Every Star Wars Film, Television Show and Streaming Show in Chronological Order
Canon is a loaded term in the Star Wars franchise. Between films, television shows, streaming shows, video games, novels and so much more, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep track of which official releases fit where in the modern canon or continuity of Star Wars. Under the direction of the Walt Disney Company, Star Wars production company Lucasfilm established in 2014 that only the first six episodic Star Wars films, as well as the latter iteration of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars film and television show, were to be considered canon moving forward. This monumental decision was made to allow future storytellers to effectively develop brand new stories in the Star Wars universe unbeholden to the previous canon of the “Expanded Universe” stories, now known as “Legends.” To help make modern Star Wars canon a bit more digestible, the following is a comprehensive list of every Star Wars film, television show and streaming show in chronological order.
The first new Star Wars film in 16 years, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, marks Star Wars creator George Lucas’ directorial return for arguably the most anticipated film in cinematic history. The film defines the origin story of Anakin Skywalker, a fatherless slave born on the planet Tatooine, and his newfound relationships with Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi and Queen Padmé Amidala of the planet Naboo, amidst growing political tensions between the Galactic Republic and Trade Federation. Under this bureaucratic veneer lies the machinations of the phantom menace, a mysterious Sith Lord, and his Sith Apprentice, Darth Maul, who seek to overthrow the Naboo government in conjunction with the Trade Federation.
Set ten years after the Battle of Naboo in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones illustrates the Galactic Republic’s issues with the Confederacy of Independent Systems (also known as the Separatist Alliance), now joined by the Trade Federation and led by former Jedi Master, Count Dooku. The film is notable for introducing the romantic, albeit forbidden, relationship between Anakin Skywalker, who is now a Jedi Padawan, and Padmé Amidala, now a senator for the Republic on behalf of Naboo. Meanwhile, under Jedi Master Yoda’s orders, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi investigates a mysterious sanction involving the creation of an army of clone soldiers while the threat of all-out galactic war looms dangerously close.
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)
This entry in modern Star Wars canon includes both the film, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), and the television-turned-streaming show that ran for seven seasons, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020). The entirety of the film and show takes place within the three-year period between Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. The film and show largely revolve around the adventures of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker as they fight in the Clone Wars, a war between the Galactic Republic and Separatist Alliance. The series delves into the particulars of the war, even overlapping with some of the events happening simultaneously in Revenge of the Sith. The Clone Wars is perhaps most notable for introducing Anakin’s Jedi Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, into the Star Wars franchise, as well as the intriguing return of Darth Maul in his first appearance since Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
In Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala are thrilled to discover that Padmé is pregnant with their child. In contrast to this news, Anakin and Obi-Wan fight harder than ever before to bring an end to the Clone Wars. Unfortunately, Anakin’s growing frustrations with the decisions made by the Jedi Council, in addition to his intense fixation toward preventing those close to him from dying, derail his life from the inside out, resulting in a series of tragedies. As the end of the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and Separatist Alliance draws nigh, the phantom grasp of the Sith over the Republic tightens, and a new era of galactic rule begins with the future of the galaxy looking more unsafe and uncertain than ever before.
- Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021-Present)
Exclusive to the Disney+ streaming service, Star Wars: The Bad Batch is an animated streaming show spun off from the film and television/streaming show, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, with the second season scheduled to debut in fall 2022. Set during and after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the show focuses on Clone Force 99, an elite group of male clone soldiers who each have unique abilities and personalities to match. Group members Crosshair, Echo, Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker soon encounter the only female clone, a medical assistant named Omega. With the clones’ primary purpose for serving in the Clone Wars now behind them, the group accepts mercenary missions while struggling to find their new purpose in the galaxy.
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
The origin story of Han Solo is set around nine years after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and approximately ten years before the character’s cinematic debut in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. The film depicts Han’s life as an orphan, soldier, smuggler and pilot. Throughout his journeys, Han meets a few iconic Star Wars characters for the first time, such as the Wookie warrior Chewbacca and fellow smuggler Lando Calrissian, as well as several new characters, including Han’s childhood friend Qi’ra and master thief Tobias Beckett. When a heist with Tobias goes wrong, Han looks to make things right by delivering the group’s cargo to a crime syndicate known as Crimson Dawn; however, the presence of burgeoning rebels complicates matters.
- Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022-Present)
Debuting in May 2022, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a streaming show exclusive to Disney+ that takes place ten years after the end of the Clone Wars and subsequent rise of the Galactic Empire in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. The show revolves around Jedi Master Obi-Wan, now a recluse on Tatooine, who watches over and protects young Luke Skywalker while hiding himself and Luke from the menace of the Empire. Unfortunately, an unexpected chain of events draws Obi-Wan back into the fray and directly into conflict with the Empire; particularly, the Sith Lord, Darth Vader, and his group of lightsaber-wielding inquisitors, who seek to bring Kenobi down for good.
- Star Wars Rebels (2014-2018)
Star Wars Rebels is an animated television show that ran for four seasons. The story of Rebels takes place roughly fifteen years after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith up until Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. On the planet Lothal, a young orphan named Ezra Bridger encounters an unlikely group rebelling against the Galactic Empire: Jedi Padawan Kanan Jarrus, a survivor of Order 66 in Revenge of the Sith; Twi’lek resistance fighter, Hera Syndulla, expert pilot of the starship “Ghost”; Mandalorian explosives expert, Sabine Wren, from the planet Mandalore; lethal warrior, Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios, of the planet Lasat; and astromech droid C1-10P, better known as Chopper. Upon joining this group, Ezra learns about the force and the importance of fighting for what’s right while the Rebel Alliance finally begins to take shape.
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Set immediately before Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story introduces a slew of new characters with similar and divergent motives on a desperate mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Galactic Empire’s ultimate weapon of planetary destruction. This ragtag group is tasked with delivering those plans to the Rebel Alliance in hopes of striking a decisive blow against the Empire. Among those in the group is rebel Jyn Erso, the daughter of Galen Erso, a man who unwillingly engineered the Death Star for the Empire. With the weight of worlds on their shoulders, Jyn’s group must pull off the most dangerous heist the galaxy has ever seen.
Star Wars: Episode VI – A New Hope, or simply Star Wars as it was known upon its initial release, sees creator George Lucas explore the galaxy far, far away for the first time. The film picks up nineteen years after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and depicts Princess Leia Organa’s mission to have Obi-Wan Kenobi successfully deliver Death Star plans stolen from the Galactic Empire to the Rebel Alliance in her absence. Moisture farmer Luke Skywalker, smuggler Han Solo, and warrior Chewbacca unexpectedly join Obi-Wan as he works to fulfill Leia’s request - even if it means one final lightsaber duel against the Sith Lord, Darth Vader. War begins anew between the Alliance and Empire as hope springs eternal through the force.
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back takes place three years after the Battle of Yavin in Star Wars: Episode III – A New Hope and follows the continued adventures of Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo and Chewbacca as they work tirelessly with the Rebel Alliance to defeat the Galactic Empire, heralded by the Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine (also known as the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious), and his Sith Apprentice, Darth Vader. From the icy Battle of Hoth and Luke’s Jedi training with Jedi Master Yoda on the swampy planet Dagobah, to the breathless Cloud City of Bespin, led by Baron Administrator Lando Calrissian, nothing can prepare the rebels for the grim situation that awaits them as the Empire takes decisive action.
Set about one year after Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi is the epic culmination of the Galactic Civil War between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire. To free Han Solo from his carbonized fate, Luke Skywalker, now a Jedi Master, returns to Tatooine with fellow rebels Leia Organa and Chewbacca before setting their sights back on removing the Empire from power. With the Death Star II almost fully operational, the Alliance must overcome the odds stacked against them to win the war and bring peace back to the galaxy. At the heart of this galactic struggle is the relationship between Luke and Darth Vader, who are forced to duel one last time in front of the sadistic Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine.
- The Mandalorian (2019-Present)
The Mandalorian is the first ever live-action Star Wars television/streaming show. Exclusive to Disney+, the show has released two seasons thus far and will return for a third season in February 2023, with a fourth season already in development. Beginning five years after Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, The Mandalorian follows the exploits of a lone Mandalorian bounty hunter and former native to Mandalore, Din Djarin. Din is hired by the Galactic Empire to retrieve a bounty on what turns out to be a force-sensitive child of the same unnamed species as Jedi Master Yoda. Din's moral compass teeters, preventing him from handing over the child to the Empire, which leads to ongoing conflict between him and the Empire throughout the outer reaches of the galaxy.
- The Book of Boba Fett (2021-Present)
Much like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett is a Star Wars streaming show exclusive to Disney+, but has only run for one season thus far. Events from The Book of Boba Fett transpire between seasons 2 and 3 of The Mandalorian, at a time when legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett reemerges from his unceremonious loss to the rebels in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi with a renewed purpose. Boba, a genetically unaltered clone warrior bred back in the days of the Clone Wars, teams-up with mercenary Fennec Shand to take over the territories of Tatooine that were previously held by crime boss Jabba the Hutt and his colossal crime syndicate.
- Star Wars Resistance (2018-2020)
Star Wars Resistance is an animated television show that ran for two seasons with the first season starting approximately thirty years after Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi and just six months prior to Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. The second season runs concurrently with Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, stopping just short of Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. The show focuses on New Republic pilot, Kazuda Xiono, who joins the Resistance for a top-secret mission under the direction of General Leia Organa, while the threat of the First Order is still being assessed. Pilot Poe Dameron also appears in the series alongside his beloved droid, BB-8.
When the Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, work quickly began on what would become the biggest Star Wars film of all time: Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. Over 30 years have passed since Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Unfortunately, the peace of the New Republic is disrupted by the First Order, an evil organization built upon the remnants of the Galactic Empire. The mysterious orphan Rey and the First Order deserter Finn join forces with pilot Poe Dameron and the Resistance to fight against Supreme Leader Snoke, his Apprentice Kylo Ren and General Armitage Hux of The First Order. Han Solo, Chewbacca and General Leia Organa also make their presence known in this new fight for galactic survival.
Picking up immediately after Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi features the highly anticipated return of Luke Skywalker as he reluctantly agrees to train Rey to become a Jedi while she, Finn and Poe Dameron, go their separate ways on substantial missions of their own. At the same time, Kylo Ren reconsiders his position in the galaxy and looks to build upon his enigmatic connection with Rey first established in The Force Awakens, resulting in dire consequences for the light and dark sides of the force. All appears to be lost as the First Order takes the edge in their galactic conquest for supremacy against the Resistance – that is, unless one last new hope can inspire their forces to carry on and turn the tides of the war.
Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker is the final episodic entry in the nine-episode series of Star Wars films known as “The Skywalker Saga” as well as the current cinematic endpoint of the Star Wars franchise. The Rise of Skywalker is set one year after Rey and Kylo Ren’s confrontation with Supreme Leader Snoke in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Last Jedi. Rey, now a Jedi Master, and Kylo, Supreme Leader of the First Order, continue their conflict while the war between the Resistance and the First Order reaches its climax. However, when the Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine suddenly announces his return and declares revenge against the Resistance, Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron must work together to end the First Order’s reign of terror once and for all.
There are also a vast number of novels tied to the events of the Star Wars films, including but not limited to: Star Wars: Bloodline (2016), Star Wars: Phasma (2017), Star Wars: Tarkin (2014) and Star Wars: Thrawn (2017) and many others – all of which have their own specific place in the tangled web of Star Wars canon.
Thank you for reading this list, covering every Star Wars film, television show and streaming show in chronological order!
The Mercer County Library System (MCLS) catalog features nearly every Star Wars film and television show in addition to the countless novels set within both the modern canon and Legends canon of Star Wars.
What is your favorite Star Wars film or television/streaming show? Feel free to comment below!
- by Jamie Anderson, Lawrence Headquarters Branch
Rebels! i had given up on the franchise with all the EU stuff, and the masterful storytelling in that show pulled me right back in
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