# The best space opera movies

Galactic empires, starship battles and chosen ones: from The Empire Strikes Back and The Wrath of Khan to Dune: Part Two and Galaxy Quest, the space operas ranked by Collider and IMDb users.

- 106 votes · 13 items
- Feb 12, 2026 · boxoffice_atlanta
- https://even.best/en/l/4460/the-best-space-opera-movies

## Top 13

1. **The Empire Strikes Back (1980)** (10 · ▲11 ▼1) — Irvin Kershner. Hoth, Dagobah and 'I am your father'.
2. **Star Wars (1977)** (10 · ▲10 ▼0) — George Lucas. The film that defined the genre.
3. **Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)** (9 · ▲9 ▼0) — Nicholas Meyer. Kirk against Khan.
4. **Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)** (8 · ▲8 ▼0) — James Gunn. A band of misfits and a mixtape.
5. **The Fifth Element (1997)** (8 · ▲8 ▼0) — Luc Besson. A cab driver saves the universe.
6. **Dune (2021)** (6 · ▲8 ▼2) — Denis Villeneuve. House Atreides arrives on Arrakis.
7. **Avatar (2009)** (6 · ▲6 ▼0) — James Cameron. The Na'vi of Pandora.
8. **Galaxy Quest (1999)** (5 · ▲7 ▼2) — Dean Parisot. TV actors mistaken for real heroes.
9. **Dune: Part Two (2024)** (5 · ▲6 ▼1) — Denis Villeneuve. Paul Atreides and the Fremen war.
10. **Flash Gordon (1980)** (2 · ▲3 ▼1) — Mike Hodges. Queen's soundtrack and Ming the Merciless.
11. **Starship Troopers (1997)** (1 · ▲4 ▼3) — Paul Verhoeven. Soldiers against giant bugs.
12. **The Last Starfighter (1984)** (0 · ▲5 ▼5) — Nick Castle. A video game champion recruited for a real war.
13. **Spaceballs (1987)** (-2 · ▲2 ▼4) — Mel Brooks. The parody of them all.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.