Star Wars Movies In Order To Watch For The First Time
By Sanju Tamang | On 22 May 2023 10:05 AM
Star Wars movies in order to watch for the first time are Star Wars Episode I (1999), Star Wars Episode II (2002), and so on.
The American epic space opera multimedia franchise began with the eponymous 1977 film created by George Lucas and swiftly became a pop culture phenomenon worldwide.
Over the years, the franchise has been expanded into various other films and media, including video games, novels, comic books, themed areas, theme park attractions, and television series.
Star Wars is among the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
With nine mainline films, two epic spin-offs, and a host of Disney+ shows to consider, wondering what order you should watch the franchise can seem like an impossible task.
The Star Wars order gets tricky with TV shows like The Mandalorian, Clone Wars, The Book of Boba Fett, and Rebels.
The three considered the best in delivering the Skywalker story is the order of production (release date), episode (chronological), and the Godfather cut. There are pros and cons to all of these.
Star Wars Movies In Different Orders
Star Wars movies in order to watch for the first time are in chronological order. The order starts with The Phantom Menace with the last one being The Rise of Skywalker.
The most common order to watch the franchise is either the release date and timeline order. The Machete order that cuts The Phantom Menace is also popular.
There are several options to watch the Star Wars movies and shows in order. Some claim there are five different orders, but there are a few widely accepted preferred ways.
It's, in fact, one of its best experiences, offering multiple methods having been spawned through decades, from the popular Godfather order to the Machere and Rinster orders.
Fans also consider watching the saga in order of quality, with more widely accepted ways of watching them in accordance with their release date and timeline order, which is likely the safest bet.
Star Wars movies in order of release date
- Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
- Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Episode VII -The Force Awakens (2015)
- Rogue One - A Star Wars Story (2016)
- Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
- Solo - A Star Wars Story (2018)
- Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Star Wars movies in the timeline order
- Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Star Wars - The Clone Wars (2008)
- Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Solo - A Star Wars Story (2018)
- Rogue One - A Star Wars Story (2016)
- Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
- Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
- Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
- Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019
Watching the Star Wars movies in release order is fun, but breaking down the series sequentially elevates your viewing experience, helping you appreciate the saga on a whole new level.
The chronological order sets the films in a real timeline so viewers can watch the story as it unfolds for the characters.
Every hardcore Star Wars fan must watch the movies chronologically at least once. It is also considered the best way for fans watching the franchise for the first time.
So, here we list an easy-to-follow breakdown of all the Star Wars movies in chronological timeline order.
Episode I - The Phantom Menace
- Release Date: May 19, 1999
- IMDb rating: 6.5
- Star Wars timeline: Fall of the Jedi
- Main Casts: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Jake Lloyd, Natalie Portman, Ahmed Best
- Where to watch: Disney+
Episode II - Attack of the Clones
- Release Date: May 16, 2002
- IMDb rating: 6.6
- Star Wars timeline: Fall of the Jedi
- Main Casts: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Ian McDiarmid
- Where to watch: Disney+
Star Wars - The Clone Wars
- Release Date: August 15, 2008
- IMDb rating: 5.9
- Star Wars timeline: Fall of the Jedi
- Main Casts: Matt Lanter, Ashley Eckstein, James Arnold Taylor, Catherine Taber, Tom Kane
- Where to watch: Disney+
Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
- Release Date: May 19, 2005
- IMDb rating: 7.6
- Star Wars timeline: Fall of the Jedi
- Main Casts: McGregor, Portman, Christensen, Diarmid, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker
- Where to watch: Disney+
Solo - A Star Wars Story
- Release Date: May 25, 2018
- IMDb rating: 6.9
- Star Wars timeline: Reign of the Empire
- Main Casts: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Phoebe Waller-Bridge
- Where to watch: Disney+, TNT, TBS, DIRECTV, tru TV
Rogue One - A Star Wars Story
- Release Date: December 16, 2016
- IMDb rating: 7.8
- Star Wars timeline: Reign of the Empire
- Main Casts: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelson, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed
- Where to watch: Disney+, TNT, TBS, DIRECTV, tru TV
Episode IV - A New Hope
- Release Date: May 25, 1977
- IMDb rating: 8.6
- Star Wars timeline: Age of the Rebellion
- Main Casts: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Peter Cushing, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, David Prowse
- Where to watch: Disney+
Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
- Release Date: May 21, 1980
- IMDb rating: 8.7
- Star Wars timeline: Age of the Rebellion
- Main Casts: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels
- Where to watch: Disney+
Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
- Release Date: May 25, 1983
- IMDb rating: 8.3
- Star Wars timeline: Age of the Rebellion
- Main Casts: Hamill, Ford, Fisher, Dee Williams, Daniels, Prowse, Baker, Peter Mayhew, Frank Oz
- Where to watch: Disney+
Episode VII - The Force Awakens
- Release Date: December 18, 2015
- IMDb rating: 7.8
- Star Wars timeline: The Rise of the First Order
- Main Casts: Ford, Hamill, Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis
- Where to watch: Disney+, DIRECTV, TNT, TBS, tru TV, Sling Tv Orange and Blue
Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
- Release Date: December 15, 2017
- IMDb rating: 6.9
- Star Wars timeline: The Rise of the First Order
- Main Casts: Hamill, Fisher, Driver, Ridley, Boyega, Isaac, Serkis
- Where to watch: Disney+
Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
- Release Date: December 20, 2019
- IMDb rating: 6.5
- Star Wars timeline: The Rise of the First Order
- Main Casts: Fisher, Hamill, Driver, Ridley, Boyega, Isaac, Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson
- Where to watch: Disney+
Recent posts
Movies
Movies
13 Steps Movie 2023 Release Date and Plot Review
13 Steps Movie 2023 release date is September 2023. The horror movie will air on HorrorHaus Film Festival in the fall. Directed by David Lawrence, Thi13teen Steps is based on the urban legend The Staircase Ritual. It follows the woman who conducts a...
Movies
Where Was Love In The Great Smoky Mountains Filmed?
Love in the Great Smoky Mountains was filmed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Fall Creek Falls State Park and Knoxville in 2023. The hallmark channel is all set to release yet another romantic movie this year. This movie is perfect to wat...
Movies
The Pass Movie 2023 Todd Tucker Release Date and Cast
The Pass movie 2023 Todd Tucker release date is August 27, 2023. The Pass marks the first film of Todd Tucker in collaboration with his wife. Believe it or not, The Real Housewives of Atlanta (RHOA) star Tucker is indeed following through with his c...
Movies
A Taste Of Betrayal Tubi Cast and Release Date 2023
A Taste of Betrayal Tubi Cast includes Danielle LaRoach, Nakesh Njie in lead roles. The release date is August 30, 2023. Directed by Ty Johnston, A Taste of Betrayal is a thriller movie about how a wife takes revenge on her husband. Ty Johnst...
Movies
The Folks Movie Ending Explained and 2022 Summary
The Folks movie ending reveals Kate's purpose of hiring her patients as Mary family. The Tubi movie stars Davina Reeves and Sasha Makarova. This psychological horror movie includes lots of twists and turns. After Mary lost her husband, Alexander, hi...
Movies
Brotherly Love 2 Movie Release Date and Similar Movies
Brotherly Love 2 movie release date hasn't yet been revealed as there is no sequel to the original movie announced. The first movie was released in 2015. Executive produced by Queen Latifah, the film was distributed by Freestyle Releasing and had a ...
