The Star Wars series is undeniably massive. Most movie series are lucky to get a single trilogy, let alone three separate trilogies of films that strive to tell a connected narrative. Not only does Star Wars have three trilogies of movies, but if someone wants to watch all the canon material, they will be watching content for longer than the length of a full day.

With so many movies and all the additional media, many fans have come up with a variety of ways to view the Star Wars series. The problem, as with any series involving so much content, is that some people won’t know where to start. What's more, everyone has their own opinion. That is why many have begun to wonder whether the viewing order of the Star Wars series even matters.

Related

Star Wars Fan Reveals Another Possible Explanation For Padmé's Death

Star Wars fans are still not over Padme's Death in Revenge of the Sith, and they may have come up with the most compelling theory behind it.

Why Are There So Many Viewing Orders For Star Wars?

Chronological Order Of The Skywalker Saga

When searching for the “correct” order to watch the Star Wars movie, some new fans will be left confused. Everyone has their own idea of how the series is meant to be consumed. Some people feel the movies should be viewed in the order they were released; others feel it's best to view them in chronological order to get the full story in perfect sequence. Still others feel the best choice is to jump around the trilogy and timelines to get the best story possible. There are tons of suggested viewing orders for the Star Wars series online. The beautiful thing is that each of them is valid in its own way.

Star Wars fans have invested so much of themselves and their time into the series. It only makes sense that they would have their own ideas on how to get the most from the series. Some people feel it's best to experience the Star Wars story as it came out, since that was what the creatives intended. Some think the story will be easier to understand if it plays out in order. Fans will always differ on what the perfect way to view the series is, and that will only become more true as the series grows even more. Of course, the number of possible viewing orders only expands when including the many shows and video games.

Do Games and Shows Count as Part of the Viewing Experience?

Notable Canon Star Wars Games And Shows

Some fans will disagree with the sentiment that the games and shows are a part of the viewing experience. However, many more feel they add to the experience. The only trouble is that a new fan is bound to be overwhelmed by the prospect of spending so much time getting the whole Star Wars experience.

The canon has been laid out rather simply in recent years, but with comics and books also included, fans who want the whole story will have to dedicate a lot of personal time to take in everything. There's Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Rebels, and many comic book series that tell important parts of the story. The real answer is that it depends on what someone considers a part of the experience. An article from the Star Wars official website mentions a few key parts of the viewing experience:

Does The Viewing Order Actually Matter?

At the end of the day, there really is only one aspect to any of the viewing orders that matters. If someone were to start with Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (the first Star Wars film to be released, but the fourth movie chronologically), and then watch Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (the fourth released, but the first in the timeline), that person would be deeply confused. Essentially, a newcomer with no prior franchise knowledge can start with any trilogy, and have a complete experience. The only thing that matters is picking the first movie from any of the three trilogies, like the prequel trilogy for instance, and watching that trilogy to completion for that full chunk of the story. Of course, there is a famous viewing order that throws this concept aside to start and stop with two different trilogies. However, this may put some new fans off.

Once you add in the games, television series, and other movies, things do get a bit more complex. Luckily, just about every piece of extended Star Wars media is digestible on its own. Someone may not have the intimate knowledge of the series, but can still enjoy the excellent narrative spun by Rogue One. While it can be nice to consume the extended media in the correct order, experiencing it out of order may just lead to greater interest in the series, to see where the story will go or what happened in previous generations.

Star Wars is available to stream now on Disney+.

Star Wars

More

One Canceled Star Wars Movie May Happen After All

A Star Wars movie that was reportedly canceled may have a second chance at Lucasfilm, but why was it initially scrapped in the first place?