Watching the Star Wars movies in order is tricky. The saga’s films and TV shows aren’t released in order, so there are many ways to watch them. But we help. Below are the main ways to watch the Star Wars movies in order, including the TV shows. We’ve seen The Mandalorian season 3. The animated shows aren’t below. For those, start with our Clone Wars in Order guide or our Ahsoka prequel guide. We also have Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Mandalorian timelines. So let’s check out the best and most suitable way for you to watch Star Wars Movies In Order.
Contents
How To Watch Star Wars Movies In Order: Chronological
While the original 1977 film was titled “Star Wars,” it was later changed to Star Wars: Episode 4 – A New Hope, As you can see in the Tweet given below.
https://twitter.com/WookOfficial/status/1529327040578703360?lang=en
As a result, the order in which the films were released does not correspond to the order in which the events depicted in the galaxy far, far away occur. Watching the movies in episodic order chronologically aligns the films and, as it happens, is series creator George Lucas’ preferred viewing order. And who are we to argue with the creator of Jedi, The Force, and Luke Skywalker?
- Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace
- Star Wars: Episode 2 – Attack of the Clones
- Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith
- Solo: A Star Wars Story
- Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney Plus series)
- Andor (Disney Plus series)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Star Wars: Episode 4 – A New Hope
- Star Wars: Episode 5 – The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars: Episode 6 – Return of the Jedi
- The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2 (Disney Plus series)
- The Book of Boba Fett (Disney Plus series)
- The Mandalorian season 3 (Disney Plus series)
- Star Wars: Episode 7 – The Force Awakens
- Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi
- Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise of Skywalker
Pros. No flashbacks or confusion for newcomers. Rogue One flows into A New Hope with the spin-offs, making the Disney Plus series more logical.
Cons: The prequels are generally considered the worst Star Wars films. The Phantom Menace’s Jar Jar Binks may deter some viewers from continuing the series. The CGI of the prequels dates to the later films.
Star Wars Movies In Order: Release Order
Newcomers receive the same Star Wars experience as everyone else. However, we strongly suggest watching the main saga episodes first, then returning later for the spin-offs. We’ve highlighted those entries.
Why? A relatively straightforward method for viewing Star Wars films, beginning with the first film to reach theaters and ending with the most recent.
- Episode 4: A New Hope
- Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back
- Episode 6: Return of the Jedi
- Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
- Episode 2: Attack of the Clones
- Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith
- Episode 7: The Force Awakens
- Rogue One
- Episode 8: The Last Jedi
- Solo
- The Mandalorian season 1 (Disney Plus series)
- Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker
- The Mandalorian season 2 (Disney Plus series)
- The Book of Boba Fett (Disney Plus series)
- Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney Plus series)
- Andor (Disney Plus series)
- The Mandalorian season 3 (Disney Plus series)
Pros: Watching movies in release order has advantages over chronological order. The prequels reveal a young man’s fate and don’t ruin the Darth Vader twist. Depending on your age, this order may be nostalgic.
Cons: This order jumps from the original trilogy, prequel, sequel, spin-off, back to sequel, and oddly placed Disney Plus series, which can confuse newcomers. We recommend skipping the spin-offs and series and watching the main saga in release order.
Ernst Rister Order
This is the best way to watch Star Wars Movies In Order if you only have a passing knowledge of Star Wars and don’t want to follow the crowd. Why? The Ernst Rister order, named after the Star Wars forum poster who proposed it, treats the prequel trilogy as an extended flashback sequence detailing Darth Vader’s rise. That means the following flashbacks preserve the crucial Vader twist, if not enhanced.
- A New Hope
- The Empire Strikes Back
- The Phantom Menace
- Attack of the Clones
- Revenge of the Sith
- Return of the Jedi
- The Force Awakens
- The Last Jedi
- The Rise of Skywalker
Pros: Focusing on Luke makes the saga easier to digest and preserves Vader’s mystery. Between Empire and Return, there’s enough time to feel comfortable being away from the original trilogy. Start with the original, one of the best movies ever.
Cons: Rogue One and Solo are usually watched after Return of the Jedi and before the sequel trilogy, but there’s another option (see below). The prequels also slow down the original trilogy. Helped by…
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Machete order
This is best for those who despise prequels. Why? A Star Wars fan and software developer, Rod Hilton, proposed the machete order in 2011. Yes, it’s very similar to the Ernst Rister order. The Machete order, on the other hand, completely removes The Phantom Menace. Why? Because a large number of fans despise Episode 1.
- A New Hope
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Attack of the Clones
- Revenge of the Sith
- Return of the Jedi
- The Force Awakens
- The Last Jedi
- The Rise of Skywalker
Pros: All of the advantages of the Ernst Rister order, but with fewer Jar-Jar Binks.
Cons: All of the Ernst Rister order’s cons, plus you still need to know what happens in The Phantom Menace, as a few events are mentioned again (including midi-chlorins, which are mentioned again). You also miss out on the incredible Duel of the Fates lightsaber battle.
Flashback order
This one is best for: Star Wars fans who want to incorporate the spin-offs. Why? Much like the Ernst Rister order, but with more room to fit in those prequels. The flashback sequence uses Solo and Rogue One to contextualize A New Hope and the prequels to contextualize Luke’s relationship with Vader.
- A New Hope
- Solo
- Rogue One
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Phantom Menace
- Attack of the Clones
- Revenge of the Sith
- Return of the Jedi
- The Force Awakens
- The Last Jedi
- The Rise of Skywalker
Advantages: You fit in with the spin-offs…
Cons:…however, their order disrupts the original trilogy even more than Rister’s. Jumping back and forth across the timeline may be fine for Star Wars fans, but it can also be confusing. Flashbacks are most effective when used sparingly; this order heavily relies on them.
Alternating order
This way is Best for Star Wars fans with too much free time. Why? “It’s kind of like poetry; they rhyme.” Those are George Lucas’ famous words, which he said while working on The Phantom Menace that he intended certain thematic undercurrents to repeat themselves across multiple trilogies. This order, while highly unusual, emphasizes those. In short, you watch three ‘part ones’ in a row, followed by three ‘part twos’ and two ‘part threes.’
- A New Hope
- The Phantom Menace
- The Force Awakens
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Attack of the Clones
- The Last Jedi
- Return of the Jedi
- Revenge of the Sith
- The Rise of Skywalker
Pros: If you are one of those fans who can recite every word of every Star Wars film, this method of viewing can shed light on some of the series’ less-appreciated nuances. It’s fascinating if you’re more interested in how film technology has evolved than in the plot itself.
Cons: This is not an order for the inexperienced. When viewed in this light, the story becomes an absolute mess, and it’s less about the plot and more about the production and cinematography.
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Obi-Wan order
Obi-Wan Kenobi fans will enjoy watching Star Wars Movies In Order in this way. Why? Rather than focusing on Luke Skywalker, this order refocuses the story on Obi-Wan Kenobi, relying on Ewan McGregor’s performance to carry you through the prequels. Returning to his journey after Luke destroys the Death Star reveals how he became the wise old man we meet on Tatooine. Instead of the typical hero’s journey from zero to hero, Star Wars is about an established hero passing the torch.
- A New Hope
- The Phantom Menace
- Attack of the Clones
- Revenge of the Sith
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Return of the Jedi
- The Force Awakens
- The Last Jedi
- The Rise of Skywalker
Pros: It’s a unique take on the Star Wars saga; most people would argue that Luke or Anakin are the true heroes, but this order argues otherwise. Try this if you want to see a galaxy far, far away through someone else’s eyes. Furthermore, the prequels are given new life when the story appears to be about Kenobi.
Surprisingly few drawbacks. The biggest flaw is that the Darth Vader twist has been revealed.
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