Star Wars Movies In Order: How to Watch the Saga Chronologically

(Photo by Fox/ courtesy Everett Collection)

If you want to watch the Star Wars movies in chronological order, witnessing the separate rises of Anakin, Luke, and Rey as they unfolded in their timeline, we’ve ordered all the movies, and thrown in some bonus Mandalorian, in one complete list.

The Star Wars movies are spread across three trilogies, with spin-offs and side-stories filling in the universe’s mythic lore. First comes the prequel trilogy (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith), introducing prodigy Anakin Skywalker and his fall from Jedi light side to become Darth Vader. We’ve only listed live-action Star Wars movies and shows below, but you can wedge in 2008’s The Clone Wars between Attack and Revenge, which was followed up with its own, much better-received animated series.

Afterwards, it’s time to meet a certain space rogue in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Next in the timeline would be animated show Star Wars Rebels, but since we’re sticking with live-action, Rogue One becomes our destination, a movie whose story events lead directly into the original trilogy. We’ll see Luke Skywalker emerging from the desert, his hero’s journey against the Galactic Empire seen across A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Return of the Jedi. The infamous Star Wars Holiday Special, no longer canon, can be viewed between Hope and Empire if you’re into that kind of thing.

Additionally, two 1980s TV movies, Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (also both now uncanonized) have generally been placed as occurring before Return of the Jedi.

But that’s all that remains for strange satellite films within Star Wars: In 2014, a great disturbance was felt when the Lucasfilm Story Group rebooted the canon, preserving the main films and shows, and punting the associated TV movies, books, games, and comics into the “Star Wars Legends” category. That now leaves the reconstructive decades post-Return of the Jedi wide open for stories, with The Mandalorian the first to officially toss his helmet in.

Finally, we approach the sequel trilogy, as Rey (last name pending) takes on the Jedi mantle in The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker. Animated series Star Wars Resistance runs parallel across the three sequel-trilogy movies. Now see the full list of Star Wars movies in order below! (And for more guides, check out Star Wars movies ranked by Tomatometer.)

#12

Adjusted Score: 62.871%

Critics Consensus: Burdened by exposition and populated with stock characters, The Phantom Menace gets the Star Wars prequels off to a bumpy — albeit visually dazzling — start.

Synopsis: In 1977, George Lucas released Star Wars, the ultimate sci-fi popcorn flick-turned-pop-culture myth machine. It quickly became the biggest money-making… [More]

#11

Adjusted Score: 72.444%

Critics Consensus: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones benefits from an increased emphasis on thrilling action, although they’re once again undercut by ponderous plot points and underdeveloped characters.

Synopsis: The second prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy takes place ten years after the events depicted in Star Wars:… [More]

#10

Adjusted Score: 90.555%

Critics Consensus: With Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, George Lucas brings his second Star Wars trilogy to a suitably thrilling and often poignant — if still a bit uneven — conclusion.

Synopsis: George Lucas draws the Star Wars film series to a close with this dark sci-fi adventure which sets the stage… [More]

Adjusted Score: 90.069%

Critics Consensus: A flawed yet fun and fast-paced space adventure, Solo: A Star Wars Story should satisfy newcomers to the saga as well as longtime fans who check their expectations at the theater door.

Synopsis: Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away in Solo: A Star Wars Story, an all-new… [More]

Adjusted Score: 102.249%

Critics Consensus: Rogue One draws deep on Star Wars mythology while breaking new narrative and aesthetic ground — and suggesting a bright blockbuster future for the franchise.

Synopsis: From Lucasfilm comes the first of the Star Wars standalone films, «Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,» an all-new epic… [More]

Adjusted Score: 105.736%

Critics Consensus: A legendarily expansive and ambitious start to the sci-fi saga, George Lucas opened our eyes to the possibilities of blockbuster filmmaking and things have never been the same.

Synopsis: Nineteen years after the formation of the Empire, Luke Skywalker is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance when… [More]

Adjusted Score: 103.693%

Critics Consensus: Dark, sinister, but ultimately even more involving than A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back defies viewer expectations and takes the series to heightened emotional levels.

Synopsis: The second entry in George Lucas’ Star Wars trilogy finds Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the green-as-grass hero from the first… [More]

Adjusted Score: 90.796%

Critics Consensus: Though failing to reach the cinematic heights of its predecessors, Return of the Jedi remains an entertaining sci-fi adventure and a fitting end to the classic trilogy.

Synopsis: In the epic conclusion of the saga, the Empire prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star… [More]

Synopsis: After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. «The Mandalorian» is… [More]

Adjusted Score: 109.541%

Critics Consensus: Packed with action and populated by both familiar faces and fresh blood, The Force Awakens successfully recalls the series’ former glory while injecting it with renewed energy.

Synopsis: In this thrilling continuation of the epic space opera, ex-stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), scrappy desert dweller Rey (Daisy Ridley), and… [More]

Adjusted Score: 110.73%

Critics Consensus: Star Wars: The Last Jedi honors the saga’s rich legacy while adding some surprising twists — and delivering all the emotion-rich action fans could hope for.

Synopsis: In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the… [More]

Adjusted Score: 73.391%

Critics Consensus: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker suffers from a frustrating lack of imagination, but concludes this beloved saga with fan-focused devotion.

Synopsis: The battle between the Jedi and the Sith comes to a thrilling conclusion in this final chapter of the Skywalker… [More]

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Rotten Tomatoes