This chronological Star Wars movie list follows the in-universe timeline, not the release schedule, so you can watch the fall of the Republic, the rise of the Empire, and the Skywalker saga as one continuous story. It covers every canon feature film, including the theatrical animated The Clone Wars movie and the standalone anthology films Solo and Rogue One.
1Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Director/Creator: George Lucas | Runtime: 136 minutes | Starring: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid
The story begins with Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi protecting Queen Padme Amidala during the Trade Federation blockade of Naboo, then discovering Anakin Skywalker, a gifted enslaved child on Tatooine. Its political setup, podracing spectacle, and Darth Maul duel establish the prequel era’s themes of prophecy, manipulation, and institutional weakness; you can compare the film’s official details on the official Star Wars page for The Phantom Menace. It stands out because it reframes the saga as a tragedy: you are not just meeting the future Darth Vader, you are seeing the galaxy before it realizes it is already being quietly conquered.
2Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
Director/Creator: George Lucas | Runtime: 142 minutes | Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson
Set ten years after The Phantom Menace, this chapter follows Anakin as Padme’s protector while Obi-Wan investigates a clone army secretly created for the Republic. The film turns the franchise toward large-scale war, introducing Count Dooku, Kamino, Jango Fett, and the battlefield of Geonosis. It also matters because Anakin’s forbidden romance, resentment, and fear of loss become the emotional fault lines Darth Sidious will later exploit.
3Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
Director/Creator: Dave Filoni | Runtime: 98 minutes | Starring: Matt Lanter, Ashley Eckstein, James Arnold Taylor, Catherine Taber, Christopher Lee
This animated feature takes place between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, sending Anakin and his new Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, on a mission involving Jabba the Hutt’s kidnapped son. It is not as essential to the movie-only plot as the numbered episodes, but it is crucial if you want the full canon context for Ahsoka, clone loyalty, and Anakin’s wartime identity; Lucasfilm’s listing for the official The Clone Wars film places it as the launch point for the wider animated era. Its biggest legacy is Ahsoka, who grew from a risky new character into one of Star Wars’ most important modern heroes.
4Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Director/Creator: George Lucas | Runtime: 140 minutes | Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson
The prequel trilogy reaches its devastating endpoint as Chancellor Palpatine engineers the end of the Clone Wars, seduces Anakin to the dark side, and executes Order 66 against the Jedi. This is the hinge of the entire chronology: the Republic becomes the Empire, Padme dies, Luke and Leia are hidden, and Obi-Wan’s victory over Anakin leaves behind the burned body that will become Darth Vader. It stands out for turning political collapse into personal horror, making the original trilogy’s rebellion feel far more costly.
5Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Director/Creator: Ron Howard | Runtime: 135 minutes | Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Joonas Suotamo
Set after the fall of the Republic but before the Rebel Alliance’s defining victory, Solo shows how Han meets Chewbacca, encounters Lando Calrissian, wins the Millennium Falcon, and becomes entangled with the criminal underworld. It plays like a space-western heist film, with the Kessel Run, coaxium theft, and Dryden Vos giving you the practical, lawless side of Imperial-era life; the official Solo film page is a useful reference for its placement and character lineup. It stands out because it makes Han’s cynicism feel learned rather than fixed, while Donald Glover’s Lando gives the movie one of its sharpest franchise connections.
6Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Director/Creator: Gareth Edwards | Runtime: 133 minutes | Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Alan Tudyk, Mads Mikkelsen
Rogue One takes place immediately before A New Hope, following Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, and a doomed Rebel team as they steal the Death Star plans from Scarif. It is one of the saga’s strongest standalone films because it gives tactical, emotional weight to a plot point that was only backstory in 1977, and the official Rogue One film page underlines its direct handoff into Episode IV. Its war-movie tone, ground-level sacrifice, and Darth Vader corridor sequence make the Rebel victory feel earned rather than inevitable.
7Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
Director/Creator: George Lucas | Runtime: 121 minutes | Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing
The original film introduces Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and the Death Star, then launches the classic rescue-and-rebellion adventure that defined the franchise. In chronological order, it lands as the payoff to Rogue One: the stolen plans reach Leia, R2-D2 carries the message to Tatooine, and Luke steps into the larger war. As the original 1977 Star Wars film, it changed blockbuster filmmaking, merchandising, visual effects, and the way studios treated long-running genre sagas.
8Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Director/Creator: Irvin Kershner | Runtime: 124 minutes | Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Frank Oz
The Rebels are scattered after the Battle of Hoth, Luke trains with Yoda on Dagobah, and Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO flee to Cloud City under pressure from Darth Vader. The film deepens the Force, complicates heroism, and delivers the saga’s most famous revelation: Vader is Luke’s father. It stands out because it refuses a simple victory, ending with Han frozen in carbonite, Luke wounded, and the Rebellion alive but badly shaken.
9Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
Director/Creator: Richard Marquand | Runtime: 131 minutes | Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Ian McDiarmid
The original trilogy closes with Luke rescuing Han from Jabba the Hutt, the Rebel Alliance attacking the second Death Star, and Vader facing his final choice aboard the Emperor’s throne room. It confirms Leia as Luke’s twin sister, completes Vader’s redemption, and brings the Empire’s central command structure crashing down at Endor. The film stands out for combining fairy-tale closure with military spectacle, giving you both the intimate father-son confrontation and the fleet-scale victory celebration.
10Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
Director/Creator: J.J. Abrams | Runtime: 138 minutes | Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Decades after Endor, the First Order rises from the Empire’s remains while scavenger Rey, defected stormtrooper Finn, and Resistance pilot Poe Dameron are pulled into the search for Luke Skywalker. The film reintroduces the saga for a new generation, pairing legacy heroes with new leads and turning Kylo Ren’s identity as Ben Solo into the sequel trilogy’s emotional engine; the official Force Awakens film page tracks its central cast and story setup. It also became a box-office phenomenon, earning more than $2 billion worldwide and proving Star Wars could still dominate global pop culture after a decade away from theaters.
11Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Director/Creator: Rian Johnson | Runtime: 152 minutes | Starring: Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac
The Last Jedi picks up almost immediately after The Force Awakens, with Rey seeking training from a disillusioned Luke while the Resistance flees a relentless First Order pursuit. It is one of the saga’s boldest entries, challenging inherited myths, questioning military bravado, and making Luke’s final act an act of nonviolent legend rather than battlefield domination. Whether you love or hate its choices, it stands out because it forces the series to examine what Jedi legacy, failure, and hope actually mean.
12Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Director/Creator: J.J. Abrams | Runtime: 142 minutes | Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Carrie Fisher, Ian McDiarmid
The Skywalker saga concludes with the return of Emperor Palpatine, Rey’s search for her own identity, Kylo Ren’s path toward redemption, and a final assault on Exegol. The film ties together sequel-era threads with legacy mythology, bringing back Sith cult imagery, Force dyads, Leia’s final role, and Ben Solo’s sacrifice. It stands out as the endpoint of a 42-year theatrical arc, closing the numbered episodes with Rey choosing the Skywalker name and the galaxy rallying against Sith domination.
Watched this way, the Star Wars movies become a long political and family epic: democracy falls, tyranny rises, rebellion answers, and later generations wrestle with the cost of inherited legends. Release order preserves the original surprises, but chronological order gives you the cleanest timeline of Anakin’s fall, Luke and Leia’s resistance, and Rey’s final stand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the correct chronological order of the Star Wars movies?
The chronological movie order is The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, The Clone Wars, Revenge of the Sith, Solo, Rogue One, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker. This follows the story timeline rather than theatrical release dates.
Should you watch Star Wars in chronological order or release order?
If this is your first time, release order is often stronger because it preserves the original twists, especially Darth Vader’s identity. If you already know the major reveals, chronological order is excellent because it turns the saga into a more continuous story about Anakin, the Empire, and the next generation.
Is Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie required viewing?
It is not strictly required if you only want the core Skywalker Saga, but it introduces Ahsoka Tano and sets up the animated Clone Wars series. Because Ahsoka became important across modern Star Wars, the film is worth including in a complete canon movie watch.
Where does Solo fit in the Star Wars timeline?
Solo: A Star Wars Story takes place after Revenge of the Sith and before Rogue One and A New Hope. It shows Han before he joins the Rebellion, when he is still trying to survive as a smuggler in the criminal underworld.
Does Rogue One happen right before A New Hope?
Yes. Rogue One leads directly into the opening of A New Hope, explaining how the Rebel Alliance gets the Death Star plans that Princess Leia hides in R2-D2.
Are the Ewok movies part of this chronological list?
No. Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor are feature-length television films from the 1980s, but they are not part of the current main canon movie lineup. This list focuses on the canon theatrical feature films.
Where do Star Wars TV shows fit with the movies?
The TV shows fill major gaps, but they are not included here because this is a movie-only chronology. If you add shows, titles such as The Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Rebels, The Mandalorian, and Ahsoka slot between and around the films.
Which Star Wars movie comes first in the timeline?
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace comes first chronologically. It introduces young Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi as an apprentice, and the political crisis that eventually allows Palpatine to destroy the Republic.
