Last month, I was asked to participate in a group project at work ranking “The 100 Greatest Star Wars Moments.” It’s the kind of thing where everyone submits their nominations, an editor tallies the final list, and then people alternate writing different entries. The Emperor wanted “tiny little odd moments you happen to love,” so my list of nominations was and is fairly granular. Some of what it’s referencing might only be understood by those with a working knowledge of all the different live-action Star Wars movies and TV shows. (I’ve seen The Clone Wars movie and both seasons of Visions now, but other than that, the animated stuff is a blind spot for me.)
Since then, I’ve moved on to a new permalance travel writing gig—which is obviously big news, but I’ll explain more when the time is right. In the meantime, I’m not sure if my nominations will get factored in, but if and when that list of “Greatest Star Wars Moments” sees the light of publication on /Film, the actual list entries won’t have any writing input from me. I spent a lot of time coming up with my list of 100 nominations, however, so I’m sharing them here for posterity.
100. THE RISE OF SKYWALKER: Billy Dee Williams appears.
99. THE CLONE WARS (MOVIE). Ahsoka steps off the cruiser, into the franchise.
98. THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL: The droids discover that Fett is a villain.
97. OBI-WAN KENOBI: Tala guns down three Stormtroopers under her command.
96. THE LAST JEDI: Rose Tico’s sister drops the bombs.
95. THE MANDALORIAN: The Client is Werner Herzog. The show’s best instance of stunt casting, which doesn’t always work for it.
94. VISIONS: The Sith acolytes surround Kara and Ethan, revealing their true (red) colors.
93. OBI-WAN KENOBI: The Third Sister’s revenge doesn’t go as planned, as Vader dismantles her and the Grand Inquisitor returns, very much alive.
92. ATTACK OF THE CLONES: Kamino’s not on the map. The Jedi Archives are incomplete.
91. RETURN OF THE JEDI: “Fly casual.”
90. THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT: Black Krrsantan, the Wookie pit gladiator, attempts to assassinate Fett. It takes the combined efforts of eight characters to stop him.
89. ROGUE ONE: Bodhi’s eyelid twitches as Saw takes a puff from his oxygen mask.
88. THE MANDALORIAN: “I will help you. I have spoken.” (Runner-up quote: “This is the Way.”)
87. VISIONS: The Empire abandons its prison workers in a mining hole in “The Pit.”
86. A NEW HOPE: The trash compactor wall closes in right of frame, blocking our view of Leia.
85. ANDOR: Luthen arrives back on Coruscant and puts on his wig and art dealer disguise.
84. RETURN OF THE JEDI: Leia’s thermal detonator bluff as Boushh.
83. SOLO: Donald Glover’s franchise debut at the sabacc table.
82. THE LAST JEDI: Chewie breaks down Luke’s door.
81. THE FORCE AWAKENS: Poe arches his eyebrow at Finn. “We’re gonna do this.” (Steal a TIE Fighter, but also go along as an audience with these plucky new characters.)
80. ANDOR: Meero wins the support of Major Partagaz, who “salute[s] the provocative exchange of ideas” at an Imperial Security Bureau roundtable.
79. A NEW HOPE: Luke trains with the blast shield down.
78. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: “It’s not my fault!” and the callback to it later with Lando.
77. ROGUE ONE: A Stormtrooper sits dejectedly on the transport carrying Jyn.
76. ATTACK OF THE CLONES: Obi-Wan vs. Jango Fett.
75. THE FORCE AWAKENS: Two Stormtroopers do a 180 as Kylo Ren throws a temper tantrum.
74. ANDOR: The post-credits scene, confirming the prisoners were making Death Star parts.
73. A NEW HOPE: R2-D2 rolls forward to take R5-D4’s place.
72. RETURN OF THE JEDI: Leia chokes Jabba to death.
71. THE LAST JEDI: Kylo Ren smashes his mask after Snoke rightly calls it ridiculous.
70. SOLO: Han meets Chewie for the first time.
69. VISIONS: The rainy lightsaber duel in “The Elder.”
68. THE LAST JEDI: Broom Boy looks to the stars. Anyone can be a Jedi, not just Skywalkers.
67. ATTACK OF THE CLONES: Temuera Morrison enters, stage left.
66. THE MANDALORIAN: The opening scout trooper banter in the season 1 finale.
65. ANDOR: “I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I’ll never see.”
64. A NEW HOPE: Obi-Wan cuts off Ponda Baba’s arm.
63. THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT: In the belly of the Sarlacc.
62. THE LAST JEDI: Porgs guilt-trip Chewbacca for eating meat.
61. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Leia watches the shield doors close.
60. ANDOR: Bix undergoes torture with the sounds of a dying alien race.
59. THE LAST JEDI: Luke’s first lesson to Rey. The Force belongs to everyone.
58. A NEW HOPE: “We’re all fine here, now, thank you. How are you?”
57. ROGUE ONE: Giacchino’s music as the Death Star emerges from hyperspace over Scarif.
56. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Luke sees his own face under Vader’s mask in the cave.
55. THE FORCE AWAKENS: General Hux leads a Nuremberg rally on Starkiller Base.
54. A NEW HOPE: Luke sees Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen’s charred corpses.
53. REVENGE OF THE SITH: Anakin realizes Palpatine is a Sith Lord as they circle round and round each other.
52. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: The carbonite chamber slams on the floor, with Han’s face frozen.
51. RETURN OF THE JEDI: “The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am.”
50. VISIONS: Daal’s ticket out of the workhouse turns out to be a Sith Lord.
49. ANDOR: A KX droid seizes Cassian by the throat, ending his vacation.
48. ATTACK OF THE CLONES: Obi-Wan sets down on the mysterious planet Kamino and is met by long-necked cloners.
47. VISIONS: The Ronin unsheathes his red lightsaber, revealing he’s not a Jedi.
46. RETURN OF THE JEDI: Luke unmasks Vader.
45. THE LAST JEDI: Rey in the mirror cave.
44. A NEW HOPE: Vader Force chokes Admiral Motti.
43. ROGUE ONE: K-2SO dies.
42. THE LAST JEDI: The Holdo maneuver.
41. A NEW HOPE: First shot of the Star Destroyer sailing in overhead.
40. THE LAST JEDI: Rey and Ren vs. the Praetorian Guard.
39. ANDOR: Kino Loy looks down at the water outside the prison. “I can’t swim.”
38. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Han and Leia’s last kiss. “I love you,” and, “I know.”
37. RETURN OF THE JEDI: First sight of the Rancor as the dungeon door opens.
36. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Luke flings himself into the abyss.
35. ROGUE ONE: Jyn and Cassian hug as the blast cloud envelopes them.
34. A NEW HOPE: The holochess scene.
33. THE LAST JEDI: Luke and Leia reunite.
32. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Lando opens the dining room door to Vader.
31. A NEW HOPE: The opening crawl.
30. REVENGE OF THE SITH: Last shot of Anakin’s face; POV cut to Vader’s mask lowering over it.
29. RETURN OF THE JEDI: An Ewok hums happily as it helps load firewood to cook Han.
28. THE FORCE AWAKENS: BB-8 ejects his lighter, giving Finn a return thumbs-up. Finn’s dismissed his droid language (“I don’t speak that”), but they still understand each other.
27. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: AT-AT through the binoculars.
26. THE MANDALORIAN: The first time the closing credits roll (concept art/musical theme).
25. ATTACK OF THE CLONES: The Dex’s Diner scene, especially Dex’s evil laugh to Obi-Wan at the end. Weird, enigmatic moment that’s part of a diamond-in-s**t subplot, laced with noir intrigue. The detective story that could have been.
24. SOLO: The strip of light across Emilia Clarke’s face as Qi’ra abandons Han in Vox’s space yacht.
23. A NEW HOPE: Luke sinks his shot during the trench run.
22. THE FORCE AWAKENS: “It’s true. The Force, the Jedi. All of it.” Han Solo is now a believer.
21. THE LAST JEDI: Kylo Ren cuts Snoke in half.
20. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: The Imperial March. Shadow of the Super Star Destroyer.
19. THE PHANTOM MENACE: “Duel of the Fates” and the whole two-on-one lightsaber duel.
18. REVENGE OF THE SITH: The opera house scene. Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise.
17. ROGUE ONE: Vader tears through Rebel fleet troopers at the end.
16. A NEW HOPE: Obi-Wan’s death.
15. THE LAST JEDI: “Let the past die.” Advice the franchise/fans should follow more.
14. RETURN OF THE JEDI: “It’s a trap!”
13. A NEW HOPE: The “Cantina Band” needle drop and accompanying aliens.
12. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: The bounty hunter lineup.
11. THE MANDALORIAN: Mando meets The Child.
10. ANDOR: “We are, at this moment, in control of the facility. […] The building is ours.”
9. THE FORCE AWAKENS: Wide shot of Rey’s speeder whizzing past a crashed Star Destroyer. Eternal symbol of the scavenger planet—and a scavenger sequel.
8. ROGUE ONE: Chirrup walks blind across the battlefield. “I’m one with the Force, and the Force is with me.”
7. A NEW HOPE: “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.”
6. RETURN OF THE JEDI: The speeder bike chase, especially Ben Burtt’s sound design.
5. THE LAST JEDI: Luke walks out to “stare down the whole First Order.”
4. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Yoda dresses down the dreamer in Luke. “All his life, has he looked away, to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was, what he was doing.”
3. RETURN OF THE JEDI: Close-up on Vader as he watches the Emperor electrocute Luke.
2. A NEW HOPE: Luke watches the binary sunset.
1. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: “I am your father.”