Star Wars Movies in Order: Complete Watch Guide Plus Spinoffs

Looking for the correct Star Wars movies in order? Here’s the short version: release order and chronological (story) order are not the same, and that’s the single most confusing thing about this franchise. George Lucas built the saga backward — starting with Episodes IV-VI in 1977 before circling back to tell Episodes I-III decades later — so watching by release date means jumping around the in-universe timeline.

Star Wars is the highest-grossing media franchise in history, created by George Lucas, and has won 23 Academy Awards while reshaping blockbuster filmmaking and pop culture for nearly 50 years. Whether you want the classic theatrical experience or the “proper” chronological journey, here’s every way to watch it, starting with the quick-answer table below.

Quick Answer: Star Wars Movies in Order

Most fans recommend release order for newcomers — it’s how Lucas designed the twists to land — while chronological order (I-VI-VII, weaving in Rogue One and Solo) plays more like a straight historical epic.

Star Wars Movies in Order: The Complete Watch Guide

1. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

A farm boy named Luke Skywalker gets swept into a galactic rebellion after two droids literally crash-land in his life carrying a stolen set of plans. A New Hope was shot on a modest budget with then-unproven special effects technology that George Lucas’s team had to invent from scratch, including motion-control cameras. It became a cultural phenomenon almost overnight. The story sets up the entire saga’s central conflict between the Rebellion and the Empire, leading straight into a much darker sequel.

2. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Widely regarded as the franchise’s creative peak, Empire finds the Rebellion scattered and Luke beginning his Jedi training under a diminutive green master. The film’s most famous twist was kept secret even from most of the cast, with Mark Hamill reportedly not learning the reveal until the day it was filmed. It ends on a genuine cliffhanger, leaving Han Solo’s fate and Luke’s next steps unresolved heading into the trilogy’s finale.

3. Return of the Jedi (1983)

The original trilogy wraps up with a rescue mission, a forest-moon battle, and Luke’s final confrontation with his father and the Emperor. Industrial Light & Magic pushed puppetry and practical effects to their limit here, particularly with Jabba the Hutt’s elaborate creature design. It’s a satisfying close to the Skywalker family’s first arc — though the story would jump backward in time for the next three films.

4. The Phantom Menace (1999)

Sixteen years after Jedi, Lucas returned to show audiences how it all began, introducing a young Anakin Skywalker as a gifted slave-boy pilot on Tatooine. The Phantom Menace was a landmark for visual effects, using groundbreaking amounts of CGI compared to the original trilogy. It’s the most divisive entry among longtime fans, but it plants the seeds — political corruption, a hidden Sith Lord — that grow across the entire prequel arc.

5. Attack of the Clones (2002)

A decade later, Anakin is a young Jedi apprentice whose forbidden romance with Padmé Amidala unfolds alongside a galaxy sliding toward war. This was the first major studio film shot entirely on digital cameras, a technical gamble that changed how blockbusters would be made going forward. The film ends with the Clone Wars officially breaking out, setting the stage for the trilogy’s tragic finale.

6. Revenge of the Sith (2005)

The darkest prequel chronicles Anakin’s fall to the dark side and the fall of the Jedi Order itself. Lucas reportedly drew heavily on Greek tragedy and the biography of Napoleon while writing Anakin’s descent. It’s the emotional bridge connecting the prequels directly to the opening moments of A New Hope, closing the loop Lucas started in 1977.

7. The Force Awakens (2015)

Disney’s first Star Wars film picks up decades after Return of the Jedi, introducing scavenger Rey and disillusioned stormtrooper Finn amid a new galactic threat. J.J. Abrams deliberately leaned on practical effects and location shooting to recapture the original trilogy’s tactile feel. The film reintroduces beloved legacy characters while launching a new generation, setting up two more sequel films.

8. Rogue One (2016)

The franchise’s first true spinoff follows a ragtag group of rebels on a desperate mission to steal the Death Star plans — the very plans that kick off A New Hope. Director Gareth Edwards shot the ending with a famously bold, unconventional approach for a franchise blockbuster. It’s a standalone story that plugs directly into the original film’s opening minutes.

9. The Last Jedi (2017)

Rey seeks out a self-exiled Luke Skywalker while the Resistance is hunted across the galaxy. Writer-director Rian Johnson took the trilogy in an intentionally subversive direction, which made this the most polarizing entry in the sequel era. It leaves major character relationships and the war’s outcome wide open heading into the trilogy’s conclusion.

10. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

A prequel to the prequels, this one traces a young Han Solo’s early years as a smuggler, years before he ever meets Luke or Obi-Wan. The production famously changed directors mid-shoot, with Ron Howard brought in to finish the film. It’s a lower-stakes side story that doesn’t require prior context, filling in Han’s backstory for A New Hope.

11. The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

The Skywalker Saga’s finale brings Rey, Kylo Ren, and the returning Emperor Palpatine into a climactic final battle. The film faced a compressed production schedule after a late director change following The Last Jedi. It closes out 42 years of Skywalker-family storytelling and was, until 2026, the last Star Wars film in theaters.

12. The Mandalorian & Grogu (2026)

Set after the fall of the Empire, this film brings bounty hunter Din Djarin and his small green companion to the big screen for the first time after three Disney+ seasons together. Directed by series creator Jon Favreau, it ends a seven-year theatrical drought for the franchise. It’s designed as a soft entry point into the post-Skywalker era and reportedly leads into Lucasfilm’s next wave of feature films.

Do You Need to Watch the Original Trilogy Before The Mandalorian & Grogu?

No — but it helps. The Mandalorian & Grogu is built to work for newcomers who only know the character from trailers or memes, and it doesn’t require prequel or sequel-trilogy knowledge. That said, understanding the fall of the Empire (Episodes IV-VI) gives the post-war setting real weight.

Minimum viable watch order:

• A New Hope (1977)
• The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
• Return of the Jedi (1983)
• The Mandalorian & Grogu (2026)

How Many Star Wars Movies Are There?

As of 2026, there are 12 live-action theatrical Star Wars films, spanning the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy, the sequel trilogy, and two standalone anthology films (Rogue One and Solo), plus the newly added Mandalorian & Grogu.

All Star Wars Movies in Order by Release Date

1. Star Wars: A New Hope — May 25, 1977
2. The Empire Strikes Back — May 21, 1980
3. Return of the Jedi — May 25, 1983
4. The Phantom Menace — May 19, 1999
5. Attack of the Clones — May 16, 2002
6. Revenge of the Sith — May 19, 2005
7. The Force Awakens — December 18, 2015
8. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — December 16, 2016
9. The Last Jedi — December 15, 2017
10. Solo: A Star Wars Story — May 25, 2018
11. The Rise of Skywalker — December 20, 2019
12. The Mandalorian & Grogu — May 22, 2026

Animated series:

1. Droids — September 7, 1985—November 30, 1985

2. Ewoks — September 7, 1985—December 13, 1986

3. The Clone Wars — October 3, 2008—May 4, 2020

4. Rebels — October 3, 2014—March 5, 2018

5. Resistance — October 7, 2018—January 26, 2020

6. The Bad Batch — May 4, 2021—March 29, 2023

7. Visions — September 22, 202—May 4, 2023

8. Tales of the Jedi — October 26, 2022

9. Young Jedi Adventures — May 4, 2023

What’s Next for the Franchise?

Star Wars is officially back on the big screen, and the slate beyond 2026 is starting to take shape — though most projects remain unconfirmed on release dates. Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, is locked in for May 28, 2027. Described as a standalone story rather than a direct sequel, it’s set several years after The Rise of Skywalker and follows a new pilot navigating the post-war galaxy.

Beyond that, Lucasfilm has confirmed films in development from directors Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and James Mangold, along with a possible Dave Filoni project tying together the “Mandoverse” era. None of these have locked release dates yet, and given the franchise’s history of shifting timelines, treat any date beyond 2027 as speculative until Lucasfilm confirms it.

FAQ

Should I watch Star Wars in release order or chronological order?
Release order (IV-V-VI, then I-III, then VII-IX) is the most commonly recommended way to experience the twists as intended. Chronological order (I-VI, weaving in Rogue One and Solo) plays more like a linear historical saga but spoils several major reveals early.

What order should I watch Star Wars movies in for the first time?
Start with the original trilogy (A New Hope, Empire, Jedi), since that’s how the saga’s biggest twists were designed to land, then move to the prequels and sequels.

Do I need to watch Solo or Rogue One?
No — both are optional standalone stories. Rogue One adds context right before A New Hope, while Solo is a lower-stakes side story you can skip without losing the main saga’s thread.

Is The Mandalorian required viewing before The Mandalorian & Grogu?
It’s not strictly required, but watching the three seasons of The Mandalorian will deepen your understanding of Din Djarin and Grogu’s relationship and the state of the post-Empire galaxy.

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May the Force be with you — however you choose to press play. However you decide to watch the Star Wars movies in order, this guide has you covered from 1977 all the way to 2027.

Related: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Space Opera, Fantasy