IN ORDER · FILMS AND SERIES
Star Wars in order
Every Star Wars film and the three essential series, in release order, story order and the Machete order, with what each adds and what you can skip.
Star Wars has been told out of order since 1977. The first film was already Episode IV, the prequels arrived sixteen years after the original trilogy ended, and the stand-alone films and series go back to fill gaps between the episodes. Ask "what order do I watch Star Wars in?" and you get three good answers.
Below are all eleven live-action films and the three series most fans call essential, with a short note on what each one adds. Side stories such as Solo and The Mandalorian are marked optional. Skip all of them and you still have the complete Skywalker saga.
TRACK IT
Keep your place in Star Wars
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THE ORDERS
3 ways through Star Wars
The first order is the one we recommend for most people. Entries marked optional are side stories you can skip without missing the main story.
Release orderOur pick
The way audiences first saw it, with every twist landing as intended. Best for a first time through.
- 1Star Wars: Episode IV - A New HopeMovie · 1977
- 2Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes BackMovie · 1980
- 3Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the JediMovie · 1983
- 4Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom MenaceMovie · 1999
- 5Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the ClonesMovie · 2002
- 6Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the SithMovie · 2005
- 7Star Wars: The Clone WarsTV show · 2008Optional
- 8Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force AwakensMovie · 2015
- 9Rogue One: A Star Wars StoryMovie · 2016
- 10Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last JediMovie · 2017
- 11Solo: A Star Wars StoryMovie · 2018Optional
- 12The MandalorianTV show · 2019Optional
- 13Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of SkywalkerMovie · 2019
- 14AndorTV show · 2022Optional
Story order
The galaxy's own timeline, from the Republic to the First Order. Best for a rewatch.
- 1Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom MenaceMovie · 1999
- 2Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the ClonesMovie · 2002
- 3Star Wars: The Clone WarsTV show · 2008Optional
- 4Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the SithMovie · 2005
- 5Solo: A Star Wars StoryMovie · 2018Optional
- 6AndorTV show · 2022Optional
- 7Rogue One: A Star Wars StoryMovie · 2016
- 8Star Wars: Episode IV - A New HopeMovie · 1977
- 9Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes BackMovie · 1980
- 10Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the JediMovie · 1983
- 11The MandalorianTV show · 2019Optional
- 12Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force AwakensMovie · 2015
- 13Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last JediMovie · 2017
- 14Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of SkywalkerMovie · 2019
Machete order
IV, V, II, III, VI: the prequels become a flashback after the big reveal, and Episode I is skipped. A fan favorite for a tight original-saga marathon.
- 1Star Wars: Episode IV - A New HopeMovie · 1977
- 2Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes BackMovie · 1980
- 3Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the ClonesMovie · 2002
- 4Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the SithMovie · 2005
- 5Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the JediMovie · 1983
EVERY ENTRY
All 14 entries, in our recommended order
What each one is, why it sits where it does, and where it falls in each order. Save any of them to a list, no account needed.
Movie · 1977 · George Lucas
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Release order: #1 · Story order: #8 · Machete order: #1
A farm boy, a princess, a smuggler and an old wizard take on an Empire with a moon-sized weapon. It was written to stand alone, so it is still the cleanest way in: everything you need is on screen.
Movie · 1980 · Irvin Kershner
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Release order: #2 · Story order: #9 · Machete order: #2
Darker and stranger than A New Hope, and widely considered the best film in the saga. Its central revelation only lands as intended if you have not watched the prequels first, which is the strongest argument for release order.
Movie · 1983 · Richard Marquand
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Release order: #3 · Story order: #10 · Machete order: #5
The original trilogy's ending, and a story about whether a person can be saved. The forest battle divides fans; the final confrontation in the throne room does not.
Movie · 1999 · George Lucas
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Release order: #4 · Story order: #1
The prequels begin with trade disputes, a young Anakin Skywalker and a superb final lightsaber duel. It is the most skippable of the nine episodes, and the Machete order leaves it out.
Movie · 2002 · George Lucas
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Release order: #5 · Story order: #2 · Machete order: #3
Anakin as a young adult, a secret army and the start of the Clone Wars. The romance is stiff, but the film sets up almost everything the rest of the prequel era pays off.
Movie · 2005 · George Lucas
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Release order: #6 · Story order: #4 · Machete order: #4
The fall of the Republic and of Anakin Skywalker. It is the strongest prequel, and its last scenes lead straight into the opening of A New Hope.
TV show · 2008
Star Wars: The Clone WarsOptional
Release order: #7 · Story order: #3
Seven seasons of animation set between Episodes II and III. It turns Anakin into the hero the prequels needed and introduces Ahsoka Tano. The early seasons are uneven; many fans watch a curated episode list.
Movie · 2015 · J.J. Abrams
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Release order: #8 · Story order: #12
Thirty years after Return of the Jedi, a scavenger and a runaway stormtrooper find themselves at the center of a new war. It deliberately echoes A New Hope, and works best right after the original trilogy.
Movie · 2016 · Gareth Edwards
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Release order: #9 · Story order: #7
A war film about the people who stole the Death Star plans, ending minutes before A New Hope begins. It needs no other film to make sense, which makes it a good second watch for newcomers too.
Movie · 2017 · Rian Johnson
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
Release order: #10 · Story order: #13
Rey finds Luke Skywalker, and the film questions what heroes and legends are for. It is the most divisive film in the saga and also one of its most striking to look at.
Movie · 2018 · Ron Howard
Solo: A Star Wars StoryOptional
Release order: #11 · Story order: #5
Young Han Solo meets Chewbacca and Lando and runs his first big job. Light and enjoyable, but it answers questions nobody needed answered, so it is safe to leave for last.
TV show · 2019
The MandalorianOptional
Release order: #12 · Story order: #11
A bounty hunter protects a small green child in the lawless years after Return of the Jedi. Its first season is the best entry point to the series era of Star Wars.
Movie · 2019 · J.J. Abrams
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
Release order: #13 · Story order: #14
The end of the Skywalker saga. It moves at a sprint and brings back an old villain. Most people watch it to finish the nine episodes, and few call it a favorite.
TV show · 2022
AndorOptional
Release order: #14 · Story order: #6
Cassian Andor's path from thief to rebel in the five years before Rogue One. A slow-burning political thriller that many critics rank above every film; watch it, then rewatch Rogue One.
Where to start
If you have never seen Star Wars, start with A New Hope and follow release order through Return of the Jedi. Stop there and decide: the prequels if you want the backstory, The Force Awakens if you want to know what happened next. Rogue One fits anywhere after A New Hope.
Short on time? The Machete order gives you the full Anakin and Luke story in five films. Want the best Star Wars of recent years? Andor, then Rogue One.
Questions
Do I need to watch the series to understand the films?
No. Every film stands without the series. The Clone Wars deepens Revenge of the Sith and Andor deepens Rogue One, but both are extras.
Where does The Mandalorian fit?
About five years after Return of the Jedi and around twenty-five years before The Force Awakens. You can watch it any time after the original trilogy.
Is the Machete order missing anything important?
It skips The Phantom Menace and every film after Return of the Jedi. Everything Episode I sets up is restated in Episodes II and III, which is why the order works.
How we chose
Prepared by OmniTrackr and reviewed by the site owner before publishing. We listed the entries most people mean by "Star Wars", checked release years and story placement against public sources, and marked as optional the side stories that are not needed to follow the main story. The recommended order is editorial opinion: it is the order we would hand a friend starting from nothing.
Release years are for the first release in the original language. Running times, editions and availability vary by region. Links go to OmniTrackr title pages, not shops. Your progress is worked out from your own library each time you open the page; nothing about it is shared.
First published October 17, 2026. Checked October 17, 2026. Suggest a franchise or send a correction · Editorial standards · If you liked guides