Watching Star Wars in chronological order lets you see the story unfold smoothly. On the other hand, watching the films in the order they were released shows how filmmaking has changed over the years. It also gives you a sense of how the early reactions from audiences influenced the movies that followed.
How to Watch Star Wars in Chronological Order?
To really get into the Star Wars story, it helps to watch the movies and TV shows in the order they happen in the universe. Start with ‘The Phantom Menace’ and go from there to the sequels and spin-offs.
This way, you see the characters grow and the big themes develop step by step. It’s like putting together a puzzle, seeing the whole picture come to life as you add each piece.
| Chronological Order | Title | Type | Era | Plot | Continuation in Chronological Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Phantom Menace | Movie | Prequel | Two Jedi find a young boy who might be the Chosen One, and a hidden Sith Lord appears. | Starts the story of Anakin Skywalker, leading up to his turn to the dark side. |
| 2 | Attack of the Clones | Movie | Prequel | Jedi guard Senator Amidala as war nears, and a secret romance starts. | Shows the beginnings of a big war and the Republic’s problems. |
| 3 | The Clone Wars | Movie & TV | Prequel | The Republic fights the Separatists, and Anakin faces tough choices. | Explores the big war’s effects and Anakin’s path to the dark side. |
| 4 | Revenge of the Sith | Movie | Prequel | The Jedi Order ends, and Anakin becomes Darth Vader. | Ends the prequels, showing how the Empire starts and Anakin becomes a villain. |
| 5 | The Bad Batch | TV Series | Imperial | Special clone soldiers deal with a new empire rising. | Shows the tough early days of the Empire and the problems it causes. |
| 6 | Solo: A Star Wars Story | Movie | Imperial | Young Han Solo has big adventures and meets friends like Chewbacca and Lando. | Explains Han Solo’s early life before the main story. |
| 7 | Obi-Wan Kenobi | TV Series | Imperial | Obi-Wan watches young Luke and faces old and new enemies. | Fills in Obi-Wan’s story between the early and later movies. |
| 8 | Star Wars Rebels | TV Series | Imperial | A small group starts fighting the Empire, setting up a bigger rebel group. | Leads to the big rebel group seen in the main movies. |
| 9 | Andor | TV Series | Imperial | Cassian Andor joins the rebellion against the Empire early on. | Shows how the rebellion starts and grows against the Empire. |
| 10 | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | Movie | Imperial | Rebels try to steal Death Star plans, leading right into the next movie. | Connects to the next movie, showing how the rebels got important plans. |
| 11 | A New Hope | Movie | Original Trilogy | Luke Skywalker joins rebels to destroy the Death Star and learn about the Force. | Starts the main story with Luke, Leia, and Han fighting the Empire. |
| 12 | The Empire Strikes Back | Movie | Original Trilogy | Rebels face big losses, and Luke learns more about his family. | Continues the rebels’ fight and deepens personal stories. |
| 13 | Return of the Jedi | Movie | Original Trilogy | Rebels attack the Empire finally, and Luke faces his father. | Ends the main story with the Empire’s defeat and important personal resolutions. |
| 14 | The Mandalorian | TV Series | New Republic | A bounty hunter travels the galaxy, protecting a mysterious child called Grogu. | Shows what happens in the galaxy after the Empire’s fall. |
| 15 | The Book of Boba Fett | TV Series | New Republic | Boba Fett tries to lead a criminal empire on Tatooine. | Continues after “The Mandalorian,” showing changes in the outer parts of the galaxy. |
| 16 | Ahsoka | TV Series | New Republic | Ahsoka Tano looks for missing allies and faces new challenges. | Follows Ahsoka’s journey, exploring new stories after the Empire’s fall. |
| 17 | Resistance | TV Series | Sequel | A young pilot spies on the First Order, helping the good guys. | It adds to the story before and during the new movies, showing how the new bad guys rise. |
| 18 | The Force Awakens | Movie | Sequel | Rey discovers she has the Force as she joins the fight against the First Order. | It starts the newest set of movies, introducing new heroes and villains. |
| 19 | The Last Jedi | Movie | Sequel | Rey trains with Luke as the Resistance battles the First Order. Kylo Ren faces inner conflict. The Resistance suffers losses but maintains hope. The story explores failure and the Force, setting up the final confrontation. | Continues the story of Rey and the Resistance, setting up the final conflict. |
| 20 | The Rise of Skywalker | Movie | Sequel | The Resistance faces the First Order one last time, and Rey confronts her heritage and destiny. | Concludes the Skywalker saga, resolving the conflict between the Resistance and the First Order. |
| 21 | Star Wars: Visions | TV Series | Anthology | Various standalone stories that reimagine the Star Wars universe through different cultural and artistic perspectives. | Offers unique, individual stories that explore different aspects of the Star Wars universe. |
How to Watch Star Wars in Release Order?
Watching the Star Wars series in the order they came out gives you a cool look at how the story and special effects changed over time.
You get to experience it just like people did back when each movie first hit theaters.
It all begins with ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope’ from 1977, and then it moves on through the other movies and TV shows as they were released.
| Release Date | Title | Type |
| May 25, 1977 | A New Hope | Movie |
| May 21, 1980 | The Empire Strikes Back | Movie |
| May 25, 1983 | Return of the Jedi | Movie |
| May 19, 1999 | The Phantom Menace | Movie |
| May 16, 2002 | Attack of the Clones | Movie |
| May 19, 2005 | Revenge of the Sith | Movie |
| August 15, 2008 | The Clone Wars | Movie |
| October 3, 2008 | The Clone Wars | TV Series |
| October 3, 2014 | Star Wars Rebels | TV Series |
| December 18, 2015 | The Force Awakens | Movie |
| December 16, 2016 | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | Movie |
| December 15, 2017 | The Last Jedi | Movie |
| May 25, 2018 | Solo: A Star Wars Story | Movie |
| October 7, 2018 | Resistance | TV Series |
| November 12, 2019 | The Mandalorian | TV Series |
| December 20, 2019 | The Rise of Skywalker | Movie |
| May 4, 2021 | The Bad Batch | TV Series |
| December 29, 2021 | The Book of Boba Fett | TV Series |
| May 27, 2022 | Obi-Wan Kenobi | TV Series |
| August 31, 2022 | Andor | TV Series |
| February 22, 2023 | The Mandalorian (Season 3) | TV Series |
| May 4, 2023 | Star Wars: Visions (Volume 2) | Animated Anthology |
| August 23, 2023 | Ahsoka | TV Series |
Conclusion
Deciding how to watch the Star Wars series—by its chronological timeline or by the order the films were released—offers two distinct experiences. Watching chronologically lets the story unfold smoothly, helping you understand how the characters grow and change.
On the other hand, viewing the films in the order they were released lets you see how filmmaking techniques and storytelling have evolved over the years. Either way, you’ll get a deeper appreciation for the vast, complex world that George Lucas created. It makes diving into the Star Wars saga a genuinely immersive experience.
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Fahmea Shorok is a well-traveled writer who focuses on entertainment journalism. Her work reflects her journeys and showcases her flexible writing style. She explores local art scenes wherever she goes, giving her readers a close look at the entertainment found around the world in theaters, movies, and art galleries.