Star Wars: what order to watch the movies and series
Short answer: for a first watch, follow the release order, starting with A New Hope (1977). It is the only order that preserves the saga's great reveals. The chronological order — from The Phantom Menace to The Rise of Skywalker — is for a rewatch.
Here are the details, including where the spin-off films and the series fit, plus the brand-new movie released in May 2026.
The 12 Star Wars movies in release order
| # | Movie | Release |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A New Hope (Episode IV) | 1977 |
| 2 | The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V) | 1980 |
| 3 | Return of the Jedi (Episode VI) | 1983 |
| 4 | The Phantom Menace (Episode I) | 1999 |
| 5 | Attack of the Clones (Episode II) | 2002 |
| 6 | Revenge of the Sith (Episode III) | 2005 |
| 7 | The Force Awakens (Episode VII) | 2015 |
| 8 | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | 2016 |
| 9 | The Last Jedi (Episode VIII) | 2017 |
| 10 | Solo: A Star Wars Story | 2018 |
| 11 | The Rise of Skywalker (Episode IX) | 2019 |
| 12 | The Mandalorian and Grogu | 2026 |
That is the trap: the episode numbers do not follow the release order. George Lucas started his story in the middle, with Episode IV, and only shot Episodes I to III twenty years later.
The story in chronological order
Star Wars dates its events relative to the Battle of Yavin, which closes A New Hope — BBY means Before the Battle of Yavin, ABY means After. Here are the movies in the order the story happens:
| Era | Movie | Release |
|---|---|---|
| 32 BBY | The Phantom Menace | 1999 |
| 22 BBY | Attack of the Clones | 2002 |
| 19 BBY | Revenge of the Sith | 2005 |
| ~10 BBY | Solo: A Star Wars Story | 2018 |
| 0 | Rogue One, then A New Hope | 2016 / 1977 |
| 3 ABY | The Empire Strikes Back | 1980 |
| 4 ABY | Return of the Jedi | 1983 |
| ~9 ABY | The Mandalorian and Grogu | 2026 |
| 34 ABY | The Force Awakens | 2015 |
| 34 ABY | The Last Jedi | 2017 |
| 35 ABY | The Rise of Skywalker | 2019 |
Fun detail: Rogue One ends minutes before the first scene of A New Hope. Watching them back to back makes a perfect double bill — on a rewatch.
Why start with Episode IV?
Because the release order protects the surprises. The Empire Strikes Back contains one of the most famous reveals in film history — and the prequels give it away entirely. Starting with Episode I means reading the solution before the riddle.
There is also a matter of pacing: Episodes IV to VI build the universe with the means of 1977-1983. Coming to them after the digital spectacle of the prequels and the sequel trilogy is harder than the other way round.
The "machete order", for the curious
Popularised by blogger Rod Hilton in 2011: IV, V, then II and III as a flashback, and VI as the finale — skipping The Phantom Menace altogether. The idea: keep Episode V's reveal intact, then tell Darth Vader's past right before the conclusion. It works surprisingly well, but it is a rewatch order, not a first-time order.
Where do the series fit?
| Series | Era | Where to place it |
|---|---|---|
| The Clone Wars (animated) | 22-19 BBY | between Episodes II and III |
| Obi-Wan Kenobi | 9 BBY | between III and IV |
| Rebels (animated) | 5-0 BBY | before Rogue One |
| Andor | 5-1 BBY | right before Rogue One |
| The Mandalorian | 9 ABY | after Return of the Jedi |
| The Book of Boba Fett | 9 ABY | after The Mandalorian season 2 |
| Ahsoka | ~9 ABY | after The Mandalorian season 3 |
As for the movie The Mandalorian and Grogu, released in May 2026, watch it after season 3 of The Mandalorian: it is a direct continuation of the series, not an entry point.
The most common mistakes
- Starting with The Phantom Menace because it is "Episode I". That is the surest way to spoil the original trilogy for yourself.
- Thinking Rogue One and Solo are episodes. They are spin-offs, outside the numbering: great on a rewatch, not essential the first time.
- Watching The Mandalorian and Grogu without the series. The movie directly continues three seasons of The Mandalorian.
- Dismissing the animated shows. The Clone Wars and Rebels introduce characters who are now central to the live-action series, Ahsoka first among them.
Know the saga? Prove it
Knowing the order of the movies is one thing. Being able to put the events of the saga in order is quite another — and much harder.
Junban has a Star Wars theme entirely dedicated to that: you get a moment from the saga and simply say whether it happens before or after the previous one. Is Han Solo frozen in carbonite before or after the destruction of the first Death Star? No dates to memorise, no names to type: you just have to reason.
Solo or with up to 4 players, online or around one table — and the same principle then works across more than 50 themes, from movies to music, Harry Potter to One Piece. That is what earns it first place in our comparison of timeline quiz games.
Another saga to sort out: Harry Potter, what order to watch the films in.