in what order to watch movies and series?
The Star Wars saga consists of more than ten films, to which must be added live and animated series. For the layman, it may seem complicated to embark on such a vast universe. Even those who follow only from a distance can get lost easily. Don’t panic, we’ll guide you by giving you recommended viewing orders.
Star Wars is a vast universe. Films, series, animated series… without counting comics, video games or novels, there are hundreds and hundreds of works taking place in the same universe. In more than forty years, the saga has had time to expand.
Star Wars tells an epic that spans decades and decades (if we only take into account the films). It tells the fate of a multitude of characters and the stories never stop going back and forth in time. If you’ve never seen a single film in the saga (yes it can happen) and you want to get started, we will guide you in your viewing.
You should know that all Star Wars films are available on Disney + (except the very last, released in 2019). We’re going provide you with several ways of approaching this license. There isn’t one better than the other, it’s up to you how you want to experience the story.
Note that in these rankings, the most important films are those which are numbered (we highlight them in bold). They indeed tell the main story: that of the Skywalker family, whose fate is linked to that of the galaxy. Spin-off movies (which focus on a particular event or character) aren’t fundamental, but provide a nice bonus. The same goes for the series. We include them in the first list in order to be completely complete, but you can ignore them.
Chronological order
This is the way makes the most sense to watch Star Wars. The story begins at the beginning ends at the end. Simple. We have here an epic which lasts over sixty years and which follows certain characters from their birth to their death. As we said above, you can make do with the movies highlighted in bold. No need to see everything. This list also excludes all content that is not or no longer canon, but findable on Disney + (this is the case of the Star Wars Visions series or old films on the Ewoks)
- [Film] Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
- [Film] Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
- [Série animée] Star Wars, The Clone Wars, the 7 seasons (2008-2020)
- [Film] Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- [Série animée] Star Wars, The Bad Batch, One Season (2021)
- [Film] Solo, a Star Wars Story (2018)
- [Série animée] Star Wars Rebels, the 4 seasons (2014-2018)
- [Film] Rogue One, a Star Wars Story (2016)
- [Film] Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
- [Film] Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- [Film] Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
- [Série] The Mandalorian, the 2 seasons (2019-2020)
- [Série] The Book of Boba Fett, one season (2021, upcoming release)
- [Série animée] Star Wars Resistance, 2 seasons (2018-2020)
- [Film] Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
- [Film] Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
- [Film] Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Order according to release date
This order chronologically resumes the release date of the films (we are not going to put the series here). She permits to see how the saga has been built over the years, to appreciate the technological evolution, but also to observe the creative impacts that the takeover by Disney had in 2012.
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
- Rogue One, a Star Wars Story (2016)
- Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
- Solo, a Star Wars Story (2018)
- Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Dramaturgical order
As amazing as it sounds, there are other ways to look at the saga. A viewing order is particularly appreciated. It allows you to discover the main story in an order that may seem completely anarchic, but which is actually very logical. This way of doing things allows not to spoil the main plot twist of the series. The return to Episode I, II and III after watching Episode V can be seen as a flashback that tells us more about Darth Vader’s youth.
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
- Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
- Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
You now have all the keys in hand to discover or rediscover this mythical saga. Note that we have only spoken here of films and series. However, many video games, comics or even novels are inserted in this universe. There is plenty to do !
Read also – Obi-Wan Kenobi: release date, cast, story, all the info on Disney’s Star Wars series +
Obviously we will update this file as the series are added to Disney +, and there are many planned! The next one will be The Book of Boba Fett on December 29, 2021.
