Some of the top - ranked Star Wars novels include 'Heir to the Empire' by Timothy Zahn. It was very popular as it continued the story after 'Return of the Jedi' in a really engaging way. Another highly ranked one is 'Darth Plagueis' which gives a lot of backstory about the Sith. And 'Lost Stars' is also well - liked as it tells a love story set within the Star Wars universe, which is a different take on the usual action - oriented stories.
Some of the top - ranked Star Wars canon novels include 'Thrawn'. It's so popular because it brought back an iconic character in a new and exciting way. Another is 'Lost Stars', which is loved for its unique perspective, following two characters on different sides of the Galactic Civil War. 'Bloodline' is also highly regarded as it gives important backstory to Leia's character and the political situation leading up to 'The Force Awakens'.
The main Star Wars movies typically follow a continuous and overarching storyline that progresses through a series of films. In contrast, 'Star Wars A Star Wars Story' is more of a standalone or anthology - type of story. It can be set in different time periods, explore different aspects of the Star Wars lore, and often has a more self - contained plot. For instance, it could be about a smuggler's adventure on a far - flung planet that has little direct connection to the main Skywalker - centric story. This gives it the freedom to be more experimental in terms of story and character development.
The Star Wars movies in story order start with 'The Phantom Menace'. It introduced us to young Anakin Skywalker. Then comes 'Attack of the Clones' which further develops Anakin's story and the political unrest in the galaxy. 'Revenge of the Sith' shows Anakin's fall to the Dark Side. Next is the original trilogy starting with 'A New Hope', where Luke Skywalker begins his journey. 'The Empire Strikes Back' is a darker chapter, and 'Return of the Jedi' brings the first six movies' story arc to a close. And finally, the sequel trilogy continues the story many years later.
The fact that it focuses on the mission to steal the Death Star plans makes it unique. It's more of a heist - like story within the Star Wars universe.
My top 5 are 'The Empire Strikes Back', 'A New Hope', 'Return of the Jedi', 'The Force Awakens' and 'Rogue One'. 'The Empire Strikes Back' has that great twist. 'A New Hope' started it all. 'Return of the Jedi' had an epic conclusion. 'The Force Awakens' brought new energy and 'Rogue One' was a great prequel story.