Star Wars: The Force Awakensis finally here, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it. By now, many fans are on their fifth or sixth viewing, most likely, all of which contributes to this blockbuster’s record-breakingbox officesuccess. DirectorJ.J. Abrams' sci-fi adventure opened with a massive $238 million in its first weekend of release, shatteringJurassic World’s record of $208.8 million set just a few months ago. While we wait for more box office records to fall (couldAvatar’s all-time best record be in danger?), we thought it would be the perfect time to break down the 11 best scenes inStar Wars: The Force Awakens.
To be perfectly frank, if you enjoyedStar Wars: The Force Awakensas much as I did, this list could include almost every single scene. I don’t know about you, but I had an ear-to-ear smile plastered on my face throughout the film’s 135-minute runtime. But we don’t have the time, nor the inclination to break down every scene in this epic adventure, so we’re breaking down the best of the best, the scenes that setStar Wars: The Force Awakensapart from the beloved original trilogy, and the much-maligned prequel trilogy as well. Be warned, if you have not yet seenStar Wars: The Force Awakens, there will beMASSIVE SPOILERSrevealed below, so read on at your own risk.
Star Wars: The Force Awakensnot only featured the return of some of our favorite iconic characters, but a slew of new characters as well. The cast ofStar Warsnewcomers is lead byJohn Boyega’s Finn,Daisy Ridley’s Rey andOscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron, along withAdam Driver’s villainous Kylo Ren.Mark Hamill(Luke Skywalker),Harrison Ford(Han Solo) andCarrie Fisheralso returned to reprise their roles from the original trilogy, although some were seen more than others… and some may never be seen again. TheStar Wars: The Force Awakenssupporting cast includesDomhnall Gleesonas General Hux,Lupita Nyong’oas Maz Kanata,Gwendoline Christieas Captain Phasma,Andy Serkisas Supreme Leader Snoke andMax von Sydowas Lor San Tekka.
Star Wars: The Force Awakenswas praised by many fans for bringing back the same aesthetic asGeorge Lucas' original trilogy, chocked full of colorful, and, most importantly, practical characters, amusing one-liners and epic battles both in the sky and on the ground. While many of our favorite scenes are certainly reminiscent of the originalStar Warstrilogy, others reflect the unique vision and directorial style ofJ.J. Abrams. Like it or not, the filmmaker has given a new generation a franchise to call their own, which can still be embraced by fans of the original trilogy.
A big part of what made some of these scenes so memorable ties into the secretive nature of the production and the lead-up to the December 18 release. Rumors were flung from distant corners of the Internet, some of which turned out to be true, others patently false, but the sheer amount of rumors only meant that the appetite for new details about this galaxy far, far away was bigger than ever, which translated into the record breaking box office numbers over the weekend. With two sequels and three spinoffs in various stages of development, there is no stopping theStar Warsfranchise from rolling over its competition over the next few years.
In fact, a recent profile on Disney revealed that the studio plans on putting out oneStar Warsmovie every year, indefinitely… until fans stop buying tickets. These new movies are just one part of Disney and LucasFilm’s massive plans for the franchise, which include a slew of new novels and comic books, which are all part of the official canon, along withtheme parkplans and much more. Judging by last weekend’s grosses, we won’t see this franchise going away anytime soon, and now thatStar Wars: The Force Awakensis here, the countdown begins for the first spinoff,Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, in theaters July 11, 2025 andStar Wars: Episode VIII, arriving June 23, 2025. But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Before we start speculating aboutRogue One: A Star Wars StoryandStar Wars: Episode VIII, lets take yet another deep dive intoStar Wars: The Force Awakens, to break down our 13 favorite scenes from this incredible adventure that took us to new worlds and introduced us to a slew of new characters on both sides of The Force. We begin with the villainous Kylo Ren, and the scene that confirmed what many had speculated for the past few years.
13[1] Kylo Ren Is The Son of Han Solo and Leia Organa
We saw plenty of Kylo Ren inStar Wars: The Force Awakens, but the biggest reveal about this villain is that he is in fact the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa. This reveal was actually teased throughout several scenes in the first half of the movie. In the opening sequence, Lor San Tekka reveals that Kylo’s family has a history with the Light Side of The Force, and later Supreme Leader Snoke reveals who his father is. We get a bit of the villain’s history in an exchange between Han and Leia, leading up to Han confronting his son, formerly known as Ben Solo, who know goes byKylo Ren. Unfortunately, details are scant about why Ben turns to the Dark Side, but hopefully more details are revealed inStar Wars: Episode VIII.
12[2] Han and Leia’s Reunion
Part of Kylo Ren’s sweeping parentage reveal came during the reunion of two franchise favorites, Han Solo and Leia Organa. This scene was briefly teased by a shot in the trailer, where Han and Leia are seen embracing, but thankfully, more details about this scene weren’t leaked beforehand, because it was immensely powerful to watch. Like most memorable scenes inStar Wars: The Force Awakens, we’re given just enough to warrant a jaw-dropping moment, but directorJ.J. Abramsand writersLawrence KasdanandMichael Arndthold enough back, leaving plenty to be desired and a slew of unanswered questions that will presumably be explored in subsequent sequels. Han and Leia’s poignant reunion scene subtly reveals their union produced a son, Ben, who eventually turned into Kylo Ren. It’s hinted that their son’s transition to the Dark Side, and Leia taking a bigger role in the Resistance leadership, is what strained their relationship and eventually lead to them going their separate ways. While they each seem to regret how their relationship came to an end, it’s clear they both still love each other, which makes the next scene even more heartbreaking.
11[3] Han Solo’s Death At the Hands of His Son
Star Wars: The Force Awakenstakes place 30 years after the events ofStar Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, and anyone who has lived for more than 30 years knows a lot can happen in three decades. Naturally, we don’t know EVERYTHING that happened afterStar Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, but we do know that at some point,Han Soloand Leia gave birth to a son, Ben. He would eventually align with their old pal Luke Skywalker, who was training a group of new potential Jedi masters. While we didn’t get many specific details, Ben eventually turned to the Dark Side and slaughtered Skywalker’s Jedi recruits, transforming himself into Kylo Ren. All of this was either told or hinted at through dialogue, but it all lead up to possible the most iconic and memorable scene inStar Wars: The Force Awakens, where Kylo Ren kills an unarmed Han Solo in vengeful cold blood.
The irony of this scene is that it completes a legendary arc for Han Solo by having him sacrifice himself, an act Han would have never even considered as a selfish smuggler when we first met him inStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. We saw in earlier scenes that Han is still full of the boisterous braggadocio that made him so memorable in the original trilogy, but his heart is also full of regret, about what happened to his son and his failed relationship with Leia. Han’s death at the hands of his son will be talked about for years, in the same way that Darth Vader’s “Luke, I am your father” reveal was discussed continuously by fanboys around the world.
10[4] Finn’s “I’m the Captain Now” Moment
John Boyega’sFinnhas possibly the most intriguing character arc inStar Wars: The Force Awakens, starting off as a reluctant First Order Stormtrooper before switching over to the Light Side, eventually doing battle with the nefarious Kylo Ren himself. But one of Finn’s most memorable scenes provided one of the many instances of comic relief inStar Wars: The Force Awakens. Before he escaped the First Order, Finn was under the command of Captain Phasma, but these roles were reversed, so to speak, when Finn, Han and Chewbacca subdue Phasma, and Finn excitedly yells, “I’m in charge now, Phasma! I’m in charge!” Han tells the former Stormtrooper to take it down a notch, resulting in one of the biggest laughs in the movie, which is somewhat similar to Barkhad Abdi’s now-iconic “I’m the captain now” line inCaptain Phillips. Of course, the circumstances and the Captain’s themselves are much different, but it’s interesting how these lines are so similar.
9[5] Finn and Poe’s Escape From the Star Destroyer
Long before Finn’s humorous takedown of Captain Phasma, he was part of another iconic scene early on in the film, where he completely denounces The First Order and helps the prisonerPoe Dameronescape from a massive Star Destroyer ship. We saw in the first scene, when Kylo Ren ordered the slaughter of an entire village, that Finn certainly wasn’t on board with all of this death and destruction. When Poe Dameron is taken prisoner, FN2187 (a.k.a. Finn) decides to spring into action, helping Poe sneak off the ship as they steal a TIE Fighter and make their escape. It’s a brilliant sequence that also features the first utterance of the iconic Jedi Luke Skywalker. Poe argues that he needs to go back to Jakku, and while Finn protests, Poe reveals that he needs to retrieve part of a map that leads to Luke Skywalker, a name Finn seems to recognize. This scene also includes the birth of Finn’s actual name, given to him by Poe, since it is relatively close to his FN2187 Stromtrooper ID number.
86TheMillennium Falcon’s Reveal and the Jakku Escape
After Finn and Poe escaped, their TIE Fighter crashes on Jakku and Finn cannot seem to find Poe among the wreckage, only his jacket. This leads him back to a village, where he meets Rey, who, at first seems to be in need of assistance, before it’s clear that Rey can certainly take care of herself. Since Finn is wearing Poe’s jacket, it catches the attention of BB-8, who claims Finn stole the jacket. But, just after Finn mentions Luke Skywalker, Stormtroopers spot them and they have to take off in a hurry. Finn points to an unseen ship, which Rey dismisses as “garbage” before settling on another ship. Before they can get to said ship, known as a Quad Jumper, it explodes, causing them to turn to the “garbage” ship… the Millennium Falcon. After dismissing the ship’s capabilities while in the cockpit, Rey takes off from Jakku and an epic aerial battle ensues, with Rey flying and Finn taking the gun turret. This is one of several memorable aerial battles, that leads into the return of our favorite smugglers. Best of all, this is the one moment in the sequel that was shot using IMAX cameras.
7[7] Han Solo and Chewbacca Return Home to the Millennium Falcon
There was a lot of speculation earlier this year that Han Solo and Chewbacca were no longer the owners of theMillennium Falcon. It turns out, that was one of the few rumors that proved to be correct. After Rey and Finn escaped from their dogfight alive, Rey insists on going back to Jakku, but then they have some company. They both hide, believing that they are being boarded by Stormtroopers, but it turns out to be Han Solo and Chewbacca. Han is not interested in having these kids aboard his ship, telling Chewie to drop them off at the next habitable planet. But, once Luke Skywalker’s name is dropped, Han and Chewie agree to help them, as they take off in search of a clean ship, which leads us to our next item.
6[8] Maz Kanata’s Bar and Rey’s Force Flashbacks
One of my personal favorite scenes inStar Wars: The Force Awakensis when Han Solo and Chewie take their new friends Rey and Finn toMaz Kanata’s bar. There had been rumors a few years ago thatStar Wars: The Force Awakenswould take fans back to the Mos Eisley Cantina fromStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. That didn’t turn out to be true, but in its stead, fans were introduced to this extremely colorful watering hole, filled with unique characters, including Maz herself, all of which were truly a delight to behold.
While the bar scene had fans feeling nostalgic for the old Cantina, the most important part of this scene is when Maz takes Rey into a different area, where she produces Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber. When Rey touches it, she has visions of the past, present and future, which includes a few familiar voices calling out to this new hero. DirectorJ.J. Abramshas since confirmed that they used a previously-recorded line ofAlec Guinnesssaying “afraid” to produce “Rey” in this vision, while we also hearEwan McGregor’s younger Obi-Wan andFrank Oz’s Yoda. This scene reveals just how “force strong” Rey really is, which will certainly come in handy later on in the film.
5[9] Starkiller Base Battle
It wouldn’t be aStar Warsmovie without a massive aerial battle between the forces of good and evil, andStar Wars: The Force Awakensdelivers in spades with an epic battle on the enormous Starkiller Base. It was revealed during a pre-battle strategy session (which revealed Admiral Akbar for the first time) that the Starkiller Base is exponentially larger than the Death Star, and with a bigger base comes a bigger battle. There are plenty of throwbacks to the original trilogy as well, with all of the iconic trenches these ships zoom in and out of, and the whole battle was truly a sight to behold, especially in 3D. WithStar Wars: Episode VIIIcoming in 2017, it remains to be seen whether The First Order has constructed another epic weapon of mass destruction like the Starkiller Base, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
4[10] Poe’s Continuous X-Wing Battle Shot
We saw part of this sequence in the trailers where Han, Chewie and Finn are seemingly surrounded by First Order Stormtroopers, during the battle at Maz Kanata’s castle. These heroes are ready to surrender, when, out of nowhere, Poe Dameron’s X-Wing ship comes to their rescue, blasting these troopers into oblivion. While the scene itself is unspeakably cool, it also shows how truly gifted a pilotPoe Dameronis, and that he always has his friends' backs. It is also one of the best scenes that shows offJ.J. Abrams' amazing direction in these fight scenes, skills he certainly honed on the first twoStar Trekmovies. We’ll have to wait and see how other directors likeGareth EdwardsandRian Johnsonshowcase these aerial battles in the future, but the bar has certainly been set high byJ.J. Abrams.
