The ships of the Star Wars universe are a huge part of its overall appeal. From the very first movie, we got a sense for what this universe was like by looking at the spacecraft, which were often dirty and dingy. This was a world where flying through the stars was not a luxury, it was a hassle, and the people who did it did so in a wide manner of different vehicles. The best Star Wars ships have unique designs, but they also say something about the people who fly them. Like any great piece of production design, these ships enrich the world of the story that we’re experiencing.
10. Jedi Starfighters
The Jedi Order may have allowed the Empire to rise, but they did have some pretty cool ships. Anakin’s starfighter, in particular, was a perfect fit for a Jedi in training who was known to be an expert pilot. The opening space battle in Revenge of the Sith remains among the best in the series, and that’s partially because we get to see Anakin’s skills as a pilot mesh with his black and yellow starfighter, which looks different from the ships Vader would eventually fly, but similar enough to remind you of what’s coming.
9. The Executor
Vader’s signature Star Destroyer in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi is massive, and its sheer scale is part of what earned it a spot on this list. The ship is indicative of the sheer power of the Empire, though, which is what allows it to maintain such an iron grip over the galaxy. The Executor is first introduced in Empire, which may be the movie with the best production design of any Star Wars film. It’s a beautiful model, one that reminds us how much Vader’s strength looms over the entire story.
8. N-1 Naboo Starfighters
Naboo’s starfighters are as elegant and streamlined as the planet itself. In this case, part of what earns the N-1 a spot on this list is how well the design of the ship seems to be matched with every other production detail. The N-1s were designed to be a sleak and agile ship for a single pilot, and when we see them used, that seems to describe them perfectly. They were the perfect marriage of art and function, which also goes for so many of the technologies available on Naboo.
7. Finalizer
The First Order is really just the Empire 2.0, and the Finalizer is really just the Executor with a few cooler features. The ship, which is commanded by Kylo Ren and General Hux, was built in secret by the First Order and eventually became central to their attempt to retake control of the galaxy. The ship is equipped with more than 1,500 turbolasers and cannons, and it’s exactly the kind of mothership that a Darth Vader groupie like Kylo Ren would insist on being at the helm of.
6. Invisible Hand
The Separatists may have been mere pawns in the Emperor’s quest for power, but they did manage to create a pretty cool ship. The Invisible Hand, which is the ship that Anakin winds up flying into Coruscant, is impressive from tip to toe, and Lucas uses it to full effect in the opening moments of Revenge of the Sith. Although much of the CG is pretty janky or strange in the prequel trilogy, the Invisible Hand looks pretty great, and it’s also the sight of Anakin and Obi-Wan’s early duel with Count Dooku.
5. Snoke’s Supremacy Flagship
The throne room on Snoke’s Supremacy ship is reason enough for the ship to make this list, but the entire ship is a wonder to behold. Whereas most of the massive ships in the Star Wars universe are linear, Supremacy is broad horizontally, and essentially resembles a massive set of wings. The Supremacy is also one-half of one of the most dazzling Star Wars sequences in any of these movies when the Raddus splits the ship in half at a precise, climactic moment.
4. Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter
“I have you now” is Vader’s famous line from the cockpit of his TIE fighter, and from the moment we see it, it’s recognizable as one of the most well-designed ships in the history of movies. While it does resemble a standard TIE fighter, what makes Vader’s TIE fighter design so brilliant is that it looks like the ship a leader would pilot. Most military leaders don’t take to the battlefield themselves, but most military leaders don’t have the kind of impressive ship that Vader has.
3. Luke’s X-Wing
Luke’s X-Wing is responsible for the destruction of the first Death Star, but its most iconic moment may be one that happens when he’s not in it. When he crashes his ship on Dagobah and Yoda raises it up out of the swamp, we come to understand just how powerful the Jedi Master really is. Like much of the world of Star Wars, Luke’s X-Wing looks dingy and dirty, but that only adds to its appeal as the ideal rebel vehicle going up against the rigid, black and grey ships that define the Empire.
2. Slave I
Even more impressive than Luke and Darth Vader’s ships, Boba Fett’s Slave I is a huge part of the reason that Boba became such an iconic character. The ship, which we only see for a few minutes in the original trilogy, is a tall ship with thrusters that almost resemble a face. It’s maybe the best reminder that, in space, hips don’t necessarily need to be aerodynamic. They can look however their designers want, and with Slave I, Lucas and his teams designed an iconic starship.
1. The Millennium Falcon
On some lists, the inevitable number one is also the right number one. One of the first ships we ever see in Star Wars remains the premiere Star Wars ship. Its unusual shape, ratty, worn-out interior, and four-seat pilot’s chamber will all be super-familiar to fans of the franchise. What’s remarkable about the Falcon, though, is that even though everyone in the Star Wars universe sees it as a hunk of junk, it’s also a hunk of junk they all desperately want to fly. It’s a dream machine, the kind of ship that combines the unique aesthetics of Star Wars with a genuine swell of emotion.
