What is the title of Episode IV?

The story behind the answer

Episode IV is the 1977 original film that launched the franchise; in the 1981 re-release, George Lucas added the “Episode IV” designation and its subtitle to the opening crawl, establishing it as the starting point of the classic trilogy. The other options are different episodes: The Empire Strikes Back is V (1980), Return of the Jedi is VI (1983), and The Phantom Menace is I (1999).

This installment introduced audiences to Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Darth Vader, along with the Rebel Alliance’s struggle against the Death Star. Its success reshaped blockbuster filmmaking and cemented the saga’s mythic, hero’s-journey structure, paving the way for sequels, prequels, and an expanded universe of stories across film, TV, books, and games.