The Skywalker saga is full, the Clone Wars animated collection has come to an finish (form of), and one of many greatest Star Wars tales ever advised is between seasons. However Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is again in theaters for its twenty fifth anniversary, and pulling in important bucks on the field workplace, with viewers both reconsidering their unique takes on the movie, or doubling down on what they thought of it the primary time. If revisiting Phantom provides you an itch to rewatch extra Star Wars, that ought to be pretty easy within the streaming age. Disney Plus has each film and present that’s at present canon (and some that aren’t).
However what’s the easiest way to look at all of it? After George Lucas launched his prequel trilogy, Star Wars followers debated the order through which to devour the collection. Now, with three trilogies, a pair spinoff motion pictures, some animated and live-action collection, and not less than two spinoffs of spinoffs, the “correct” technique to watch the Star Wars saga is much more difficult. With all that in thoughts, listed below are a couple of completely different viewing orders to information you, whether or not you’re a longtime fan seeking to revisit the movies and exhibits or a newcomer in want of a Star Wars crash course.
Watching Star Wars in chronological order
This viewing order doesn’t require a lot rationalization. That is how the occasions of the Star Wars universe occurred on the BBY (Earlier than the Battle of Yavin) / ABY (After the Battle of Yavin) timeline. It begins with the earliest occasions and strikes ahead in time from there. A few these might occur concurrently, however that’s not our fault.
- Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
- Star Wars: Assault of the Clones
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (the animated film)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (the animated collection)
- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
- Star Wars: The Dangerous Batch
- Solo: A Star Wars Story
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Star Wars Rebels animated collection
- Andor season 1
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Star Wars: A New Hope
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Again
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
- The Mandalorian season 1
- The Mandalorian season 2
- The E-book of Boba Fett
- The Mandalorian season 3
- Ahsoka season 1
- Star Wars Resistance season 1
- Star Wars: The Pressure Awakens
- Star Wars: The Final Jedi
- Star Wars Resistance season 2
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Watching Star Wars in Skywalker Saga order
Taking a little bit of inspiration from the internet-famous Ernst Rister order — initially taken from a now-deleted discussion board submit — this checklist makes use of A New Hope and Empire Strikes Again as setup for the prequel motion pictures and places extra concentrate on Luke Skywalker. Viewing the flicks and exhibits this manner makes certain that the place his household got here from.
This order diverges from the Skywalker story after each Revenge of the Sith and Return of the Jedi, however it provides you significantly better context for Anakin’s heroics throughout the Clone Wars and units up his redemptive second of siding with Luke over Emperor Palpatine. As you get into the brand new trilogy, it continues to place Luke on the middle.
The trickiest a part of this order is the very squishy center part, which focuses on a couple of various things, together with Mandalore, a few Mandalorians, and Ahsoka, for a short time fairly than Luke and the Skywalker household — even when they do crop up from time to time.
- Star Wars: A New Hope
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Again
- Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
- Star Wars: Assault of the Clones
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (the animated film)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (the animated collection)
- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
- Star Wars: The Dangerous Batch
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Solo: A Star Wars Story
- Star Wars Rebels animated collection
- Andor season 1
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
- The Mandalorian season 1
- The Mandalorian season 2
- The E-book of Boba Fett
- The Mandalorian season 3
- Ahsoka season 1
- Star Wars Resistance season 1
- Star Wars: The Pressure Awakens
- Star Wars: The Final Jedi
- Star Wars Resistance season 2
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Watching Star Wars in… galaxy-brain order
We suggest this playlist for many who’ve seen all of Star Wars sufficient instances that they need to combine issues up with a very bizarre expertise. This doesn’t actually complement anyone character or storyline a lot because the collection as an entire. This order ought to make it easier to catch all of the small references from one film or present and join them to the following — although you’ll in all probability nonetheless miss a couple of.
Within the first few entries, the main focus is on the Rise up. Then, at its lowest second, we swap sides to Anakin to see how he grew to become Darth Vader and the way the Empire gained management of the galaxy. After that, we see the autumn of the Empire in Return of the Jedi, and the aftermath in The Mandalorian and E-book of Boba Fett.
Ahsoka additionally has a little bit of a wierd match on this order, in that she form of simply jumps out and in of the story after her introduction in Clone Wars — which, whereas narratively odd, does most intently match how she really operates within the collection.
The final bizarre piece of this order is repositioning the brand new trilogy with Han as a extra central determine. We see his household wrestle in The Pressure Awakens, after which compensate for his backstory with Solo. This order turns Luke giving Han’s fortunate cube to Leia in The Final Jedi right into a barely extra essential second, and makes it clear that that is Luke trying to fix a few of the ache he dropped at Han’s household.
Be aware: If you wish to go all the way in which on this order, we suggest watching A New Hope up till the planning assembly for the Battle of Yavin. At that time, swap to Rogue One, watch the entire thing, then watch Andor season 1, then return to the remainder of A New Hope. This manner, Rogue One performs a bit like a heroic flashback for the Rise up.
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Andor season 1
- Star Wars: A New Hope
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Again
- Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
- Star Wars: Assault of the Clones
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (the animated film)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (the animated collection)
- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
- Star Wars: The Dangerous Batch
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Star Wars Rebels
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
- The Mandalorian season 1
- The E-book of Boba Fett (first 4 episodes)
- The Mandalorian season 2
- The E-book of Boba Fett (episodes 5, 6, and seven)
- The Mandalorian season 3
- Ahsoka season 1
- Star Wars Resistance season 1
- Star Wars: The Pressure Awakens
- Solo: A Star Wars Story
- Star Wars: The Final Jedi
- Star Wars Resistance season 2
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These don’t affect editorial content material, although Vox Media might earn commissions for merchandise bought through affiliate hyperlinks. For extra data, see our ethics coverage.