TOP 3 Scenes From Episode IV

Which are your three favorite scenes form Episode IV and why?

My top three are:

1. Darth Vader’s entry scene: It’s the first time we see him step through the doors of the Tantive IV, and we immediately know that he’s a menacing force. It also gave Vader a great introduction in general: first the stormtroopers, and then Vader himself comes on board to retrieve the stolen plans. Always a great scene to watch.

2. Princess Leia’s comments about Han and Chewie after they leave the trash compactor on the Death Star: Here you can already see that Leia is not the typical “Princess,” and I love how she’s being a little bratty. She shows that she truly is a royal person, even though she fights for the Rebellion.

3. The first “Star Wars” fight ever on screen: Ben (Obi-Wan) versus Darth Vader, It’s simply because we saw the lightsabers in action for the very first time, and I really like that the fight isn’t some spectacular acrobatic display, but a personal confrontation for both Vader and Kenobi. This is also an aspect I really appreciate about the original trilogy: they showed lightsaber fights when they were needed, not just when the audience wanted to see one.

Skyseeker said:

Which are your three favorite scenes form Episode IV and why?

The opening scene - from the ‘long time ago’ to the Imperial Cruiser taking a million years to pass overhead…check out any crowd interviews (or even cast member interviews) from '77 and they all talk about it. So iconic and absolutely set the stage for what was to come…

The cantina. Again, one of the most talked about scenes back in the day (before its impact was all but ruined by the Special Edition Mos Eisley stuff)…it was just such a brilliant and unexpected moment - the creatures, the band etc. Again, so iconic…

The Luke/Leia swing across the chasm. Again, we’ve kind of gotten used to it over time, but this was such an iconic (I know I keep saying ‘iconic’, but it’s true) and talked about moment - really embodying the spirit of Star Wars and delivering that classic sense of adventure that Lucas was very consciously gifting to the young and the young at heart in the 70s.

But Star Wars, the original, was full of moments like these - Vader’s breathing, Artoo’s beeping, the Jawas with their glowing eyes, the hovering Landspeeder, Vader’s Force-choke, Obi Wan’s Jedi mind-trick, the Lightsaber, the holographic chess board, the hyperspace jump, the trash compactor…every moment had a special element that made Star Wars so endlessly fascinating. Very much looking forward to this film being officially available again. It’s been too long.

Vader’s first appearance as some above noted. The flyover of Leia’s blockade runner and his striding down the hall of the ship imposing as hell and threatening.

The Binary Sunset scene

The Throne Room with Leia in a white gown.

You said 3. I could find many moments.