling, but here, the competence and skill displayed by Wedge gives the character a sense of mystery, leaving the fans wondering as to what his story is. It helped create the notion that the Star Wars universe is massive and that we are only witnessing one of the numerous stories going on. Today, Wedge Antilles stars in numerous Star Wars novels, comic books, and video games. For a character who had less then 50 lines in the entire trilogy, he certainly had a great impact on making the Star Wars Universe as big as it is today and it is this one short piece of action that began it all.

4. Galactic Celebration (Return of the Jedi)

Of all the changes Lucas made in the special additions, this is the one that contributed the most to the story of the saga. It gave the sense that the Empire's defeat was not only a victory for the heroes, but a victory for the whole Galaxy as the audience witnesses the jubilant celebrations from the capital city of Coruscant to the outer rim of Tatooine. It also served as a retrospective of all the planets the characters had visited in the previous movies and the repercussion the victory at Endor had across the Galaxy. In addition, the updated soundtrack added a somewhat bittersweet nostalgia to the film's resolution as we say goodbye to the heroes that we had come to love over the past few movies. In all, it was a very welcome montage that helped bring the saga to a satisfying close.

3. Anakin's Death (Revenge of the Sith)
The final piece in the puzzle of how Anakin Skywalker became the villainous Darth Vader. After his defeat at the hands of his former master, a crippled Skywalker is left on the bank of a volcanic river, soon to be immolated and left for dead.

This qualifies as one of the greatest moments of the saga not just because of what it is, but because of the audience's reaction to it. This moment is always referred to as "Anakin's Death" despite the fact that he survived his ordeal on Mustafar. It matches perfectly to what Obi-Wan Kenobi said in Return of the Jedi; "He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader." That was the notion that was created 22 years earlier and it was executed extremely well as it legitimately felt like Anakin Skywalker died on that volcanic slope.

Outside of the audience's reaction to it, the scene also showcased the tragic impact Anakin's fall had on the characters. Obi-wan not only expressed his dismay at how he lost a beloved friend, but his reflections of what could have been. Anakin was supposed to bring balance to the Force. He could have done so much good with the power that he possessed. But instead, because of his choices, the Galaxy is fallen into tyranny, the Jedi have been decimated, and Anakin, for all intent and purposes, is dead.

2.Vader's Revelation (The Empire Strikes Back)

Arguably the greatest plot twist ever. Unlike most plot twist which exist solely to provided a surprise at the end of a story, this twist drastically changes the dynamics of the story, sending it a confusing array of different directions. Before, its was a traditional hero versus villain revenge story. Afterwards it became a story of truth, redemption, and morality.

Prior to the revelation, Anakin Skywalker was a revered figure, being the source of Luke desire to become a Jedi and a symbol of the peaceful time of the Old Republic. This revelation challenged everything that both Luke and the audience thought they knew about the galaxy. As such, the lines between good and evil became more blurred.
Within the confusion, many questions were raised, Was Vader telling the truth? If so, why did Obi Wan tell Luke his Father was murdered? If Kenobi did lie, is that cause to question his morality? What does Luke do with all this information when he finds out? These are just a few of the questions that the audiences had to wait three years to have answered.

The combination of his shock value, intriguing questions, and altering of the story are just a few of the many factors that gave this plot twist it legendary status and in the process laid the foundation for the entire prequel trilogy.

1. Binary Sunset (A New Hope)

Perhaps the most well known image is all of science-fiction. This scenes last a mere 35 seconds and yet it manages to display all of the magic, mystery, and wonder that Star Wars is famous for. Luke, after being forced to stay on the farm another season, feels trapped on the desert planet and looks longingly into even sky wondering what he is missing. At its core, the scene is about a boy contemplating his destiny and what, if anything, the universe has in store for him. All this emotion is contained with a simple gaze at the twin suns of Tatooine.

And, of course, there is the musical score. In fact, the music composed by the legendary John Williams could be mentioned in almost all of these choices. But it is here that it is most effective. A single sad horn that escalates into a sweeping orchestral crescendo, exemplifying the all that Luke was about to experience in his coming adventure.

Very little was expected of the A New Hope while it was in production. In fact, George Lucas went through great troubles just to get it finished, but despite that it has become one of the most successful film series in history. And due to this, the scene has morphed into the perfect metaphor for both Luke and the entire Star Wars universe. Like Luke, we the audience have come to find that this galaxy is full of interesting stories, people, and places. And how greatness can from from something that is seemingly insignificant. Whether it is from a farm boy on a backwater planet or a silly sci-fi movie that barely got made. The future greatness of the Luke Skywalker, the galaxy , and the franchise were all retroactively foreshadowed in this scene.
All these factors made the one very brief scene one of the most iconic images in cinema history. It is for that reason, that the Binary Sunset easily earns its status as the greatest moment of the Star Wars saga.





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VOOTE:
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I applaud you sir

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http://www.imdb.com/list/ls063670214/

1. Vader's redemption
2. Darth reveals who he is to Luke
3. 'You were the Chosen One'
4. Binary sunset
5. Rey grabs the lightsaber
6. Luke destroys the Death Star
7. Unmasking Anakin Skywalker
8. Qui-Gon, Kenobi take on Maul
9. Han confronts Kylo Ren
10. Order 66
11. Han is frozen
12. Luke burns Vader's armour

1. "You were right about me. Tell you sister - you were right."
2. Vader looking at Palpatine and Luke, and then picking up Palpatine and throwing him into the reactor core.