Author:
Eugene Taylor
Date Of Creation:
8 August 2021
Update Date:
7 May 2024
Content
- To step
- Method 1 of 4: By release date
- Method 2 of 4: Chronological order
- Method 3 of 4: Follow the Rinster order
- Method 4 of 4: Common sequence changes
- Tips
In the past 43 years there have been 11 Star Wars movies, and we're just talking about the cinema releases. Whether you're watching the series for the first time or trying to watch the entire series again in preparation for The Rise of Skywalker, the question is how to get to the Star WarsMovies should be a hot topic. There are three popular views on this order: by release date, in chronological order or by the Rinster method to rearrange the films and make them easier to understand. However you plan to watch them, remember that there is no mandatory way to watch these movies, and that you choose one that you think you will find most enjoyable!
To step
Method 1 of 4: By release date
Watch the movies in the order they were released for the original experience. If you want the authentic experience of seeing the movies in their original order, watch them in the order they were released. This is considered by many fans to be the best method for the Star Wars movies, but there are some drawbacks. The pitch shift of Return of the Jedi to The Phantom Menace can be shocking, and the story can get quite confusing because you don't watch the movies in the order of the story. - If you plan to watch the movies with younger children, it can be difficult to start with the older movies if they are used to contemporary animation.
Release date:
A New Hope (Episode IV) - 1977
The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V) - 1980
Return of the Jedi (Episode VI) - 1983
The Phantom Menace (Episode I) - 1999
Attack of the Clones (Episode II) - 2002
Revenge of the Sith (Episode III) - 2005
The Force Awakens (Episode VII) - 2015
Rogue One (A Star Wars Story) -2016
The Last Jedi (Episode VIII) -2017
Solo (A Star Wars Story) - 2018
The Rise of Skywalker (Episode IX) - 2019
Start by watching the original trilogy. First, start with the original trilogy, from A New Hope from 1977 to Return of the Jedi from 1983. The original films are considered classics by critics and fans, and starting with Luke Skywalker's iconic storyline is a great way to start the series. - There are two different versions of the original trilogy: the original version and the 1997 remastered version. The remastered version is not narratively different - it all has the same characters and plot points - but the animation has been modernized here and there. This can be a nice choice if you're watching with younger viewers, although movie purists tend to ignore the updated versions.
Watch the prequels (the predecessors) after you finish the original trilogy. Once you are done with Luke Skywalker's storyline, move on to the prehistory. Start with The Phantom Menace and then look at Attack of the Clones. End the second trilogy with Revenge of the Sith to complete Darth Vader's backstory and learn about Luke's origins. You also get to see Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker when they were kids, which is nice if you like to be able to make the connection between movies. - The prequels are not essential for understanding everything that happens in the original trilogy, and their tone is radically different from the others Star Wars movies (they are more fun and comedy). Some adult viewers interested in the action and main story choose to omit the prequels altogether.
- The prequels take place before the original trilogy narratively, meaning that the events in these films took place before the start of A New Hope from 1977. This can become a difficult story to follow if you take long pauses between watching the movies, as the events at the end of the last prequel (Revenge of the Sith) lead to the one in the first film (A New Hope).
Watch the Disney releases in sequence, including the "Stories" if you like. When you're done with the prequels, check out the newer Disney movies. Start with The Force Awakens and after that The Last Jedi. End the series with The Rise of Skywalker. You can watch Rogue One after The Force Awakens and Solo after The Last Jedi if you want, but those two movies are called "stories" and are not essential to the main story if you want to skip them. - The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker are collectively referred to as the "sequel trilogy". They are an extension of the main storyline of the prequels and the original trilogy.
- Rogue One and Solo are called "stories" because they both have subtitles A Star Wars Story to have. They provide some context and backstory for the main films, but are not required to watch. It's completely up to you whether you want to watch them or not, although they are critically considered solid additions to it Star Wars-universe.
Method 2 of 4: Chronological order
Watch the movies chronologically to fully understand the storyline. One of the major drawbacks of watching the movies in the order they were released is that the story can be difficult to follow. This is especially a problem when you move from the first trilogy to the prequels and from the prequels to the sequel trilogy. To make the story easier to follow, rearrange the order in which you watch the movies to put the story in chronological order. - Since the prequels tend to be a bit crazier and lighter than the other movies, this is a good choice if you have younger kids you want to show the movies to. It also makes the story easier to follow, which could otherwise be a problem for younger viewers.
Chronological order:
The Phantom Menace (Episode I) - 1999
Attack of the Clones (Episode II) - 2002
Revenge of the Sith (Episode III) - 2005
Solo (A Star Wars Story) (Optional) - 2018
Rogue One (A Star Wars Story) (Optional) -2016
A New Hope (Episode IV) - 1977
The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V) - 1980
Return of the Jedi (Episode VI) - 1983
The Force Awakens (Episode VII) - 2015
The Last Jedi (Episode VIII) -2017
The Rise of Skywalker (Episode IX) - 2019
Start the series by looking at the prequels first. To watch the movies in chronological order, go back to the beginning of the storyline when Darth Vader was a kid. Start with The Phantom Menace and then look at Attack of the Clones. Close the prequels with the Revenge of the Sith. - One of the drawbacks of this method is that it puts the prequels first. The prequels are almost universally regarded as the worst movies in the canon, and viewers with a more critical eye can leave the whole enterprise alone if they start with the prequels.
Look at Solo, followed by Rogue One, after Revenge of the Sith.Solo and Rogue One are optional, but if you want to include them, watch them after the last prequel. They provide an interesting backstory to a few key characters in the original trilogy, and they are generally considered good movies. However, you won't get lost if you choose to skip them. - Rogue One is largely about the birth of the Death Star and the Empire's first foray into the conquest of the universe. Solo is Han Solo's backstory, and you will learn a lot about Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian and the Millennium Falcon.
Watch the original trilogy after the prequels or the "stories". After you've had the prequels and seen or skipped the stories, watch the original trilogy. A New Hope continues where Revenge of the Sith ends, so it's easier to spot the main characters, understand each character's motivation, and keep track of events as they unfold in the story. - One of the advantages of looking chronologically is that the Imperium's violent behavior has some more background at the beginning of A New Hope.
- Unfortunately, the big plot twist is at the end of The Empire Strikes Back not so surprising anymore, as it is fully explained in the prequels. This is considered the biggest drawback of watching the movie series in chronological order.
Watch the Disney movies to catch up with the most recent events. Conclude your viewing experience by watching the sequel trilogy. View The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker to the series Star Warsmovies. - The events in the sequel trilogy contain many references to the original trilogy, and many of the characters from those original films appear in it.
Method 3 of 4: Follow the Rinster order
Choose the Rinster to reduce the impact of Return of the Jedi to increase. This viewing order is named after Ernest Rinster, the creator of the Rinster. The purpose of this viewing order is to preserve the plot twist at the end of The Empire Strikes Back. Basically you start with the first two movies of the original trilogy and then watch the prequels before watching the third movie. This is sort of a compromise between the chronological order and the order of the release date, and treats the prequel movies like a lengthy flashback before the original trilogy is completed. - For many avid fans of the Star Warsmovies, this is the best way to watch the movies as it reduces the role of the prequels by treating them like a long flashback. This also maintains the clarity of the story, while increasing the emotional impact of the final film in the original trilogy. It will also have the emotional impact of it Return of the Jedi as you learn about Darth Vader's background.
The Rinster Order:
A New Hope (Episode IV) - 1977
The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V) - 1980
The Phantom Menace (Episode I) (Optional for machete method) - 1999
Attack of the Clones (Episode II) - 2002
Revenge of the Sith (Episode III) - 2005
Return of the Jedi (Episode VI) - 1983
The Force Awakens (Episode VII) - 2015
The Last Jedi (Episode VIII) -2017
The Rise of Skywalker (Episode IX) - 2019
Rogue One (A Star Wars Story) -2016
Solo (A Star Wars Story) - 2018
Watch the first two films in the original trilogy. To follow the Rinster sequence, first look at A New Hope and then to The Empire Strikes Back. Then wait to watch the last movie. 
Watch the prequels before closing the trilogy with Return of the Jedi. After you are done with The Empire Strikes Back, you first watch the prequel trilogy. Look at The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The Empire Strikes Back ends with a big revelation about the relationship between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, and the prequels are about Darth Vader's childhood and how he gradually falls off the wrong path, so you'll know a lot more about Vader and Luke once you're done with Return of the Jedi! - Because Return of the Jedi Just before the climax of the original trilogy ends, it shouldn't be too difficult to follow what's going on as you move on to the original trilogy.
Watch today's Disney movies and save Rogue One and Solo for the last time. End with the sequel trilogy, following Rey, Kylo Ren, and Finnish - new characters who are the spiritual successors of Luke, Darth Vader, and Han Solo. Many of the characters in the original trilogy feature in these films, so it's nice to see how their characters have evolved as they get older! Save Rogue One and Solo for the last time, if you want to watch it. - In the Rinster order, serve Rogue One and Solo kind of like separate stories unrelated to the main storyline. This sequence stays true to the intended purpose of the films since Rogue One and Solo are not intended to form the core of the main story.
Method 4 of 4: Common sequence changes
Slide Rogue One between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back for more backstory. If you watch the movies chronologically or follow the Rinster order, you can Rogue One after A New Hope look, but for The Empire Strikes Back watch if you want. Rogue One provides loads of context for the Death Star and the nature of the rebellion's motivation for the fight against the Imperium, which can enrich the viewing experience of The Empire Strikes Back. - The nature of the conflict between the rebels and the Imperium is a bit inexplicable in the original films. The Empire is simply considered evil and the rebellion is supposed to be good. Rogue One provides a lot of background on why these two factions are fighting each other in the first place.
Look at Rogue One and Solo prior to the original trilogy, for much more context. If you watch chronologically or with the Rinster method, you can choose to watch both optional films first. This reveals much of the backstory in the original trilogy, and watching these films first will not reveal any plot points or other things, as they are not necessary to understand the main story. - The actual sequence of these two movies doesn't matter if you watch them first.
Let The Phantom Menace to streamline the Rinster sequence. This method is commonly referred to as the "machete method" because it omits the first prequel movie, which many fans say is the weakest movie of all. This is a great choice if you want to streamline the story, since The Phantom Menace does not add much important information to the story and most of the events are of no relevance to the other films. - The Phantom Menace is visually interesting, but the story is often criticized as boring and stupid. But if you like action and cool set pieces, it's not a bad viewing experience.
Lastly, watch the prequels and pretend they're a flashback. Many diehard fans hate all of the prequels, opting to put them at the very end of the series to keep the tone, story and tempo of the original and sequel trilogy consistent. You can even choose not to watch them at all if you're not interested in them! Tip: Don't write off the prequels based on the opinions of others. There are people who really love these movies and you might be one of them. If you've never seen them, try The Phantom Menace then just turn it off after an hour or so if you don't find the movie catchy enough.
Tips
- If you like the popular animated series Clone Wars Also, watch right after episode two of the prequels, which is appropriately named The Clone Wars wear. This provides maximum context for Revenge of the Sith. This series runs for a total of six seasons, so make sure you have enough time to watch them all!
- The newer Disney movies are all available online via streaming. You have to rent the other films if you don't own them.
