Star Wars has been immense in grandeur and reputation. It is even more so with over a dozen films and television shows now in development and countless more on the way. It is among the most successful film franchises in history, owing to a slew of jaw-dropping events that astonished spectators worldwide. Certain moments were minimal subtle, while others were massive and epic in grandeur.

They shaped not only the projects in which they worked but also the Star Wars universe as a whole. Because of this, fans happily recall and relive these sequences time and time again. Alas, there are far too many breathtaking moments to include in one piece. Indeed, “The Empire Strikes Back” could easily fill every slide on this list. So, here are some Star Wars moments from each episode of the Skywalker Saga; and a few more.

Episode I: Darth Maul’s “Duel of the Fates”

Many fans have numerous beef with 1999’s “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace”. However, there was one moment that almost everyone appreciates. It is the splintered Star Wars fanbase that is Darth Maul’s debut. Backed by John Williams’ hauntingly beautiful “Duel of the Fates,” this was the first time fans saw a Jedi and Sith battle in their prime. To no one’s surprise, it was quite the show.

Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi return to rescue Naboo. This when they come face to face with Darth Maul and the trumpets begin to sound. Violins accompany the trumpets. However, when Maul draws his lightsaber, both instruments come to a halt to make way for an unsettlingly hostile chorus. At the same, the Sith Lord ignites one blade after the other. Star Wars fans have never seen a lightsaber with two blades before, and cinemas exploded in applause.

The scene is masterfully performed. The music, images, costume design, timing, and acting all combine in perfect harmony to produce one of the film’s most chilling scenes. The realization that this is only the prelude to one of the finest lightsaber battle sequences in the whole series is the cherry on top.

Episode II: The Jedi enter the Geonosis Arena

Following the conclusion of George Lucas’ original Star Wars trilogy, many fans yearned to see what the fabled Jedi Order was like in its peak. What were old Ben Kenobi and Yoda like, and what was it like living in a galaxy with hundreds or thousands of Jedi?  The audience did see flashes of it in “The Phantom Menace”. Nonetheless, they received their definitive explanation in “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.”

Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi have been confined in an arena on the dusty orange planet of Geonosis by Count Dooku and his separatist droid army for most of the film. All this, while attempting to unravel an assassination attempt on Senator Padme Amidala. The two Jedi and the Senator easily avoid being killed by the beasts. Regardless, it becomes apparent that they will not survive. Following this, here’s what happens.

Mace Windu, steps up behind Christopher Lee’s Count Dooku and ignites his purple lightsaber. Theron, hundreds of Jedi Knights do the same around the enormous stadium. The visuals are breathtaking. The battle sequence that ensues does not disappoint. Ultimately, after all these years, audiences were able to witness the Jedi’s power.

Episode III: Order 66

Not all breathtaking scene in Star Wars is thrilling; others are tragically heartbreaking. Anakin Skywalker is drawn to the Dark Side by his desire to exert influence over the destiny of his wife. Because of this, he pledges allegiance to Darth Sidious and proceeds on the Jedi Temple.  Meanwhile, Palpatine joyously instructs his clone troops to carry out Order 66.

What follows is a stunning montage of terror. Some of John Williams’ most chilling music plays over shots of Jedi around the galaxy being methodically deceived and slaughtered by the Clone warriors. Plo Koon meets his end when he shot down in his starfighter.

On Felucia, Ayla Secura is shot in the back, and Ki Adi Mundi’s senses arrive seconds too late to rescue him. The Jedi are defeated, evil triumphs, and the moment is as heartbreaking as it should be.

Episode IV: The opening shot

Among all others, “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope” is the film that started it all. It was launched to a frenzy of success, guaranteeing that this would stick around long in the imaginations of people all globe over. While the enormously successful film was packed with breathtaking, lovely moments, there is one that stands out above the rest.

This is not a segment of the Death Star run. It is not the first time meeting Darth Vader or witnessing him assassinate Ben Kenobi. It’s the very first scene fans saw of Star Wars. This was the moment that quickly captured worldwide attention has not been let go yet. That’s the film’s very first shot.

Within moments, the camera dips down to show two moons and an iridescent planet underneath them. A small ship crosses the stage from the right and flies in toward the planet. It receives heavy fire. After this, another, considerably larger ship enters the picture and seemingly never halts.

The spacecraft enters the scene completely after well over ten seconds. It shows the enormous magnitude of both the vessel and the unrelenting, monolithic military behind it. The ship is enormous, and by comparison, it is obvious that this is the wicked Empire and that the Rebellion is utterly outplayed.

Episode V: “No, I am your father.”

It is one of the most renowned plot twists in the history of storytelling, whether cinematic or non-cinematic. Luke Skywalker has fled to the Cloud City of Bespin in an effort to rescue his companions from Darth Vader, but falls into the Sith Lord’s trap accidentally. Following a fierce but fruitless fight, Vader severs Luke’s hand and imprisons the young Jedi hopeful. He orders Luke to accompany him, and when the young boy declines, Vader exposes his innermost secrets.

Luke’s father was not murdered by Vader. “No,” he responds. “I am your father.”

It’s a moment no one anticipated following the conclusion of “A New Hope”. Ever since then, it has remained ingrained in the mind of the public ever since. For those who watched it in cinemas, “Empire” was confirmed as their favourite Star Wars film thus far. For many who followed, it is a moment so well-known that they can’t recall not recognizing it.

Episode V: Han Solo is frozen in carbonite

Despite its severity, Darth Vader’s parental discovery is just one of the film’s many hard-hitting, jaw-dropping moments. This stands in stark contrast to “A New Hope,” a famous example of pulp science fiction adventure. There is drama, suspense, and thrill, but the good people always triumph in the end.

When “Empire” initially aired, many members of the audience probably anticipated the same scenario. However, this time, the real heroes lost. First, they were defeated on Hoth in the film’s first act. Second, they were defeated at Bespin when Han Solo became trapped in carbonite. Finally, they were defeated again when Darth Vader severed Luke Skywalker’s hand. Eventually, the good guys fled with their tails firmly between their legs. But again not Han, who seemed to have met a horrible fate beyond death.

Fans understood from the title that the Empire would “Strike Back,” but many wouldn’t have predicted how brilliantly that onslaught would succeed. As a result, Han’s entrapment in the carbonite freezing chamber is one of the film’s most moving scenes. The Empire has triumphed, and there will be no escape for the famed smuggler.

Episode VI: The Emperor Unleashed

The Rebellion is waging a desperate last stand against the Empire. Leia Organa conducts a ground attack against the Death Star’s shield array. Meanwhile, Admiral Ackbar and Lando Calrissian command the Rebel fleet’s major assault on the space station. Elsewhere, Luke Skywalker squares up against Darth Vader for the final time.

The most bizarre thing is that it appears to be working. Han and Chewie successfully blow up the shield generator and Luke defeats his father without succumbing to the Dark Side.  As the Rebel ships race to attack the Death Star’s core reactor, it appears as though the Empire’s days are numbered.

Palpatine then rises from his chair. The genuine Dark Lord of the Sith approaches the fight. Hope unleashes the entire force of the Dark Side on an unprepared Luke Skywalker and is snuffed out in a heartbeat. Force lightning — something fans were unaware was possible — erupted from his fingertips and knocked the young Jedi to the floor, screaming in agony. Darth Sidious’s entire power had been unleashed, and Luke was unable to thwart it.

Episode VII: The death of a legend

After more than three decades, the original Star Wars cast was poised to return to cinemas, with Han Solo leading the charge. Han Solo is one of the most popular characters in the entire franchise, and seeing him in action again was one of the primary selling points of “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.” However, as Luke would later explain, “This is not going to go the way you think.”

As the film progressed, fans discovered that Han and Leia had indeed married and had a son named Ben, whom Luke trained to become a Jedi Knight between Episodes VI and VII. However, after meeting the Supreme Leader of the First Order, Snoke, Ben chose to embrace the Dark Side, assuming the identity of Kylo Ren. Han managed to catch up with his precious son in the film’s closing act, imploring him to return home.

Kylo Ren approaches his father for assistance during a brief, emotional chat. He then raises his lightsaber, burns it in Han’s chest, and lets the lifeless body fall into the abyss below. Chewbacca and Rey scream in anguish, despair, and sadness as General Leia Organa senses the galaxy’s loss. It was a shocking conclusion for one of cinema’s most enduring figures.

Episode VIII: Luke’s final stand

Fans have yearned to see Luke Skywalker in his glory ever since “Return of the Jedi”. Numerous novels and video games depicted Luke as a strong, comprehensive Jedi Master. So naturally, Star Wars enthusiasts desired nothing more than for this vision fulfilled on screen in its entirety. When the second trilogy was eventually revealed, hope returned. However, Rian Johnson presented them to a Luke Skywalker who had aged and become cynical. He was a Luke Skywalker who had surrendered.

Luke isolated himself to Ahch-To after inadvertently pushing Ben to the dark side and refusing to teach Rey or assist the Resistance when she eventually discovers him. “You think what, I’m going to walk out with a laser sword and face down the whole First Order? he asks her. Audiences’ expectations looked crushed until the film’s conclusion when Luke Skywalker follows suit.

On the isolated salt planet Crait, the First Order has trapped General Leia Organa and the Resistance’s final holdouts. Without the chance of escape, the Resistance waits for their demise. However, Luke arrives and fights an entire army on his alone. While it is ultimately an illusion created by Luke from across the galaxy, fans were treated to one last glimpse of their hero throughout all his splendour. And of course, this too remains one of the most breathtaking scenes in the series.

Episode IX: The People’s Fleet

In its duration, “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker” ticked a number of boxes.
It was intended to complete not only a trilogy but also the nine-film Skywalker Saga in its entirety. While many fans differ on how successfully it accomplished this mammoth job, one amazing moment impressed virtually everyone: the entry of the Citizen’s Fleet.

Often known as “the People’s” or “Galaxy Fleet,” this massive fleet of starships from all around the galaxy came just in time to save Poe Dameron, the Resistance, and the whole galaxy from Darth Sidious’ fleet of Star Destroyers. Lando Calrissian comes with the ships just as the situation appears hopeless, and John Williams provides the famous opening crawl main Star Wars theme.

What makes the occasion even more remarkable is that the fleet is not affiliated with either the New Republic or the Resistance. As one member of the First Order puts it: “It is not a navy, sir. it is just… people.” Across the galaxy, ordinary people came together to combat wickedness and oppose despotism. It’s a great message, reinforced by one of the most impressive shots in the whole series, in which 16,000 individually rendered starships descend on the First Order.

Rogue One: The Death Star’s first shot

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is a one-of-a-kind instalment in the saga. The film serves as a prequel to “A New Hope,” detailing how the Rebellion found the Death Star and uncovered its achilles’ heel through the theft of its blueprint. However, 45 minutes into the film, audiences get their first glimpse of the Death Star’s iconic super-laser. The scene is as magnificent and stunning as it is terrifying.

Once completed, the Empire chooses to conduct a test of the Death Star’s weapon by attacking a single place on the planet Jedha. Although the instant is momentous, rather than portraying it as a big, catastrophic event, the exact alignment and firing of the station’s laser is rather subdued. While Jyn Erso hears a holographic recorded message from her father, the frames silently change to the Death Star as her father depicts it to her.

Fans stand transfixed as the station comes into position, throws a shadow over the city, and gradually eclipses the sun, obliterating the city. The scene is stunning, with the odd grandeur of the cinematography showing the devastation caused by the bomb in broad, magnificent views. This stands in stark contrast to the murderous horror inherent in a “Death Star,” giving in a frightening effect unmatched throughout the narrative.

Rogue One: Darth Vader’s hallway stroll

However, the destruction of Jedha was not “Rogue One’s” final foray into horror. In the film’s final moments, after the main cast has been killed and Scarif has indeed been eviscerated, the Rebels strive to flee with the looted Death Star plans. However, only when they’re about to succeed, door jams, a recognisable breathing sound is audible, and Vader’s lightsaber illuminates the entire corridor in an uncanny red glow. 

The Mandalorian: “A single X-Wing”

Notwithstanding several amazing moments in the Skywalker Saga films, one from the original Star Wars live-action television series may top them all. In “The Mandalorian” Season 2’s finale, Din Djarin and little Grogu aka Baby Yoda are stuck on the bridge of an imperial cruiser. This is also when a troop of armoured droids called “Dark Troopers” approach to brutally kill them.

Mando had scarcely defeated one of the combat droids earlier in the and there was no way he would fight against hundred others, albeit with Bo-Katan Kryze, Fennec Shand, Cara Dune, and a third Mandalorian by his side. However, as the crew prepares to make their final stand, a lone X-Wing land in the ship’s hanger bay. As a quiet but dramatic musical piece commences to play, one individual dressed in black exits the aircraft.

Mando and others watch on the bridge’s displays even as the individual ignites the lightsaber and destroys each and every Dark Trooper while moving towards the bridge. He drops his hood and shows himself upon his arrival. It’s Luke Skywalker, brandishing his green lightsaber and dressed in his “Return of the Jedi” Jedi outfit. Finally, the Luke that everyone had yearned to see for decades was on screen, and it was magnificent.