Release OrderRecommended
0 / 13 watchedThe order the films actually came out, starting with the original 1977 film. This is the classic way to experience the saga's big twists as intended.
- 1 Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
- 2 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
- 3 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
- 4 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
- 5 Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
- 6 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
- 7 Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
- 8 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- 9 Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
- 10 Solo: A Star Wars Story
- 11 Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
- 12 The Mandalorian and Grogu Theatrical release, May 22, 2026.
- 13 Star Wars: Starfighter Scheduled for May 28, 2027.
Chronological Order
0 / 13 watchedThe in-universe timeline. Starts roughly a century before A New Hope and runs through the sequel trilogy. Best as a rewatch once the big reveals are no longer a surprise.
- 1 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
- 2 Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
- 3 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
- 4 Solo: A Star Wars Story
- 5 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Ends minutes before A New Hope begins.
- 6 Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
- 7 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
- 8 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
- 9 The Mandalorian and Grogu Set a few years after Return of the Jedi, continuing the Mandalorian TV storyline.
- 10 Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
- 11 Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
- 12 Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
- 13 Star Wars: Starfighter Billed as a new, standalone era rather than a direct continuation, exact timeline placement was not yet confirmed as of this guide's last check.
About Star Wars
Star Wars grew from a single 1977 film into three trilogies plus two standalone stories, and it is one of the few franchises where release order and chronological order genuinely disagree with each other on where to start. This guide covers the eleven core theatrical films (the three trilogies, plus Rogue One and Solo) along with the newer additions bringing the story past 2019.
Disney+ series such as The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka sit inside this same timeline and add a lot of texture, but this guide sticks to the films, since that is the fastest way to answer "what order do I watch the movies in."
Good to know
First-time viewers are usually better off with release order. Watching the originals before the prequels means the biggest reveals in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi land the way they were designed to. Chronological order is a strong second watch once you already know those reveals.
