Admittedly, there are only so many ways that you can rank the individual films in a trilogy. Seriously, look: you can say the first is the best, the second is the second best, and the third’s the third best. You could rank them in the opposite order to that. You could say the first trumps the third, which in turn trumps the second. You could say the third trumps the first, which then trumps the second. You could say the second is best, followed by the first, then followed by the third, and you could once more say the second was the best, only followed by the third, and then the first. So long as ties in quality aren’t factored into this, that’s six ways such a ranking can go. What’s about to follow is a ranking of the three largely untouchable movies that make up the Star Wars original trilogy. Said ranking will be one of those six possibilities laboriously laid out (it wasn’t that laborious though, was it? That took about a paragraph; could be worse).

The original Star Wars trilogy – which was eventually revealed to encompass Episodes 4 through 6 of the overall saga – is generally well-liked, to put it mildly. Star Wars fans will agree that it’s generally great, and most will say it’s Star Wars at its best. You can criticize such a fanbase if you want, but the reality is that once something has a certain number of fans, there’s just an increased likelihood of such a fanbase having volatile members. There are too many people who count themselves as Star Wars fans to define the base of them in one way or the other… but yes, if they were to somehow agree on one thing, it would be the quality of the three films released between 1977 and 1983. As mentioned before, there are only so many ways these three movies can be ranked, but hopefully, the one below won't cause too much concern or alarm. If anything, some might feel it's unneeded, but any chance to talk about a landmark space opera saga - and one of the most influential film franchises in cinema history - is worth taking, no matter how many well-represented sentiments may be echoed along the way.

3 'Return of the Jedi' (1983)

Director: Richard Marquand

It’s possible for there to be some level of debate surrounding which of the first two Star Wars movies is the best, but last place will pretty much always be reserved for Return of the Jedi, the Ringo Starr of the original trilogy. But Starr is still a star, and a vital component of perhaps the most beloved band of all time. Perhaps the Starr Wars original trilogy occupies a similar space, as far as pop culture and overall love go, so being the worst of the best really isn’t that bad. And yes, Return of the Jedi is still great; you’d be hard-pressed to find someone criticizing it too much, similar to how outright Ringo Starr haters would be a rare breed. Return of the Jedi serves as an epic and potentially overstuffed conclusion to the original trilogy, though it nevertheless satisfies, and parts of how it concludes this trilogy are immensely satisfying and exceedingly emotional.

There were revelations and shocking twists of fate at the end of Episode 5 that are addressed throughout Return of the Jedi, with Luke Skywalker really coming into his own as far as being a hero (and a powerful one at that) goes, and the film’s at its best whenever he’s sharing the screen with Darth Vader. It’s also the only film in the original trilogy that prominently features the Emperor, and he’s a hammy delight as always. The climax is strong, as is the sequence depicting the rescue of Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt… but it’s the stuff in between that might not be loved by all, most notably the Ewoks and their chicanery. Some scenes revolving around them drag a bit, and the way they play such a pivotal role in bringing down the Empire is sometimes frowned upon. It’s possible to see both sides. Sure, the Ewoks are silly, but they’re far from the only silly thing in the original trilogy, and kids probably love them, while most adults can (hopefully) tolerate them. There’s still plenty by way of action, spectacle, emotion, and technically remarkable special effects on offer in Return of the Jedi, and it has always been – and always will be – a pivotal piece of the original trilogy. Whether it could've been even better, though, with a more unexpected director... that's something that'll never be known for sure, sadly.

2 'Star Wars' (1977)

Director: George Lucas

The Star Wars original trilogy avoids being one where the first film can be considered the worst, because 1977’s Star Wars – re-titled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope after its initial release – is a stone-cold classic. It is perhaps the roughest around the edges of the three films in the original trilogy, but that gives it a certain distinct feel, or perhaps even an extra amount of charm. It was something that became much bigger than expected, and even if it wasn’t necessarily the most underdog production of all time, it’s unlikely anyone anticipated it would kick off a franchise so gargantuan. It’s a film that hints at things that happened in the past, and does leave room for future adventures, but was more or less a self-contained thing, at least at first. And, though it’s hard to judge it as its own movie as time goes on and Star Wars expands, trying to do so as best as one can is essential for anyone who wants to try and imagine what it was like to see this film back in 1977.

It's the story of a young man who wants some kind of excitement in his life, and gets it when he becomes embroiled in a vast galactic conflict, learning the ways of the all-but-extinct Jedi, tapping into what’s introduced as the Force, and befriending a handful of charismatic side characters along the way. It was the only movie in the original trilogy that series creator George Lucas directed, and remains his best work as director for anything in the series (his involvement with Episodes 5 and 6 was in a writing/producing capacity). There are so many things about this original Star Wars film that became iconic seemingly straight away, from the alien creatures, to the John Williams music, to the simple but relatable main characters, to simply the overall look and feel of the movie’s world. It’s a classic in just about every way, but was somehow topped in just about every way by its first sequel, released three years later. Speaking of…

1 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980)

Director: Irvin Kershner

There’s no point beating around the bush: The Empire Strikes Back is rightly regarded as one of the greatest sequels in cinema history, and is often mentioned alongside The Godfather: Part II as a sequel that might well be better than an already great first movie. Episode 5 of the overall Skywalker Saga is about as perfect as sci-fi/action/adventure movies get, hitting the ground running after the previous film ended with the Empire suffering a defeat, but by no means getting totally defeated. The striking back promised in the title happens almost instantly, with an amazing opening battle sequence in the first act that shakes the rebellion and causes Luke Skywalker to temporarily leave his closest allies. He meets Yoda, gets some training, but not enough, and goes off to face Darth Vader unprepared, leading to a dramatic and near-tragic climax. Speaking of Vader, the iconic "Imperial March" often paired with his character is introduced here, and that theme plus his increased screen time makes him become a genuinely all-time great villain, after he shone in the first movie but still served as something of an underling to Grand Moff Tarkin.

The Empire Strikes Back is fast-paced, but never feels rushed, feeling the most well-balanced, emotional, and dramatic of the Star Wars movies, arguably for the entire series, not just the original trilogy. It’s everything a movie sequel should be and more. Plus, for what it’s worth, it probably has the single best poster out of any Star Wars movie. It’s the film that showed how 1977’s Star Wars wasn’t a fluke, and is still the gold standard for how to pull off a space opera on a blockbuster scale, deepening the characters, expanding the world, and getting darker and more thematically rich without ever pushing things too far, or getting too depressing. What more can be said, really? It’s The Empire Strikes Back.