The “Star Wars” franchise boasts a legacy of memorable and iconic trailers that have captivated audiences. Yet, not all have hit the mark. Some trailers have failed to capture the imagination, serving as a reminder that even in the vast expanse of the “Star Wars” universe, some promotional efforts can fall flat. By ranking the five least successful trailers, beginning with the “least worst” and culminating in the most disappointing, one can see the pitfalls of uninspired marketing. Simply placing a familiar logo or alien in a trailer doesn’t guarantee success; it needs flair and excitement.

These lackluster trailers underscore the appreciation for the cinematic spectacle and refinement found in the franchise’s best promotional efforts. Prepare your S-foils for combat as we delve into the less celebrated moments of “Star Wars” marketing history.

In early 2005, the “Star Wars” fanbase was unaware of the future Sequel Trilogy or the streaming spectacles like “The Mandalorian” that would expand this universe. For these devoted enthusiasts, “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” represented the end of an era. The anticipation surrounding the project was immense, suggesting that even a mere announcement of the release date could shatter box office records. Despite this, Lucasfilm proceeded with a full marketing campaign, including posters and a final theatrical trailer released in March 2005.

Back in 1997, the original “Star Wars” trilogy’s theatrical re-release was heralded by a captivating trailer that convinced audiences they hadn’t truly experienced the films unless seen on the big screen. The trailer played up the excitement, promising that these cinematic masterpieces were must-see events. Fast forward roughly 15 years, and the franchise was set for another theatrical revival, this time in digital 3D, starting with “The Phantom Menace.”

Frustratingly, this piece of promotional material went heavy on spoilers for the production. This trailer basically functioned as a speed run of the final film, right down to showing off footage of Darth Vader at the very end. Cramming so much into one trailer also left a lot of the dialogue and cuts feeling rushed. This was not some challenged tentpole that needed all the help it could get, spoilers be darned; “Revenge of the Sith” could afford to deliver a more unique theatrical trailer and not tease every single one of its set pieces. This was a momentous movie event, yet this trailer radiated spoiler-laden desperation more than hyper-confidence. The (temporary) end of all “Star Wars” movies deserved a better precursor than this.

When the original “Star Wars” trilogy was coming back to theaters in 1997, they received a delightful trailer that informed audiences that, if they’d only seen “Star Wars” and its two sequels via VHS tapes, then they hadn’t really seen these films at all. The trailer then proceeded to pump up the razzle-dazzle in emphasizing why these three motion pictures were must-see theatrical experiences. Roughly 15 years later, it was time once more to herald the return of “Star Wars” to theaters. This time, the franchise was getting the digital 3D treatment, and “The Phantom Menace” was up first.

The trailer announcing “The Phantom Menace 3D’s” imminent arrival was a far less distinctive and exciting creation than that 1997 re-release trailer. For starters, this newer trailer was largely just an abbreviated version of a standard “Phantom Menace” trailer. The only new novelty was an opening montage of the other “Star Wars” films. Sticking to tired-and-true “Phantom Menace” promotional elements didn’t give this trailer much of a personality, nor did it suggest that presenting this film in 3D would suddenly make it a gloriously new experience. 

Plus, kicking off with images from the original “Star Wars” trilogy just reaffirmed how much better movies like “The Empire Strikes Back” are compared to “The Phantom Menace.” The first “Phantom Menace 3D” trailer just came up short on all fronts, particularly when compared to that spine-tingling 1997 “Star Wars” re-release trailer.

Released in late 2019 as one of Disney+’s first original streaming programs, “The Mandalorian” became an instant fan-favorite for audiences of all ages. Whether it was the things only adults notice in “The Mandalorian” or the show’s endearing rapport between its bounty hunter lead and the adorable baby Grogu, there are countless reasons this production took off like a rocket. Now, this small-screen project is headed to the big times with the May 2026 blockbuster “The Mandalorian and Grogu.” After fan upset due to how some aspects of “The Mandalorian” season three were handled, there’s been eager anticipation to see if this feature can get Mando and company back on the right creative track. 

Unfortunately, this teaser trailer weirdly lacked energy or specialness. Rather than displaying visuals that immediately suggested this would be an upgrade from the Disney+ show, “The Mandalorian and Grogu’s” teaser embraced fight scenes and images that could’ve easily come from “The Mandalorian’s” first three seasons. Save for a brief appearance by Sigourney Weaver, there was no real tease of exciting new characters audiences will meet. Compare this to the “Force Awakens” teaser that emphasized Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren without delving into spoilers, and the differences become plain.

“The Mandalorian and Grogu” teaser, on the other hand, was all nostalgia all the time, with its prominent display of Anzellans and AT-AT’s. Everything here looked too familiar for its own good. Where’s the creative conviction that inspired “The Mandalorian’s” initial loyal following?

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” was a misfire that ended the Sequel Trilogy on an artistically weak note. The film made the kind of Rotten Tomatoes history that was just sad, garnered divisive fan responses, and didn’t live up to expectations in so many other ways. Even before its debut, though, something seemed a bit askew with this project thanks to things like its final trailer. The marketing campaign for “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi” had delivered momentously exciting trailers that promised audiences that something big was on the horizon. This last “Rise of Skywalker” trailer, though, severely lacked pomp and circumstance.

It wasn’t just that, in some respects, “The Rise of Skywalker” trailers lied to us to keep us guessing about the plot. This final piece of marketing simply felt incredibly disjointed as it oscillated from a reveal of Emperor Palpatine to a Princess Leia/Rey hug to generic-looking lightsaber skirmishes. It all felt too “teasery” for a final trailer and fell on the bad side of cryptic marketing. This trailer wasn’t helped by the dreary color scheme of the movie it was marketing. “The Rise of Skywalker” is often a dimly-lit film, taking place as it does on stormy planets or in Palpatine’s dark hideaway. This meant the final “Skywalker” trailer lacked fun or vivid imagery. Everything was covered in shadows, even supposedly triumphant images like Finn, BB-8, and company charging into battle.

In every respect, this trailer turned out to be a tragically appropriate harbinger of the overall quality of “The Rise of Skywalker”.

The prospect of doing a Han Solo movie starring an actor who wasn’t Harrison Ford was always risky. The immense production problems stemming from the exit of original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller only exacerbated the problematic reputation surrounding the 2018 feature “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” After all of that chaos, this movie was going to need to kick off its marketing campaign with an iconic trailer. Unfortunately, its first teaser was an inexplicably dreary-looking endeavor sorely lacking in energy. What should’ve been as zippy and anarchic as this bounty hunter instead came off as desperately needing some caffeine.

Part of the problem was the oddly lethargic editing. Cuts between characters like Enfys Nest or young Lando Calrissian lacked much vigor or precision, which instilled an insurmountable inertia into the teaser. Bradford Young’s distinctive cinematography for “Solo,” meanwhile, didn’t exactly fill up the screen with color. This meant people’s first introduction to the film was crammed full of subdued hues and shadowy backdrops. Above all else, a sense of fun was lacking in this kick-off to the larger “Solo” marketing campaign.

No wonder a YouTuber eventually released a superior version of the teaser set to the “Kinect Star Wars” tune “I’m Han Solo.” This jaunty ditty actually gave the trailer some pep in its step and suggested a delightful adventure yarn was on the way. That’s the ambiance the actual “Solo” teaser needed to convey to overcome its detractors and is remarkable in itself. Considering that an “Star Wars”-themed Xbox 360 game with an abysmal Metacritic score may be more fondly remembered than the Han Solo prequel film is one heck of an indictment indeed.