The Star Wars Movies in Chronological Order

Star Wars may be one of the best, if not the best, movie franchises of all time. Although it's pretty easy to tell which films to watch first, it can be very complicated at times.

1. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Although Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was the 4th Star Wars film to be released, it is the first in the Star Wars Universe.

The film focuses on two Jedi known as Qui-Gon Jinn (played by Liam Neeson) and his Jedi Student Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor). The two Jedi search on the dusty planet of Tatooine to find parts for a ship, but along the way, they suspect they found the chosen one.

They meet a little boy known as Anakin Skywalker (played by Jake Lloyd) and they have to decide whether or not to take the boy to train as a Jedi or stay as a slave with his mother.

The film was released in 1999 and even though it did not get high ratings, it is still the first to watch.

2. Star Wars 2: Attack of the Clones

Even though Star Wars: Attack of the Clones was the 5th film to come out, it is known as the second in the Star Wars franchise.

The film focuses on two Jedi: Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Jedi Partner Anakin Skywalker (now played by the older Hayden Christensen). The two Jedis must keep senator Padme Amidala (played by actress Natalie Portman) from bounty hunters but will they succeed?

The film was released in 2002 and it has a lower rating than others, but it’s the film that continues the story.

3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The Clone Wars film was released after the second half of the Star Wars movies were already released, in the year 2008, but it still has a chunk of the Star Wars story in it.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars starts shortly after Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones and it focuses on the son of Jabba The Hutt who has been kidnapped.

Anakin Skywalker (played by Matt Lanter) and his Jedi partner Ahsoka Tano (played by Ashley Eckstein) have to save him in a limited amount of time. Even though the storyline of this tv series is far from the live-action films, it starts off the Clone War Era.

4. Star Wars 3: Revenge Of The Sith

Star Wars 3: Revenge Of The Sith may be the 6th installment of The Star Wars saga, but it is the 3rd film in the franchise.

The big film focuses on Anakin Skywalker (still played by Hayden Christiansen) struggling with the dark side.

Eventually, he gives in and joins the Siths, and goes against the Jedi. Then, it all leads up to a big duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan, with it ending with Anakin losing his arm and limbs.

At the end of the film, we can see him turn into the villainous Darth Vader. Some say this is arguably the best Star Wars film of all and I could agree with that.

The film was released in 2005 and has higher ratings than most of the films of the franchise.

5. Solo: A Star Wars Story

Now we branch off the main Star Wars Films and into a more solo side of the franchise. Solo: A Star Wars Story focuses on the one and only Han Solo (played by Alden Ehrenreich) and his origin story.

He crosses paths with many Star Wars heroes such as Chewbacca (played by Joonas Suotamo) and Lando Calrissian. This film was released in 2018.

6. Star Wars: Rebels

Just like the Clone Wars TV series, Star Wars: Rebels is animated and the TV series focuses on a crew that tracks down the last of the Jedi Knights.

They run into tons of trouble and legendary Sith Lords such as Darth Vader (played by the original Darth Vader actor James Earl Jones). The TV series made its debut in 2014 and ended in 2018.

7. Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi focuses on Obi-Wan trying to keep a low profile after the events of Revenge of the Sith and the extinction of the Jedi. He struggles with trauma of losing his best friend Anakin, little does he know, Anakin is still alive but there definitely not best friends anymore. Both Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christianson return for there roles as Kenobi and Anakin / Darth Vader.

8. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rogue One is more on the downside of Star Wars and not really popular, but it was released in 2016 and its focus is on a more unpopular crew of heroes that try to steal the plans of the Death Star.

But Darth Vader (played by actor Spencer Wilding) gets in the way and destroys most of the crew's plans.

Rogue One’s prologue scenes are set right after the events of Star Wars 3: Revenge Of The Sith but at the end of the film, it is set during the beginning of the next film: Star Wars 4: A New Hope.

9. Star Wars 4: A New Hope

Now back to where it all started. Star Wars 4: A New Hope was the first-ever Star Wars film to come out.

The story focuses on Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) leaving the dusty planet of Tatooine and going on his first adventure with the legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by the more elderly actor, Alec Guinness) and the original actor to play Han Solo, Harrison Ford, and the one and only Carrie Fisher, who plays the wonderful Princess Leia.

The main villain is the powerful Darth Vader who is played by David Prowse the original actor that played Anakin/Darth Vader. The film was released in 1977.

10. Star Wars 5: The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars 5 was originally the second chapter of the Star Wars franchise until Attack of the Clones officially become the second. Star Wars V: Empire Strikes Back is known as one of the best Star Wars movies of all time.

Most famously, it's known for the amazing surprise at the end of the film between Luke and Vader. The film was released in 1980.

11. Star Wars 6: Return Of The Jedi

Star Wars Return of the Jedi , also known as Star Wars 6, is one of the most celebrated movies of all time.

Though it was the 3rd installment in the franchise at the time, it’s the film that closes out the original trilogy also known as the second half of the series.

The film was released in 1983 and it had many turns. After several years, Vader turns back to the light side becoming a Jedi again, and ultimately becoming his true self, Anakin Skywalker.

In the last sequence of the film, Vader takes off his mask revealing his true face but this time it is not Hayden Christiansen (he was just 2 years old at the time) and it wasn’t David Prowse either. It was actor Sebastian Shaw.

12. The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian is one of the most popular Star Wars TV shows with just 2 seasons, with a third in the making. This series takes place just a little bit after Return Of The Jedi and it follows a bounty hunter who is traveling but obviously, there are many problems.

A shock at the end of season 2 is when they show a young version of Luke Skywalker in his Return of the Jedi outfit. The TV series made its debut in 2019 and is currently still going in 2022.

13: Star Wars 7: The Force Awakens

Many years after The Mandalorian, a new main character is introduced and it’s a girl named Rey (played by Daisy Ridley) and she teams up with a group of people to find Luke Skywalker who hasn’t been seen in public for 30 years.

But there is a new villain that is stopping them known as Kylo Ren. It is later revealed that he is the son of Han Solo and Leia Skywalker meaning he is the grandson of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader.

In the end, Rey is seen standing across from Luke Skywalker with his lightsaber in her hand. The film was released in 2015.

14. Star Wars 8: The Last Jedi

Star Wars 8 is known as the 8th movie of the franchise and the second to last. Just shortly after the last film is where this film takes off. The Last Jedi was released in 2017 and it is known as one of the more hated Star Wars films.

15. Star Wars 9: Rise Of Skywalker

Star Wars 9 is the last and 9th installment to the Star Wars franchise. Many fans across the world were disappointed in this film because it had more potential.

At least the film had various callbacks to original Star Wars actors and actresses such as Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan, Alec Guinness as the older Obi-Wan, Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon, and Hayden Christiansen As Anakin Skywalker.

But we sadly did not get to see the actual actors playing their old roles, we only got to hear their voices. The film was released in 2019.