Here's my top 10 list of scenes and moments from the sequel trilogy. Of course, most of them come from
The Last Jedi.
10. The dying stormtrooper wipes blood on Finn's helmet.
The Force Awakens really knew how to introduce its characters. This is the perfect way to introduce Finn, it's his awakening. Blood isn't something we're used to in
Star Wars, and in 2015 there was also something about seeing actual real stormtrooper armor again after getting CGI clone troopers in the last two movies. It all feels so real.
9. Luke on board the Falcon.
It's when we see Luke interacting with R2-D2 that we really see the Luke of the original movies for the first time - not that it wasn't Luke before, but the character for a moment without all of his grief and defeatism. Projecting the message from Leia works on two levels - it's a nice moment of R2 himself reminding him of the past, and it's the emotional wake up call that Luke needs to decide to train Rey. Everything about his relationship with Leia in this movie is perfect.
8. The Holdo maneuver.
And it's not just the hyperspace jump itself. It's the way the different plot threads are building up until this point, very Christopher Nolan like. Especially Kylo pleading with Rey to join him and the tug of war over the lightsaber.
7. Han appears to Ben.
From Rey basically killing Kylo to instantly regretting it to Han appearing to Ben, it's easily one of the most emotional sequences of the saga and the dialogue is perfect.
6. Finding Luke, the Jedi steps.
The combination of the excitement of flying through hyperspace in the
Millennium Falcon to find Luke, getting to Skellig Michael, the Jedi Steps music, and the first appearance of Luke Skywalker on screen in thirty-two years make this an all time great and memorable movie scene.
5. Ben Solo gets the Skywalker lightsaber.
The perfect payoff to both Rey and Ben's Force bond and Ben wanting his grandfather's lightsaber in
Force Awakens when he wasn't worthy of it.
4. Luke is visited by the ghost of Christmas past.
The Luke and Yoda scenes are easily some of the best in the original trilogy, and it's quite an achievement to make a worthy follow up to that. The music on its own is emotional enough.
3. Rey gets the lightsaber.
I get goosebumps every single time I watch it fly past Kylo and go into Rey's hand. Combined with the music used for when Luke saw his home burning and accepted his destiny. An all time great movie scene. Plus, I prefer this lightsaber fight to any of the fights of the prequels.
2. Kylo Ren kills Snoke.
This scene is just unbelievably good. Not only was it a surprise to see Snoke die in the middle movie, but the flow of this scene. The way the lightsaber flies from Snoke and then Rey catches it, then Rey looking at Ben, then fighting together, all set to the Skywalker/Force theme. It feels absolutely triumphant.
1. Luke meets Leia and faces Kylo Ren.
It couldn't be anything else. Never before has the brother-sister relationship between Luke and Leia felt so natural. It's easily the saddest and most emotional moment of all nine movies, as this really is Mark Hamill's goodbye to Carrie Fisher too. Everything that comes next is jaw dropping, and Luke goes out with the ultimate Jedi act.