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How to Watch Star Wars in Order (Chronological, Release & Where to Stream) – Updated 2026

All you need to know to watch all of Star Wars, in both chronological and release order

Additional contributions by Lauren Sisselman, Avery Kaplan

Published on Fri Apr 24 2026

With The Mandalorian & Grogu, Star Wars returns to movie theaters this May. Our complete Star Wars watch order breaks down every movie and Disney+ series into release order, chronological order, and a streamlined order focused on the Skywalker Saga.

(Updated April 2026.)

Complete Star Wars saga (movies and Disney+ shows) in release order

The above is a mix of TV shows and movies, presenting all of the canonical, on-screen Star Wars to date. (We’ll get to why “canonical” and “on-screen” matter soon.) If you’re looking for just the primary storylines, however, you can stick to the movies.

You might have noticed that the above list jumps from episode 3 to episode 7 — it’s because the first three movies are actually episodes 4-6, and the entire series was released out of order by design. If you want to watch the series in the order in which the story happens, then…

Star Wars movies in chronological order

Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
Episode 2: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
A New Hope (Originally titled, simply, Star Wars)
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu
Episode 7: The Force Awakens
Episode 8: The Last Jedi
Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker

Of course, if you’re looking to add in all of the ancillary stories from the various TV shows, then the list looks something like this:

How to watch the complete Star Wars saga in chronological order

Star Wars FAQs

Are there Star Wars stories outside of canon?

Yes, there are — and many of them. The first spin-off movies and TV shows from the core Star Wars movie series are currently canonical, with Lucasfilm announcing in 2014 that everything outside of the theatrical movies were considered non-canonical. Since then, every on-screen project has been part of the official canon with two exceptions: Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge, a game show, and Star Wars: Visions, an animated anthology in which outside studios and animators are invited to reimagine Star Wars.

If you’re looking for a watch order for the non-canonical Star Wars stories, here it is:

The Star Wars Holiday Special
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
Star Wars: Ewoks
Star Wars: Droids
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (miniseries)
Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge
Star Wars: Visions

What is Star Wars Vintage: The Story of the Faithful Wookiee?

The nine-minute Star Wars Vintage: The Story of the Faithful Wookiee originally debuted as part of The Star Wars Holiday Special in 1978. While the rest of the Holiday Special has been banished to the void by Lucasfilm, this short has been rescued for historical significance — namely, that it features the first-ever appearance of Boba Fett. Given its now-official title, it is available to stream on Disney+.

Is Star Wars still a trilogy?

No — with 11 movies released as of writing, Star Wars is too long to be considered a trilogy. Despite that, Star Wars is, in terms of the Skywalker Saga, a story of trilogies. The original trilogy of movies consisted of Episodes 4 through 6, with the so-called “Prequel Trilogy” making up (of course) Episodes 1-3. When the franchise was resurrected as a movie property, fans were then given the sequel trilogy, made up of Episodes 7-9… in effect creating a trilogy of trilogies. So, is Star Wars still a trilogy? The technical answer is of course not — when you factor in the “Star Wars Saga” movies, there are 11 movies, not to mention the various TV projects — but, in an odd thematic sense, it’s actually more of a trilogy than might immediately seem apparent.

What is the Skywalker Saga?

The Skywalker Saga is the name retroactively given to the core series of Star Wars movies — the movies that have episode numbers at the start of each movie: The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker. It’s a name that underscores the familial storyline at the center of this arc, and the fact that one family in particular seems to be at the root of the entire war in all of its forms.

With the creation of shows like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Andor, the scope of Star Wars as a franchise started to expand beyond the core adventures of the Skywalker family and those they’d interacted with directly; creating the umbrella name The Skywalker Saga to denote that first core storyline helps differentiate it from other stories being told in the same galaxy.

How to watch the Skywalker Saga in release order

A New Hope (Originally titled, simply, Star Wars) (1977)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Return of the Jedi (1983)
Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (1999)
Episode 2: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Episode 7: The Force Awakens (2015)
Episode 8: The Last Jedi (2017)
Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

What was Star Wars called in 1977?

For a generation of fans, the movie that is now known as ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope’ was, simply, Star Wars. The initial release(s) of the first movie in the series didn’t include the episode title in the movie’s name, That was only officially added when the movie was re-released in its Special Edition format in 1997 — one of the many changes made to the movie at the time, somewhat controversially.

Why are the Star Wars movies out of order?

It's a good question - and one Star Wars creator George Lucas wanted you to have. Early on he planned on starting from the beginning, but as the first Star Wars movie developed he had the idea of starting midway though this overarching plans, and even dubbed the first Star Wars movie 'Episode 4' the year it was released. Before the age of prequels in movies, Star Wars' George Lucas set up their very conceit - alluding, and sometimes promising - to go back to tell what led to the events that you were watching at the time.

Is it better to start with Star Wars Episode 4 or Episode 1?

The question of just where to start with Star Wars movies comes down to whether you’re watching in chronological or release order. If it’s the former, then you start with Episode 1, of course. If it’s the latter, then Episode 4, which was simply titled Star Wars during its 1977 theatrical release. (It was, however, always intended to be “episode 4” of a serial that might have been somewhat theoretical at time of production.)

Which is “better” to start with is a matter of taste, but as noted upthread, watching the series in release order means that some of the big dramatic reveals in the series — specifically regarding the parentage of some key characters — only really work if the series is watched in its original release order. That said, watching in chronological order does allow for some other mysteries to unfold in a somewhat clearer, less obvious fashion, if you don’t know exactly what’s about to happen by the end of the whole thing.

Personal preference for me means that it’s best watched in chronological order, but… do what feels right to you, ultimately.

What to watch after The Mandalorian?

Star Wars' The Mandalorian revolutionized the franchise in a way no other release had since 1977, but in that it revealed big shoes for any other Star Wars project to fill. It succeeded, eventually spinning out new shows like The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka. (We have a complete watch order to the Mandoverse right here.) Eventually, the show made the jump back to the big screen to relaunch Star Wars as a movie franchise, with The Mandalorian and Grogu set to reach theaters May 22, 2026.

Where can I watch Star Wars?

All of the canonical Star Wars movies and TV shows are available to stream on Disney+ with the sole exception of Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu, which will be released in theaters May 22, 2026. Additionally, all of the non-canonical Star Wars with the exception of the Star Wars Holiday Special is also available to stream on Disney+, with one portion of that latter show available on the platform as the re-titled standalone Star Wars Vintage: The Story of the Faithful Wookiee.

Get to know, understand, and love the Star Wars franchise more with our Star Wars watch order, guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies & TV shows, and all the Star Wars movies and Star Wars TV shows ranked.

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Graeme McMillan: Popverse Editor Graeme McMillan (he/him) has been writing about comics, culture, and comics culture on the internet for close to two decades at this point, which is terrifying to admit. He completely understands if you have problems understanding his accent.