Best Moments From The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

Summary

• Poe Dameron shines in a daring aerial counterstrike in Episode 7, showcasing ace piloting skills.
• Rey’s surreal journey in the cave on Ach-To provides hints about her past in Episode 8.
• The Holdo Maneuver in Episode 8 is a visually stunning and tragic sacrifice that saves the Resistance.

It’s no secret that the Star Wars sequel trilogy remains the most divisive of the series’ mainline movies. The original trilogy has the baked-in nostalgia, the prequels have the memes, but what do the sequels have, aside from a flawless litmus test for YouTube channels?

What they’ve got is some truly excellent moments that will absolutely stand the test of time (please don’t quote this). Whether it’s from their thrilling action, dazzling effects, or even poignant drama, the Star Wars sequels boast plenty of high points that deserve just as much praise as their predecessors.

8

Poe Is One Hell Of A Pilot

Star Wars: Episode 7 – The Force Awakens

• A classic last-minute rescue
• Shows off Poe’s skills

Up until this point in Episode 7: The Force Awakens, you hadn’t really seen Poe Dameron in his element. He’d gotten some secret information, given it to BB-8, quipped at Kylo Ren, and gotten arrested before escaping with Finn and being presumed killed as a result. True, it’s kind of par for the course with Star Wars heroes, but Poe is an ace pilot here.

Later, when Rey and Finn find themselves at the center of a First Order attack at Maz Kanata’s castle on the planet Takodana, Poe leads the Resistance in a daring aerial counterstrike. As he expertly and joyfully tears through TIE Fighters along with his fellow pilots, Finn shouts his approval from the ground, not even realizing his first friend (and maybe more if the shippers get some justice) is alive and leading the charge.

7

Rey In The Cave

Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi

• Callback to the cave on Dagobah
• Surreal hints at Rey’s past

Episode 8: The Last Jedi earned some divisive reactions from viewers for subverting expectations and being thinky. One example of this was Rey’s brief journey into a cave strong with the Dark Side of the Force on Ach-To where Luke Skywalker has been training her.

In a sequence that’s clearly inspired by Luke’s similar journey in The Empire Strikes Back, Rey’s perception of reality is skewed. In a cool effect, she sees herself over and over, and even sees her own reflection when she asks to see her parents. What does it mean? Well, it probably meant quite a bit more before The Rise of Skywalker did its thing.

6

BB-8 Thumbs-Up

Star Wars: Episode 7 – The Force Awakens

• Perfect demonstration of BB-8’s cuteness
• Prime GIF material

Arguably the most recognizable aspect of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, adorable little droid BB-8 made an impact right from the start. But his charm went into overdrive during one rather ingenious gag where Finn gives him a grateful thumbs-up and he responds in kind.

Without missing a beat, BB-8 flips open a lighter in his best approximation of Finn’s gesture, inspiring laughs around the world. He was already endearing audiences with his unique vocal stylings and oddly expressive design before this particular moment, and it solidified his status as new fan-favorite.

5

Lightsaber Hand-Off

Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise Of Skywalker

• Clever use of plot device introduced in The Last Jedi
• Shows character development between Rey and Ben

Say what you will about Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker, and you most likely have. But it does have some genuinely hype moments. Throughout The Last Jedi, Rey and Kylo share a connection that allows them to see and talk to each other, eventually even passing physical objects between them.

At the climax of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey uses this to her advantage, putting her lightsaber behind her back during her fight and passing it through this connection to Kylo/Ben on the other side of the facility. This serves as a brilliant payoff to that plot thread introduced in The Last Jedi, and Ben’s cocky little shrug punctuates it perfectly.

4

Battle Of Crait

Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi

• Visually gorgeous
• A tense battle and a beloved hero

The Battle of Crait is set on a planet made of blood-red rock covered with a layer of striking white salt. Between the rusty skimmers the Resistance flies and the explosions from the massive First Order walkers, the whole desperate battle is a symphony of sterile white with boldly contrasting red bursts.

As if that wasn’t already great enough, the whole battle gives way to one final confrontation between Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren. Despite things ultimately being not what they seem, it’s still a grin-inducing glimpse at Luke in his Jedi Master prime.

3

The Fleet Arrives

Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise Of Skywalker

• Old friends returning
• More ship cameos than you realize

In a series built on the theme of hope, the increasingly dire circumstances during the war in The Rise of Skywalker would have to really go all out to balance out the despair. Luckily, that’s what it did in a particularly cathartic (if a bit cheesy to some fans) moment during the Resistance’s last stand on Exegol.

When Emperor Palpatine seems to have the upper hand, a massive fleet of old friends and regular folks answers the call for help and arrives at the last minute. Between seeing fan-favorites Lando and Wedge flying again (not to mention other recognizable ships in the background) and the Resistance riding alien horses across the hull of a Star Destroyer, it’s a truly hype time in the Star Wars universe if you don’t think about it too hard.

2

Throne Room Battle

Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi

• Perfect blend of soundtrack and action
• Finally get to see Rey let loose

The Last Jedi really likes the color red, and it’s used to perfect effect during the adrenaline-pumping throne room fight with Rey and Kylo. After Kylo kills Snoke (which could have admittedly been telegraphed a bit more subtly), the soundtrack swells and the scene turns from wow to WOW.

Rey grabs her lightsaber from off-screen, stands back-to-back with Kylo, and the two face off against Snoke’s Elite Praetorian Guards in all their crimson glory. The room is lined with red curtains which slowly burn away during the fray to reveal the void of space, further cementing this movie’s incredible visual identity as Rey finally gets to really go ham on some dudes.

1

Holdo Maneuver

Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi

• A gorgeous tragedy
• One-in-a-million shot

In a move that launched a thousand uninspired YouTube videos, this desperate gambit to save the rest of the Resistance did its job well, and looked fantastic while doing it. As the fleeing transports are suddenly and unexpectedly targeted, Admiral Holdo has mere seconds to come up with a plan before they’re all destroyed.

So she takes the helm of the now empty capital ship, turning it toward the massive First Order dreadnoughts and sacrifices herself making a lightspeed jump directly through them. The visuals of this moment are darkly gorgeous, and when the audio cut out entirely during the initial release, theaters around the world went similarly silent, save for a few scattered utterings of ‘holy sh-‘.