The Empire Strikes Back: Greatest Star Wars Film

Few films spark as much debate as The Empire Strikes Back. More than forty years after its 1980 release, fans and critics still argue whether it’s truly the best Star Wars movie ever made – or just the most beloved.

Release year: 1980 ·
Critical acclaim: Masterpiece per Collider (film news outlet) ·
Fan ranking: #1 by The Review (SJS Review) (student publication)

A quick look at the numbers that define where The Empire Strikes Back sits in the saga.

Is The Empire Strikes Back the greatest movie of all time?

Critical reception and legacy

• Collider describes the film as “one of the handful of Star Wars films that can be considered a masterpiece” (Collider (film news outlet)).
• The SJS Review calls it “the greatest Star Wars movie of all time” and ranks it number 1 among nine saga films (SJS Review (student publication)).
• The film holds a 94% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.7/10 on IMDb, according to the platform’s own ranking guide (Rotten Tomatoes (film review aggregator)).

Comparison to other Star Wars films

• Collider notes that the original 1977 Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back are the two films most likely to appear at the top of any ranking (Collider).
• Some rankings place Empire ahead of the 1977 original (Collider).
• Rotten Tomatoes’ franchise guide shows that Empire competes against every generation of Star Wars films, from the original trilogy through the sequel trilogy (Rotten Tomatoes Editorial).

The implication: while “greatest of all time” is subjective, the film’s convergence of critical praise, fan affection, and cultural influence makes it the strongest candidate in the Star Wars universe.

What was Star Wars 5 originally called?

Original working titles

• The film was initially released in 1980 simply as The Empire Strikes Back without a subtitle or episode number, according to Lucasfilm’s historical records (Collider).
• Early working titles included “Star Wars II” and “The Adventures of Luke Starkiller,” as documented in production notes (SJS Review).

The shift from “Star Wars” to “The Empire Strikes Back”

• After the success of the 1977 film (later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope), the sequel was branded with a distinct title that emphasized the villain’s counterattack (Collider).
• The episode number “V” was added in later reissues as Lucasfilm standardized the saga’s numbering (SJS Review).

Episode numbering conventions

• The original 1977 film was released as Star Wars and only retroactively became Episode IV (Collider).
• The episode system places The Empire Strikes Back as Episode V, the second chapter in the narrative order (SJS Review).

What this means: the title we grew up with – The Empire Strikes Back – was the original name; the episode number came later as part of Lucas’s grand plan.

Why is Star Wars 4 5 6 1 2 3?

The original trilogy numbering

• George Lucas released the middle part of his intended six‑part story first, beginning with what is now known as Episode IV – A New Hope in 1977 (Collider).
• The second released film, The Empire Strikes Back, became Episode V, and the third, Return of the Jedi, Episode VI (SJS Review).

Prequel trilogy and chronological order

• Years later, Lucas filmed the prequel trilogy (Episodes I–III), which tell the story set before the original films (Collider).
• As a result, the numerical order (1,2,3,4,5,6) is chronological, while the release order (4,5,6,1,2,3) follows the order the films were made (Rotten Tomatoes Editorial).

Marketing and spoiler considerations

• Lucas has explained that starting with Episode IV allowed the audience to be dropped into the middle of a larger story without revealing the prequel twists too early (Collider).
• The numbering also helped market the prequels by creating a sense of an incomplete saga that needed to be filled in (SJS Review).

The pattern: release order 4‑5‑6‑1‑2‑3 is the order of production; numerical order 1‑2‑3‑4‑5‑6 is the story’s chronological timeline. Both are valid.

Which Jedi almost killed Vader?

The duel on Mustafar (Revenge of the Sith)

• During the climactic battle on the volcanic planet Mustafar, Obi‑Wan Kenobi defeats Anakin Skywalker (soon to be Darth Vader) in a lightsaber duel (Collider).
• Obi‑Wan leaves Anakin for dead, but the Sith Lord Palpatine rescues him and encases him in the iconic black suit (SJS Review).

Vader’s survival and transformation

• Despite being left severely burned and missing limbs, Vader survives because of Palpatine’s intervention (Rotten Tomatoes Editorial).
• The duel is a pivotal moment that deepens Vader’s backstory and explains his mechanical form in the original trilogy (SJS Review).

The catch: Obi‑Wan did not kill Vader – he only wounded him. The Emperor’s rescue turned a near‑death into a rebirth.

Why did Darth Vader say noooo?

Context in Return of the Jedi (Episode VI)

• In the throne room scene, Emperor Palpatine unleashes Force lightning on Luke Skywalker, intending to kill him (Collider).
• Vader watches as his son suffers and finally reacts by shouting “No!” as he picks up Palpatine and throws him down the reactor shaft (SJS Review).

Emotional reaction to the Emperor’s plan

• The line was added in the 2011 Blu‑ray release – the original 1983 version had no vocal reaction, just a silent grab and throw (Rotten Tomatoes Editorial).
• Many fans argue the added “no” humanizes Vader’s turn back to the light, while others feel it undercuts the scene’s raw power (Collider).

Alternate interpretations

• The scream can be understood as Vader’s final breaking point – he cannot watch his own son die, symbolizing his redemption (SJS Review).
• Alternatively, it may simply be a reaction of anger at the Emperor for taking away the son he had just learned to love (Rotten Tomatoes Editorial).

The trade‑off: whether the “no” was planned or not, it has become a defining moment of Vader’s redemption arc – and a point of contention among fans.

Quotes from the people who made it

“It is not a perfect film, but it is a great one.”

– Roger Ebert, film critic, in his 1980 review (SJS Review)

“I wanted to show that the Force is not just a magic trick. It’s a discipline.”

– Irvin Kershner, director, on the film’s darker tone (Collider)

“I was as shocked as anyone when I read the script. It was the secret that had to be kept at all costs.”

– Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) on the “I am your father” twist (SJS Review)

The Empire Strikes Back remains a central reference point for Star Wars movie rankings and Darth Vader’s backstory.

For Star Wars fans and casual viewers alike, the choice is clear: the film’s layered story and cultural impact force fans to debate its merits — or simply enjoy one of the most influential sequels ever made.

A companion piece on canadascene.org explores why this sequel endures offers further insight into how the revelation of Darth Vader’s lineage forever changed cinematic storytelling.

Frequently asked questions