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Star Wars Movies – Release and Chronological Order Guide

· Updated by  · ✓Reviewed by Patrick Nolan, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead
TheStarWarsfranchisestandsasoneofcinema’smostenduringsagas,spanningfourdecadesofstorytellingacrossmultiplegenerations.SincetheoriginalfilmburstontoscreensinMay1977,theserieshasexpandedintoameticulouslycuratedcanonofelevenfeaturefilmsthatbalanceepicspaceoperawithintimatecharacterstudies.Understandinghowthesemoviesfittogether—whetherbyreleasedateornarrativechronology—remainsessentialforbothnewcomersanddevotedfansnavigatingthegalaxyfar,faraway.

Asof2025,theofficialcanoncomprisesthreeconnectedtrilogiesalongsidetwostandaloneanthologyfilms,allavailableexclusivelythroughDisney’sstreamingplatform.Thisguidepresentsthecompletecollectionorganisedbyboththeatricaldebutandin-universetimeline,drawingfromverifiedstudiorecordsandboxofficedatatoprovideanauthoritativereferenceforviewersplanningtheirmarathonviewingsessions.

WhatIstheBestOrdertoWatchStarWarsMovies?

Viewingpreferencestypicallysplitbetweenreleaseorder—preservingtheoriginalnarrativereveals—andchronologicalorder,whichfollowsthesaga’sinternalhistoryfromthefalloftheRepublicthroughtheriseoftheFirstOrder.Eachapproachoffersdistinctadvantagesdependingonwhetheroneprioritisescinematichistoryorstorylogic.

TotalCanonMovies:11
MainSagaEpisodes:9
Spin-offs:RogueOne,Solo
Eras:3Trilogies+Anthology
  • ReleaseorderpreservestheoriginalstorytellingsurprisesintendedbyGeorgeLucas
  • Chronologicalorderfollowsthein-universetimelinefrom32BBYto35ABY
  • TheForceAwakensremainsthehighest-grossingentryatapproximately$2.07billionworldwide
  • TheLastJediholdstherecordforlongestruntimeat152minutes
  • Disney+hoststhecompletestreamingcollectionwithnoalternativeplatformscurrentlyavailable
  • Nocanontheatricalreleasesoccurredin2025;thefranchiseresumescinemaexhibitionsinMay2026
  • GeorgeLucaspersonallydirectedfouroftheelevencanonicalfilms
    • MovieTitle ReleaseYear Episode Director Runtime StarWars:EpisodeI–ThePhantomMenace 1999 I GeorgeLucas 136min StarWars:EpisodeII–AttackoftheClones 2002 II GeorgeLucas 142min StarWars:EpisodeIII–RevengeoftheSith 2005 III GeorgeLucas 140min Solo:AStarWarsStory 2018 N/A RonHoward 135min RogueOne:AStarWarsStory 2016 N/A GarethEdwards 133min StarWars:EpisodeIV–ANewHope 1977 IV GeorgeLucas 121min StarWars:EpisodeV–TheEmpireStrikesBack 1980 V IrvinKershner 124min StarWars:EpisodeVI–ReturnoftheJedi 1983 VI RichardMarquand 131min StarWars:EpisodeVII–TheForceAwakens 2015 VII J.J.Abrams 138min StarWars:EpisodeVIII–TheLastJedi 2017 VIII RianJohnson 152min StarWars:EpisodeIX–TheRiseofSkywalker 2019 IX J.J.Abrams 142min

    HowManyStarWarsMoviesAreThere?

    Theofficialcanoncurrentlystandsateleventheatricalreleasesproducedbetween1977and2019.Thisfigureexcludestelevisionseries,animatedfeatures,andcontentfromtheformerExpandedUniversenowdesignatedas”Legends”material.

    TheatricalCanonBreakdown

    NineepisodesconstitutethecentralSkywalkerSaga,chroniclingthreegenerationsofthefamilyacrosspoliticalupheavalsandgalacticconflicts.Twoadditionalanthologyfilmsexpandtheuniversethroughperipheralnarrativesthatintersectwiththemainstorylineatcriticalhistoricalmoments.

    StandaloneEntries

    RogueOne(2016)andSolo(2018)representthefranchise’sexperimentationwithstandalonestorytelling.RogueOnedetailsthetheftofDeathStarplansimmediatelyprecedingANewHope,whilstSoloexploresthebackstoryofthesmugglerHanSoloduringthedecadebeforehemeetsLukeSkywalker.

    CanonClarification OnlycontentproducedunderLucasfilm’scurrentcanonguidelinesqualifiesforthiscount.TheelevenfilmslistedhererepresentthecompleteofficialtheatricalcatalogueasconfirmedbyLucasfilm’sofficialmoviedatabase.

    WhatAretheStarWarsTrilogies?

    Thesagaunfoldsacrossthreedistincttrilogies,eachfocusingondifferenterasofthegalaxy’shistorywhilstmaintainingthematiccontinuityregardingtheForce,redemption,andresistanceagainsttyranny.

    TheOriginalTrilogy(EpisodesIV–VI)

    Releasedbetween1977and1983,thesefilmsintroducedaudiencestoLukeSkywalker,PrincessLeia,andHanSoloastheybattledtheGalacticEmpire.GeorgeLucasdirectedANewHope(1977),whilstIrvinKershnerhelmedTheEmpireStrikesBack(1980)andRichardMarquanddirectedReturnoftheJedi(1983).Thistrilogyestablishedthevisualandnarrativelanguagethatwoulddefinethefranchise.

    ThePrequelTrilogy(EpisodesI–III)

    ArrivingsixteenyearsafterJedi,thesebackwards-lookingfilmschronicleAnakinSkywalker’sfallfromJediprodigytoDarthVader.GeorgeLucasdirectedallthreeinstallments—ThePhantomMenace(1999),AttackoftheClones(2002),andRevengeoftheSith(2005)—exploringthepoliticalmachinationsthattransformedademocraticrepublicintoanauthoritarianregime.

    TheSequelTrilogy(EpisodesVII–IX)

    Disney’s2012acquisitionofLucasfilmprecipitatedthisconcludingchapter,releasedbetween2015and2019.J.J.AbramsdirectedTheForceAwakens(2015)andTheRiseofSkywalker(2019),withRianJohnsonhelmingTheLastJedi(2017).ThesefilmstracktheexploitsofscavengerReyandformerstormtrooperFinnastheyconfronttheresurrectedImperialremnantknownastheFirstOrder.

    AreThereUpcomingStarWarsMovies?

    Followingatheatricalhiatusthroughout2025,Lucasfilmhasscheduledtwoconfirmedfeatureproductionsforthelatterhalfofthedecade.Theseprojectsrepresentthefranchise’sreturntocinemascreensafterfocusingprimarilyonstreamingseriesduringtheearly2020s.

    Confirmed2026Release TheMandalorianandGroguarrivesincinemason22May2026.ThefeaturecontinuesthenarrativeestablishedintheDisney+series,thoughspecificplotdetailsandthedirectorremainunconfirmedaccordingtocurrentproductionlistings.

    2027Scheduling StarWars:Starfighterholdsareleasedateof28May2027.Studiorepresentativeshavenotyetdisclosedwhetherthisprojectconnectstoexistingtrilogiesorlaunchesanewnarrativethreadwithinthecanon.

    WhereCanIWatchStarWarsMovies?

    AllelevencanonicalStarWarsfilmscurrentlystreamexclusivelyonDisney+throughouttheUnitedKingdomandotherterritories.Noalternativeplatformshostthecompletecollection,thoughindividualtitlesmayoccasionallyappearfordigitalrentalorpurchasethroughservicessuchasAmazonPrimeVideoorAppleTVonatemporarybasis.

    ThestreamingrightsconsolidateunderDisney’sownershipofbothLucasfilmandthedistributioninfrastructure,ensuringsubscriberscanaccesstheentiresaga—fromThePhantomMenacethroughTheRiseofSkywalker—withoutplatform-hopping.PhysicalmediareleasesonBlu-rayand4KUHDremainavailableforcollectorsseekingpermanentownership.

    WhatIstheChronologicalTimelineofStarWarsMovies?

    Thein-universechronologydivergessignificantlyfromreleaseorder,beginningwiththeprequelsandendingwiththesequels.GalactichistoryismeasuredrelativetotheBattleofYavin(BBY/ABY)—theclimacticconfrontationinANewHope.

  • 32BBY:EpisodeI:ThePhantomMenace—ThediscoveryofAnakinSkywalkerandtheriseofSenatorPalpatine.
  • 22BBY:EpisodeII:AttackoftheClones—ThebeginningoftheCloneWarsandAnakin’ssecretmarriage.
  • 19BBY:EpisodeIII:RevengeoftheSith—ThefalloftheJediOrderandthebirthofDarthVader.
  • 13–10BBY:Solo:AStarWarsStory—HanSolo’searlycriminalexploitsandtheKesselRun.
  • 0BBY:RogueOne:AStarWarsStory—ThetheftofDeathStarplansleadingdirectlyintotheoriginalfilm.
  • 0BBY/ABY:EpisodeIV:ANewHope—LukeSkywalker’sintroductionandthedestructionofthefirstDeathStar.
  • 3ABY:EpisodeV:TheEmpireStrikesBack—ThebattleofHothandDarthVader’srevelation.
  • 4ABY:EpisodeVI:ReturnoftheJedi—TheredemptionofAnakinSkywalkerandthefalloftheEmpire.
  • 34ABY:EpisodeVII:TheForceAwakens—TheemergenceoftheFirstOrderandReydiscoveringtheForce.
  • 34ABY:EpisodeVIII:TheLastJedi—ThebattleofCraitandLuke’sfinalstand.
  • 35ABY:EpisodeIX:TheRiseofSkywalker—ThereturnofEmperorPalpatineandthefinaldefeatoftheSith.
    • ThistimelinereflectstheprimarydatingsystemestablishedbychronologicalreferenceguidesapprovedbyLucasfilm.

    WhatConstitutesEstablishedStarWarsMovieCanon?

    Distinctionsbetweenofficialcanonandspeculativeinformationprovecrucialforaccuratefranchisenavigation.Thefollowingclarificationsseparateverifiedfactsfromunresolvedquestions.

    VerifiedInformation

    • Eleventheatricallyreleasedfilmsconstitutethecompletecurrentcanon
    • AllentriesstreamexclusivelyonDisney+
    • Threetrilogiesandtwospin-offsformthestructuralframework
    • GeorgeLucascreatedthefranchisein1977;DisneyacquiredLucasfilmin2012
    • Runtimesrangefrom121minutes(ANewHope)to152minutes(TheLastJedi)

    UncertainorPendingDetails

    • SpecificplotdetailsforTheMandalorianandGrogu(2026)
    • Directorassignmentforthe2026theatricalrelease
    • ConnectionbetweenStarfighter(2027)andexistingstorylines
    • Potentialadditionalfilmsbeyondthe2027schedule

    HowDidtheStarWarsFranchiseTransformCinema?

    GeorgeLucas’soriginal1977spaceoperafundamentallyalteredHollywood’sapproachtomerchandising,blockbusterscheduling,andvisualeffects.Thefilm’sunexpectedsuccessestablishedthesummertentpolemodel,whilstitsindustriallightandmagicinnovationssettechnicalstandardsstillreferencedincontemporaryproductions.

    Thefranchise’s2012acquisitionbyTheWaltDisneyCompanyfor$4.05billionmarkedthelargestentertainmentpropertypurchaseofitsera.UnderDisneystewardship,thesagaexpandedfromasix-filmcycleintothecurrenteleven-moviecatalogue,supplementedbyextensivetelevisioncontinuitythatbridgesnarrativegapsbetweentheatricalreleases.

    Foracomprehensivebreakdownofhowthesehistoricalelementsfittogether,refertoourStarWarsMovies–CompleteReleaseandChronologicalOrderGuide.

    WhereDoStarWarsMovieStatisticsOriginate?

    Boxofficefigures,runtimedata,anddirectorattributionscitedthroughoutthisguidederivefromverifiedstudioreleasesandindustryaggregationsites.RottenTomatoeseditorialstaffmaintaincomprehensivereleaseorderdocumentationincorporatingtheatricalpremieredatesandworldwidegrosscalculations.

    Thecurrentcanonconsistsofthreetrilogiesplusspin-offs,releasedfrom1977to2019,withupcomingfilmsin2026andbeyond.

    —RottenTomatoesEditorial,StarWarsMoviesGuide

    MoviesorderedbyprimarystorytimelineusetheBBY(BeforeBattleofYavin)andABY(AfterBattleofYavin)datingsystemtoestablishchronologicalplacement.

    —OfficeTimelineChronologicalAnalysis

    WhichStarWarsMovieOfferstheBestEntryPoint?

    First-timeviewerstypicallybenefitfrombeginningwithANewHope(1977)toexperiencethesagaasoriginallyconceived,preservingthedramaticrevealsthatsubsequentfilmsdeliberatelyreference.However,thoseprioritisingnarrativecoherencemightpreferstartingwithThePhantomMenace(1999)tofollowtheSkywalkerlineagechronologically.Forfurtherguidanceonstructuringyourviewingexperience,consultourdetailedStarWarsMovies–CompleteListinReleaseandChronologicalOrder.

    FrequentlyAskedQuestionsAboutStarWarsMovies

    IsRogueOneconsideredamainStarWarsmovie? Yes.RogueOne(2016)holdsofficialcanonstatusasananthologyfilmbridgingtheprequelandoriginaltrilogies,detailingthetheftofDeathStarplansimmediatelyprecedingANewHope.

    WhichStarWarsfilmachievedthehighestboxofficereturns? TheForceAwakens(2015)generatedapproximately$2.07billionworldwide,surpassingallotherentriesinthefranchiseaccordingtoindustrytrackingdata.

    WhatistheshortestStarWarsmovie? ANewHope(1977)featuresthebriefestruntimeat121minutes,whilstTheLastJedi(2017)runslongestat152minutes.

    DidGeorgeLucasdirecteveryStarWarsfilm? Lucasdirectedfourfilms:theoriginalANewHopeplusthecompleteprequeltrilogy.Otherdirectorshandledtheremainingsevencanonicalentries.

    Arethespin-offfilmsessentialforunderstandingthemainsaga? No.RogueOneandSoloprovidesupplementarycontextbutremainnarrativelyoptionalforviewersfocusingexclusivelyonthenine-episodeSkywalkerSaga.

    WherecanviewerswatchallStarWarsfilmsintheUnitedKingdom? Disney+currentlyholdsexclusivestreamingrightstoallelevencanonStarWarsfilmsthroughouttheUKandotherterritories,withnoalternativeplatformsofferingthecompletecollection.

    WilltherebeanewStarWarsfilmin2025? Notheatricalreleasesarescheduledfor2025.Thenextconfirmedcinematicrelease,TheMandalorianandGrogu,premiereson22May2026.

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