All The Star Wars Movies In Order And Where To Watch Them
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One of the biggest franchises in pop culture is Star Wars, without a doubt. It's an expansive franchise that has stories within the worlds of TV, novels, comic books, video games, and most importantly, movies--and watching the movies in order can be a little confusing, especially since the franchise technically started with Part 4 of the main series.
The universe (or galaxy) made its debut in 1977, with Star Wars--later retitled Episode IV: A New Hope--quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon. The first (or fourth, for the film's canon) movie made $307 million domestically ($1.5 billion when adjusted for inflation). It introduced the world to the Jedi-in-training Luke Skywalker, the scoundrel Han Solo, the princess and freedom fighter Leia, R2D2 and C-3PO--two sassy droids--Darth Vader, and of course the furry monster with a heart of gold, Chewbacca.
The first film in the series was written and directed by George Lucas. And with Lucas's take on a science-fiction film that's very much inspired by sci-fi adventures of the past, the audience got to experience something special that went on to captivate people for generations. Each generation has Star Wars movies that speak to them, and whether you're a huge fan or not, it's cool to see a franchise with 12 films in the canon--along with three non-canon movies.
However, many people new to the world of Star Wars may not have a broader understanding of all the movies in the franchise and that it's more than just the films with "Episode" at the beginning of the name. And most importantly, people need to know where to watch all of these movies. So here's everything you need to know about these movies, along with the order they were released in. Don't worry, we also cover the movies in order of story timeline, too.
Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
Where to watch: Disney+
Kicking off the entire franchise was none other than the movie originally titled "Star Wars." This was way before "A New Hope" or "Episode IV" were added to the movie title. A New Hope follows Luke Skywalker, who is beginning to learn the ways of the Jedi and the Force, and he joins a group of rebels and droids, fighting against the evil Empire and their giant, planet-destroying ship called the Death Star. This film also introduces the iconic Force-using villain Darth Vader, who has become one of the most iconic villains of all time.
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Where to watch: Disney+
Three years after George Lucas debuted the sci-fi fantasy series to the world, the sequel came out. Many consider The Empire Strike Back to be the best film in main series. The sequel picks up a few years after the events of the last film. Luke continues his Jedi training, while the other Rebels--Leia, Han, Chewbacca, R2D2, and C-3PO--continue their fight against the Empire. We learn more about Luke's connection to Darth Vader (Vader is Luke's father, which we all know anyway). Additionally, it leaves many of the heroes in a place of turmoil.
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
Where to watch: Disney+
Closing out the original trilogy, Luke comes face-to-face with the Sith behind the Empire: Darth Vader's master, Emperor Palpatine. The rest of the Rebels join forces with the Ewoks to fight the Empire and to destroy the recently rebuilt Death Star, which continues to threaten to destroy other planets.
Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
Where to watch: Disney+
It had been 16 years since the last Star Wars movie. For years, the only thing that could get fans excited about the series were the novels, which expanded the Star Wars universe. Finally, in 1999, The Phantom Menace came out. It follows a very young Anakin Skywalker (who would become Darth Vader) on the planet Tatooine--where a chunk of A New Hope takes place. A Jedi Master wants to train Anakin in the ways of the Force, during a time where the Empire didn't exist and the Jedi were abundant. However, there's a growing war between the Galactic Republic and the Trade Federation.
Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Where to watch: Disney+
Various planets are trying to succeed from the Galactic Republic, forming the Separatists. In order to gain control, the Republic uses a bunch of clones to fight the Separatist army, which was organized by former Jedi Count Dooku. Additionally, an older Anakin Skywalker continues learning to become a Jedi, while trying to woo Padmé Amidala, a former queen-turned-senator that Anakin met as a child.
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Where to watch: Disney+
Continuing the battle between the Separatists and Republic, Anakin joins forces with Republic Chancellor Palpatine, who has an agenda of his own, which leads to the creation of the Empire and the execution of all the Jedi. Anakin and Amidala continue their love affair, and Amidala has twins: Leia and Luke. This is also the movie where we finally see Anakin Skywalker transition into his evil persona, Darth Vader.
The Clone Wars Movie (2008)
Where to watch: Disney+
If Attack of the Clones didn't give fans enough of a battle between robots and clones, The Clone Wars movie will. Taking place between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, The Clone Wars movie would also serve as the beginning of the spin-off TV series of the same name. It follows a Jedi-in-training Anakin Skywalker, his master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a group of clones trying to take down Count Dooku and the Separatist army. Anakin gets his own Padawan (Ahsoka), and the series gives viewers the actual Clone Wars they wanted to see.
Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Where to watch: Disney+
Although there was an animated series to give Star Wars something to chew on, it had been 10 years since the last installment in live-action films for the franchise. In The Force Awakens, a new cast of characters--loner Rey, former First Order Trooper Finn--join a resistance against The First Order, which rose from the ashes of the Empire. Of course, there are some familiar faces as well. Rey, the lead character of the film, also explores her connection to the Force. The First Order's Force had their own Force-user weilding a specialty lightsaber, and it just so happens that he's also the son of Han Solo and Leia. Also, there's a new Death Star, but it's a whole planet.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Where to watch: Disney+
Rogue One follows a new cast of characters who are part of the rebellion against the Empire, attempting to get the plans for the Death Star to the Rebels. It's the most directly connected spin-off film to the original series, with the end of Rogue One leading into the beginning of A New Hope. The movie's concepts and characters were so interesting that it led to the creation of the Disney+ series Andor.
Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
Where to watch: Disney+
Further expanding the story of Rey and friends, the movie takes place shortly after the previous one, where the planet-destroying Starkiller Base is no more. The connection between the First Order's Force-user Kylo Ren and his mother, Leia, is explored further, and the movie continues the story of Rey learning the ways of the Force and the battle between the Resistance and The First Order.
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Where to watch: Disney+
Solo is a collection of the titular character's greatest moments outside of the original trilogy, packed into one film. Throughout theStar Wars movies, Solo had lines that refer to his history, and Solo: A Star Wars Story expands on all of those lines. The movie follows Solo prior to A New Hope as you get to see him meet Chewbacca, go on a train heist, become the owner of the Millenium Falcon, meet the other love of his life, and somehow, fund the Rebellion.
Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Where to watch: Disney+
The final film in the sequel trilogy still follows Finn, Poe, and Rey as they continue the fight against The First Order, while Rey and Kylo Ren explore their connection to one another. Of course, there's a twist, and it's up to Rey and Kylo to restore order to the Force and the planets under the terror of The First Order.
Non-canon Star Wars Movies
The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
Where to watch: Nowhere official, but you can find it on YouTube
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984)
Where to watch: Disney+
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985)
Where to watch: Disney+
Not every Star Wars movie is part of the current Star Wars canon. Elements from the Star Wars Holiday Special have been weaved into Star Wars lore--like Boba Fett and Life Day--but most Star Wars fandom would like to pretend the special, as a whole, doesn't exist. It's very hard to watch.
There were also two Ewok movies that premiered on TV. Both of these movies followed the Ewoks on the moon of Endor, and of course, they have to help humans complete their hero's journey. While they may have been mildly entertaining at the time, the two Ewok movies do not hold up at all.
How to Watch the Star Wars Movies in Order of Story Timeline
As far as release dates for these movies go, as you can see above, the canonical timeline for these movies is all over the place. It starts with the original trilogy, jumps to the prequels, the sequels, and a few other films thrown in throughout.
Watching the movies according to release date doesn't give viewers the entire story of the galaxy in the correct timeline order. Below, you'll find the Star Wars movie timeline, if you want to see the linear progression of the Skywalker family lineage, along with how the galaxy's government started as working for the people and descended into fascism.
Star Wars movies timeline:
- Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
- The Clone Wars (2008)
- Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (2016)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2018)
- 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)