Every “I Have A Bad Feeling About This” In Star Wars Movies

When does someone say “I have a bad feeling about this,” or some variation thereof, in the Star Wars movies? The Star Wars franchise has given the world of cinema many things; an iconic parental twist, decade-spanning trilogies and lightsabers to name just a few. However, George Lucas’ wonderful world of science fiction space opera has also provided the world with a series of timeless movie quotes. “May the Force be with you” has taken on a life of its own and “I am your father” is now a staple of Father’s Day greetings cards. In more recent years, less prominent quotes have come to the fore thanks to the onset of meme culture, “it’s a trap!” being the most famous. Now The Mandalorian is getting in on the act with “this is the way” and “I have spoken.“

But undoubtedly one of the most famous utterances in the Star Wars universe is “I have a bad feeling about this,” which also has the privilege of being consistently present throughout the movie franchise. Whether heading into danger, facing down oncoming bad guys, or getting a hand chopped off after kissing a long-lost sister, at least one character is always on hand to point out the ominous sense of foreboding following the Rebel Alliance around.

Before long, Star Wars fans began actively looking out for when the line would be dropped, and more recent efforts have put their own spin on the usual quote. Looking at all 9 movies in the prime series plus the 2 Disney spin-offs, here is every “I have a bad feeling about this” in Star Wars.

Star Wars

As would become a common feature of this iconic catchphrase, the first “I have a bad feeling about this” in 1977’s original Star Wars movie is an exercise in stating the obvious. The debut of the quote comes from Luke Skywalker when the budding Jedi is travelling with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo and Chewbecca in the Millennium Falcon. As Luke looks out from the cockpit and his master drops another now-famous line, “that’s no moon,” Luke enlightens the gang with “I have a very bad feeling about this.” Given that he’s currently heading towards the biggest, most deadly space station in the galaxy, Luke’s reservations are hardly surprising, and while the trip did involve several instances of near-death, falling into a trash compactor and the demise of Ben Kenobi, it also kick-started his life as a Jedi. Not so bad, after all.

The first Star Wars movie doubles-down on the iconic line in the aforementioned trash compactor scene, with Han Solo giving the standard “I got a bad feeling about this” when himself, Luke and Leia are trapped in the murky waters.

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

After Luke and Han had the honor in 1977, The Empire Strikes Back allowed Leia a chance to say one of Star Wars biggest catchphrases in 1980’s sequel. Following their escape from Hoth in the Millennium Falcon, Leia, Han, Threepio and Chewie retreat to the safety of an asteroid cavern to elude pursuing TIE Fighters and fix the Falcon’s busted hyperdrive. Leia’s intuition tells her something is amiss, and as she heads into the fog of the “asteroid,” she’s attacked by pesky bat-like Mynocks. The resulting blaster fire soon reveals that the Falcon had actually parked up in the mouth of a space slug.

Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi

The first “I have a bad feeling about this” in the final installment of Star Wars‘ original trilogy comes from the permanently anxious C-3PO. Although the protocol droid has a reputation for lacking courage, this line comes as he and R2-D2 are heading (mostly) unarmed into Jabba’s Palace on the instruction of Luke Skywalker, who ends up using the two droids as a bargaining chip. Ultimately, the good guys escape Jabba’s clutches unscathed, but you can’t blame Threepio for being concerned.

A second instance of the famed quote comes a little later when Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca are captured by Ewoks and tied to logs, ready to be turned into a tasty stew. On this occasion, however, Han has no cause for concern, as Threepio’s God-like status among the furry creatures ensures they become friends, rather than food.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

The long-awaited return of Star Wars was clearly keen to get “I have a bad feeling about this” out of the way in The Phantom Menace – it’s the very first line from Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi. Along with his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, the younger Kenobi is aboard a Trade Federation vessel hoping to negotiate a treaty to end the blockade of Naboo. What should’ve been a simple job takes a turn for the worse when the Federation, operating under the orders of the Emperor, try and kill the Jedi duo with poison gas and a gaggle of Battle Droids. Although the assassination attempt doesn’t work, Obi-Wan’s astute instincts were on full display.

Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones

Rivaling Luke’s very first “bad feeling” in terms of stating the obvious is his father, Anakin Skywalker, in Attack of the Clones. While saying the immortal phrase, Hayden Christensen’s Anakin was tied to a column with love interest Padme right next to him. The pair were in a gladiatorial arena on a hostile planet and an assortment of angry-looking creatures were being wheeled out in order to punish the prisoners. “Bad feeling” feels like somewhat of an understatement. Indeed, the Battle of Geonosis, while a victory in general terms, ended with Anakin losing a hand.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

In the first act of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker and piloting separate fighters on their way to a second showdown against Count Dooku. In order to infiltrate the enemy ship, both must squeeze past some rapidly-closing blast doors and land in the hanger beyond. While Anakin thrives in such situations, Kenobi is less of an adrenaline-fueled pilot compared to his padawan and drops his second “Oh, I have a bad feeling about this” while hurtling towards Dooku’s ship.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Depending on your point of view, J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens is either a loving homage or a shameless ripoff of the 1977 Star Wars movie. Either way, “I have a bad feeling about this” was always going to feature in the first of Disney’s sequel trilogy, and it’s fitting that Harrison Ford should be the one to deliver it. The long-awaited return of the catchphrase comes when Solo’s smuggling vessel is boarded by a procession of rival criminal gangs. Rey and Finn try to resolve the standoff by releasing the lethal Rathtars that were caged on the ship. Despite Han’s worrying, the ploy mostly works out fine, as the creatures take out the bad guys and the Millennium Falcon escapes.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

As the first Star Wars movie to deviate from the usual series of episodes, it makes sense that Rogue One would be the first the put a unique spin on the “I have a bad feeling about this” trope. The scene comes when Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor and K-2SO are in the process of infiltrating the Empire’s base on Scarif to search for the fabled Death Star plans. In disguise, the trio enter an elevator and the eternally pessimistic and skeptical droid manages to get out “I have a bad feeling about…” before Andor quickly cuts off his doom-mongering pal. Of course, K-2SO had plenty of reason to be worried – everyone dies at the end of Rogue One.

Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

Given the somewhat controversial and subversive nature of Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi, it’s perhaps no surprise that the middle child of the sequel trilogy would follow Rogue One‘s lead and put a modern spin on the traditional quote. In the film’s opening battle, the Resistance are evacuating their base with the First Order rapidly closing in. As General Hux prepares to strike in the Fulminatrix, a single X-Wing Fighter piloted by Poe Dameron faces the dreadnought down. Despite his master’s swashbuckling attitude, BB-8 doesn’t share the same faith and gives a series of beeps that translate to “I have a bad feeling about this.” Although Poe asks for happier beeps, Leia declares she’s in agreement with BB-8 – no surprise since she once said exactly the same thing.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

For the third time in a row, Star Wars defies expectations surrounding one of its most famous quotes. Yet again, the line comes from the silver tongue of Han Solo, albeit this time in the form of Alden Ehrenreich. In the biggest twist yet, however, Solo says he has a good feeling about this. And well he might, since the scene in question sees the crack pilot of the original Star Wars trilogy fly the Millennium Falcon through the Akkadese Maelstrom and away from pursuing TIE Fighters. The flight would go down in legend, with Han still boasting about it to potential clients in the port of Mos Eisley many years later.

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker

As the future of Star Wars on the big screen remains unknown in terms of story and content, The Rise of Skywalker may be the very final time a character utters “I have a bad feeling about this.” Happily, it was Billy Dee Williams as the returning Lando Calrissian who got to deliver the iconic catchphrase, and Star Wars also returned to the standard wording, rather than any kind of smart reinvention. For perhaps the last ever time, the line comes on Pasaana when Rey’s group of Resistance fighters find Lando but are immediately hindered by the arrival of First Order troops.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3624 Articles Published)

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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