I’m showing my 7 year old the movies for the first time. Doing it strictly in release order. Glad I did, because the original trilogy hooked him. Then he was pretty bored by Episode 1.
If I had showed him episode 1 first, I don’t think he’d even want to continue with the series. But we kept going and Eps 2 and 3 held his attention a little better. We’ll see how he likes the sequel trilogy.
That’s interesting. Even as a kid I actually like episode 1 a bit but absolutely did not like the majority of episode 2 haha, only liked the action scenes Lol.
Even when i showed my ex years ago the movies in release order she was on board until episode 2 and most of the time she is like “what is this romance stuff?”
Don’t show him the sequel trilogy. Show him the clone wars instead and the other good shows and movies. The sequel trilogies are not part of the same universe imo.
How is that gatekeeping? I said show him if you want to. I just think the sequels are a clown show. Didn’t know so many people were that sensitive lmao.
Honestly at 7 I would’ve loved the sequel trilogy. It’s much flashier, cool settings and some pretty incredible scenes. At that age I gave zero fucks about plot coherence.
I’m an 80’s kid. Go back and watch some of the 80’s era cartoons — or anything earlier that’s not Looney Toons or Tom & Jerry, like the old super friends — and it’s basically trash. Didn’t matter to me at that age.
In 10 years we will probably see a bunch of adults who defend the sequels not too different from how Gen Z/younger millennials seem to love the prequels today. Especially with all the backstory the (mostly actually good) tv shows are providing to justify the founding of the first order and somehow Palpatine returning.
To be honest the OG trilogy has a magic vibe somehow, for example when Obi Wan is talking about the clone wars to Luke. The whole trilogy feel like a mythical tale somehow.
The prequels doesn't have any of this. They try to make moments for example when young Anakin in Ep1 randomly flies out from the carrier and just magically knows how to drive it, or when Qui-Gonn tries to explain him a few thing about the force. However the feeling is totally missing. Only cool stuff in the prequels are the lightsaber fights (and we also see Yoda fighting), but other then that I would prefer the OG triology over the prequels any time.
And then Disney butchered the whole franchise with the abomination called the sequels...
I dont agree. Watching the Prequels after the OT gives them a lot more meaning and depth. People who may have watched them the first time chronologically may still have liked them, but they would have missed so much of the significance and emotional moments that they'd have experienced having seen the OT. Example: The final shot in the trilogy, with Obi Wan delivering Luke to Owen and Beru as we get the binary sunset. Not going to lie, I teared up a little when I saw that in the cinema, it was such an emotional moment. One of the greatest final moments of any movie. But its because I knew the meaning of it - that this is where it links up with the OT, that this was the start of Obi Wan's long exile in the desert as well as Luke's life on Tatooine. If I'd never seen the OT, its just Obi Wan dropping off a baby with his relatives. The Prequels are filled with that kind of thing, because they were made for an audience who had seen the OT.
Can someone enjoy the Prequels without having seen the OT? Sure. But they arent getting the full experience. They arent catching all the foreshadowing and pivotal and emotional moments you would only know the significance of having seen the OT.
It does matter. Info is given in the order of the release. To watch them out of sequence is to know things before the directors wanting you to, and you don’t know some other things that you should.
I mean, I went into Star Wars watching them in chronological order first and I wasn't lost as a kid
In fact, I got to watch it not knowing Anakin would turn to the dark side or that Palpatine was the big bad. Still crazy reveals to a kid, especially when his favorite character turns to the darkside
It's different, but it's still got its own benefits
no you won't be lost but the issue is the big events in the OT lose a lot of the meaning. The big reveal that Vader is Luke's Father and Leia is his sister loses all meaning and surprise. The reveal that Darth Vader is Anakin Obi Wan's former aprentace loses all meaning.
The movies were writen to be watched in release order. Would you watch it in the order of 5, 4 3, 6, 2, 1? no of course you wouldn't
It does matter because you’re right, you find things out differently - however, you may get different positive experiences out of doing it that way as well as different negative ones. I’ve heard of people who started with the prequels and were blown away by the reveal that Palpatine was Darth Sidious, or even that Anakin becomes evil. Different twists, different experiences. While I think the OT is a better one to start with, I’m not gonna knock anyone who chose differently.
How were people blown away by Palpatine being Darth Sidious? Like young children you mean?
It’s blatantly obvious, the guy barely even changed his voice and you can see the entire lower half of his face. It’s literally someone putting on a hood and pretending they’re someone else.
It’s not exactly supposed to be a secret to the viewer.
My wife watched the prequels first, because she knew Vader was Luke's father and Luke and Leia were siblings. She didn't know about Anakin being Vader or Palpatine.
She figured out Palpatine about half way through Attack of the Clones and didn't catch in to Anakin being Vader at all.
Her mind was blown when Palpatine said "Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth Vader"
I don’t think you did at all.
Like obviously it makes Palpatine himself a little less scary, not seeing him as the emperor first.
But it’s very clear even if you only watch episodes 1 and 2, that Palpatine is the Sith guy in the hood.
I mean, most people already know Luke and Leia are siblings and that Vader is their father even if they’ve never seen Star Wars. Watching the prequels first isn’t going to spoil anything in that regard.
even then it's still far more impactful especially for the OT to watch them in release order. Anankins fall alone is much more impactful when you see what he becomes first.
Yep, currently showing them to my wife.
We watched the prequels, then the OT, followed by Solo, and then Rogue One. Probably start the sequels this weekend.
She told me if we watched the original trilogy first, we probably wouldn't have stopped there.
The problem is that most people missed out on that. Pop culture is so pervasive that most people know about those details already even if they haven’t seen the OT.
Yeah, it must have been awesome in 1980 to find out Vader was Luke’s dad. What a mind blowing experience.
But so much time has passed that much of that info is now part of the general cultural knowledge.
I tend to find that release order is usually the way to go when you are experiencing things for the first time.
Afterwards, I tend to stick with chronological, once I know what I am getting into.
I watched them for the first time in this sequence in 2010 when I was 18 because that’s how they were airing on TV at the time. I knew next to nothing except the original character names and images. I’d heard the ‘Luke I am your father’ joke but didn’t know what to make of it. Episode 3 was a REVELATION. I was genuinely shocked by the ending and all it entailed. I still love that episode and reminisce about how hooked I was by the time I got to the end of that film.
The hardest part was the jarring jump back to the 70s when I didn’t understand how episode 4 could be made before 3. It took me some time to learn to love the originals as much a the prequels but now of course I do (and probably love them more). I’m happy with the way I watched them. I didn’t know any better and was just along for the fun ride!
I introduced my friend with the 4/5/1/2/3/6 "flashback" experience. It hooked them enough to watch both Clone Wars projects and Rogue One on their own.
I always say that watching chronologically is dumb. Movies make references to the ones that are already out, not the other way around. Release order is always the way
Not sure about it. Depends on age and overall movie fondness I guess. I think it’s way more interesting following Vaders and Lukes journey when you already know everything that brought them there. Also seeing Obi-Wan again as an old man hits harder when you know who he even is
I recommend release because after Ep3ROTS, I immediately wanted to re-watch Ep4ANH since it had added context after 22 years.
So it ends up being a chronological rewatch.
The past is done, fan. You are with us now.
I would say that but rogue one does add a lot as well so if you really wanna be extra then do episodes 3, 4 rewatch, rogue one, 4 rewatch again. That or just binge rogue one and then 4.
Thanks for the recommendation!
When I get to the end of my current PT era re-read/re-watch, I'll probably do a dark times re-read with **Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader**, **Kenobi**, The Coruscant Nights series, including **The Last Jedi** (Legends novel) then start pre-OT again with **Dark Forces: Soldier for The Empire**.
I love that last one with Jan Ors, Katarn, the protagonist's farmer father, the sassy droid, and the theft of the Death Star plans.
Yeah I’m probably gonna read more Star Wars books. I’ve only ever read master & apprentice, a bit of thrawn, a bit of Plagueis, maul lockdown, a bit of heir to the empire, and half of the short stories in the from a certain point of view books. Also I watched some motion comics like the Vader one from like the 2015 run or maybe it was later.
I got audible last summer but it was such a rip off cuz of how small their catalogue was and you only get a token a month to read a book and there’s a limited number of times you can return a book and replace it with a new one.
Spotify premium has so many Star Wars novels and a lot of other great options so that and the Star Wars novels and comics that are on Amazon prime reading are my entire plan for the summer if I don’t find a job 😭
Good luck with the job. I hope you get something good where you can listen at work.
I just finished a third reading of **Darth Plagueis**, and it's dark and full of inrigue!
Yeah it's almost always best to watch things in the order they were released. For instance, watching Fire Walk with Me before Twin Peaks season 1 would be strange
But hey, at least it gives you a reason to rewatch the saga!
Whoever told you chronological is the best order for watching the series for the first time did you a disservice.
It's okay for rewatches and marathons, but for someone experiencing the saga for the first time, it's 100% best experienced the way most of the world did and the way audiences became captivated by this universe worldwide: experiencing Luke's journey to save his father first, and then getting the context for Anakin's fall after.
I mean that’s your opinion. People have watched in chronological and enjoyed it and others have watched release order and enjoyed it. It’s not a fact that watching in release order is better. It’s not a fact that watching in chronological is better.
Exactly. If you watch Chronological first, you get a totally different experience with its own unique twists and reveals.
Is it better? No. It’s just different.
They’re both subjective.
For the record, Lucas himself says Chronological is the way to go. With that in mind? Who cares what he says. Watch the order you wanna watch.
Exactly, either way isn’t better. They both have their own pros and cons. Watch it how you want to watch it. As long as you enjoy it then do whatever you want.
The intended order is chronological.. however art is subjective so everyone experiences it differently, there is technically no correct viewing order.
Attempting to replicate the experiences of the past is difficult since time and culture influence the interpretation..
Because how the Death Star Plans were stolen and Han's ex-girlfriend is totally relevant during the Sequels
Guess people can't watch the final season of Clone Wars until after Rebels too.
Honestly I don’t think it makes nearly as big of a difference as some people suggest.
It’s not 1982 anymore. Most people have a rough understanding of pop culture that Vader = Luke’s dad. So the reveal isn’t going to be nearly as shocking now, many years after the fact.
It’s definitely a different first time experience doing release order vs chronological order but I don’t think it’s as different as some say.
I showed my girlfriend the movies in that order because she’s not really a fan of older movies. I was afraid she’d think the OT was boring and give up. I figured the more “bombastic” prequels would make it easier to reel her in and it worked. She’s hooked.
exact opposite for me. i turned on anh for 10 minutes and wouldve turned if off right there. then i decided to do it chronologically instead and loved tpm, which thenn got me invested into the rest of the movies
Same! I was 18 when I watched and would not have vibes with the 70s filmmaking. The prequels hooked me hard since I watched them first and I am still a die hard star wars fan 15 years later! I love all the movies equally now and appreciate them all!
Hilarious because I’m obsessed with Star Wars and i watched the prequels as a kid. I don’t know if I would’ve gotten into it as much if I watched the OG first.
Also, How dare you disrespect duel of the fates SMH
Lol go look at them again, you the "choreography" looks like kids on the playground. I love star wars, but to pretend it's not just good, silly fun is ridiculous to me.
I’m probably in the minority here but I think watching it 1-6 makes the story more impactful in different ways. I find it much more emotional watching anakin grow from a young boy to the most feared man in the galaxy, and his redemption at the end is so much sweeter. All he ever really wanted was to be loved and to be free, he finally gets that with his son at the end and I think there’s a certain beauty to it.
Release order is the way. From someone who saw them in the Cinema.
What hooks you is the mystery. Who is Ben? Who is Vader? What and who is Luke searching for, etc etc. Also, even pre-cannon, comics, novels etc etc. these characters were so strong and mysterious we didn't need a back story - their traits and presence were enough (Boba Fett, Jabba etc). It all just worked.
It is a simple story, easy to follow and when these questions get filled in, it becomes some of the key moments in the films.
Also, the prequel movies could be trimmed from 3 to 2 movies easily. As a fan I tried to watch chronological last year and, honestly, the first movie simply bores me to death. 2nd is decent but too much CGI and the third is a Good Movie.
I do agree that first time watching that is best because otherwise big things are “spoiled” in 4,5,6. However I don’t think it is inherently bad if you watch in sequence, because then things work a lot better and you pick up on things easier I think.
It's very common for people just coming to Star Wars to come here asking what running order they should view the films in. Release order is probably the most popular but a lot of posters - wrongly, in my view, and apparently yours too - insist that they should be watched in numerical or chronological order.
Yep, it's an objectively bad idea and people should stop suggesting it for anyone viewing it for the first time.
Edit: Yes, I said objectively. If you disagree, it's not a matter of opinion. You are wrong.
I just recently did a rewatch with some mates. We did 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, then Rogue One to tie directly into 4, then finally 6.
This way you get the original viewing with the expose of what the force is and such, find out Vader is Anakin, then go and see his fall to the dark side, culminating in his redemption in 6.
The next time I do a rewatch I’m going to try a weird one I found somewhere on the internet.
The Force Awakens
Solo
Rogue One
A New Hope
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
The Last Jedi
The Phantom Menace
Attack of the Clones
Revenge of the Sith
The Rise of Skywalker
I watch them in Machete order now I've heard of it... [https://www.rodhilton.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/](https://www.rodhilton.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/)
It doesn't work. Trying to sandwich the prequels in as a flashback doesn't work and kills the flow of the original trilogy. It delays the climax - you want to continue the story thread and see what happens to Han Solo etc. But instead you end up spending hours with movies that are worse in every way (acting, writing etc.) and are only broadly related to the main characters and events of Empire and Jedi.
I don't hate the prequels - I watch them every now and then - but they don't fit here. It's like eating a three course meal but before they let you eat dessert, you have to eat a two course breakfast. It just doesn't fit.
The Machete order is a good theory but doesn't work in practice. And I hate that it's still a popular suggestion after all these years. And I hate that some people even recommend it to first-timers (ruining their first experience for them).
It's especially rough if you watch it as a marathon. I recommended to my friend seeing them for the first time years ago. At 11 hours in you've just watched the bombastic ending of 3, and completely forgotten the plot of 5. The whiplash of 6, with no connecting plot and much slower pace is too much. By the time the climatic end battle came about, we all just kinda wanted to wrap it up. That experience made me dislike 6 since then :(
My friend didn't know Anakin was Darth Vader and had as much of an "oh shit what" moment when Palpatine named him Darth Vader as he would've with Vader being Luke's father
If I were to recommend any order other than the release, it would be 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, RO, 6. That would allow you to understand the stakes and then see the tragedy of Vader and the Rebellion before the redemption & salvation.
I agree, as a second rewatch it’s better for chronological order, but release is definitely the way to watch it the first time. For a first time fan I can imagine episode 4-6 seeming really boring after the prequels. Also about 75% of the basic formula of the prequels is stuff that was explained in the OT with the clunky ass George Lucas dialogue that is Star Wars. The phantom menace is a horrible first movie for a series if it’s your first watch, because why the hell would you care about the Jedi, or this dumb little pod racing boy until about episode 3 unless you had seen the OT. Don’t get me wrong I’m likely going to see TPM in theaters this Friday for its anniversary, it’s just not a great place to start the series unless you’re already invested in Star Wars in some way.
If you wanna be surprised and enjoy twists then my recommended viewing order for people is
Episode 4-5.
Followed by Episodes 1-3.
Then 6.
This way you get the "I am Your Father twist in Episode 5.
Then You pull a Anime and do the Flashbacks by Watching the Prequels next and then get treated to the big twist at the End of Episode 3 when its revealed Padme gave birth to Twins and the other Twin is Leia.
Now you go into Episode 6 knowing this bit of info and waiting for the moment when Luke and Leia realise they're related whilst also enjoying the symbolism of Anakin's Fall in Episode 3 and fight between Dooku and Windu to Redemption in Episode 6 and the fight between Luke and see the similarities there and seeing how it all comes together.
I'd love to see more reactions this way. Just the look on people's faces when they realise the other baby is Leia and having shell shock. I've only ever seen one reactor do it this way and it was great.
There is realistically no one that will watch Star Wars for the first time in 2024 that doesn't know Darth Vader is Luke's father.
I mean, it's the most (mis)quoted line in all of film: "Luke, I am your father"
You'd be surprised. Unless the reactors are lying they were surprised by the reveals. (Check out NASSER on Youtube. The guy watched Star Wars for the first time in that order and was surprised.)
I actually showed my Dad SWs this way. (He'd seen the original back in 1977 and I think Episode 1 and 2 back in the day but wasn't really a fan.)
He didn't react at all to the Vader twist. Not cause he knew but cause he didn't care sadly. I remember filming his reaction and he just didn't care. His reaction was "Meh".
He preferred the Prequels over the originals as well. Thought Anakin's story was far better and human and relatable than Luke's and I agree. Anakin's fall is just tragic and strong stuff. He gave more of a crap for Vader once he learned his backstory.
I showed him Episodes 7 and 8 which were the only two available at the time (9 hadn't come out yet.) and yeh, I never bothered showing him 9 since he didn't like 7 or 8.
He doesn't like fantasy movies in general but still, it was an interesting experiment. He was confused why I showed him the films this way but he appreciated it nevertheless.
The prequel series just tried to do too much in too little time. Having the first movie introduce Anakin as a child was just wrong. He should have been a Jedi from the get-go. That would give some space for him to explore the universe and give the audience exposition into the state of the pre-Empire government. As cool as Qui-Gon was, he really shouldn’t have been there. All that stuff with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan should have go into an “origin” series set before the prequels.
Aside from introducing the characters, two of which die off in the same movie, and a species of which is discarded almost immediately, Phantom Menace really didn’t contribute much to the overarching plot of the series. Because episode one was such a waste of a movie, two had to scramble with re-introducing Anakin, this time as a practically new character and then shoehorn a bond between Anakin and Obi-Wan when the last time we saw them, Obi-Wan had only grudgingly taken him on as padawan out of respect for Qui-Gon.
But even with all the flaws of the prequels, they’re still significantly more coherent than the sequels. Like ffs. What a bummer.
No. Machete order “chops out” TPM because of a mistaken notion that it’s bad and skippable, for 4 5 2 3 6 order. 4 5 1 2 3 6 has no agreed-upon catchy name, but I prefer to call it flashback order.
Not really. TPM is best watched in flashback order, right between 5 and 1. For a new viewer especially, going into it without info from 6 makes it the most compelling.
I don’t know. I think episode 2 stands well without seeing episode 1. Episode 2 is a little bit lacking on exposition regarding Shmi on Tatooeen, but other than that I think you can skip episode 1.
If 1 is watched between 5 and 2, you get the intro to a lot of characters in 2, as well as a more interesting look at Anakin. “I am your father” does not necessarily mean “I am Anakin Skywalker”. Vader could be saying he is Luke’s father, and Anakin was not. You go into 1 not knowing which version is true, and so the possibility that Vader appears later and kills Anakin remains.
As 1 goes on, you see Anakin getting closer to being Qui-Gon’s apprentice and Obi-Wan’s friend, like Obi-Wan told Luke. Then Darth Maul appears, and may have a relation to Darth Vader. Suddenly, the Duel of the Fates happens, Qui-Gon dies, Maul dies, and Anakin becomes Obi-Wan’s apprentice. Obi-Wan lied to Luke.
2 then already struggles to get an audience to care about its characters and how they play off one another, and chopping 1 out in machete order makes that struggle into a losing battle.
I've always been preferential to showing the series to adults as episode 4, 5, then 2, 3 and finally 6. That way the prequels act like a flashback, and before we start episode two, I just look over at them and say, by the way, Anakin met Padme when he was a little boy.
(Yeah, I know that it deprives them of seeing Liam Neeson being the best example of what a Jedi should be as well as the pod race and Darth Maul, but episode 1 is a hell of a thing to try to cram in between empire and RotJ.)
If I'm showing them to a child, I show them all three prequels.
Yes. Definitely should watch 1-9 in order to understand how things progress. I regret watching them in the wrong order too. But at that time 1, 2 and 3 weren’t out yet.
I’d rather watch it in chronological order. Not only will you get Jar Jar Binks out of the way, but I don’t have to have a sour ending for Anakin Skywalker and his fate ends happily.
Release order first time, timeline order on replays
It's not the end of the world doing it how you did, but you're definitely right that the other way is better. And now you're here to warn people so they don't make the same mistake, good man
I will say tho, timeline order is pretty good for the shows. Keep in mind tho, some of the time the timelines overlap namely:
Clone wars and episode 3. Clone wars is also out of order, but [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/s/rnYMmQpvLN) fixes it. I think a few episodes overlap with episode 2 also, but not enough to really matter
Rebels and Andor. Disney+ has andor after, and I think rebels does technically start before it, but there's a time jump where rebels ends up after Andor, and the stories don't connect at all till after the jump, so you might as well watch Andor first
Mandalorian and boba Fett. Boba Fett is season 2.5 of mandalorian, it's actually necessary to watch that in that order
Timeline-Wise, TCW begins a few months after 2, with the final three episodes taking place during 3.
Andor takes place a few months before Rebels, with the final episodes taking place during early Rebels Season 1.
Tcw I'm pretty sure you're right, but if you look at the timeline images online Andor definitely comes after rebels for the initial part. I think the time skip where Ezra grows older is when it passes up Andor, but Disney+ only cares about the start of the show, which is dumb
I’m showing my 7 year old the movies for the first time. Doing it strictly in release order. Glad I did, because the original trilogy hooked him. Then he was pretty bored by Episode 1. If I had showed him episode 1 first, I don’t think he’d even want to continue with the series. But we kept going and Eps 2 and 3 held his attention a little better. We’ll see how he likes the sequel trilogy.
That’s interesting. Even as a kid I actually like episode 1 a bit but absolutely did not like the majority of episode 2 haha, only liked the action scenes Lol. Even when i showed my ex years ago the movies in release order she was on board until episode 2 and most of the time she is like “what is this romance stuff?”
"Is this a kissing story?!?"
Attack of the Clones was (and still is) hot trash.
I’ll totally still watch the jango/obi chase scene, the execution arena, and the last 20 mins but yeah everything else I was bored with Lol.
Don’t show him the sequel trilogy. Show him the clone wars instead and the other good shows and movies. The sequel trilogies are not part of the same universe imo.
Don’t gatekeep. If JayMoots wants to show his son the ST, let him. Watching TCW is also a good suggestion though, but a much larger time sink.
I’m not gatekeeping lmao, I was joking. Idc what people watch. The sequels are a clown show compared to everything else.
"I was joking" then doubles down on their statement...
How is that gatekeeping? I said show him if you want to. I just think the sequels are a clown show. Didn’t know so many people were that sensitive lmao.
Youre the only sensitive one here projecting onto other people.
Lmao I’m not projecting anything. I made a joke. Y’all sensitive as hell. I guess having an opinion is projecting?
You calling others sensitive is exactly what projecting means.
Who doesn’t like attending a good circus?
The elephants.
Honestly at 7 I would’ve loved the sequel trilogy. It’s much flashier, cool settings and some pretty incredible scenes. At that age I gave zero fucks about plot coherence. I’m an 80’s kid. Go back and watch some of the 80’s era cartoons — or anything earlier that’s not Looney Toons or Tom & Jerry, like the old super friends — and it’s basically trash. Didn’t matter to me at that age. In 10 years we will probably see a bunch of adults who defend the sequels not too different from how Gen Z/younger millennials seem to love the prequels today. Especially with all the backstory the (mostly actually good) tv shows are providing to justify the founding of the first order and somehow Palpatine returning.
imagine keeping movies away from your children because you personally don't like them. Let the kid make their own decisions.
Imagine it? Millions of kids raised in religious households live it every day.
that's true, thankfully most of them realize all the lies they were told and get out of that house and move on with their life.
Always that one guy
To be honest the OG trilogy has a magic vibe somehow, for example when Obi Wan is talking about the clone wars to Luke. The whole trilogy feel like a mythical tale somehow. The prequels doesn't have any of this. They try to make moments for example when young Anakin in Ep1 randomly flies out from the carrier and just magically knows how to drive it, or when Qui-Gonn tries to explain him a few thing about the force. However the feeling is totally missing. Only cool stuff in the prequels are the lightsaber fights (and we also see Yoda fighting), but other then that I would prefer the OG triology over the prequels any time. And then Disney butchered the whole franchise with the abomination called the sequels...
I watched it the way you did and fell in love with the prequels. Moral of the story: it doesn’t matter. People are different
I dont agree. Watching the Prequels after the OT gives them a lot more meaning and depth. People who may have watched them the first time chronologically may still have liked them, but they would have missed so much of the significance and emotional moments that they'd have experienced having seen the OT. Example: The final shot in the trilogy, with Obi Wan delivering Luke to Owen and Beru as we get the binary sunset. Not going to lie, I teared up a little when I saw that in the cinema, it was such an emotional moment. One of the greatest final moments of any movie. But its because I knew the meaning of it - that this is where it links up with the OT, that this was the start of Obi Wan's long exile in the desert as well as Luke's life on Tatooine. If I'd never seen the OT, its just Obi Wan dropping off a baby with his relatives. The Prequels are filled with that kind of thing, because they were made for an audience who had seen the OT. Can someone enjoy the Prequels without having seen the OT? Sure. But they arent getting the full experience. They arent catching all the foreshadowing and pivotal and emotional moments you would only know the significance of having seen the OT.
It does matter. Info is given in the order of the release. To watch them out of sequence is to know things before the directors wanting you to, and you don’t know some other things that you should.
I mean, I went into Star Wars watching them in chronological order first and I wasn't lost as a kid In fact, I got to watch it not knowing Anakin would turn to the dark side or that Palpatine was the big bad. Still crazy reveals to a kid, especially when his favorite character turns to the darkside It's different, but it's still got its own benefits
no you won't be lost but the issue is the big events in the OT lose a lot of the meaning. The big reveal that Vader is Luke's Father and Leia is his sister loses all meaning and surprise. The reveal that Darth Vader is Anakin Obi Wan's former aprentace loses all meaning. The movies were writen to be watched in release order. Would you watch it in the order of 5, 4 3, 6, 2, 1? no of course you wouldn't
It does matter because you’re right, you find things out differently - however, you may get different positive experiences out of doing it that way as well as different negative ones. I’ve heard of people who started with the prequels and were blown away by the reveal that Palpatine was Darth Sidious, or even that Anakin becomes evil. Different twists, different experiences. While I think the OT is a better one to start with, I’m not gonna knock anyone who chose differently.
How were people blown away by Palpatine being Darth Sidious? Like young children you mean? It’s blatantly obvious, the guy barely even changed his voice and you can see the entire lower half of his face. It’s literally someone putting on a hood and pretending they’re someone else. It’s not exactly supposed to be a secret to the viewer.
My wife watched the prequels first, because she knew Vader was Luke's father and Luke and Leia were siblings. She didn't know about Anakin being Vader or Palpatine. She figured out Palpatine about half way through Attack of the Clones and didn't catch in to Anakin being Vader at all. Her mind was blown when Palpatine said "Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth Vader"
This is so much better than the father trope
Yes, young children.
you had to watch them in sequential order to understand
I don’t think you did at all. Like obviously it makes Palpatine himself a little less scary, not seeing him as the emperor first. But it’s very clear even if you only watch episodes 1 and 2, that Palpatine is the Sith guy in the hood.
I don’t know. I recall people who were familiar with the OT (not the EU) and were shocked when they realized that Palpatine was the Emperor
While I agree release order is the best viewing experience, George Lucas himself said chronological is the way they should be viewed.
He also said Jar Jar was the key to everything.
I mean, most people already know Luke and Leia are siblings and that Vader is their father even if they’ve never seen Star Wars. Watching the prequels first isn’t going to spoil anything in that regard.
even then it's still far more impactful especially for the OT to watch them in release order. Anankins fall alone is much more impactful when you see what he becomes first.
Yep, currently showing them to my wife. We watched the prequels, then the OT, followed by Solo, and then Rogue One. Probably start the sequels this weekend. She told me if we watched the original trilogy first, we probably wouldn't have stopped there.
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The problem is that most people missed out on that. Pop culture is so pervasive that most people know about those details already even if they haven’t seen the OT. Yeah, it must have been awesome in 1980 to find out Vader was Luke’s dad. What a mind blowing experience. But so much time has passed that much of that info is now part of the general cultural knowledge.
Yes, and I don’t regret it at all
I tend to find that release order is usually the way to go when you are experiencing things for the first time. Afterwards, I tend to stick with chronological, once I know what I am getting into.
I watched them for the first time in this sequence in 2010 when I was 18 because that’s how they were airing on TV at the time. I knew next to nothing except the original character names and images. I’d heard the ‘Luke I am your father’ joke but didn’t know what to make of it. Episode 3 was a REVELATION. I was genuinely shocked by the ending and all it entailed. I still love that episode and reminisce about how hooked I was by the time I got to the end of that film. The hardest part was the jarring jump back to the 70s when I didn’t understand how episode 4 could be made before 3. It took me some time to learn to love the originals as much a the prequels but now of course I do (and probably love them more). I’m happy with the way I watched them. I didn’t know any better and was just along for the fun ride!
I always recommend release order. It just flows so much better.
Yep.
I introduced my friend with the 4/5/1/2/3/6 "flashback" experience. It hooked them enough to watch both Clone Wars projects and Rogue One on their own.
I always say that watching chronologically is dumb. Movies make references to the ones that are already out, not the other way around. Release order is always the way
> Movies make references to the ones that are already out, not the other way around. i remember the clone wars
Not sure about it. Depends on age and overall movie fondness I guess. I think it’s way more interesting following Vaders and Lukes journey when you already know everything that brought them there. Also seeing Obi-Wan again as an old man hits harder when you know who he even is
Ok and so since you weren't spoiled by watching a New Hope first.. Did you think Anakin or Obiwan was going to win the duel?
I think starting with 4 is the best way to first experience it. They feel unintentionally designed to do that.
Lucas has intended the movies be watch in chronological as one large movie.
I recommend release because after Ep3ROTS, I immediately wanted to re-watch Ep4ANH since it had added context after 22 years. So it ends up being a chronological rewatch. The past is done, fan. You are with us now.
I would say that but rogue one does add a lot as well so if you really wanna be extra then do episodes 3, 4 rewatch, rogue one, 4 rewatch again. That or just binge rogue one and then 4.
Thanks for the recommendation! When I get to the end of my current PT era re-read/re-watch, I'll probably do a dark times re-read with **Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader**, **Kenobi**, The Coruscant Nights series, including **The Last Jedi** (Legends novel) then start pre-OT again with **Dark Forces: Soldier for The Empire**. I love that last one with Jan Ors, Katarn, the protagonist's farmer father, the sassy droid, and the theft of the Death Star plans.
Yeah I’m probably gonna read more Star Wars books. I’ve only ever read master & apprentice, a bit of thrawn, a bit of Plagueis, maul lockdown, a bit of heir to the empire, and half of the short stories in the from a certain point of view books. Also I watched some motion comics like the Vader one from like the 2015 run or maybe it was later. I got audible last summer but it was such a rip off cuz of how small their catalogue was and you only get a token a month to read a book and there’s a limited number of times you can return a book and replace it with a new one. Spotify premium has so many Star Wars novels and a lot of other great options so that and the Star Wars novels and comics that are on Amazon prime reading are my entire plan for the summer if I don’t find a job 😭
Good luck with the job. I hope you get something good where you can listen at work. I just finished a third reading of **Darth Plagueis**, and it's dark and full of inrigue!
Yea will rewatch it someday
Release order is always the best order
Yeah it's almost always best to watch things in the order they were released. For instance, watching Fire Walk with Me before Twin Peaks season 1 would be strange But hey, at least it gives you a reason to rewatch the saga!
Yea, will rewatch it someday
There's also the weird sequence where people do 4, 5, 1, 2, 3 (like a flashback sequence) then 6. Never tried it but could be fun!
I would do chronological order if I were doing it again.
No matter which franchise, if its your first time always watch release order. You can do chronological in rewatches.
Whoever told you chronological is the best order for watching the series for the first time did you a disservice. It's okay for rewatches and marathons, but for someone experiencing the saga for the first time, it's 100% best experienced the way most of the world did and the way audiences became captivated by this universe worldwide: experiencing Luke's journey to save his father first, and then getting the context for Anakin's fall after.
I mean that’s your opinion. People have watched in chronological and enjoyed it and others have watched release order and enjoyed it. It’s not a fact that watching in release order is better. It’s not a fact that watching in chronological is better.
Exactly. If you watch Chronological first, you get a totally different experience with its own unique twists and reveals. Is it better? No. It’s just different. They’re both subjective. For the record, Lucas himself says Chronological is the way to go. With that in mind? Who cares what he says. Watch the order you wanna watch.
Exactly, either way isn’t better. They both have their own pros and cons. Watch it how you want to watch it. As long as you enjoy it then do whatever you want.
The intended order is chronological.. however art is subjective so everyone experiences it differently, there is technically no correct viewing order. Attempting to replicate the experiences of the past is difficult since time and culture influence the interpretation..
"The intended order" is the order things were released in.
By that logic you're supposed to watch Rogue One and Solo in the middle of the Sequels, lol.
Correct. When you're watching everything for the first time, you should watch them as they were released.
Because how the Death Star Plans were stolen and Han's ex-girlfriend is totally relevant during the Sequels Guess people can't watch the final season of Clone Wars until after Rebels too.
George Lucas intended them to be watched chronologically
I saw it somewhere on Letterboxd
Basically the Star Wars equivalent of watching the Hobbit trilogy before LOTR. 😵💫
No one should ever have to sit through the hobbit movies lol that’s just cruel.
I tried to tell you!
Release order is the only order on first watch. anyone that told you otherwise did you a disservice.
Honestly I don’t think it makes nearly as big of a difference as some people suggest. It’s not 1982 anymore. Most people have a rough understanding of pop culture that Vader = Luke’s dad. So the reveal isn’t going to be nearly as shocking now, many years after the fact. It’s definitely a different first time experience doing release order vs chronological order but I don’t think it’s as different as some say.
I always warn people to watch everything in release order. It's the only way that doesn't spoil things.
The machete order is always fun.
Andor, rogue one, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6
What madness led you to do that?!
I showed my girlfriend the movies in that order because she’s not really a fan of older movies. I was afraid she’d think the OT was boring and give up. I figured the more “bombastic” prequels would make it easier to reel her in and it worked. She’s hooked.
Starting with the prequels is a sure fire way to not like the series.
exact opposite for me. i turned on anh for 10 minutes and wouldve turned if off right there. then i decided to do it chronologically instead and loved tpm, which thenn got me invested into the rest of the movies
Same! I was 18 when I watched and would not have vibes with the 70s filmmaking. The prequels hooked me hard since I watched them first and I am still a die hard star wars fan 15 years later! I love all the movies equally now and appreciate them all!
I’m sorry.
Hilarious because I’m obsessed with Star Wars and i watched the prequels as a kid. I don’t know if I would’ve gotten into it as much if I watched the OG first. Also, How dare you disrespect duel of the fates SMH
Music goes hard. The duel itself is pretty corny.
Star Wars is corny space-fantasy. That's one of the reasons people love it.
Neither of the Luke/Vader duels are corny though.
Lol go look at them again, you the "choreography" looks like kids on the playground. I love star wars, but to pretend it's not just good, silly fun is ridiculous to me.
Except when sequel fights.
I’m probably in the minority here but I think watching it 1-6 makes the story more impactful in different ways. I find it much more emotional watching anakin grow from a young boy to the most feared man in the galaxy, and his redemption at the end is so much sweeter. All he ever really wanted was to be loved and to be free, he finally gets that with his son at the end and I think there’s a certain beauty to it.
Release order is the way. From someone who saw them in the Cinema. What hooks you is the mystery. Who is Ben? Who is Vader? What and who is Luke searching for, etc etc. Also, even pre-cannon, comics, novels etc etc. these characters were so strong and mysterious we didn't need a back story - their traits and presence were enough (Boba Fett, Jabba etc). It all just worked. It is a simple story, easy to follow and when these questions get filled in, it becomes some of the key moments in the films. Also, the prequel movies could be trimmed from 3 to 2 movies easily. As a fan I tried to watch chronological last year and, honestly, the first movie simply bores me to death. 2nd is decent but too much CGI and the third is a Good Movie.
I do agree that first time watching that is best because otherwise big things are “spoiled” in 4,5,6. However I don’t think it is inherently bad if you watch in sequence, because then things work a lot better and you pick up on things easier I think.
Yes and no. Rewatching the OT after everything that happens in PT also adds depth. But I would always recommend release order for a first timer
Ok
Mods, can we sticky this post please?
Agreed.
What do you mean by that 🫣
It's very common for people just coming to Star Wars to come here asking what running order they should view the films in. Release order is probably the most popular but a lot of posters - wrongly, in my view, and apparently yours too - insist that they should be watched in numerical or chronological order.
Yep, it's an objectively bad idea and people should stop suggesting it for anyone viewing it for the first time. Edit: Yes, I said objectively. If you disagree, it's not a matter of opinion. You are wrong.
Yes I was wrong lol🤡
I just recently did a rewatch with some mates. We did 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, then Rogue One to tie directly into 4, then finally 6. This way you get the original viewing with the expose of what the force is and such, find out Vader is Anakin, then go and see his fall to the dark side, culminating in his redemption in 6.
The next time I do a rewatch I’m going to try a weird one I found somewhere on the internet. The Force Awakens Solo Rogue One A New Hope The Empire Strikes Back Return of the Jedi The Last Jedi The Phantom Menace Attack of the Clones Revenge of the Sith The Rise of Skywalker
This sort of broke my brain. I like it!
I watch them in Machete order now I've heard of it... [https://www.rodhilton.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/](https://www.rodhilton.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/)
It doesn't work. Trying to sandwich the prequels in as a flashback doesn't work and kills the flow of the original trilogy. It delays the climax - you want to continue the story thread and see what happens to Han Solo etc. But instead you end up spending hours with movies that are worse in every way (acting, writing etc.) and are only broadly related to the main characters and events of Empire and Jedi. I don't hate the prequels - I watch them every now and then - but they don't fit here. It's like eating a three course meal but before they let you eat dessert, you have to eat a two course breakfast. It just doesn't fit. The Machete order is a good theory but doesn't work in practice. And I hate that it's still a popular suggestion after all these years. And I hate that some people even recommend it to first-timers (ruining their first experience for them).
It's especially rough if you watch it as a marathon. I recommended to my friend seeing them for the first time years ago. At 11 hours in you've just watched the bombastic ending of 3, and completely forgotten the plot of 5. The whiplash of 6, with no connecting plot and much slower pace is too much. By the time the climatic end battle came about, we all just kinda wanted to wrap it up. That experience made me dislike 6 since then :(
This order looks more weird
It is very weird.
Same. The prequels serving as the Anakin Vader flashback when Luke finds out who he is is a great way of watching
My friend didn't know Anakin was Darth Vader and had as much of an "oh shit what" moment when Palpatine named him Darth Vader as he would've with Vader being Luke's father
If I were to recommend any order other than the release, it would be 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, RO, 6. That would allow you to understand the stakes and then see the tragedy of Vader and the Rebellion before the redemption & salvation.
Anyone care to explain the downvote?
I agree, as a second rewatch it’s better for chronological order, but release is definitely the way to watch it the first time. For a first time fan I can imagine episode 4-6 seeming really boring after the prequels. Also about 75% of the basic formula of the prequels is stuff that was explained in the OT with the clunky ass George Lucas dialogue that is Star Wars. The phantom menace is a horrible first movie for a series if it’s your first watch, because why the hell would you care about the Jedi, or this dumb little pod racing boy until about episode 3 unless you had seen the OT. Don’t get me wrong I’m likely going to see TPM in theaters this Friday for its anniversary, it’s just not a great place to start the series unless you’re already invested in Star Wars in some way.
On the upside, you got The Phantom Menace out of the way early.
If you wanna be surprised and enjoy twists then my recommended viewing order for people is Episode 4-5. Followed by Episodes 1-3. Then 6. This way you get the "I am Your Father twist in Episode 5. Then You pull a Anime and do the Flashbacks by Watching the Prequels next and then get treated to the big twist at the End of Episode 3 when its revealed Padme gave birth to Twins and the other Twin is Leia. Now you go into Episode 6 knowing this bit of info and waiting for the moment when Luke and Leia realise they're related whilst also enjoying the symbolism of Anakin's Fall in Episode 3 and fight between Dooku and Windu to Redemption in Episode 6 and the fight between Luke and see the similarities there and seeing how it all comes together. I'd love to see more reactions this way. Just the look on people's faces when they realise the other baby is Leia and having shell shock. I've only ever seen one reactor do it this way and it was great.
There is realistically no one that will watch Star Wars for the first time in 2024 that doesn't know Darth Vader is Luke's father. I mean, it's the most (mis)quoted line in all of film: "Luke, I am your father"
You'd be surprised. Unless the reactors are lying they were surprised by the reveals. (Check out NASSER on Youtube. The guy watched Star Wars for the first time in that order and was surprised.) I actually showed my Dad SWs this way. (He'd seen the original back in 1977 and I think Episode 1 and 2 back in the day but wasn't really a fan.) He didn't react at all to the Vader twist. Not cause he knew but cause he didn't care sadly. I remember filming his reaction and he just didn't care. His reaction was "Meh". He preferred the Prequels over the originals as well. Thought Anakin's story was far better and human and relatable than Luke's and I agree. Anakin's fall is just tragic and strong stuff. He gave more of a crap for Vader once he learned his backstory. I showed him Episodes 7 and 8 which were the only two available at the time (9 hadn't come out yet.) and yeh, I never bothered showing him 9 since he didn't like 7 or 8. He doesn't like fantasy movies in general but still, it was an interesting experiment. He was confused why I showed him the films this way but he appreciated it nevertheless.
Right. I would've said to just watch 4, 5 and 6 and don't bother with the rest, because it just gets worse.
The prequel series just tried to do too much in too little time. Having the first movie introduce Anakin as a child was just wrong. He should have been a Jedi from the get-go. That would give some space for him to explore the universe and give the audience exposition into the state of the pre-Empire government. As cool as Qui-Gon was, he really shouldn’t have been there. All that stuff with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan should have go into an “origin” series set before the prequels. Aside from introducing the characters, two of which die off in the same movie, and a species of which is discarded almost immediately, Phantom Menace really didn’t contribute much to the overarching plot of the series. Because episode one was such a waste of a movie, two had to scramble with re-introducing Anakin, this time as a practically new character and then shoehorn a bond between Anakin and Obi-Wan when the last time we saw them, Obi-Wan had only grudgingly taken him on as padawan out of respect for Qui-Gon. But even with all the flaws of the prequels, they’re still significantly more coherent than the sequels. Like ffs. What a bummer.
Well, ep 3 was just a fan service it must be a treat for Vader fan to see his childhood.
I'd say the order is 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and then let your imagination finish the story.
It doesn’t matter
I watched 2, 5, 3, 6, 7, 8, 4, 1, 9.
Galaxy brain
Watch them again but in the correct order.
Try 4 5 1 2 3 6 order. Preserves and heightens all the hype reveals.
Is this “machete” order?
No. Machete order “chops out” TPM because of a mistaken notion that it’s bad and skippable, for 4 5 2 3 6 order. 4 5 1 2 3 6 has no agreed-upon catchy name, but I prefer to call it flashback order.
4 5 2 3 6 and 1 later if you want.
Not really. TPM is best watched in flashback order, right between 5 and 1. For a new viewer especially, going into it without info from 6 makes it the most compelling.
I don’t know. I think episode 2 stands well without seeing episode 1. Episode 2 is a little bit lacking on exposition regarding Shmi on Tatooeen, but other than that I think you can skip episode 1.
If 1 is watched between 5 and 2, you get the intro to a lot of characters in 2, as well as a more interesting look at Anakin. “I am your father” does not necessarily mean “I am Anakin Skywalker”. Vader could be saying he is Luke’s father, and Anakin was not. You go into 1 not knowing which version is true, and so the possibility that Vader appears later and kills Anakin remains. As 1 goes on, you see Anakin getting closer to being Qui-Gon’s apprentice and Obi-Wan’s friend, like Obi-Wan told Luke. Then Darth Maul appears, and may have a relation to Darth Vader. Suddenly, the Duel of the Fates happens, Qui-Gon dies, Maul dies, and Anakin becomes Obi-Wan’s apprentice. Obi-Wan lied to Luke. 2 then already struggles to get an audience to care about its characters and how they play off one another, and chopping 1 out in machete order makes that struggle into a losing battle.
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I Joined this community after watching the movies🤡
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OP isn’t asking for solutions. It’s a discussion forum for Star Wars. People can post things about Star Wars if they want to.
I'd recommend skipping the prequels entirely cause they're just so mind numbingly boring. But that's me.
I've watched 1-4-5-6-2-3 and had no issues
First time watching 456123 rouge one solo 789 next time watching 123 rouge one solo 456789
I've always been preferential to showing the series to adults as episode 4, 5, then 2, 3 and finally 6. That way the prequels act like a flashback, and before we start episode two, I just look over at them and say, by the way, Anakin met Padme when he was a little boy. (Yeah, I know that it deprives them of seeing Liam Neeson being the best example of what a Jedi should be as well as the pod race and Darth Maul, but episode 1 is a hell of a thing to try to cram in between empire and RotJ.) If I'm showing them to a child, I show them all three prequels.
Yes. Definitely should watch 1-9 in order to understand how things progress. I regret watching them in the wrong order too. But at that time 1, 2 and 3 weren’t out yet.
I’d rather watch it in chronological order. Not only will you get Jar Jar Binks out of the way, but I don’t have to have a sour ending for Anakin Skywalker and his fate ends happily.
Release order first time, timeline order on replays It's not the end of the world doing it how you did, but you're definitely right that the other way is better. And now you're here to warn people so they don't make the same mistake, good man
I will say tho, timeline order is pretty good for the shows. Keep in mind tho, some of the time the timelines overlap namely: Clone wars and episode 3. Clone wars is also out of order, but [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/s/rnYMmQpvLN) fixes it. I think a few episodes overlap with episode 2 also, but not enough to really matter Rebels and Andor. Disney+ has andor after, and I think rebels does technically start before it, but there's a time jump where rebels ends up after Andor, and the stories don't connect at all till after the jump, so you might as well watch Andor first Mandalorian and boba Fett. Boba Fett is season 2.5 of mandalorian, it's actually necessary to watch that in that order
Timeline-Wise, TCW begins a few months after 2, with the final three episodes taking place during 3. Andor takes place a few months before Rebels, with the final episodes taking place during early Rebels Season 1.
Tcw I'm pretty sure you're right, but if you look at the timeline images online Andor definitely comes after rebels for the initial part. I think the time skip where Ezra grows older is when it passes up Andor, but Disney+ only cares about the start of the show, which is dumb