Star Wars movies and shows: films only (chronological) (2026)
43 released titles (13 movies, 30 series seasons), about 210 hours of viewing. Next release: Ahsoka – Season 2, 20 Jan 2027.
Last verified 23 Oct 2026.
Just the canon films in story order: the Skywalker saga with The Clone Wars film, Solo and Rogue One slotted in, then The Mandalorian and Grogu and Starfighter. About 30 hours.
14 titles · films only (chronological) · 43 count towards completion
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How to watch Star Wars: the short version
Star Wars on screen is now fourteen films and more than thirty seasons of television, spread across roughly four centuries of in-universe history. The core is the nine-episode Skywalker saga, two standalone films (Rogue One and Solo), the 2026 film The Mandalorian and Grogu, and the Disney+ live-action shows: The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Ahsoka, The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew. Around those sit the animated series that Lucasfilm treats as fully canon: The Clone Wars, Rebels, Resistance, The Bad Batch, Maul – Shadow Lord and the three Tales anthologies.
If this is your first time, do not start with Episode I. Release order (1977's A New Hope first) keeps the Vader reveal intact and is how most fans met the saga. The 'machete' order (IV, V, II, III, VI) does the same job in five films by treating the prequels as a flashback and skipping The Phantom Menace, which almost nothing later depends on. Chronological order is for a rewatch, or for anyone who has already seen the main films and wants to see how Andor flows into Rogue One, how The Clone Wars sets up Revenge of the Sith, and how Rebels pays off in Ahsoka.
The animated shows are where people get stuck. The Clone Wars is 133 episodes and most of the Disney+ era assumes you know Ahsoka, Rex, Bo-Katan and the Bad Batch from it. If that is too much, watch the 2008 film, then the season 7 Siege of Mandalore arc, and skim Rebels before Ahsoka. Resistance, Visions, the LEGO specials and the 1980s cartoons can all be skipped without missing anything the live-action shows refer to.
In numbers: the thirteen released core films come to about 29 hours, and the core series add roughly 180 hours more, so a complete canon run is around 210 hours, or about an hour a night for seven months. The optional collections (Visions, kids' titles and the pre-2014 Legends material) add another 55 or so hours if you want them. Everything Disney owns is on Disney+ in the UK; the 1978 Holiday Special and the Droids and Ewoks cartoons are not.
Orders explained
Everything in the order it came out, from A New Hope in 1977 to the latest Disney+ season. The best first watch: twists land as intended and each era's style makes sense in context.
Every film and season in story order, following the official era layout from the High Republic to Starfighter, with seasons of overlapping shows interleaved. Best for a rewatch; it spoils the original trilogy if you have not seen it.
Rod Hilton's 2011 order: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, then Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith as an extended flashback explaining Vader, then Return of the Jedi. The Phantom Menace is dropped as it adds little the later films rely on. Carry on with Episodes VII–IX afterwards if you want the full saga.
Just the canon films in story order: the Skywalker saga with The Clone Wars film, Solo and Rogue One slotted in, then The Mandalorian and Grogu and Starfighter. About 30 hours.
Optional extras
Animated anthology shorts from studios around the world. Not bound by the canon timeline and never referenced by the films or live-action shows. Include them if you enjoy anime and standalone stories; skip them for a story-first run.
Young Jedi Adventures and the LEGO specials and miniseries. Made for children, not part of the main story. Include them if you are watching with kids.
The 1978 Holiday Special, the two Ewok TV films and the Droids and Ewoks cartoons. Declared non-canon in 2014 and mostly curiosities today. Include them only for completeness or nostalgia.
Frequently asked
What order should I watch Star Wars in for the first time?
Release order, or the machete order (IV, V, II, III, VI) if you want the shortest route through the original story. Both keep the big reveal in The Empire Strikes Back intact. Save chronological order for a second viewing.
Do I need to watch The Clone Wars before The Mandalorian or Ahsoka?
Not for The Mandalorian seasons 1–2. For Ahsoka, yes: it continues Rebels and leans heavily on Ahsoka's history from The Clone Wars. If 133 episodes is too many, watch the 2008 film, the season 7 Siege of Mandalore arc (episodes 9–12) and all of Rebels.
Where does Rogue One fit?
Immediately before A New Hope; its final scene hands the Death Star plans to Leia's ship. Andor season 2 ends the same week, so the natural run is Andor S1, Andor S2, Rogue One, A New Hope.
Where does Solo fit?
About ten years before A New Hope, after The Bad Batch and before Obi-Wan Kenobi. It is a standalone heist story; nothing later depends on it apart from one surprise cameo that pays off Clone Wars and Rebels.
Is The Book of Boba Fett required before The Mandalorian season 3?
Yes. Episodes 5–7 of The Book of Boba Fett are effectively Mandalorian episodes: they reunite Din and Grogu, and season 3 starts as if you have seen them.
Is Star Wars: Visions canon?
No. Lucasfilm let the studios tell stories outside the established timeline, so nothing in Visions is referenced by the films or live-action series. Watch it as a standalone anthology.
Are the Holiday Special, the Ewok films and the 1980s cartoons canon?
No. Everything made before 2014 apart from the films and The Clone Wars was reclassified as Legends. Only the Holiday Special's animated Boba Fett segment is on Disney+; the Ewok films are, the Droids and Ewoks cartoons are not in the UK.
How long does it take to watch everything?
The thirteen released canon films are about 29 hours. Add the canon series (The Clone Wars alone is around 49 hours) and the whole canon catalogue is roughly 210 hours. With Visions, the kids' titles and the Legends material it is closer to 265.
What Star Wars is coming next?
Ahsoka season 2 is reported for 20 January 2027 (not yet officially dated by Lucasfilm), Maul – Shadow Lord season 2 is expected in 2027, and the film Star Wars: Starfighter opens on 28 May 2027. Further films from James Mangold, Taika Waititi, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Simon Kinberg are announced without dates and are not listed here.