Summary
TheStar Warsfranchise is one of the most beloved and well-known in the history of cinema. With the recent expansions the franchise has made both in gaming and television series on Disney Plus, it is easy to forget just how ingrained in pop culture the galaxy far, far away really is.
Between the three trilogies of movies, spin-off films, countless episodes of television, and even games and books, theStar Warsfranchise has had some truly legendary moments and encounters between the forces of light and darkness. From smaller battles taking place between just a few warriors and the grand-scale wars that favoriteStar Warscharacters have taken part in, this franchise has had many incredible battles.
8The Battle of Naboo
Anakin’s Fate Was Forever Altered At The Death Of Qui-Gon Jinn
The culmination of the earliest chronologicalStar Warsfilm,The Phantom Menace, was the epic Battle of Naboo. With the Trade Federation having taken the planet under their control, the exiled Queen Amidala returned to fight for her people, while Anakin Skywalker worked as part of a team of pilots attempting to bring down the Federation Control Ship, and theJedi Knights on the ground faced off with Darth Maul.
At the same time, a huge battle was going on between the droid army of the Federation and the Gungan people of Naboo. All of these different fronts going on at once made for a fascinating climax to the film, and the ramifications of the battle were huge as it was a setback to Palpatine which took years to fix, as he both wanted Anakin to himself with the death of the Jedi on Naboo, and to be elected Chancellor, replacing Valorum.
7The First Battle of Geonosis
Begun, The Clone Wars Have
Geonosis was a key planet in a couple of huge battles in theStar Warssaga. The first was at the end ofAttack of the Cloneswhen the Jedi were drawn along with their new clone army to the planet to fight Count Dooku and stop the production of his droid army. Without Yoda’s timely arrival alongside the clones, Mace Windu and many other Jedi could easily have perished.
The death of Jango Fett, several formidable Jedi, and the maiming of Anakin Skywalker followed the breakout of war in this battle. It changed the entire landscape of theStar WarsUniverse from a long period of peace to all-out war across the known galaxy.
6The Battle of Coruscant
Saving Chancellor Palpatine And Killing Count Dooku Helped End The Clone Wars
ThoughThe Clone Warsseries saw many important battles that occurred throughout the Clone Wars, they were mostly rendered meaningless in the larger picture, since Palpatine reorganized the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire. Order 66 wasn’t a battle, but the final true battle of the Clone Wars saw many important consequences spilling out from them.
The Battle of Coruscant took place over the capital city of the Republic, as the Separatists attempted to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine and escape. They weren’t successful, due to the intervention of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. After dispatching Count Dooku, they chased off General Grievous and rescued Palpatine, putting him several steps further along the path of his ultimate plan to seize power andturn Coruscant into something completely different.
5The Battle of Scarif
Gave The Rebels The Death Star Plans To Fight Another Day
The real strength of the Rebel Alliance was in not fighting direct battles, due to them being vastly outnumbered by the Empire. As such, there were no real battles in the early years of the Alliance between them and the Empire. However, the Battle of Scarif was one rare moment when their guerrilla tactics led to a major victory.
The crew of the Rogue One snuck ontothe surface of Scarif, an Imperial fortress that contained the plans for the Death Star weapon. The sacrifices made, ending in the destruction of Scarif and the death of the team, led to the plans making it into the hands of the Rebels, which went on to provide them the blueprint for their biggest victory of all.
4The Battle of Yavin
Destruction Of The First Death Star, A Major Blow To The Empire
The first major battle ever seen in aStar Warsmovie came over Yavin. The Rebel Alliance, after the activation of the Death Star, were forced to move quickly before they themselves were wiped out. When the Death Star came towards their base on Yavin 4, they were forced to wage a costly pitched battle to try and destroy the space station or be destroyed themselves.
Luke Skywalker, backed in the end by Han Solo and Chewbacca, managed to strike the crucial blow by firing into the exhaust port, starting a deadly chain reaction. Not only did this strike a major blow to the Empire, but it gave the Rebels hope of victory and sparked more rebellion across the galaxy. This battle was so famous it became thesystem forStar Warsfans to keep track of years.
3The Battle of Hoth
Nearly Destroyed The Rebels
Coming shortly after the Battle of Yavin, the Rebel Alliance was almost struck a deadly blow after retreating to Hoth to regroup. The wrath of the Empire came upon them in full force, landing AT-AT walker units which were to take out the power generator of the Rebels’ Echo Base, allowing a bombardment of the base from above.
Nearly ending in the destruction of the Rebel Alliance, this was the most major victory by the Empire in the five-year Galactic Civil War fought between the sides. Though they accomplished their goal of destroying the Rebel base, many escaped their clutches, including their primary target, Luke Skywalker. The ramifications of this set the Rebels reeling, scattering them, and becoming thesetting for manyStar Warsvideo games.
2The Battle of Endor
Ended The Galactic Empire With The Destruction Of The Second Death Star And Emperor Palpatine
One of the most famous moments in the history of theStar Warsgalaxy came around Endor. The Galactic Empire was building a second Death Star in its attempt to dominate the galaxy, and the Rebel Alliance knew that they had to make a desperate bid to stop the completion of the space station.
This battle took place both on the forest moon of Endor, theplanet of the Ewoks, where a shield generator protected the unfinished Death Star and in space above the planet, where Rebel forces awaited an opportunity to attack once the generator went down. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker voluntarily placed himself alone with the Emperor and Darth Vader, attempting to turn his father back to the light. The conclusion of this battle saw the second Death Star destroyed, the Emperor seemingly dead and the galaxy seeking the beginnings of freedom from tyranny.
1The Battle of Exogol
Destruction Of The Final Sith, Palpatine, And The Final Order
The most recentStar Warsfilm ended with a huge conflict, taking placeon and over the planet Exogol. Featuring an enormous fleet of Star Destroyers under the banner of Palpatine’s new Final Order and the might of the Resistance alongside many others that came to their aid, the finale may have been controversial among fans, but in-universe it decided the fate of the galaxy.
The planet of the Sith, a dark world filled steeped in evil, was the perfect place for Rey and Ben Solo to come together in order to defeat the villain who had constructed everything throughout the Skywalker Saga. Rey saved the day just in time when it looked like the beleaguered Resistance troops would fail to stop the Star Destroyers launching, ending the threat to the galaxy once and for all.
