Though the Skywalker Saga has been over for some time now, it doesn't mean that we'll never return to the galaxy far, far away. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has proven, like almost all other Star Wars movies save for the originals, to be divisive amongst fans.

Whatever your feelings on it, it was the final appearance of fan favourites Luke, Leia, and Han. But that doesn't mean that we're never going to get a glimmer of Star Wars magic again.

We might not have a new movie until 2023, yet Disney is expanding the universe with Disney+ series The Mandalorian and a series of novels and comic books, including an upcoming series set in the High Republic era.

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Over the span of four decades, we've seen a lot of Star Wars content both on big screens and small. From animated series to film epics, not to mention video games and comics, there's more Star Wars out there than we know what to do with.

If the thought of watching the entire franchise in chronological order is both appealing and daunting, we've come up with something to help you navigate your binge.



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We've put together a timeline, in chronological order (as opposed to order of release) of all the Star Wars films, animated shows, spin-offs, and Disney+ series. We haven't included the novels or comic books because if we did we'd never finish (and neither would you).



In order to understand the timeline, and not just follow willy-nilly, there are two acronyms you'll need to remember.

They are BBY (before the Battle of Yavin) and ABY (after the Battle of Yavin). That battle occurred in Star Wars: A New Hope, and began with an attempt to destroy the Rebel base of Yavin IV, which ended in the explosion of the first Death Star.

Dates preceding BBY count down to the event (like negative numbers, the closer they get to zero the closer to the event we get) and dates following ABY count away from the event. Congratulations! Now you're a little bit more of a Star Wars nerd than you were before.

(Note: Contains major spoilers for the Star Wars movies and television shows. Duh.)

Episode I: The Phantom Menace – 32 BBY

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The infamous opening text crawl explained lots that – it quickly transpired – didn't warrant explaining. It saw Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) sent to officiate in a disagreement between the Trade Federation and Naboo, which led to the planet being blockaded.

They escape with Queen Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) and exiled fish-rabbit clown Jar Jar Binks to Tatooine, where they meet young and incredibly annoying space Jesus Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) and badass villain Darth Maul. A droid invasion is halted at the cost of Jinn's life, but it all turns out that was all an overly complicated double-cross to hand power to Naboo's senator and future Sith tyrant Emperor Palpatine.

How anyone could possibly blockade an entire planet is never explained.

Major events

Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, C-3PO and R2-D2 are introduced chronologically for the first time

The existence of the Sith is revealed

Darth Maul dies (or does he...?)

Palpatine becomes the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic

Episode II: Attack of the Clones – 22 BBY

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Ten years later, Anakin (now Hayden Christensen) has developed from annoying to the worst. We meet Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) a former Jedi and secret Sith Lord Darth Tyranus, who is trying to lead a load of planets called the Confederacy of Independent Systems (or Separatists) out of the Republic for very important and definitely clear reasons.

Terrible undercover bodyguard Anakin takes Padmé into protective seclusion and despite extended exposure she still falls in love with him. They all end up on the planet Geonosis, where droids kill a load of Jedi until a secret army of clones discovered by Obi-Wan shows up and carries the day.

No surprises for guessing that it was all a lot of flummery to give Palpatine emergency powers which he promises to give up at the end of the conflict. We totally believe you, Palps.

Major events

Padmé and Anakin are married in secret

Anakin's mum Shmi is murdered and he takes dark side-y revenge on her killers

The Clone army is created

The Clone Wars kick off between the Republic and the Separatist planets

Palpatine acquires emergency powers over the Republic

The Clone Wars (movie) – 22 BBY

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The setup for the long-running Clone Wars animated series, the feature-length movie expands the conflict between the Republic and the Separatists with a plot to frame the Jedi for the kidnapping of Jabba the Hutt's son.

We meet Anakin's troupe of clone soldiers, and the future Darth Vader is assigned his own Padawan – Ahsoka Tano.

Major events

Ahsoka Tano is introduced

We meet Rex, Cody and the other clone troopers of the 501st Legion

The Clone Wars (TV series) – 22-19 BBY

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars desperately tries to shore up the gaping holes in the prequel trilogy... and succeeds fairly well.

Over seven seasons, the series covers everything from clone-fought conflicts with the Separatists, Count Dooku's plotting with his dark-side assassin Asajj Ventress, political intrigue and the Jedi being useless and wrong about everything.

The Clone Wars fleshes out the Republic/Separatist conflict, the corruption and issues plaguing the Jedi and Senate, and even managed to make Anakin (not voiced by Christensen) into a likeable and relatable character.

Don't believe us? Check out this guide to the essential episodes.

Major events

The return of Darth Maul (really!)

Ahsoka leaves the Jedi Order

Saw Gerrera is introduced

Yoda discovers how to return as a Force ghost

The clones' secret Order 66 is almost exposed

Episode III: Revenge of the Sith – 19 BBY

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Three years after Attack of the Clones, the war comes to a head here. Goaded by Palpatine and visions of Padmé's death, Anakin explores new depths of awful, eventually killing his fellow Jedi and a bunch of children, before being dismembered by Obi-Wan and left for dead.

Meanwhile, the Republic is on the verge of victory when Palpatine activates Order 66, causing the clone troopers' "bio-chips" to activate and turn them against their Jedi generals. The order of knights is all but destroyed, and Yoda and Obi-Wan go into hiding.

Padmé gives birth to Luke and Leia, then dies for no reason, Anakin is transformed into Darth Vader, and everyone breathes a sigh of relief that the prequels are finally over.

Major events

First chronological appearance of Chewbacca

Obi-Wan defeats Anakin on Mustafar

Luke and Leia are born in secret and hidden

Order 66 is activated and the Jedi Order is destroyed

Padmé dies

The creation of the Empire

Anakin becomes Darth Vader

Solo: A Star Wars Story – 13-10 BBY (estimated)

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The solo Han Solo film stars Alden Ehrenreich as a younger version of the character from his time as a slum rat on the streets of Corellia to his first adventures as an outlaw.

He meets Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) for the first time, and we also get to meet his childhood friend Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke) and his criminal mentor Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson).

The film is set at the height of the Empire, before the Rebel Alliance has begun to establish a noticeable toehold. And a surprise villain emerges at the head of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate to link the film back to the prequel trilogy.

Major events

First chronological appearance of Han Solo

Han meets Chewbacca and Lando for the first time

Han begins his career as a smuggler

Star Wars Rebels – 5 BBY - 1 BBY (Epilogue after 4 ABY)

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This animated series deals with the early days of the Rebel Alliance, starting off as a series of scattered cells and building into a threat to the Empire.

It stars a collection of original characters – pilot Hera Syndulla, former Padawan Kanan Jarrus, young Jedi trainee Ezra Bridger, Mandalorian weapons expert Sabine Wren, Lasat warrior Zeb Orrelios and obnoxious astromech droid Chopper – as well as featuring familiar faces including Leia, Obi-Wan, Lando, Saw Gerrera, Darth Maul and Mon Mothma.

The fourth and final series ends shortly before the battle between the Empire and the Rebellion starts to heat up, with an epilogue set at an unspecified time after the Battle of Endor.

Major events

Mon Mothma and Wedge Antilles join the Rebellion

Darth Maul dies

Ahsoka fights Darth Vader

Obi-Wan Kenobi kills Darth Maul

The liberation of Lothal

The life and death of Kanan Jarrus

Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn disappear

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – 0 BBY

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The first Star Wars spin-off movie draws heavily on the war-film genre to fill in the gaps of A New Hope's opening crawl.

Felicity Jones's Jyn Erso is reluctantly recruited by the Rebellion to contact her former mentor (Forest Whitaker as an ageing Saw Gerrera) and, eventually, her father, Death Star weapons designer Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen).

Jyn leads her merry(ish) band of Rebels in a desperate attack to steal the Death Star plans, leading to the almost total destruction of the Rebel Alliance fleet. It ends with the escape of Princess Leia Organa in a very familiar ship, leading right into the opening of A New Hope.

Major events

The Death Star plans are stolen

The Death Star's fatal weakness is revealed and explained (retcon!)

The Rebellion's fleet is decimated

Episode IV: A New Hope – 0 BBY - 0 ABY

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Even if you haven't seen the original Star Wars film (which you have, obviously), The Hero's Journey™ has been repeated a million times before and since.

Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is an ordinary (moisture) farm boy until he is thrust into the adventure he always wanted.

He finds a mentor in Obi-Wan (now played by Alec Guinness), a roguish ally in Han Solo (now Harrison Ford), a princess to save in Leia (Carrie Fisher) and a monster to battle in Vader.

We're more than halfway through our timeline now, but Star Wars really begins here.

Major events

Luke begins to learn the ways of the Force

Aunt Beru and Uncle Lars are killed

Obi-Wan reunites with Darth Vader and is killed

The Death Star destroys Alderaan

The Rebels destroy the first Death Star

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back – 3 ABY

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The sequel goes darker in the more serious follow-up to George Lucas's surprise hit.

Our heroes are nearly killed in their escape from Hoth. Luke discovers a new mentor in the weird form of Yoda, Han and Leia seek refuge with Lando on Cloud City, and everything goes to hell.

It also includes the most famous reveal in cinematic history, or did until the prequels came along and spoiled it, from the chronological-viewing perspective. Something about someone being someone else's father. We forget.

Major events

Luke meets Yoda

Han and Leia declare their love. Well, she does

Han is frozen in carbonite

Darth Vader tells Luke a devastating secret

Episode VI: Return of the Jedi – 4 ABY

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The final part of the trilogy begins with an attempt to rescue Han from Jabba's palace that doesn't quite go according to plan.

That achieved, the Rebellion enter into a final battle with the Empire to stop them from completing another Death Star. The revelations fly thick and fast while the Emperor and Darth Vader try to tempt Luke to the dark side. Instead, it is Vader who is returned to the light, and the Emperor's death marks the end of Imperial dominance in the galaxy.

The Ewoks try to ruin everything, but they don't (quite) succeed.

Major events

Leia kills Jabba the Hutt

Darth Vader kills the Emperor

The second Death Star is destroyed

Leia and Luke are revealed to be twins, which we already knew if we watched it in chronological order

The redemption and death of Darth Vader

The Empire is (partially) defeated

The Mandalorian - 10 ABY

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The newest addition to the canon comes not in the form of a film, but the first Star Wars series on Disney+, The Mandalorian, starring Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones, Wonder Woman 1984) as the eponymous bounty hunter.

It's set after the stories of Jango and Boba Fett as another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter called Din Djarin in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.

But the only thing you really need to know is that the series introduces 'Baby Yoda' into the Star Wars universe, uniting fans everywhere. Though whether "The Child" is Yoda reincarnated, a clone or another of the same species remains to be seen.

The first season ended with Mando successfully keeping The Child out of Moff Gideon's (Giancarlo Esposito) grasp, heading off to an unknown adventure that we'll see in season two.

Major events

Baby Yoda (what more do you need?)

Star Wars Resistance – 34 ABY

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Running for two seasons, Star Wars Resistance is a tricky one to place in the timeline as it takes place across the sequel trilogy.

It starts six months before The Force Awakens, before crossing over with it at the end of the first season. Then season two crosses over with The Last Jedi and ends in the lead-up to The Rise of Skywalker.

The TV show follows New Republic pilot Kazuda Xiono as he becomes a new recruit in the Resistance and features familiar faces, including Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie).

Despite the crossovers, it's largely standalone, but fans of the show would have recognised a major ship during the epic final space battle in The Rise of Skywalker.

Episode VII: The Force Awakens – 34 ABY

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30 years after Episode VI, everything's gone to hell. A new Resistance (led by General Leia) battles Supreme Leader Snoke's Imperial remnant, the First Order.

Into this mess comes Finn (John Boyega), a rogue stormtrooper who meets a young scavenger with a mysterious past called Rey (Daisy Ridley). They soon team up with Han, Chewie and Leia and are recruited to help destroy a planet-killing superweapon. Now where have we heard that one before?

On the way, Rey discovers some Force powers, and Jedi traitor Kylo Ren/Ben Solo has a fatal meeting with his father. The film ends with Rey using a secret map to locate the missing Luke Skywalker.

Major events

Finn betrays the First Order

Rey is discovered on Jakku

The Republic capital and senate is destroyed

Kylo Ren kills Han Solo

Rey finds Luke in hiding on Ahch-To

Episode VIII: The Last Jedi – 34 ABY

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Following directly on from The Force Awakens, the Resistance is left scrambling to escape the First Order. Mistrusting the intentions of their new leader, Vice Admiral Holdo, Finn, Poe and their new ally Rose hatch a desperate plan to save their friends – one which does not go as planned.

Meanwhile, Rey discovers that Luke Skywalker is not the man she expected. He reluctantly agrees to teach her, but insists that the Jedi Order is finished and that he cannot help the Resistance. Rey finds herself connected to Kylo Ren and makes her own plot to save his soul.

Kylo eventually confronts both his masters (new and old), and Rey is left to lead the Jedi into a new age and tip the scales for the embattled Resistance survivors.

Major events

The First Order decimates the Resistance

Rey convinces a reluctant Luke Skywalker to train her

Kylo Ren murders Supreme Leader Snoke and seizes command of the First Order

Luke comes out of hiding for a final fight with Kylo

Rey becomes the inheritor of the Jedi legacy

Luke dies/joins the Force

Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker – ~35 ABY

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There's no specific timeline put on The Rise of Skywalker, but it's apparently around a year after the events of The Last Jedi.

The Resistance is in tatters, so it's a perfect time for Emperor Palpatine to come back with his "Final Order" plan. Having survived the events of Return of the Jedi, Palpatine has a fleet of ships with planet-destroying weapons, and he wants Rey – his granddaughter – to lead them as Empress Palpatine.

But Palpatine doesn't expect Kylo Ren completing his Bendemption and fighting alongside Rey in the climactic battle, so Palpatine throws Ben down a shaft.

Rey summons up the strength of all the Jedi to defeat Palpatine once and for all. The effort kills her, but Ben returns from his shaft fall to resurrect Rey and dies in the process. Not before they kiss, though.

Rey goes to Tatooine, adopts the Skywalker name and looks on at the twin suns as the Skywalker Saga ends.

Major events

Rey is revealed to be the granddaughter of Palpatine

Leia dies/joins the Force

So does Kylo Ren/Ben Solo after sacrificing himself

Palpatine dies

Rey adopts Skywalker name

Shaft-throwing proven definitively to be an ineffective means of dispatch

The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the entire Skywalker Saga are available on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K now, as well as on Disney+, while Rise of Skywalker is also on Sky Cinema Premiere and NOW TV.

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