What is the best order to watch the films in the franchise?

With 11 films already released, including prequels, sequels and spin-offs, discover the orders created to marathon the titles and which one is the best!

A pop culture classic, the Star Wars film franchise, created by George Lucashas 11 feature films, to tell a story set a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, where there is a political war that involves the entire universe and is told through the epic journeys of characters such as the villain Darth Vader and the good guys Luke and Rey Skywalker.

The plots are divided into three trilogies and two spin-offs. Are they:

Original Trilogy

Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)

Prequel Trilogy

Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Sequel Trilogy

Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)
Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)
Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Anthologies

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Spin off

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Even though it has existed for almost 50 years, the cinematic saga carries a mystery that plagues even the oldest fans: what is the best order to watch all the films? The doubt echoes, as the titles were not released following a chronological line, since, initially, there was no certainty that new productions would be launched.

With the success of the first film, the sequels and prequels planned by George Lucas took shape and, with them, the first film in the classic trilogy was renamed “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope”, guiding the saga and ordering it chronologically by “episodic” numbers, as stated by the portal Olhar Digital.

Still, using the titles of the works as a guide is not the only way to follow the narrative, as over the years, several orders have been established taking into account different criteria, ranging from preserving twists to excluding plots ” Irrelevant.”

Discover 5 of them below:

1. RELEASE ORDER

For fans who wish to see the titles in the order they were released, it is necessary to keep in mind that the plot will feature some flashbacks and time jumps, as the first to hit theaters was “Episode IV” and the last “Episode IX”. Look:

Star Wars or 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)

2. CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF “STAR WARS”

This is the order for those who wish to follow the franchise in sequence over time, that is, following the order in which the events occurred.

The only problem with this way of watching TV titles Star Warsis that the plot twist that occurs in “Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” ends up being eliminated, since, here, the prequel trilogy, which gives context to this twist, must be watched first.

Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Star Wars or 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)

3. ERNST RISTER ORDER

Developed by a fan, the Ernst Rister order is considered by many to be the best order to watch LucasFilm’s science fiction franchise, as it preserves the plot twists and provides the necessary context to follow the plot from beginning to end, keeping the climax at the end of the third trilogy.

Star Wars or Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
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)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

4. MACHETE ORDER

Also thought up by a fan, the Machete order was developed by Rod Hilton, owner of the Machete Juggling blog. In this sequence, the same order as Ernst Rister is maintained, with the exception of “Episode I”, which was discarded here, because, as stated by hilton on its website, the film “is narratively irrelevant”.

Star Wars or Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
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)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

5. NEW ORDER?

Without a defined title, this order emerged after the release of the third trilogy and the arrival of the spin-off centered on Han Solo and the anthological plot. It appears as a mix of “Ernst Rister” and chronological, as it is necessary to start marathoning the titles with “Rogue One”, as the end of this film makes a direct connection with the beginning of “Episode IV: A New Hope”.

Furthermore, “Episode I” and “Han Solo” are not mandatory stops for fans, it is up to each one to choose whether or not to watch them.