For over four decades, the world has been captivated by the world of a galaxy far, far away as depicted in the Star Wars franchise. Whether you align yourselves with the light side or the dark side, the Jedi or the Sith, the Resistance or the First Order, it’s not hard to get swept up in the adventures that go on within the Skywalker saga, as well as the series’ standalone films.
With the ninth and final film in the Skywalker saga due out in just a few days, now marks the perfect time to look back on the Star Wars franchise as a whole. Here, we’re looking at how the films’ runtimes have evolved over time, from shortest to longest.
A New Hope - 121 minutes
As amazing as it might sound, the very first film in the Star Wars saga was barely two hours long. It’s both a refreshing realization, but also worth noting if only for the sake of observing how much more complex the films have become since this first release.
Even still, with its tight runtime of 121 minutes, A New Hope managed to establish the universe of a galaxy far, far away; introduce our three heroes in Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo, and our villain in Darth Vader; and create a cause worth rooting for in the Rebel Alliance’s crusade against the Empire.
Empire Strikes Back - 124 minutes
The second film in the Skywalker saga, the universally adored Empire Strikes Back, only clocks in at just a few minutes longer than the film that started it all. But Empire takes the plots and relationships established in A New Hope and turns them completely on their head, subverting all expectations and producing more discrete storylines than its predecessor.
Empire also introduces iconic characters to the Star Wars universe, including Billy Dee Williams’ lovable scoundrel Lando Calrissian and everyone’s favorite 900-year-old Muppet, Yoda.
Return of the Jedi - 131 minutes
The first film in the saga with the responsibility of wrapping up a trilogy of stories, Return of the Jedi is just barely longer than the previous two films in the original trilogy, clocking in at 131 minutes.
Return of the Jedi is the more battle-heavy film out of the first three in the saga, but it also features plenty of heart and humor on Endor with the Ewoks, as well as romance in Han and Leia’s blossoming relationship, and redemption in Vader’s heroic sacrifice.
Rogue One - 133 minutes
The first of the films to diverge from the main narrative of the Skywalker saga, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was an experiment for Star Wars in every possible way, even though it comes in just barely longer than the last original film at 133 minutes.
A true war movie more than any of its predecessors had been, Rogue One crams its 133-minute runtime with as many battle scenes and military planning scenes as possible, leading to a comparatively brisk runtime that sill manages to feel overly long.
Solo - 135 minutes
The next standalone film, Solo: A Star Wars Story, remains a hot button issue among fans, given its mediocre performance and the difficulties that occurred during its production. But in contrast with Rogue One, Solo’s fun heist movie vibe make its 135-minute runtime absolutely breeze by.
Featuring Alden Ehrenreich doing the best he possibly could in stepping into Harrison Ford’s incredibly large shoes, and Donald Glover as a revelation as the young Lando Calrissian, Solo is a movie that deserves so much better than what it got.
The Phantom Menace - 136 minutes
We’re going to be honest here: The Phantom Menace’s 136-minute runtime, though middle of the road in terms of length for the saga, might just feel the longest out of all the movies on this list. The movie is heavily weighted down by some bizarre sequences, including adventures in Otoh Gunga.
But nothing strains the attention span or enjoyability of this movie quite in the way the bizarrely long and absurdly detailed podracing sequence does. The movie also represents the first real introduction of politics into the saga, something that only increases the snooze factor.
The Force Awakens - 138 minutes
The first film of the sequel trilogy, The Force Awakens, may have been heavily thematically inspired by the original trilogy, but it took a page from the prequel trilogy’s books when it came to embracing a longer runtime.
Clocking in at 138 minutes, the film efficiently introduces fans both old and new to the new world order of the galaxy; offers key insight to new major players Rey, Kylo Ren, and Finn; and features welcome returns of beloved characters like Han and Leia. But then there are sequences, like the Rathtar and Kanjiklub debacle, that could easily have been removed for the sake of speeding things up a little.
Revenge of the Sith - 140 minutes
The third and final film in the prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith, had some of the heaviest lifting to do in the history of the saga. The film was responsible for depicting the demise of the Jedi Order, the fall of Anakin Skywalker, and the rise of Darth Vader and the Empire from what Anakin and Palpatine left behind.
Clocking in at 140 minutes, the film manages to fit in everything it needs to - and more. Once again, the politics prove to be the least well-written part of the film, though they are perhaps more necessary here given the creation of the Empire.
Attack of the Clones - 142 minutes
Slightly longer than both other films in the prequel trilogy, Attack of the Clones comes in with a runtime of 142 minutes. But sadly, more than any other film in the entire Star Wars saga, much of this film is a total bore.
Whether in its explorations of politics, or its laborious attempts to make the audience care about Anakin and Padme’s naive young romance, Attack of the Clones flounders. It’s not until the final act, and the culminating battle that unifies all the Jedi against a common enemy, that the film actually feels like it’s moving at a good pace.
The Rise of Skywalker - 142 minutes
Though we may not know what’s in store for us in the final film in the Skywalker saga, we do know this: The Rise of Skywalker is posed to come in as the second-longest film in franchise history, just slightly longer than Attack of the Clones by a few seconds.
The expectations are high for this film, as it represents not only the conclusion of the sequel trilogy, but the nine-film series that is the Skywalker saga. Who will rise? Who will fall? Will the light side or dark side reign supreme? We don’t know. But we’ll have 142 minutes to find out.
The Last Jedi - 152 minutes
The longest Star Wars film to date is, not coincidentally, the most ambitious and controversial film in the history of the franchise. Rian Johnson’s stunning The Last Jedi clocks in at an impressive 152-minute runtime - over two and a half hours of Star Wars that nevertheless never once slows down or feels anything less than a perfect thrill ride.
The film provides much-needed resolution and answers to some of the many questions set up by its predecessor, including the truth of Luke’s whereabouts, the reason for Kylo Ren’s fall, and the nature of Rey’s identity. It also introduces many new characters, including Rose Tico, Amilyn Holdo, and everyone’s favorite, porgs.
