How to watch Star Wars movies in cinematic and chronological order
Star Wars movies are a series of movies, produced by George Lucas, beginning in the second half of the story and beginning with the fourth movie in the Star Wars timeline, Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977), Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi (1983).
These were later followed by a prequel series that was clearly marked as where they are seen in chronological order of the story, Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones (2002), and the last of the movies that follow Skywalker family is Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith (2005).
Aside from the main Star Wars film trilogies, the Star Wars franchise has had multiple off-shoot movies and multiple TV series.
Star Wars overview and synopsis
George Lucas is an American filmmaker born May 14, 1944. He’s a filmmaker who has always been considered eccentric by people that worked with him, especially during the production and filming of Star Wars movies. George Lucas became most well-known for his Star Wars and Indiana Jones film franchises. He founded multiple companies, including Lucasfilm.
He served as a Lucasfilm chairman before selling the company to Disney in 2011.
The Star Wars universe is placed in a sci-fi setting, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away created by George Lucas. The galaxy in the Star Wars universe is held together by a mystical power known as the Force. The balance in the Force is maintained between the Light side and Dark side.
Movies of the original trilogy
The original trilogy of Star Wars follows a rebellion against the Galactic Empire led by Emperor Palpatine and the appearance of the last Jedi.
The original trilogy features actors and characters that have left their mark on the series and genre as a whole Mark Hamil as Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa, and Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi, among many others.
- Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977)
- Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Star Wars VI: Return Of The Jedi (1983)
Movies in the Prequel Trilogy
The prequel trilogy follows the ascension of Anakin Skywalker from a simple slave into a powerful Jedi Knight, a hero of the Republic, and his fall to the dark side and rebirth as Darth Vader.
The cast of the prequel trilogy may not have left as much of an impact on the series but their influence is undeniable, with Natalie Portman as Padme Amidala, Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn, Lake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker (young) and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker (adult), and Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine Sheeve (Darth Sidious).
- Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Movies in the sequel trilogy
The sequel trilogy is placed chronologically after the Skywalker Saga around 30 years after the events of Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi. The main cast includes actors such as Daisy Ridley as Rey, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, Harrison Ford as Han Solo, John Boyega as Finn, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, and Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa.
The sequel trilogy are the first movies of the Star Wars franchise since Lucasfilm was sold to Disney.
- Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
- Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
- Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Spin-off films
Star Wars has birthed many spin-off stories that are following events and characters that have influenced the Star Wars story in the background or are allowing us to gain further insight into beloved characters. These movies include:
- Star Wars: Clone Wars (2008)
- Star Wars: Rogue One (2016)
- Star Wars: Solo (2018)
Aside of movies, there are multiple animated series and live-action TV shows with examples being Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Rebels, The Mandalorian, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett all of which can be found on Disney Plus.
Chronological order of Star Wars
Watching Star Wars movies in order of the story is recommended by some fans, although others recommend watching the movies by order of their release date. There are three trilogy installments, plus three standalone movies. Regardless of your preference, here’s how to watch Star Wars in chronological order:
Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace (1999)
Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi are sent to negotiate with the trade federation about their blockade of the Federation planet of Naboo. Once there, a Sith assassin named Darth Maul ordered their death. The two managed to escape and after rescuing Padme Amidala they escape the outer rim where they discover Anakin Skywalker and prepare to liberate Naboo.
Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones (2002)
Now a Jedi master, Obi-Wan Kenobi and his padawan Anakin Skywalker are personally requested by Chancellor Palpatine and tasked with protecting Senator Queen Padme Amidala of Naboo. Along the way, they discovered the existence of a galaxy-wide conspiracy and the existence of a large clone army on the ocean world of Kamino. The events of the movie lead to the beginning of The Clone Wars and reveal that Count Dooku, a former Jedi master, Yoda’s last student, and once a prominent member of the Jedi Order, is a Sith lord behind the war.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an animated movie depicting the early years of the war. Jedi masters Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Anakin’s new padawan Ahsoka Tano are leading a small battalion attacking Count Dooku’s droid army on Christophsis. Meanwhile, Jabba the Hutt has kidnapped a Jedi on Tattooine, and they are sent to rescue the missing Jedi and Jabba’s offspring. This movie is the kick-off to the animated television series.
Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith (2005)
A plan that’s been hundreds of years in the making finally came to fruition, Jedi are scattered across the stars in a war they should have had no place or purpose, their numbers greatly diminished, and their connection to the Force weaker than ever before. A Jedi Knight, Anakin Skywalker is disillusioned with Jedi and manipulated by Palpatine over to the Dark side.
The story reaches its pinnacle with Anakin Skywalker’s betrayal of the Jedi and Order 66 issued by Palpatine to kill all Jedi.
On the volcanic planet of Mustafar, a duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker now named Darth Vader iss fought, leading to Darth Vader’s defeat at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi, his lightsaber taken away.
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
This a story following the young Han Solo, played by Alden Ehrenreich, before he became a smuggler and a daredevil we came to love in the later Star Wars movies. His adventures, meeting his friend and partner a Wookie named Chewbacca, and the acquisition of a Millenium Falcon. We are introduced to Lando Calrissian and many others.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Rogue One is a story of a cell belonging to a rebellion under the same name and their struggle to retrieve secret plans for a Death Star and a critical flaw intentionally left there by the head of the project. A notable character includes include Cassian Andor, a prominent intelligence officer of the rebellion that was portrayed by Diego Luna, who later got his own TV series Andor.
Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (1977)
Two droids carrying the plans for the Death Star, a super weapon that the Empire intends to use as an ultimate deterrent against any that would dare dream of rebelling against its rule. They flee the starship captured by the Empire in order to find and contact a Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi who’s been living in exile on the desert world of Tatooine protecting a new hope for the freedom of the Galaxy and his hope of redemption.
Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The destruction of the Death Star and the appearance of rumors that Jedi are returning have ignited a spark of hope across the stars. The Empire cannot allow it to grow further and thus Darth Vader, the right hand of Emperor Palpatine, has been sent to hunt down the rebels.
A former Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, Yoda has reached out across the stars to Luke Skywalker intending to personally train a boy who will become the last Jedi.
Star Wars: Episode VI—Return of the Jedi (1983)
Through the effort of Princess Leia and the last Jedi Luke Skywalker, Han Solo is saved from a crime lord Jabba the Hutt, the event leading to the seeming death of the Mandalorian bounty hunter Boba Fett who was often employed by Darth Vader.
A new Death Star that is still under construction orbits a forest moon Endor, forcing heroes to split into two teams, withthose on the Endor aiming to destroy the Imperial outpost on it with the unexpected help of the moon’s natives, a race of fierce warriors Ewoks. At the same time, Luke Skywalker is made to confront both Darth Vader, a man once known as Anakin Skywalker, and Emperor Palpatine himself.
Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens (2015)
Thirty years after the fall of the Galactic Empire, the First Order, remnants of a Galactic Empire, are trying to destroy the New Republic. General Leia Organa is leading the resistance against them.
A young girl surviving on the desert planet of Jakku is dragged into a conflict between the First Order and the Rebellion trying to preserve the New Republic. Rey has an exceptionally strong presence in the Force and was discovered by Leia that started her training while being pursued by the First Order and Kylo Ren.
Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi (2017)
After the destruction of a Starkiller Base, the First Order is pursuing the Rebellion fleet as Rey is trying to recruit Luke Skywalker by bringing him his first lightsaber that originally belonged to his father Anakin Skywalker. Luke refuses to leave his self-imposed exile and rejoin the fight, but he does train Rey in the short time she spends with him.
Star Wars: Episode IX—The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Luke Skywalker, the last remaining Jedi, exhausted his life in the confrontation with Kylo Ren, who we discover is called Ben Solo, a son of Han Solo and Leia Organa. Rey takes up the last name of Skywalker as a way to show respect for Luke Skywalker. In this final, movie Rey and Kylo Ren confront resurrected Emperor Palpatine.
Where to listen to Star Wars
Beyond the movies, there are many Star Wars books you can read to fully immerse yourself in a galaxy far, far away.
The books set in the Star Wars universe can be found on multiple audiobook platforms, including Speechify. Surprisingly narrators and quality of the audio are widely varied between the platforms as often each one has its own narrator and not everyone can keep up with emotional shifts of characters that can vary greatly between the characters and scenes.
Speechify
Speechify is a new audiobook platform with over 60,000 audiobooks—and growing. It features books of all genres, from sci-fi and fantasy to non-fiction biographies and more. If you like Star Wars, you can find books including Star Wars: The Force Awakens novelization, Star Wars The Force Awakens: Rey’s Story, George Lucas, and Shockaholic by Carrie Fisher, among other books related to this iconic franchise.
Try Speechify Audiobooks today to hear new intergalactic stories come to life.
