Star Wars watch order: How to watch all the movies and shows chronologically? Explained
Star Wars creates a thrilling world of sci-fi clubbed with fantastic logic of its own, making it one of the most popular watchlists for decades. The franchise's fans can rejoice as 2023 is looking to come out with many TV shows and movies including the eagerly-awaited Ahsoka hitting screens this month. The Star Wars universe is bringing back many series while also crafting new ones.
While this would be a good time to re-visit the old sci-fi movies and series, new fans must watch them in the right order to grasp the chronology of the events. An ideal Star Wars watch order would include movies, series and spin-offs. While the movies can be clubbed into three trilogies, the list includes series, TV movies and holiday specials.
The Star Wars watch order should start with the prequel trilogy that introduces the prodigy Anakin Skywalker and his transformation to Darth Vader.
Before moving on to the next trilogy, it would be wise to go through a couple of animated series and political thriller series followed by two TV movies to watch before the sequel trilogy.
Parallel to the the franchise's trilogies goes its Resistance animated series. These and more constitute the watch order.
What is the best watch order for all Star Wars releases till now?
Here is the chronological order that can lead up to the upcoming watch list for the year:
1) Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
Released in 1999, the movie has an impressive cast of Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, and Ewan McGregor. The movie introduces Anakin Skywalker, played by Jake Lloyd, to balance the forces and should be the first movie to watch chronologically.
The movie has received more positive views in hindsight despite not being a hit at the time. This is rentable on Amazon and other platforms besides streaming on Disney+.
2) Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
The second movie from the prequel trilogy focused on Hayden Christensen’s Anakin and Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan while they go on adventures discovering threats to the universe.
The story that showcases an older Anakin, leads to the clone wars in the universe. This movie is rentable on Amazon and other platforms.
3) Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003-2005)
While this is an animated series, chronologically its release happened before the last movie of the prequel trilogy and is a good catch in the watch order.
In the series, Anakin and Obi were voiced by Mat Lucas and James Arnold Taylor. It ran on the Cartoon Network and can be streamed on Disney+.
4) Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
In this movie, the Jedi Knights strive to maintain order against Count Dooku and Asajj Ventress while the clone army fights the Dark Side. This computer-animated movie had James Arnold Taylor voice Obi-Wan Kenobi and Matt Lanter voice for Anakin. Ashley Eckstein voiced the character of Ahsoka Tano.
This animated movie gives better insight into the development of the characters. Fans can catch it on Disney+.
5) Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)
The computer-animated movie of the same name was followed by a Cartoon Network animated series. It takes place after the third movie in the prequel but helps with the continuation of the Clone Wars stories.
The familiar characters and familiar voice artists feature in this animated series leading up to the Episode III movie.
6) Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
The third movie in the first trilogy is rentable on various platforms including Amazon besides streaming on Disney+. Three years after Attack of the Clones, it brings the Skywalker Saga to a finish.
With a shift in the story of Anakin, it leads to more stories far away in the galaxy to be explored in the next movies.
7) Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021 onwards)
A sequel to the Clone Wars series and is placed in the aftermath of these wars. The story follows Clone Force 99, a group of clone troopers, and the mission they embark on in the post-Clone War era.
The second season of this animated series is currently airing on Disney+ and can be covered with season 1.
8) Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
This movie gives details about Han Solo, one of the most important characters in Skywalker Saga. The events of Solo featured in the movie chronologically occur ten years before the first movie of the next trilogy Star Wars Episode IV.
Alden Ehrenreich is cast in the titular role of Solo the smuggler. The adventure heist of Solo includes Chewbacca too.
9) Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
As the name suggests, this spin-off is a mini-series on the significant lead character of Obi. On the timeline of the events, it is positioned ten years after the events of the third movie of the prequel trilogy.
According to Lucasfilm, season 1 which was planned as limited series may have a second season if fans demand it. The six episodes of the series have been edited into a movie.
10) Star Wars Rebels (2014-2018)
While released a few years ago, chronologically the events are set ten years after the Revenge of the Sith and five years before the Episode IV.
With 75 episodes in total, the animated series ran for four years and will keep fans occupied for some time. The stories cover the rise of Rebellion.
11) Star Wars: Andor (2022)
This spin-off series follows the rise of Cassian Andor, the leader of the Rebel Alliance and its formation. The first season has 12 episodes and another season, focusing on the building of Rebellion, is due soon. The lead cast features Diego Luna.
12) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Chronologically occurring just before Episode IV, the movie covers the adventures of the Rebels with their leader Cassian as they try to steal Death Star’s plans. This movie happens to be the first spin-off film for the Star Wars franchise.
The star cast includes Diego Luna, Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Donnie Yen, Ben Mendelsohn and many more.
13) Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
In 1977, the main trilogy of movies started with A New Hope and followed the Skywalker Saga. In the watch order, the movie falls in the thirteenth number as being in the middle of this galactic sci-fi journey.
The movie stars Mark Hamill, Alec Guinness, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Peter Mayhew.
14) Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Set three years after A New Hope, the rebels continue to fight against the Imperial forces. The story shows Luke starting to train with Yoda while Darth Vader connects with him trying to draw him to the Dark Side.
The movie is action-packed with fight sequences and thrilling turns and twists. The plot leads to the third movie in the central trilogy – Return of the Jedi.
15) Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
This finale movie the Skywalker Saga in the central trilogy set one year after Episode V. The focus of the plot in this movie is taking down the newly-constructed Death Star. In this closing movie, Luke challenges Darth Vader while his army, the Rebels, make their final attack, securing any loose threads in the story.
The story leaves the journey open for a new team.
16) Star Wars: The Mandalorian (2019 onwards)
This is a story that follows a bounty hunter named Din Djarin and his buddy Grogu. The timeline sets this series after the fall of the Empire and before the rise of the First Order. The lead played by Pedro Pascal is a hit show on Disney+ and has multiple seasons.
However, the third season places events after The Book of Boba Fett.
17) The Book of Boba Fett (2021)
Boba Fett is another bounty hunter in the chronological watch played by Temuera Morrison. Incidentally, the actor also appeared as Jango Fett in the Episode II. The series which is a spin-off of The Mandalorian, is set in the same time period.
The hour-long seven episodes tell the story of Boba after he left the life of a bounty hunter to run the territory of Jabba the Hut.
18) Star Wars: Ahsoka (2023)
Set to premiere on August 23, Wednesday, on Disney+, the series follows the Jedi Knight named Ahsoka. The space warrior investigates an evolving threat to the galaxy.
According to Natasha Liu Bordizzo, told in her interview with SFX magazine, the timeline of the series is the same as that of the third season of The Mandalorian.
While fans can catch all the movies and series on Disney+, some of them can be rented on Amazon.
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Prem Deshpande