Movies like The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Name: The Empire Strikes Back
Released: 1980

7 films to watch after The Empire Strikes Back, ranked by how well they match its tone — not just its genre.

The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky Han Solo, Chewbacca, and droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.

1

Star Trek (2009)

Fit 56%

Shares Science Fiction, Action and Adventure with The Empire Strikes Back.

The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before. The human adventure has begun again.
2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

Fit 51%

Shares Adventure with The Empire Strikes Back.

Harry, Ron and Hermione continue their quest to vanquish the evil Voldemort once and for all. Just as things begin to look hopeless for the young wizards, Harry discovers a trio of magical objects that endow him with powers to rival Voldemort's formidable skills.
3

Capricorn One (1977)

Fit 44%

Shares Action and Science Fiction with The Empire Strikes Back.

In order to protect the reputation of the American space program, a team of NASA administrators turn the first Mars mission into a phony Mars landing. Under threat of harm to their families the astronauts play their part in the deception on a staged set in a deserted military base. But once the real ship returns to Earth and burns up on re-entry, the astronauts become liabilities. Now, with the help of a crusading reporter, they must battle a sinister conspiracy that will stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden.
4

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Fit 43%

Shares Adventure, Action and Science Fiction with The Empire Strikes Back.

Thirty years after defeating the Galactic Empire, Han Solo and his allies face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren and his army of Stormtroopers.
5

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

Fit 40%

Shares Adventure with The Empire Strikes Back.

Harry, Ron and Hermione walk away from their last year at Hogwarts to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, putting an end to Voldemort's bid for immortality. But with Harry's beloved Dumbledore dead and Voldemort's unscrupulous Death Eaters on the loose, the world is more dangerous than ever.
6

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)

Fit 38%

Shares Science Fiction with The Empire Strikes Back.

Cyborg detective Batou is assigned to investigate a series of murders committed by gynoids—doll-like cyborgs, which all malfunctioned, killed, then self-destructed afterwards. The brains of the gynoids initialize in order to protect their manufacturer's software, but in one gynoid, which Batou himself neutralized, one file remains: a voice speaking the phrase "Help me."
7

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)

Fit 37%

Shares Action, Science Fiction and Adventure with The Empire Strikes Back.

As the Clone Wars sweep through the galaxy, Anakin Skywalker and his new Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano plunge into a dangerous mission to rescue the kidnapped son of crime lord Jabba the Hutt.