We might be getting a new Star Wars movie every year for the foreseeable future. Can you believe it? It's a wonderful thing really: the extension of the main saga, as well as the addition of spinoff or anthology stories. With all these new movies, as well as the important storylines featured in the original and prequel trilogy, where are you supposed to start? Whether you're an old fan looking to burn through a Star Wars binge, or you want to introduce your friends (or children) to a galaxy far far away, it can be tough to decide where to begin.
Traditionally, there are two "orders" to watch the main saga: release and chronological.
Recommended for you
(The following contains spoiler alerts. If you're not aware of one of the biggest plot twists in movie history, along with other major plot points in the Star Wars series, turn back now.)
Release Order
Release order follows the original release of the films: 4, 5, 6, then the prequel trilogy 1, 2, 3. Release order is how most Star Wars fans were exposed to the series. Star Wars, released in 1977 (now subtitled "Episode IV: A New Hope), is a great jumping off point in the series. It's the movie that started it all. Arguably, all three of the original films are better than the prequel trilogy. So, by exposing them to the originals first, you're providing them with a better Star Wars experience.
Release order has it's problems, though. For one, it ends the viewer on the prequel trilogy. For the sake of this writing, we can all accept that the prequels are subpar to the originals, if not terrible by comparison (and that's being nice). Release order ends the viewer on Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Revenge of the Sith is considered by most the strongest of the prequels, but that's not saying much. The prequels are a backstory- an extended flashback. The films tell Anakin Skywalker's journey to the dark side, along with the fall of the Jedi Order and the Clone Wars. By ending with Episode III, you're ending in the middle of the story. It doesn't enhance the narrative, so much as let the viewer know the prequels exist.
Unless you plan on avoiding the prequel trilogy all together, release order isn't the best way to watch Star Wars.
Chronological Order
Chronological order should make sense. It's simple: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Watch the movies as history played out: see the Clone Wars, the Republic, the Jedi, then watch them all crumble under the Emperor's plan and fall to the Empire. You know more about who Darth Vadar is before he boards Princess Leia's ship in Episode IV, as well as his relationship to Luke and Leia.
Except, that right there ruins chronological order in its entirety. By watching the prequels first, you ruin one of the biggest plot twists in movie history:
By showing the birth of Luke and Leia in Revenge of the Sith, the reveal of Vadar as Luke's father in Episode V: Empire Strikes Back, doesn't have the same life-changing, plot-twisting, mind-blowing impact. Does it still have weight? Sure, but it's not the same.
Arguably a bigger problem with chronological order is that it starts the viewer with the prequel trilogy. A majority of Star Wars fans not only dislike the prequel trilogy,they hate them. Some would go as far to say it ruined their childhood. The movies are bad, not only as a comparison to the originals but by film standards in general. The dialogue in hokey, a lot of the acting is stiff, the political plot is hard to follow and the CGI looks dated years later. Not to mention Jar Jar.
That's not to say that the prequels don't have anything to offer. For one, the movies are canon, meaning the events that occur, as well as the relationships formed, are a part of the official "Star Wars" timeline. Some of the performances are also worthwhile, including Ewan McGregor as young Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine.
Chronological order just isn't the place start. The prequels are too long and painful to sit through three films just to get to the original trilogy. It's just not worth it.
The Solution: Machete Order
Where there's the internet, there is a solution. Enter Machete Order, by far the best way to watch the Star Wars main saga. Machete order isn't perfect, but it attempts to fix the problems of both release and chronological order. The order is as follows: 4, 5, 2, 3, 6.
But wait, you might ask, that's only 5 movies? Where's Episode I: The Phantom Menace?
Machete order leaves out Phantom Menace altogether. Depending on the Star Wars fan you talk to, the film is the worst of the series. You can follow the story of Anakin Skywalker without it. Unless you're interested in a really cool pod race and maybe Liam Neeson as a Jedi, the movie is unnecessary. You can skip it, plain and simple.
This order starts the viewer off with A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, arguably the best two movies in the saga. After Vadar's reveal at the end of Empire, go back to watch "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of The Sith," episodes two and three, respectively. This provides an extended flashback to the fall of Anakin/Vadar. It's just enough of the prequels to benefit the narrative, but not enough to make you hate George Lucas for what he did to Star Wars back in the early 2000s.
Finally, it ends the series on Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the saga's original ending. With the release of The Force Awakens, in 2015, and the upcoming Episodes VIII and IX in 2017 and 2019 respectively, machete order is fit to carry on the main Star Wars story as new movies are added. Just keep adding the films after Return of the Jedi as they are released.
With the release of Rogue One December 2016 and other anthology films in the near future, more comprehensive movie timelines and film orders are sure to follow. Until then, happyStar Wars binging, and may the force be with you.
