Star Wars Watch Order: Release, Chronological & Machete

The best Star Wars watch order depends on you. For first-timers, use release order (IV, V, VI, then I, II, III, then VII, VIII, IX) to protect the biggest twist. For story flow, use chronological order. And the clever alternative, Machete order, drops Episode I entirely. All three are laid out below.

Which Star Wars watch order is best?

There is no single right answer, which is exactly why fans argue about it. Each order optimizes for a different thing. Release order preserves the surprises the films were built around. Chronological order gives you a clean timeline but spoils the saga’s most famous reveal in advance. Machete order is a fan-designed compromise that tries to get the best of both. Here is the quick comparison, then the details.

What is the Star Wars release order?

Release order is how the world first experienced the saga, and for a reason it remains the top recommendation for anyone watching for the first time. You start with the original trilogy, made in 1977 to 1983, then the prequels from 1999 to 2005, then the sequels from 2015 to 2019.

1. Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
2. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
3. Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
4. Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
5. Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
6. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
7. Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
8. Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
9. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

The huge advantage here is spoiler protection. The most famous line in film history, delivered in The Empire Strikes Back, only works if you do not already know the family tree. Watch chronologically and Revenge of the Sith tells you everything three films early. Release order also lets you feel the prequels as a “how did we get here” prequel rather than a slow start.

What is the Star Wars chronological order?

Chronological order follows the in-universe timeline, from the fall of the Republic through the rise and fall of the Empire to the war with the First Order. It is the cleanest for continuity and a great choice for a rewatch, once you already know the twists.

1. Episode I: The Phantom Menace
2. Episode II: Attack of the Clones
3. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
4. Solo: A Star Wars Story
5. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
6. Episode IV: A New Hope
7. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
8. Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
9. Episode VII: The Force Awakens
10. Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
11. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Note where the two standalone films fall: Solo takes place years before the original trilogy, and Rogue One slots in immediately before A New Hope, ending literally minutes before the 1977 film begins. Watching Rogue One right before A New Hope is one of the great one-two punches in the whole franchise. The only real downside of chronological order is the spoiler problem, so we only recommend it to people who already know how the story ends.

How does Machete order work?

Machete order was proposed by Rod Hilton in 2011, and it is the thinking-fan’s answer. It watches IV, V, then II, III, then VI, treating the prequels as a flashback that lands right after the big Empire reveal. The genius is that it preserves that twist, then uses Episodes II and III to explain the tragedy behind it, before returning to Return of the Jedi for the emotional payoff.

1. Episode IV: A New Hope
2. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
3. Episode II: Attack of the Clones
4. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
5. Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
6. Episode VII: The Force Awakens
7. Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
8. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

The most talked-about move is cutting Episode I: The Phantom Menace entirely. Hilton’s argument is that almost nothing in Phantom Menace matters to the main Skywalker story, so dropping it tightens the narrative without losing anything essential. Whether you agree depends on how you feel about pod racing and young Anakin, but as a storytelling experiment Machete order genuinely works, and many fans swear it is the best way to introduce someone to the saga.

Where do the spin-offs and shows go?

If you want the anthology films in your marathon, add Solo and Rogue One in the chronological spots noted above. Beyond the movies, the live-action shows (The Mandalorian, Andor, Ahsoka and more) mostly sit in the era between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, with Andor serving as a direct lead-in to Rogue One. For a pure film watch order, though, the three options above are all you need, and adding shows is best saved for after you have seen the core nine episodes.

What are the common mistakes people make with the watch order?

The biggest one is defaulting to chronological order for a first-timer because it “makes sense.” It does make sense, and that is the problem: it hands you every twist up front. A newcomer who starts with The Phantom Menace meets Anakin as a child and watches his fall in Revenge of the Sith before ever seeing the original trilogy, which turns the saga’s greatest reveal into old news. Save chronological order for your second run.

Another mistake is trying to fold in every animated series and spin-off on a first watch. The Clone Wars, Rebels, and the live-action shows are wonderful, but stacking them into your first marathon turns a fun weekend into a 200-hour commitment and buries the core story under side quests. Watch the films first, decide what you love, then dive into the shows set in that era. Finally, do not skip the original trilogy’s tone just because the effects are older; those 1977 to 1983 films are still the emotional and narrative backbone of everything else.

How do the animated films and series fit in?

Beyond the eleven live-action theatrical films, there is one more movie worth flagging: the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), which served as a pilot for the long-running animated series of the same name. In strict chronological order it sits between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. It is genuinely optional for a film-only run, but if you fall for the prequel era, the Clone Wars series is widely considered some of the best Star Wars storytelling in any format. The live-action shows, meanwhile, cluster in the years after Return of the Jedi, with Andor standing out as essential viewing that flows directly into Rogue One. None of this is required for a first watch; it is the reward for wanting more once the films hook you.

So which should you pick?

If you have never seen a single Star Wars film, go with release order and enjoy the twist the way audiences did in 1980. If you know the saga and want a satisfying re-watch, try Machete order for its clever structure, or chronological order for straightforward continuity. There is no wrong choice, only the one that fits your mood.

For more untangled franchises, our MCU watch order handles an even bigger web of films and shows, and if you are building a streaming queue, our picks for the best sci-fi shows to stream and the best sci-fi movies on Netflix are good next stops. Explore the sci-fi hub or head back to WorldGeek.