How to Watch the 'Star Wars' Movies in Chronological Order, From 'Phantom Menace' to 'Rise of Skywalker'

George Lucas first took Star Wars fans to a galaxy far, far away in 1977 with the release of Episode IV: A New Hope (or what was known back then as simply StarWars). The film, starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo, kicked off an epic nine-part saga that spanned over four decades, though not in sequential order.

Sixteen years after the original trilogy (Episodes IV, V and VI) concluded, the first movie of the prequel trilogy (Episodes I, II and III) premiered, followed 10 years later by the antepenultimate film of the Skywalker Saga, from the sequel trilogy (Episodes VII, VIII and IX). In addition to the three interconnected trilogies, the sci-fi franchise has also spawned standalone anthology films, animated flicks and more than a few Disney+ series, all of which are a part of the Star Wars canon. Confused? Don't be.

If you're looking to watch the galactic events in sequence, Obi-Wan Kenobi is not your only hope... we can help, too! Here is a chronological guide to watching the live-action Star Wars movies in proper order.

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How to watch the Star Wars movies in order

1. Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

While it was not the first Star Wars movie to come out, Episode I was the first of the prequel trilogy. According to Lucas, "one of the main driving aspects of the film was the backstory." Long before he was Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker was a young slave boy discovered by Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn on Tatooine. After being freed, Anakin, who is Force-sensitive, leaves with Qui-Gon Jinn and later becomes Obi-Wan Kenobi's apprentice.

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2. Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)

Set 10 years after the initial prequel, Anakin is all grown up and in love. Senator Padmé Amidala is placed under the protection of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan learner Anakin after an assassination attempt on her. Padmé and Anakin begin a forbidden romance, while Obi-Wan discovers a clone army.

3. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Anakin, who is hellbent on saving his pregnant wife Padmé from dying during childbirth, is lured to the dark side of the Force and becomes Darth Sidious' apprentice Darth Vader. Obi-Wan Kenobi fights his lost "brother" Anakin, whom he left wounded and burning on Mustafar. Darth Sidious rescues his injured apprentice and has him rebuilt in Darth Vader's famous black armor. Following Order 66, which saw the execution of the Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Master Yoda go into hiding "until the time is right," while Anakin's twins, Luke and Leia, are separated so that the Sith won't find them following Padmé's passing.

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4. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Solo explores the origin story of the famous Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon, and how he met his future copilot Chewbacca.

5. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

The first of the Star Wars standalone films sees an unlikely group of heroes band together to steal the structural plans for the Empire’s Death Star, which Jyn Erso's father Galen Erso placed a hidden weakness inside of the weapon. The movie ends cutting to the beginning of A New Hope.

6. Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)

Thanks to "Rebel spies" in Rogue One, the Rebellion and Princess Leia have the Empire's plans for their armored station, the Death Star. Farm boy Luke Skywalker intercepts a message from Leia that was intended for Obi-Wan Kenobi, whom he joins to rescue the Princess and help the Rebel Alliance along with Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2.

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7. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Although the Death Star is destroyed, the battle between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance continues in Episode V as Luke goes in search of Jedi Master Yoda for training and learns the truth about his father during a lightsaber duel with Darth Vader. Meanwhile, Han gets frozen in carbonite after being betrayed by his friend Lando Calrissian.

8. Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)

Leia and Luke set out to rescue Han from the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt. Vader, on the other hand, is continuing his search for young Skywalker to turn him to the Dark side of the Force as the Empire seeks to destroy the Rebellion with a second Death Star. Luke must confront his father before becoming a Jedi.

9. Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)

Thirty years after the Battle of Endor, the Resistance led by General Leia Organa faces a new threat from a descendant of Vader and the First Order, which has risen from the ashes of the Empire. A young scavenger named Rey, who is Force-sensitive, makes her debut in the first film of the sequel trilogy after rescuing droid BB-8, who has a map piece that leads to Luke Skywalker. Rey and Finn, a former First Order stormtrooper, embark on a mission to return the droid to the Resistance, meeting some famous, original Star Wars characters along the way.

10. Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)

At Leia's request, Rey seeks outs Luke Skywalker. An initially reluctant Luke agrees to teach Rey the ways of the Force on Ahch-To, but is scared by her raw strength, which he's only seen once before in Ben Solo. What's left of the Resistance is evacuated on transports to the planet of Crait, where they continue battling the First Order with help from a familiar face.

11. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

The Skywalker Saga comes to an end with Episode IX as the remaining members of the Resistance face-off against the First Order in one final battle, while Rey learns that she is in fact not a nobody in this galactic story.

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