Guidelines for Watching Star Wars Movies in Order

Guidelines for Watching Star Wars Movies in Order

Watch everything in order, from The Phantom Menace to The Rise of Skywalker.

When discussing Star Wars movies, the story was not always in order from the beginning. 

You must have seen "The Empire Strikes Back" in Episode V.

It was not from where the story begins. George Lucas was the creator. 

He started in the middle and then went back to tell what actually happened before. 

The pattern continues in Star Wars - the movies and TV shows start at different times in the story without any correct order. 

Undoubtedly, it leads to different opinions on how to watch Star Wars in the correct order.

Some prefer the order in which the movies were released. 

However, some prefer to watch them in an order of events within the Star Wars universe. 

There is a lot of discussion about whether to include the growing number of Star Wars TV shows in the viewing experience.

The Release Order of "Star Wars" Movies

Of course, you can watch the Star Wars series in the order in which they were released. It is how most fans must have watched the entire episode. 

Here is a list of release orders for "Star Wars" films.

 (1977) Star Wars: A New Hope
(1980) Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
(1983) Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
(1999) Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
(2002) Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
(2005) Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
(2015) Star Wars: The Force Awakens
(2016) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
(2017) Star Wars: The Last Jedi
(2018) Solo: A Star Wars Story
(2019) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

The Release Order of "Star Wars" shows

Here is the pattern if you just want to watch the "Star Wars" shows in the released order.

 (2008 – 2020) Star Wars: The Clone Wars
(2014 – 2018) Star Wars Rebels
(2019 – present) The Mandalorian
(2021) The Book of Boba Fett
(2022) Obi-Wan Kenobi
(2022) Andor
(2023) Ahsoka

How do you watch The Star Wars Movies in Chronological Order?

It can be best for newcomers who don't know about the Star Wars series. 

The original movie was made in 1977 and was titled "Star Wars." Later, changes were made to the title. It was then known as Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope. 

As a result, when the new episodes were released, those needed to be in order. 

You can line up the films in chronological order that George Lucas, the creator of the series, followed -

So, what is the best way to watch Star Wars?

The easiest way to watch Star Wars is in the same order it was released. 

This way, you can learn about the saga in the same way fans know when it was first released. 

While it does not follow the storyline sequence, it ensures that all the major surprises and revelations occur in the sequences that are meant to. 

For example, you will get to know the iconic twists, like the one in "The Empire Strikes Back." Watching the releases in order keeps you on the same page as the creators. 

So, here is how Star Wars unfolds in release order -

The Godfather Order of The Star Wars Movies 

(1977) Episode IV: A New Hope 

(1980) Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back 

(1999) Episode I: The Phantom Menace 

(2002) Episode II: Attack of the Clones 

(2005) Episode III: Revenge of the Sith 

(1983) Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

 

You can watch in this order to learn about the original two Star Wars movies. In "The Empire Strikes Back," there is a revelation that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father. 

When you watch this movie, you experience a tour into the prequel trilogy that also shows the backstory of Anakin Skywalker. 

After"Revenge of the Sith," the story returns to "Return of the Jedi."

The order is a flashback structure that you will see in Francis Ford Coppola's iconic gangster film, "The Godfather Part II."

It has also gained immense popularity among fans.

Upcoming "Star Wars" Shows

Well, this is not the end. There are many more upcoming "Star Wars" shows. Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau will be there. You will also see the people responsible for "The Mandalorian."

  • (2024) Skeleton Crew
  • (2024) The Acolyte
  • (2025) Andor - Season 2 
  • The Mandalorian - Season 4 (Release Date TBA)
  • Lando (Release Date TBA)

 

Conclusion

Everyone has their own preference to watch Star Wars movies. There is no one correct way to watch Star Wars movies in an order. Some fans prefer to watch them in release order, while others follow the chronological timeline.