The Original Trilogy · Skywalker Saga
The Empire Strikes Back
EssentialMovie19802h 4m
The Rebellion is scattered and Luke seeks a teacher, in the film that made the saga serious.
Availability changes by country and by week, so this searches JustWatch rather than guessing.
Can you skip The Empire Strikes Back?
No. It carries part of the main Star Wars throughline, and what comes after it assumes you have seen it. See the full Star Wars order.
Star Wars guides
- Star Wars orderEvery 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.
- Star Wars timelineThe full timeline, from a century before the prequels to thirty-five years after the Battle of Yavin. Excellent as a rewatch, risky as a first watch.
Where it sits in the Star Wars order
- Release order
- #2 of 28
- Chronological order
- #16 of 28
- Released
- 21 May 1980
- In-universe era
- Age of Rebellion
What to watch next
In release order
In chronological order
More from The Original Trilogy
More like Star Wars
- Middle-earthHero's-journey epics with a clean good and evil: and prequel trilogies that still divide people.
- Star TrekThe two pillars of screen science fiction, and about as different in temperament as two space franchises get.
- DuneDesert planets, prophesied heirs and galactic politics. Dune is the book Star Wars borrowed from.