The “Star Wars” saga has produced a number of memorable trailers that have become legendary in their own right. However, not every promotional effort has hit the mark. Some trailers fall short, lacking the creativity expected from such a storied universe. By examining the five least successful trailers, we can see the pitfalls of a lackluster marketing approach. A trailer should be more than just a familiar logo or alien; it should captivate and excite.

These less-than-stellar trailers also serve to highlight the excellence of the best “Star Wars” promos, showcasing what truly engaging marketing looks like. So, prepare to delve into the less successful moments in “Star Wars” movie marketing history.

Back in early 2005, fans of “Star Wars” were unaware of the future Sequel Trilogy or the emergence of streaming sensations like “The Mandalorian.” For many, “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” represented the end of an era. The anticipation surrounding the film was palpable, with fans eagerly awaiting every tidbit of information. Even without a robust marketing campaign, the mere announcement of the film’s release date could have shattered box office records. Nevertheless, Lucasfilm launched an extensive promotional effort, including a final theatrical trailer in March 2005.

In early 2005, “Star Wars” geeks had no clue that a Sequel Trilogy would eventually emerge in this franchise, nor that streaming shows like “The Mandalorian” would further expand this fictional realm. For these brave souls, “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” was the end of the line. Because of that finality, immense anticipation surrounded every element of the project. Just announcing the film’s release date and otherwise eschewing a marketing campaign would’ve undoubtedly resulted in shattered box office records. However, Lucasfilm still promoted posters and trailers for this blockbuster, which included a final theatrical trailer in March 2005. 

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.