When it comes to the Star Wars universe, one of the most thrilling and exciting elements about it is undoubtedly the space scenes. From epic battles between starships to thrilling chases through asteroid fields, there’s no denying that space has played a significant role in each Star Wars movie.
But does every Star Wars movie start in space? Let’s dive into the franchise and find out.
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
The first Star Wars movie ever released was Episode IV – A New Hope, which hit theaters in 1977. This iconic film starts with an iconic opening crawl that sets up the story before panning down to space where we see a tiny Rebel ship being pursued by a massive Imperial Star Destroyer. The scene sets up the stakes for the entire movie and establishes the dominance of the Empire over the galaxy.
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
The Empire Strikes Back is often considered one of the best Star Wars movies ever made, and for good reason. It’s a darker, more complex film than its predecessor, and it starts with an equally impressive scene.
The movie begins with a shot of space as we see an Imperial probe droid searching for the Rebel base on Hoth. This sets up the tension for the rest of the movie as we follow Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo as they try to escape from Darth Vader and his forces.
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
Return of the Jedi starts with another iconic scene that takes place in space. The movie opens with an impressive shot of an Imperial shuttle approaching a massive superweapon known as the Death Star II. This scene establishes that our heroes are once again fighting against incredible odds and sets up some of the most epic battles in Star Wars history.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
The Phantom Menace takes us back in time to a period before the original trilogy. This movie starts with a unique scene that doesn’t take place in space.
Instead, we see two Jedi knights (Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi) on a diplomatic mission to the planet Naboo. While we do eventually get some impressive space scenes later in the movie, it’s interesting to note that this film breaks with tradition and starts on solid ground.
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Attack of the Clones is another prequel movie that takes place before the original trilogy. This movie starts with a shot of space as we see a transport ship carrying Padmé Amidala (Queen of Naboo) being attacked by unknown assailants. This sets up the plot for the movie as our heroes try to uncover who’s behind this attack and why they’re Targeting Padmé.
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
Revenge of the Sith is the final prequel movie, and it starts with yet another impressive space scene. The opening crawl sets up that there are heroes on both sides of an ongoing war, but we quickly see that things aren’t going well for our protagonists. The opening shot shows us an intense battle taking place above Coruscant (the capital planet of the Republic), which sets up one of the most epic lightsaber duels in Star Wars history.
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
The Force Awakens is set 30 years after Return of the Jedi, and it starts with yet another impressive space scene. This time, we see a massive Star Destroyer flying over Jakku (a desert planet), which sets up one of the central conflicts for this film.
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
The Last Jedi picks up immediately where The Force Awakens left off, and it starts with a shot of space as we see the First Order (the new villains of the franchise) pursuing the Resistance (our heroes). This sets up a thrilling chase sequence that’s one of the highlights of the movie.
Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker
The Rise of Skywalker is the final movie in the Skywalker Saga, and it starts with yet another impressive space scene. This time, we see Kylo Ren (the main villain of this trilogy) searching for an ancient artifact on a remote planet. This sets up the plot for the movie as our heroes race against time to stop him from achieving his goal.
Conclusion
So, does every Star Wars movie start in space? While most of them do start with impressive space scenes that set up the stakes for each film, there are exceptions.
The Phantom Menace starts on solid ground, and several other movies have scenes that take place outside of space. However, it’s safe to say that space has played a significant role in each Star Wars movie and will undoubtedly continue to do so in future films.
