Star Wars Movies in Release Order
The original trilogy began with Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope in 1977, followed by The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). The prequel trilogy started with The Phantom Menace (1999), followed by Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005). The sequel trilogy began with The Force Awakens (2015), followed by The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
Standalone Films in Release Order
In between the main saga episodes, Lucasfilm released standalone stories. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story premiered in 2016, followed by Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018. Both films explore side stories tied to the main saga timeline.
Why Watch Star Wars in Release Order
Watching the films in the order they came out preserves the original audience experience and reveals how the franchise expanded over decades. Release order also keeps the pacing and tone consistent with how each movie was first received. For additional context on the timeline, you can refer to the official Star Wars timeline.
