Since the iconic first opening crawl appeared on screens in 1977’s Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, audiences have spent the last half century captivated by the happenings in a galaxy far, far away. The Star Wars universe sprung seemingly fully fledged from the mind of George Lucas, and viewers found themselves immersed in a thrilling battle of good and evil full of alien creatures, sassy robots, political intrigue, and beings known as Jedi capable of wielding the powerful, mystical, and dangerous energy known as the Force.
Check out JustWatch’s guide below to find out how (and where) to watch all the Star Wars movies in order and online!
How to watch the Star Wars movies in chronological order
Spanning nine ‘Episodes’ and three standalone films, the Star Wars franchise is as sprawling and seemingly ever-expanding as our own real-life universe. Because the films were not released chronologically, it can be a real pain in the wookiee to figure out how to watch them in order. Check out our handy list below to see how to watch the Star Wars movies in chronological order.
The list uses Star Wars dates, which are structured around the Battle of Yavin — the battle that took place during A New Hope and saw the destruction of the first Death Star. Dates are written as BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) and ABY (After the Battle of Yavin):
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32 BBY – Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
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22 BBY – Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
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22 BBY – Star Wars: The Clone Wars
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19 BBY – Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
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13-10 BBY – Solo: A Star Wars Story
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0 BBY – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
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0 BBY/ABY – Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
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3 ABY – Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
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4 ABY – Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
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34 ABY – Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
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34 ABY – Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
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35 ABY – Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker
The Star Wars Original Trilogy
George Lucas started the original trilogy (Episodes IV–VI, released between 1977–1983) in media res, meaning audiences were thrust into the battle between the Empire and the Rebellion when it was already in full swing. The Empire, led by the shadowy Emperor Palpatine, is managed by a masked Jedi turned to the Dark Side of the Force, Darth Vader. Meanwhile, a young Luke Skywalker finds himself joining the Rebellion and learning the ways of the Force to become a Jedi powerful enough to sway the course of the war. The originals introduced important characters such as Princess Leia, a key Rebellion leader, and Han Solo, a sardonic smuggler who both become Luke’s friends and allies.
The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
The prequel trilogy (Episodes I–III, released between 1999–2005) provided the context behind the rise of the Empire and the creation of the Rebellion, in addition to origin stories for Darth Vader (aka Anakin Skywalker) and Emperor Palpatine.
Sandwiched in between the trilogies is the Clone Wars movie, which is an animated feature that gives more context into the period between Episodes II and III and introduces Anakin’s Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, who went on to get her own series in 2023.
The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy and Standalone Films
The final sequel trilogy (Episodes VII – IX, released between 2015–2019) returned to a galaxy far, far away in a state of disarray, with the Rebellion growing ever smaller and those who had led it falling into cynicism. The emergence of a new, powerful Force-wielder in Rey gives a new hope to all of those still prepared to resist the Empire.
With the release of The Force Awakens reigniting fans’ passion for the franchise, Disney also released two standalone Star Wars features: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (which detailed how the Rebellion stole the plans to the first Death Star just before Episode IV), and Solo: A Star Wars Story, which went deeper into the origin story of one of the franchise’s most beloved characters: the charismatic and sarcastic smuggler Han Solo. The sequel trilogy and standalone films introduced a new generation to Star Wars and gave a fitting end to the beloved space-opera.
Where can I watch all the Star Wars movies online?
Check out the JustWatch guide below to find out how to watch all the Star Wars movies in order of release in the United Kingdom! The list gives you up-to-date information on where to stream Star Wars movies online on platforms like Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video.
