Star Wars: How to watch the Skywalker Saga and more in chronological or release order

All you need to know to watch Star Wars, either in the order it came out or the order it takes place

Image credit: Lucasfilm

How to by Lauren Sisselman Contributing writer

Additional contributions by Graeme McMillan

Updated on Sept. 19, 2023

By this point, it’s become clear how rooted in the larger mythology of Star Wars that Disney+’s Ahsoka really is, with the show acting as a continuation of both Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, as well as tying in with both the prequel trilogy and the ongoing storyline from The Mandalorian, to boot. It’s almost enough to make you want to strap into hyperspace and go back and revisit a galaxy far, far away for an extended stay… maybe even rewatching the entire thing, perhaps. (All of that might be a good way to prepare for the three new movies announced at this year’s Star Wars Celebration, come to think of it.)

The thing is… there’s actually a lot of Star Wars out there. So what’s the best way to watch it? If that’s a question you’ve been asking yourself, then congratulations: you’ve come to the right place.

The full history of Star Wars is a vast one that stretches millennia of story time, and almost as long in terms of time commitment to go through it all. (Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration.) For sake of ease, in this piece, we’ll be focusing on the movies and television shows – live-action and animated – and how to watch them in canonical order. Watching them in release order is fun (and easy), but breaking the series down into canonical order elevates your viewing experience, and can help you appreciate the Star Wars universe on a whole new level. It should also be noted that The Clone Wars was released out of order in its initial run, and Disney+ has not put it in canon order. You will need to plan out your viewing with this in mind.

We have also noted the in-universe years – also known as the Galactic standard calendar – for when these movies and shows take place on the Star Wars timeline. These years are then broken down further with BBY-ABY dating system – "Before the Battle of Yavin" and "After the Battle of Yavin." The Battle of Yavin is best known to most people as the Battle of the Death Star when said Death Star was destroyed in Episode 4: A New Hope.

It is also crucial to note that some things are no longer considered canon, but rather, are considered 'Legends' (previously known as the extended universe). Since Disney’s buyout of Star Wars in 2012, anything made after the buyout and including the movies made prior to the buyout (Episodes 1-6) and The Clone Wars are considered canon. Therefore Ewoks, Droids, and of course, The Holiday Special, are not a part of the canon. Micro-series, such as Blips, Forces of Destiny, and the shows on the Star Wars Kids YouTube channel – Galaxy of Adventures, Roll Out, and Galaxy of Creatures, are also not canon but are nice additions for fans of all ages. Visions is also not a part of the canon, despite being released in 2021. Instead, Visions gives fans a chance to see the Star Wars universe through a different lens.

As for upcoming movies and TV series, in most cases we do not know exactly where they fit beyond being in certain ages. We'll wait until we have more information (and can actually watch them!) to place them on these lists - but we're tracking all of them in our guide to the upcoming Star Wars movies & TV shows.

Everything on this list can be found on Disney+ or on whichever physical media copies you have!

Star Wars in chronological order

Obi-Wan Kenobi — Image credit: Lucasfilm

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures (television show)

Star Wars year: 232 BBY

Year released: 2023

The Young Jedi / Yoda's Mission (Season 1, episode 1) 232 BBY
Nash's Race Day / The Lost Jedi Ship (Season 1, episode 1) 232 BBY
Get Well Nubs / The Junk Giant (Season 1, episode 1) 232 BBY
Lys and the Snowy Mountain Rescue / Attack of the Training Droids (Season 1, episode 1) 232 BBY
The Jellyfruit Pursuit / Creature Safari (Season 1, episode 1) 232 BBY
Squadron / Forest Defenders (Season 1, episode 1) 232 BBY
The Jedi and the Thief / The Missing Kibbin (Season 1, episode 1) 232 BBY

Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (film)

Star Wars year: 32 BBY

Year released: 1999

Episode 2: Attack of the Clones (movie)

Star Wars year: 22 BBY

Year released: 2002

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (television show)

Star Wars year: 22-19 BBY

Year released: 2008-2020

Cat and Mouse (season 2, episode 16) 22 BBY
Hidden Enemy (season 1, episode 16) 22 BBY
The Clone Wars (animated movie) 22 BBY
Clone Cadets (season 3, episode 1) 22 BBY
Supply Lines (season 3, episode 3) 22 BBY
Ambush - Trespass (season 1, episode 1 - 15) 22 BBY
Blue Shadow Virus - Liberty on Ryloth (season 1, episode 17 - 21) 21 BBY
Holocron Heist - Children of the Force (season 2, episode 1 - 3) 21 BBY
Bounty Hunters - The Zillo Beast Strikes Back (season 2, episode 17-19) 21 BBY
Senate Spy - Duchess of Mandaore (season 2, episode 4 - 14) 21 BBY
Death Trap - Lethal Trackdown (season 2, episode 20 - 22) 21 BBY
Corruption (season 3, episode 5) 21 BBY
The Academy (season 3, episode 5) 21 BBY
Assassin (season 3, episode 5) 21 BBY
ARC Troopers (season 3, episode 2) 21 BBY
Sphere of Influence (season 3, episode 4) 21 BBY
Evil Plans (season 3, episode 8) 21 BBY
Hostage Crisis (season 1, episode 22) 21 BBY
Hunt for Ziro (season 3, episode 9) 21 BBY
Heroes on Both Side (season 3, episode 10) 21 BBY
Pursuit of Peace (season 3, episode 11) 21 BBY
Senate Murders (season 2, episode 15) 21 BBY
Nightsisters - Wookiee Hunt (season 3, episode 12 - 22) 20 BBY
Water War - Revenge (season 4, episode 1 - 22) 20 BBY
A War on Two Fronts - Point of No Return (season 5, episode 2-13) 20/19 BBY
Revival (season 5, episode 1) 20 / 19 BBY
Eminence (season 5, episode 14) 19 BBY
Shades of Reason - The Wrong Jedi (season 5, episode 15 - 20) 19 BBY
The Unknown - Sacrifice (season 6, episode 1 - 13) 19 BBY
Gone With A Trace - Together Again (season 7, episode 5 - 8) 19 BBY
The Bad Batch - Unfinished Business (season 7, episode 1 -4) 19 BBY
Old Friends Not Forgotten - Victory and Death (season 7, episode 9 - 12) 19 BBY

Revenge of the Sith (movie)

Star Wars year: 19 BBY

Star Wars: The Bad Batch (television show)

Star Wars year: 19 BBY

SEASON 1:

Aftermath (season 1) 19 BBY
Cut and Run (season 1) 19 BBY
Replacements (season 1) 19 BBY
Cornered (season 1) 19 BBY
Rampage (season 1) 19 BBY
Decommissioned (season 1) 19 BBY
Battle Scars (season 1) 19 BBY
Reunion (season 1) 19 BBY
Bounty Lost (season 1) 19 BBY
Common Ground (season 1) 19 BBY
Devil’s Deal (season 1) 19 BBY
Rescue on Ryloth (season 1) 19 BBY
Infested (season 1) 19 BBY
War-Mantle (season 1) 19 BBY
Return to Kamino (season 1) 19 BBY

SEASON 2:

Kamino Lost (season 1) 19 BBY
Spoils of War (season 2) 19 BBY
Ruins of War (season 2) 19 BBY
The Solitary Clone (season 2) 19 BBY
Faster (season 2) 19 BBY
Entombed (season 2) 19 BBY
Tribe (season 2) 19 BBY
The Clone Conspiracy (season 2) 19 BBY
Truth and Consequences (season 2) 19 BBY
The Crossing (season 2) 19 BBY
Retrieval (season 2) 19 BBY
Metamorphosis (season 2) 19 BBY
The Outpost (season 2) 19 BBY
Pabu (season 2) 19 BBY
Tipping Point (season 2) 19 BBY
The Summit (season 2) 19 BBY
Plan 99 (season 2) 19 BBY

Solo: A Star Wars Story (movie)

Star Wars year: 13-10 BBY

Obi-Wan Kenobi (television show)

Star Wars year: 9 BBY

EPISODES

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI

Andor (television show)

Star Wars year: 5-0 BBY

SEASON 1

Kassa - 5 BBY
That Would Be Me - 5 BBY
Reckoning - 5 BBY
Aldhani - 5 BBY
The Axe Forgets - 5 BBY
The Eye - 5 BBY
Announcement - 5 BBY
Narkina 5 - 5 BBY
Nobody’s Listening! - 5 BBY
One Way Out - 5 BBY
Daughter of Ferrix - 5 BBY
Rix Road - 5 BBY

Star Wars: Rebels (television show)

Star Wars year: 5-0 BBY

SEASON 1

Spark of Rebellion - 5 BBY
Spark of Rebellion Part 2 - 5 BBY
Droids in Distress - 5 BBY
Fighter Flight - 5 BBY
Rise of the Old Masters - 5 BBY
Breaking Ranks - 5 BBY
Out of Darkness - 5 BBY
Empire Day - 4 BBY
Gathering Forces - 4 BBY
Path of the Jedi - 4 BBY
Idiot’s Array - 4 BBY
Vision of Hope - 4 BBY
Call to Action - 4 BBY
Rebel Resolve - 4 BBY
Fire Across the Galaxy - 4 BBY

SEASON 2

The Siege of Lothal Part 1 - 4 BBY
The Siege of Lothal Part 2 - 4 BBY
The Lost Commanders - 4 BBY
Relics of the Old Republic - 4 BBY
Always Two There Are - 4 BBY
Brothers of the Broken Horn - 4 BBY
Wings of the Master - 4 BBY
Blood Sisters - 4 BBY
Stealth Strike - 4 BBY
The Future of the Force - 3 BBY
Legacy - 3 BBY
A Princess on Lothal - 3 BBY
The Protector of Concord Dawn - 3 BBY
Legends of the Lasat - 3 BBY
The Call - 3 BBY
Homecoming - 3 BBY
The Honorable Ones - 3 BBY
Shroud of Darkness - 3 BBY
The Forgotten Droid - 3 BBY
The Mystery of Chopper Base - 3 BBY
Twilight of the Apprentice Part 1 - 3 BBY
Twilight of the Apprentice Part 2 - 3 BBY

SEASON 3

Steps into the Shadow Part 1 - 2 BBY
Steps into the Shadow Part 2 - 2 BBY
The Holocrons of Fate - 2 BBY
The Antilles Extraction - 2 BBY
Hera’s Heroes - 2 BBY
The Last Battle - 2 BBY
Imperial Super Commandos - 2 BBY
Iron Squadron - 2 BBY
The Wynkahthu Job - 2 BBY
An Inside Man - 2 BBY
Visions and Voices - 2 BBY
Ghosts of Geonosis Part 1 - 2 BBY
Ghosts of Geonosis Part 2 - 2 BBY
Warhead - 2 BBY
Trials of the Darksaber - 2 BBY
Legacy of Mandalore - 2 BBY
Through Imperial Eyes - 2 BBY
Secret Cargo - 2 BBY
Double Agent Droid - 2 BBY
Twin Suns - 2 BBY
Zero Hour Part 1 - 2 BBY
Zero Hour Part 2 - 2 BBY

SEASON 4

Heroes of Mandalore Part 1 - 1 BBY
Heroes of Mandalore Part 2 - 1 BBY
In the Name of the Rebellion Part 1 - 1 BBY
In the Name of the Rebellion Part 2 - 1 BBY
The Occupation - 1 BBY
Flight of the Defender - 1 BBY
Kindred - 1 BBY
Crawler Commandeers - 1 BBY
Rebel Assault - 1 BBY
Jedi Night - 1 BBY
Dume - 1 BBY
Wolves and a Door - 0 BBY
A World Between Worlds - 0 BBY
A Fool’s Hope - 0 BBY
Family Reunion – and Farewell Part 1 - 0 BBY
Family Reunion – and Farewell Part 2 - 0 BBY

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (movie)

Star Wars year: 0 BBY

A New Hope (movie)

Star Wars year: 0 ABY

The Empire Strikes Back (movie)

Star Wars year: 3 ABY

Return of the Jedi (movie)

Star Wars year: 4 ABY

The Mandalorian/The Book of Boba Fett/Ahsoka (television shows)

Star Wars year: 9 ABY

THE MANDALORIAN SEASON 1

Chapter 1: The Mandalorian - 9 ABY
Chapter 2: The Child - 9 ABY
Chapter 3: The Sin - 9 ABY
Chapter 4: Sanctuary - 9 ABY
Chapter 5: The Gunslinger - 9 ABY
Chapter 6: The Prisoner - 9 ABY
Chapter 7: The Reckoning - 9 ABY
Chapter 8: Redemption - 9 ABY

THE MANDALORIAN SEASON 2

Chapter 9: The Marshal - 9 ABY
Chapter 10: The Passenger - 9 ABY
Chapter 11: The Heiress - 9 ABY
Chapter 12: The Siege- 9 ABY
Chapter 13: The Jedi - 9 ABY
Chapter 14: The Tragedy - 9 ABY
Chapter 15: The Believer - 9 ABY
Chapter 16: The Rescue- 9 ABY

THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT SEASON 1

Chapter 1: Stranger in a Strange Land - 9 ABY
Chapter 2: The Tribes of Tatooine - 9 ABY
Chapter 3: The Streets of Los Espa - 9 ABY
Chapter 4: The Gathering Storm - 9 ABY
Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian - 9 ABY
Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger - 9 ABY
Chapter 7: In the Name of Honor - 9 ABY

THE MANDALORIAN SEASON 3

Chapter 17: The Apostate - 9 ABY
Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore - 9 ABY
Chapter 19: The Convert - 9 ABY
Chapter 20: The Foundling - 9 ABY
Chapter 21: The Pirate - 9 ABY
Chapter 22: Guns for Hire - 9 ABY
Chapter 23: The Spies - 9 ABY
Chapter 24: The Return - 9 ABY

AHSOKA SEASON 1

Part One: Master and Apprentice - 9 ABY
Part Two: Toil and Trouble - 9 ABY
Part Three: Time to Fly - 9 ABY
Episode 4 [Title TBA] - 9 ABY
Episode 5 [Title TBA] - 9 ABY
Episode 6 [Title TBA] - 9 ABY
Episode 7 [Title TBA] - 9 ABY
Episode 8 [Title TBA] - 9 ABY

Star Wars: Resistance Season 1

Star Wars year: 34 ABY

The Force Awakens (movie)

Star Wars year: 34 ABY

The Last Jedi (movie)

Star Wars year: 34 ABY

Star Wars: Resistance Season 2 (television show)

Star Wars year: 34 - 35 ABY

Into the Unknown - 34 ABY
A Quick Salvage Run - 34 ABY
Live Fire - 34 ABY
Hunt on Celsor 3 - 34 ABY
The Engineer - 34 ABY
From Beneath - 34 ABY
The Relic Raiders - 34 ABY
Rendezvous Point - 34 ABY
The Voxx Vortex 5000 - 34 ABY
Kaz’s Curse - 34 ABY
Station to Station - 34 ABY
The Missing Agent - 34/35 ABY
Breakout - 34/35 ABY
The Mutiny 34 ABY
The New World - 34 ABY
No Place Safe - 34 ABY

The Rise of Skywalker (movie)

Star Wars year: 35 ABY

How to watch Star Wars in release order

Star Wars Attack of the Clones Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme Amidala, and Anakin Skywalker holding their lightsabers. — Image credit: Lucasfilm

If you’re watching Star Wars with someone who’s never seen it before, watching it in release order is a great way to avoid spoilers. This is slightly easier to do as you will not need to jump between episodes in The Clone Wars television show. All you need to do is sit down and start watching! As an added bonus, viewers will be watching this order the same way original fans watched Star Wars as it came out.