All Star Wars movies begin with the opening text, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….”. The nine main (numbered) films also have the famous opening crawl which describes the backstory, followed by the main Star Wars theme.
Star Wars movies can be divided into four groups: original trilogy (1977-1983), prequel trilogy (1999-2005), sequel trilogy (2015-2019), and anthology films (2016-2018). The anthology films are two Star Wars spin-offs that expand certain stories and they are placed between the prequels and original trilogies. There are a total of eleven Star Wars movies so far, nine main ones (three trilogies), also known as the “Skywalker saga”, and two spin-off films.
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Additionally, you can also watch the animated TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars (TV Series 2008–2020). It is set between Episode II and Episode III. Also, if you watch the popular TV Show The Mandalorian (TV Series 2019–) you should know that it is set 5 years after Episode VI and 25 years before Episode VII.
Here are all Star Wars movies ordered by release date:
1. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: George Lucas
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
This is part one of the original Star Wars trilogy, later named Episode IV: A New Hope. The plot revolves around Luke Skywalker’s attempt to rescue Princess Leia, one of the rebel leaders, from the clutches of the villainous Lord Darth Vader. With the help from his allies, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, Skywalker will undertake another quest as well – try and destroy the Death Star, a life-threatening space station.
Episode IV – A New Hope received critical acclaim, winning seven out of ten Oscar nominations. It was also the highest-grossing film until E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial showed up in 1982.
2. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: Irvin Kershner
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
The events in this one take place three years after Episode IV. After a brutal attack of the Imperial forces, the group of allies breaks up. Solo and Leia manage to get away in Millenium Falcon but are soon betrayed and captured by Vader. Meanwhile, Skywalker departs to swamps of Dagobah to learn the ancient Jedi skill from the fabled Jedi Master Yoda, enabling him to go look for his friends and save them.
Although it was deemed unsuccessful at the beginning, Episode V – The Empire Strikes Backs slowly gained acclaim, emerging as the best movie of the Star Wars chronicle and also one of the best features ever filmed.
3. Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: Richard Marquand
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Episode VI – Return of the Jedi is part three of the original Star Wars trilogy. As the new Death Star is being built by the evil Emperor Palpatine, Luke Skywalker is on a mission to save Han Solo from the imprisonment of Jabba the Hutt. His endeavor turns out successful and the Rebel Alliance has assembled once again in their efforts to battle and defeat the powerful and antagonistic Empire.
4. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: George Lucas
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman
Episode I – The Phantom Menace is part one of the Star Wars prequel trilogy and the start of the Skywalker saga. It is the fourth film in the franchise, made 16 years after Return of the Jedi. The film was a financial success, earning over $1.42 billion globally.
This prequel follows the events 32 years prior to the original story. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his student Obi-Wan Kenobi go to planet Naboo to warn its queen about the galactic threat she faces from the malicious Trade Federation. When the conflict ensues, they flee to a desolate planet Tatooine where they run into a boy by the name of Anakin Skywalker, who appears to wield the powers of the Force. Together they will face Darth Maul, the most fearsome Dark Lord of the Sith.
5. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: George Lucas
Starring: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor
Senator Padmé Amidala survives an attempt on her life while trying to pass a motion regarding Jedi assistance in facing the threat of Count Dooku and his separatist movement. She is placed under the protection of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his student, Anakin Skywalker. While Obi-Wan gets instructed and sent onto a mission to find out more about the assassination attempt and discovers the existence of an army of clones, Anakin is left with the task of guarding Padmé and the two become romantically involved.
6. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: George Lucas
Starring: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor
Episode III – Revenge of the Sith is the third and last part of the prequel trilogy and the sixth film in the franchise altogether. It depicts the happenings three years after the War of Clones. The movie is regarded as the best prequel in the Star Wars saga.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker pursue Count Dooku in order to save the captured Chancellor Palpatine. Anakin kills Dooku while Obi-Wan goes after General Grievous, who managed to escape the ordeal. Anxious about the nightmares he’s been having about his wife Padmé’s death at childbirth, Anakin falls prey to Palpatine’s luring to the dark side.
7. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Director: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac
Episode VII – The Force Awakens is part one in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, being the seventh part of the franchise and chronologically following the events of Return of the Jedi.
Thirty years after the fall of the Empire, a new threat arises – the First Order and its leader, Kylo Ren, set on ruling the galaxy. A scavenger Rey stumbles upon a droid that contains the directions to where the fabled Jedi Master Luke Skywalker is. Joining forces with an ex-stormtrooper Finn, as well as the legendary Han Solo and Chewbacca, Rey takes the droid to General Leia Organa of the Resistance and gets herself in the middle of a battle between good and evil.
8. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Director: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story belongs to the Star Wars spin-off films. It is part one of the Star Wars anthology series, set just before Episode IV – A New Hope. The Rebel Alliance finds out about the Empire building a new deadly weapon – the Death Star meant to inflict immense destruction. Its members, one of them being the daughter of the scientist who was forced to take part in the Death Star creation, set off on a mission to steal the plans detailing the flaws of the weapon and thus terminate it.
9. Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill
Episode VIII – The Last Jedi is part two in the Star Wars sequel trilogy coming after The Force Awakens, and the eighth installments in the Skywalker saga. Having found Luke Skywalker, Rey asks him to teach her to develop her skills with the Force. Meanwhile, the Resistance, with princess-turned-general Leia, ex-storm trooper Finn, and Poe Dameron, try hard to keep the First Order at bay and deal with its tyrannical threat.
10. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Solo: A Star Wars Story is the saga’s spin-off focusing on Han Solo and incorporating Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian as well. It is the second movie in the Star Wars anthology series.
Depicting the happenings 10 years before the ones in the Star Wars narrative, the film portrays the path Han Solo took to become the galaxy’s most prominent smuggler. Expelled from the Imperial Flight Academy, Solo meets a gang of space pirates and wants in. The group’s leader throws him into a pit where an old prisoner is supposed to devour him – the prisoner being Chewbacca himself. Since Solo comprehends the Wookie language, he convinces Chewbacca to help him escape, and together they plan to hijack a shipment of coaxium. However, things do not exactly go to plan.
11. Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac
Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker portrays the events occurring after the previous installment. A few of the remaining Resistance members assemble once again in their attempt to put an end to Kylo Ren and the First Order once and for all. However, the malevolent Emperor Palpatine somehow returns from the dead and draws Kylo to his wicked side. With one more deadly enemy, Rey will have to summon all her strength in the Force, while learning about her origins and destructive secrets.
Star Wars Movies in Order of Chronological Events
Since Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) is the beginning of the story, we will use that one as zero point and go from there. Here is the order:
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) – beginning of the story
- Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) – 10 years after Episode I
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) – 3 years after Episode II
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) – 9 years after Episode III
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) – 10 years after Solo, 19 after Episode III, just before Episode IV
- Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) – 19 years after Episode III
- Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – 3 years after Episode IV
- Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) – 1 years after Episode V
- Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015) – 30 years after Episode VI
- Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017) – right after Episode VII
- Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – 1 year after Episode VIII
Alternative ‘Ninja’ Watch Order
When it comes to the watching order, if you choose to do it by the release order, two spin-off movies (Solo and Rogue One) can make it confusing, because they were released in between the sequel trilogies. On the other hand, chronological order will not only reveal Dart Vader’s past, but you will also transition from the newer and better-looking movies to the old ones done 40 years ago, and some don’t like that. Alternatively, if you are not in favor of either of those, you can watch it in the order listed below:
- Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) – original movie
- Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – 3 years after Episode IV
- Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) – 1 year after Episode V
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) – 32 years before A New Hope
- Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) – 10 years after Episode I
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) – 3 years after Episode II
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) – 9 years after Episode III
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) – 10 years after Solo, 19 after Episode III, just before Episode IV
- Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015) – 30 years after Episode VI
- Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017) – right after Episode VII
- Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – 1 year after Episode VIII
All Star Wars Movies Ranked According to IMDb
- Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – 8.7 with 1,129,000 votes
- Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) – 8.6 with 1,200,000 votes
- Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) – 8.3 with 925,000 votes
- Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015) – 7.9 with 843,000 votes
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) 7.8 with 537,000 votes
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) – 7.5 with 692,000 votes
- Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017) – 7.0 with 546,000 votes
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) – 6.9 with 276,000 votes
- Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – 6.6 with 343,000 votes
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) – 6.5 with 711,000 votes
- Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) – 6.5 with 624,000 votes
All Star Wars Movies Box Office Performance
- Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015) – $2.068 billion
- Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017) – $1.333 billion
- Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – $1.074 billion
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) – $1.056 billion
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) – $1.027 billion
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) – $868 million
- Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) – $775 million
- Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) – $654 million
- Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – $558 million
- Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) – $475 million
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) – $393 million