The Star Wars franchise has racked up more than its fair share of awesome wall art over the years, but a special few stand above the rest. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up (and ranked) the 13 best Star Wars posters of all-time below.
We used three criteria for our rankings: concept, visuals, and design. This allowed for a healthy mix of more straightforward, iconic pieces and bold, innovative compositions. Did your favorite Star Wars poster make the cut? Read on to find out!
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13. Revenge of the Jedi Teaser Poster (Drew Struzan)
The first of several entries by Drew Struzan – and with good reason. After all, how could we run a list of the best Star Wars posters without tipping our cap to arguably the best Star Wars poster artist?
At any rate, Struzan’s teaser poster for what was then Revenge of the Jedi distinguishes itself from the artist’s wider body of Star Wars work thanks to its striking use of color and more minimalist design. Instead of a full ensemble montage, it’s just the silhouette of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader crossing lightsabers, with Vader’s helmet looming behind them. Prints of this poster that include the scrapped “Revenge of the Jedi” title boast an added novelty factor, as well.
12. The Last Jedi Teaser Poster (Lindeman & Associates)
Say what you will about the movie itself, but the Star Wars: The Last Jedi teaser poster slaps. For starters, it’s conceptually on point. Rey’s relationships with Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren are the narrative and thematic heart of The Last Jedi, and Lindeman & Associates reflect that in the poster’s layout. The design is also strong, mixing throwback iconography (Rey’s lightsaber flare) with modern minimalism for an old-new look.
Drawing the viewer’s eye from Rey to Luke and Kylo’s respective mugs via her saber is a simple yet effective compositional trick, too. A slick bit of business, all told.
11. The Empire Strikes Back Japanese Poster (Noriyoshi Ohrai)
Noriyoshi Ohrai’s poster for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back‘s Japanese release is straight-up gorgeous. The layout is impeccable, while the saturated color palette deftly warns viewers that the second Star Wars outing will be a decidedly darker affair than the first. Ohrai also works in several genius design details, like rendering the bounty hunter antagonists in red. What’s more, the diagonal element atop the negative space at the bottom looks sharp and reinforces the poster’s strong composition. As good as Roger Kastel’s poster for Empire‘s US release is, Ohrai’s is even better.
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10. Star Wars Teaser Poster (Howard Chaykin)
One of the first (if not the first) pieces of Star Wars promotional art, Howard Chaykin’s 1976 teaser poster is also one of the best. A comic book artist by trade, Chaykin’s linework crackles with the kind of pulpy energy Star Wars creator George Lucas was originally shooting for. The poster’s design is just as good, and helped cement the tradition of sabers and starships as compositional elements. Before fans even knew what Star Wars was, Chaykin’s poster made sure they wanted it.
9. Revenge of the Sith Teaser Poster (New Wave Creative)
New Wave Creative’s Revenge of the Sith teaser poster is far from the prettiest poster on this list of best-ever Star Wars posters. That’s thanks to the stylized cloak fluttering off star Hayden Christensen’s back, which looks like an off-brand Darth Vader mask you’d find in a bargain bin.
Yet, paradoxically, said cloak also makes this poster great, because it’s interactive. It invites us to look closer. Sure, we all see Vader’s helmet, but is that Darth Sidious’ chin as well? (Trust us: these were real discussions back in 2005!). So, low marks for visuals, but full marks for concept and design.
8. The Acolyte Teaser Poster (Gravillis Inc.)
Another contentious choice, given The Acolyte is apparently a “like it or loathe it” proposition. But (as with The Last Jedi-themed entry above), The Acolyte‘s teaser poster is undeniably excellent. The concept is strong – gear up for a Dark Side-centric Star Wars story – and powerfully delivered via the bloody “saber” smear. Visually, it’s equally arresting, not least of all because it presents a sly twist on Tim Reamer’s iconic Return of the Jedi poster featured further down this list. And with its expertly placed (and suitably evocative) text, The Acolyte‘s poster ticks the design box, as well.
7. Star Wars Style D Poster (Drew Struzan and Charles White III)
As you’ve no doubt figured out by now, the first Star Wars movie – later subtitled “A New Hope” – had a lot of posters. This was partly due to the flick staying in theaters for over a year (remember: no home video in 1977!). Of the many pieces of wall art from this period, one of the quirkiest (and coolest) is Drew Struzan and Charles White III’s Style D variant. It’s made to look like a poster pasted on a wooden wall, with a “torn” portrait of Obi-Wan Kenobi poking out from underneath. This offbeat design was born out of necessity: Struzan and White’s original artwork had no room for the billing block! Fortunately, their high-concept solution proved utterly eye-popping.
6. Return of the Jedi Teaser Poster (Tim Reamer)
After George Lucas settled on a new title for Return of the Jedi, the original Star Wars trilogy’s final installment needed a teaser poster to match. Enter: Tim Reamer, who painted the elegantly minimalist promo art above. Whereas Drew Struzan’s teaser emphasized Darth Vader, Reamer’s Return of the Jedi poster put the spotlight squarely on Luke Skywalker – or rather, Luke’s lightsaber. It was a smart move given the hype around Luke’s new Jedi weapon at the time, and the design benefits speak for themselves. Plus, what’s more attention-grabbing than a lightsaber?
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5. Attack of the Clones Teaser Poster (New Wave Creative)
The Star Wars: Attack of the Clones teaser poster left many prequel-wary fans ready to be hurt again. Zeroing in on the doomed romance between Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala was a brave choice that (accurately or not) framed Episode II as a more grown-up adventure. The visuals also do their bit to pitch Attack of the Clones as an adult affair, with their baroque shadows and coppery hues. But this poster’s knock-out punch ultimately comes via its text. Those three concise – and deliberately placed – lines foretell Anakin’s dark destiny and Padmé’s tragic fate.
4. The Phantom Menace Theatrical Release Poster (Drew Struzan)
All of Drew Struzan’s Star Wars prequel posters are (predictably) terrific. The same goes for Struzan’s posters for the original trilogy’s 1997 Special Edition re-release. But of all the artist’s mid-90s to mid-00s Star Wars work, his Phantom Menace theatrical release poster shines the brightest. Episode I‘s key players are all present and accounted for, yet the layout never feels cluttered. That’s partly because Struzan is a master of spatial relationships, and partly thanks to the twin lens flare effects he incorporates into the poster’s design, which subtly reinforce the artwork’s hot points (including Darth Maul’s fearsome peepers up top).
And that “Every saga has a beginning” tagline? Perfection.
3. The Empire Strikes Back Mondo Poster (Olly Moss)
We could’ve picked any of the Star Wars original trilogy posters Olly Moss whipped up for Mondo and done the “all-time best” adjective proud. All three are brilliant creations that simultaneously highlight key characters and environments from each movie via image-within-an-image designs. That said, not settling on just one poster is a cheat, so we’ve settled on Moss’ Empire Strikes Back poster. We’re suckers for the way Moss has Cloud City double as Boba Fett’s T-visor!
2. Star Wars Style C Poster (Tom Jung)
Tom Jung’s Style C Star Wars poster is fairly meat and potatoes, conceptually speaking. Yet it nails the franchise’s Saturday matinee serial vibe so well, who’s complaining? Certainly not us. We’ve also got no notes about Jung’s lush style of illustration or robust design skills. By combining Han Solo and Princess Leia’s blaster beams with Darth Vader’s lightsaber (of course!), Jung pulls our eye to Luke Skywalker at the center. There’s no nested imagery here – just plenty of timeless craft.
1. The Phantom Menace Teaser Poster (Ellen Lee)
Few movie posters in history have generated more excitement than The Phantom Menace teaser poster. Overseen by Lucasfilm’s Ellen Lee, its simple yet symbolically rich concept – young Anakin Skywalker casting the shadow of his evil older self, Darth Vader – summed up the narrative promise of the prequels. There was no need for any fussy design elements or the like. Just a single, expertly molded image teasing what was then the most-anticipated untold story in cinema history.
And there you have it: the 13 best Star Wars posters of all-time. For more articles about a galaxy far, far away, check out the rest of our Star Wars coverage here.
Published: Jul 19, 2024 12:37 am