The Star Wars watch order

Every film and series, in the order they came out or the order they happen — plus an honest answer on which to pick, and what the Machete order is really for.

Updated 4 August 2026 · 27 titles tracked

Star Wars is unusual: the in-universe chronology is not disputed. Lucasfilm dates everything against the Battle of Yavin, so the timeline is a matter of record rather than argument.

The argument is whether you should watch it that way. You should not, the first time. The saga's single most famous reveal arrives in Episode V, and starting at Episode I means watching three films set up the thing that reveal depends on.

Every Star Wars title in release order

Grouped by trilogy and format. Click any title for its exact position in both orders and the in-universe era it belongs to.

Open the interactive Star Wars list

Release order, chronological order, or Machete?

Three orders get recommended, and each is right for a different person.

Release order — IV, V, VI, I, II, III, then the sequels. The safest first watch. Reveals land as written, and you experience the series as audiences did.
Chronological order — I through IX by in-universe date, with the series and spin-offs slotted in. Excellent as a rewatch. It reads as one continuous history and makes the prequels' foreshadowing pay off.
The Machete order — IV, V, II, III, VI, dropping The Phantom Menace entirely. It preserves the Episode V reveal, then uses the prequels as a flashback before the finale. Elegant, and genuinely popular, but it cuts a film.

Do I need to watch the shows?

For the films alone, no. But a few series have become load-bearing, and one is arguably the best thing the franchise has produced.

Andor is the strongest recommendation on this page. It requires no prior knowledge beyond Rogue One and works as adult political drama on its own terms.
The Clone Wars transforms the prequel era. Anakin's fall means considerably more with it than without.
Rebels is effectively required before Ahsoka — that series assumes you know its characters and does not reintroduce them.
The Mandalorian is self-contained and the easiest entry point of the modern era, now continued theatrically in The Mandalorian and Grogu.
Rogue One slots directly into A New Hope. Watch them back to back at least once.

Where to actually start

If you have never seen any of it, start with A New Hope (1977). It is self-contained, it explains itself, and everything else is built on it.

If you have bounced off Star Wars before, start with Andor or The Mandalorian instead. Neither feels like homework, and neither requires the films first.

Common questions

What is the correct order to watch Star Wars?

Release order for a first watch — start with A New Hope (1977), then Empire and Jedi, then the prequels, then the sequels. Chronological order is the better rewatch once the reveals cannot spoil anything.

Should I watch Star Wars in chronological order?

Only if you already know the story. Chronological order puts The Phantom Menace first, which spoils the central reveal of The Empire Strikes Back by setting it up for three films beforehand.

What is the Machete order?

Episodes IV, V, II, III, VI — skipping The Phantom Menace. It keeps the Episode V reveal intact, then uses the prequels as an extended flashback before Return of the Jedi.

Do I need to watch the animated shows?

Not for the films to make sense. But The Clone Wars considerably deepens the prequel era, and Rebels is close to required before watching Ahsoka.