Dylan Chaundy
9. The Last Jedi
Best Episodes in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
I know what you’re thinking: he hated The Last Jedi movie so he put it at the bottom of the list. Incorrect you are, my young Padawan. In fact, I absolutely adored Rian Johnson’s subversive yet divisive pull-the-rug-from-under-you pic. The thing is, one of the games had to go at the bottom of this list, and thanks to a really frustrating section — I’m looking at you, ‘Ground A-salt’ level — that has to be completed in a confusingly specific way near the end, I’m throwing the sophomore effort from the sequel trilogy at the bottom of the pile. Sorry, Mr. Johnson!
8. The Phantom Menace
Best Episodes in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
While Episode One has a really cool opening, replete with an aquatic set-piece that sees you fending off a massive underwater fish beast, it also has to do a lot of heavy lifting by virtue of it being, well, you know, The Phantom Menace. Despite a few boring narrative sections about taxes, trade disputes, and… almost everything else (yawn), there’s still fun to be gleaned from the face-off against Darth Maul, the surprisingly entertaining Pod race, and the battle on Naboo, as well as the many LEGO slapstick jokes that feature everyone’s (not so) favorite Gungan getting up to random hijinks. Sure, I could end this with a joke about how awful Jar Jar Binks is to add insult to injury, but I honestly feel sorry for the poor fella at this point.
7. The Rise of Skywalker
Best Episodes in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
The Rise of Skywalker is still one of the darkest episodes in the entire Star Wars saga, and it’s great that its LEGO adaptation retains that same specific tone. That said, it’s still hamstrung by a few unexciting levels and a story that completely upends what Rian Johnson was attempting in The Last Jedi. With its emphasis on narrative MacGuffins like wayfinders, and the ridiculous revelation that Emperor Palpatine survived his fall down the Reactor Core in Return of the Jedi (“Somehow Palpatine returned” is possibly one of the most preposterous lines in the whole of cinema, right?), its uneven source material sometimes doesn’t gel amazingly with Traveller’s Tales’ lighthearted LEGO formula. Still, despite these issues, there’s still enjoyment to be extracted from this critically-maligned episode, especially in the opening space-faring mission in ‘A Skip and a Jump’ and the final showdown with the Emperor.
6. The Force Awakens
Best Episodes in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
It was the promising revamp that the beloved sci-fi franchise needed, and its translation to LEGO brick form is a darn good one. While it’s pretty much a beat-for-beat retread of A New Hope, The Force Awakens still features some pretty cool highlights. From Finn’s stormtrooper-gone-rogue to Rey’s tranquil origin story on Jakku to Poe Dameron’s kinship with his lovable BB-8 droid, the debut episode of the sequel trilogy sets the stage for what’s to come. The best moments often center on everybody’s favorite space scoundrel, though. Yes, the first scene where we meet our ol’ pals Han Solo and Chewie as they battle it out with man-eating Rathtars and the Guavian Death Gang stands out, and obviously, that seen where Kylo does his father dirty on Starkiller Base still manages to hit you in the feels, even with LEGO’s signature lighthearted feel and tone.
5. Attack of the Clones
Best Episodes in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Even though Attack of the Clones has the honor of being my least favorite film in the entire Star Wars saga, somehow, its LEGO incarnation in this collection is one of my favorites. I know, go figure. Not only does it boast an exciting air taxi flying mission that tasks you with tracking down an assassin across a bustling Coruscant metropolis in the opening level, but it also features a fun boss battle with Count Dooku in its latter half as well. Plus, it also has another really cool space-faring mission that sees you battling it out with Jango Fett in a cat-and-mouse skirmish across a vast asteroid belt. Oh, and did we mention that it marks one of the only times in the entire saga where we get to hear the incredible audio delight that is the explosion of a seismic charge? Seriously, that sound bite never gets old.
4. A New Hope
Best Episodes in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
With its epic opening scene that sees Darth Vader boarding a Rebel ship as Princess Leia scrambles to hide the stolen secret plans of the Death Star, A New Hope gets straight into the action. While it may not have as many funny gags as the other LEGO games in the original trilogy, it does make up for it with plenty of entertaining shootouts, boss battles, and space flight missions. Bumping into the creepy tentacles of the dianoga in the Death Star’s trash compacter is a highlight. Meanwhile, the final battle that tasks you with carefully flying the trench run to unleash Luke’s proton torpedoes that ultimately go on to destroy the first Death Star is a high point as well. Plus, I also love the fact that the final closing ceremony pokes fun at Chewie’s whole medal injustice. We need justice for poor ol’ Chewie!
3. Return of the Jedi
Best Episodes in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
OK, it’s safe to say that we’re finally getting to the best games in the saga now. Yes, much like the other threequels on this list, Return of the Jedi is one of the darker installments boasting some of the most emotionally poignant moments in the series. Interestingly though, this ominous tone is offset by one of the funniest gags in the entire LEGO collection. Indeed, at the tail-end of your Battle on Endor, the AT-STs and Ewoks decide to have an impromptu dance party, replete with iconic Michael Jackson dance moves and moonwalking. Seriously, you haven’t lived until you’ve seen an AT-ST Chicken Walker get down and boogie on the dance floor. Hilarious stuff!
2. The Empire Strikes Back
Best Episodes in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
After a fairly slow opening sequence that culminates in a boss battle with a deadly Wampa, The Empire Strikes Back kicks off with one of the coolest and most iconic battles in the entirety of the series: the Assault on Hoth. Indeed, you even get to fly your very own Snow Speeder as you try to bring down those big ol’ pesky AT-AT combat walkers. The childhood nostalgia is strong with this one! Elsewhere, when we reach Cloud City above Bespin, we also get a few funny gags centered around Lando Calrissian. Firstly, he mistakes C-3PO for Princess Leia as he delivers his iconic charm, and later on, a door opens to reveal a roomful of his signature attire — those famous fashionable capes that he loves to wear. Make no mistake, though the deal may be getting worse all the time, The Empire Strikes Back on the other hand, just gets better and better.
1. Revenge of the Sith
Best Episodes in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
In a crazy turn of events, my favorite game from the entire LEGO collection is, surprisingly, Revenge of the Sith. Even though I’m not the biggest fan of the prequels, Revenge of the Sith’s transition to Traveller’s Tales’ LEGO format is an extremely smooth one thanks to a handful of boss encounters that are super fun to duke it out with, as well as a plethora of eye-catching environmental backdrops that frame the action beautifully. After all, there’s so much action in Revenge of the Sith, it almost feels like a miniature boss rush mode. From Count Dooku to General Grievous to that epic lightsaber duel right at the end, the third episode in the prequel trilogy is a thrilling one and is absolutely the best that LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has to offer. But what say you, though? Do you agree with our picks? Or do you think we’re way off base? Grab some Jawa juice and let us know in the usual place down below.
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