Star Wars films in order: Here are ALL the Star Wars movies in watching order

The following timeline of Star Wars movies focuses on the major motion pictures only, not the animated series, novels, or other iterations.

It is worth flagging up that within the movie-canon, certain key characters were up to devious things in between films.

We’ll be sure to point them out so you won’t miss out on the best moments.

This order is chronological within the timeline of the Star Wars universe, not their release date.

The Phantom Menace: Episode I – 1999

The first of the prequels, though not the first released, The Phantom Menace introduced Star Wars fans to Anakin Skywalker.

Fans, however, were already aware of Anakin’s fate, as The Phantom Menace was released two decades after the original trilogy.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, as well as everyone’s favourite droid pairing C-3PO and R2-D2, appeared in The Phantom Menace for the first time chronologically.

The Battle of Naboo takes place in this movie, and Darth Maul is killed by Obi-Wan in the Battle of Naboo. Or was he?

Attack of the Clones: Episode II – 2002

Hayden Christensen played Anakin as a young man, with Padmé still played by Natalie Portman somehow making their age gap seem smaller.

The second Star Wars prequel was mostly a plot device (as are plenty of sophomore movies in a trilogy) to set up a war which would turn Anakin to the dark side.

Attack of the Clones also features the wedding of Anakin and Padmé and introduced audiences to Boba Fett.

Revenge of the Sith: Episode III – 2005

The final chapter in creating Darth Vader, Revenge of the Sith is the culmination of two long, CGI-reliant films.

Thanks to Palpatine’s masterful manipulation, Obi-Wan’s near-execution of his former student, and Padmé’s death in childbirth Darth Vader is born.

Before she dies, Padmé names her children Luke and Leia to prevent Vader from being able to find them.

Leia is adopted by Bail Organa, Luke is taken to his step-uncle on Tattooine, and the Sith begin production on the Death Star.

Until 2016, this led directly into the first ever Star Wars movie (A New Hope) but now we have two intermittent films to explain some backstory of the original trilogy.

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Solo: A Star Wars Story – 2018

The relative flop, Solo: A Star Wars story is the most recent film added to the movie canon but not the most loved.

The spinoff focusses on how Han Solo became Han Solo (spoiler alert: his naming wasn’t very exciting).

But most excitingly, Solo sees the surprise cameo of Maul who was presumed dead during Phantom Menace.

Turns out, Maul survived and regained his power during the intervening years covered by the animated Clone Wars series.

Solo sees the gang getting together (the gang being Han and Chewy, and Lando sort of).

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – 2016

Rogue One is the prequel everyone wanted, bringing the heroes who allowed Leia to become who she was meant to be, a hero in her own right.

Starring Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), Rogue One follows a band of rebels on a mission to capture the plans for the Death Star.

Rogue One is essentially an expansion of A New Hope’s opening crawl.

It was well received by fans and perhaps seems even better in comparison to Solo.

Unfortunately, Jyn, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), and the rest of her band of rebels are blown to bits.

But we know better, and in a scene starring a young CGI-ed Leia we see the fruits of Jyn’s labour borne.

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A New Hope: Episode IV – 1977

The first ever Star Wars movie.

Leia Organa is on the scene with the stolen blueprints for the Death Star.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is in exile and Luke is relegated to a dustbowl planet with an aunt and uncle who just don’t get him.

Inter-generational fans have fallen for Luke, Leia, Han, Chewy, C3P0, and R2D2 in their original iteration.

They mourned the death of Obi-Wan at the robotic hand of Darth Vader (sorry, Ewan McGregor).

But all was not lost, and the end of A New Hope saw the Death Star destroyed and the Jedi starting anew (the title makes sense now, doesn’t it?)

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The Empire Strikes Back: Episode V – 1980

Now known for having the single biggest reveal in cinematic history, The Empire Strikes Back is the only movie which is better viewed by release date order.

However, if you don’t know Darth Vader is Luke’s father, you’ve been living in a galaxy exceedingly far away.

Its a far darker film than A New Hope, featuring the scene The Revenant ripped off – Han cutting open a Tauntaun so he and Luke could shelter inside its carcase.

In what can either be described as foreshadowing or cyclical fate, depending on the order in which you watch the movies, Darth Vader cuts off Luke’s hand, before uttering the most famous line in movie history: I am your father.

Not “Luke, I am your father” as time and faded memories have led us to believe.

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Return of the Jedi: Episode VI – 1983

Plenty more reveals were in store for Star Wars fans.

Luke revealed to Leia that they’re twins, Vader is their father, and he (Luke) wants to confront him.

This confrontation ends in Luke does cutting off Vader’s robotic right hand and one of cinemas greatest redemption scenes.

Emperor Palpatine tries to kill Luke, Vader interrupts and rescues his son, but dies in the process.

They all live happily ever after. Or do they? (Spoiler alert: no, because this is Star Wars.)

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The Force Awakens: Episode VII – 2015

In the time after the prequels when all hope for the Star Wars galaxy was lost, a new Jedi hero was in the making on Jakku.

Rey, the protagonist of The Force Awakens, meets Finn a stormtrooper who defected with the assistance of resistance pilot Poe.

But Finn’s rescue mission leads to Poe’s presumed death, which you apparently cannot presume anymore about anyone in Star Wars.

While thematically similar to A New Hope, The Force Awakens introduced a whole new world of fans to Star Wars, including plenty of young women waiting for a heroine in the Star Wars universe.

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The Last Jedi: Episode VIII – 2017

Helmed by Rian Johnson, The Last Jedi picks up in the exact moments The Force Awakens left off.

Rey handed Luke his lightsaber. Luke takes it and then throws it over his shoulder into the sea.

This was just one of the moments which inspired a slew of backlash from a certain set of fans.

Regardless, The Last Jedi was a success and critically acclaimed.

The final scene is not of Rey and the rebels, but of a small child using the force to grab a broom as he stares out into space which has led to a whole slew of theories.

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Episode IX:

The as of yet untitled final chapter of the contemporary trilogy is on the forefront of everyone’s mind.

With a cast list featuring Billy Dee Williams reprising his role as Lando, Mark Hamill in an unidentified role (force ghost? Hallucination? Flashback?) and Carrie Fisher by way of previously unused film footage.

Star Wars: Episode 9 is in cinemas December 19, 2019.