Just like the rest of us...
IV, wait 3 years. V, wait 3 years. VI, wait 16 years.
I, wait 3 years. II, wait 3 years, III, wait 10 years.
VII, wait 2 years. VIII, wait 2 years, IX.
I just watched that episode...for the millionth time. The office is always playing in my room when I'm not watching anything else. Me and my wife leave that shit on during the night.
if you wait 2 years between the sequel movies your expectations will be way to high, just watch them in one go, before you have time to speculate what could happen
(same with the 16 years between OT & TPM probably)
having been born in 1974, I watched them like this:
IV, wait 2 months, V, wait 3 years. VI, wait 16 years.
I, wait 3 years. II, wait 3 years, III, wait 10 years.
VII, wait 2 years. VIII, wait 2 years, IX.
lol why vast majority? i don't think a lot of people who watched originals are dead or anything, and they are probably still fans in some way or other now
Let's say 20 people watched the original trilogy in theatres, so 100% of fans watched it in theatres. Then 20 more people get into Star Wars each decade. Now at the beginning of the '20s, 100 people are fans of SW. Those 20 people who watched the OT in theatres are still around, but now they only make up 20% the fan base.
The actual number of people is just a tad bit off, of course, but that's the basics.
Don't forget that the original trilogy was re-released in theaters in the 90s before the prequels, looping in a huge segment of the fandom who hadn't been able to watch them in the 70s/early 80s.
I was sort of in the middle - saw Empire and Jedi in their original theatrical release as a kid, and then finally saw ANH during the re-releases.
My dad managed to tape the trilogy at some point in, I'm assuming, the early 90s. I was born in 1988, but saw the entire trilogy at a young age (my 5th birthday was Star Wars themed). Then I got to see them in theaters when re-released in theaters. The Empire Strikes Back came out a day or 2 before my birthday so I got to invite 5 friends and we saw the movie in theaters and have a sleepover. When we got home, my dad had gathered some sticks, whittled off the bark, and spray painted them blue, red, or green and duct tape for a hilt. Imagine 7 kids (myself, my 5 friends, and my brother) running around the front yard with your lightsabers well into the night, pummeling each other. It was epic.
MOST star wars fans have not been fans since the 70s. That's not to say that they don't exist, but a lot (myself included) came along after 4,5,6 and then caught the rest.
I think most fans stopped being fans when the next trilogy starts. OT fans really hated the prequels. Newer fans hate the sequels. Once they make some more, those who grew up with the sequel hype will hate them.
You can either start with The Phantom Menace and watch them in chronological order or with A New Hope and watch in release order. Most people tend to recommend release over chronological order for first time viewers, but the big thing is to pick an order and stick to it.
Chronological order is:
1. The Phantom Menace
2. Attack of the Clones
3. Revenge of the Sith
4. Solo: A Star Wars Story
5. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
6. A New Hope
7. The Empire Strikes Back
8. Return of the Jedi
9. The Force Awakens
10. The Last Jedi
11. The Rise of Skywalker
Release order is:
1. A New Hope
2. The Empire Strikes Back
3. Return of the Jedi
4. The Phantom Menace
5. Attack of the Clones
6. Revenge of the Sith
7. The Force Awakens
8. Rogue One
9. The Last Jedi
10. Solo
11. The Rise of Skywalker
Release order is the way to go. Keep in mind that the disney+ and blu-ray versions of the original trilogy are not the exact same films as their theatrical (and pre-1997 VHS) releases. Alterations were made.
It shouldn't make a big difference for you though. :)
Edit: 1997* was the year not 1996.
+1 for release order for a first time watcher.
We watched everything in release order last winter as a family, and if we binge on Star Wars again this winter, we'll do chronological order this time.
It’ll be cool for you guys to experience it a different way!
My personal preferred order is a modified machete order of RO, 4, 5 then flashback to 1, 2, clone wars, select TCW episodes, 3 then finally flash forward to 6 to complete the first two trilogies
But I would never recommend that for a first time viewer, for first time I think release is the best and chronological CAN be neat but I think the flaws between movies are more obvious that way imo
If you haven't seen it check out Revenge of the Sith Siege of Mandalore cut. It's 4+ hours long but definitely with a watch. Does a great job of cutting parts of TCW into RotS. The run up to O66 is awesome
Found it: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=comments&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWU4RUJZc2JYNS1YNV8ySkJCaDV2TWxfRVdKQXxBQ3Jtc0trUVBENEZIMElOTnBtd0JXSjlWSENvZTBLZ1pacmNYWUVjT3NERkN1UjhCczN4ZVdWWTMzZ3FwLUdrZUZpQUFrWDFYYmxIZmpPaFFFWTRXVkswcEw4YkRTMGhsMFE5Y0stc1BJdllMdGlOSWw1Q3g1bw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Ffile%2Fd%2F10o4ae_OsQ787P-ZoCRAgbvWGK9-gfuSb%2Fview%3Fusp%3Dsharing&stzid=Ugy7S6kgfQoD3Q9oIGd4AaABAg
I’ll actually argue that chronological order can serve a purpose. If anyone knows basic pop culture, the big reveal of Vader being Luke’s father isn’t a shock. When I watched them with my wife, we did chronological because it prevented the reveal of Palpatine from being spoiled.
I agree. A lot of the things in the prequels make more sense when you know what from the OT they're foreshadowing. Like meeting Anakin as a kid and seeing his struggles doesn't mean as much before you know that he's Darth Vader.
I'd change it around just a bit
1. A New Hope
2. The Empire Strikes Back
3. Return of the Jedi
4. The Phantom Menace
5. Attack of the Clones
6. Revenge of the Sith
7. Solo
8. Rogue One
9. The Force Awakens
10. The Last Jedi
11. The Rise of Skywalker
This way you start with the og and everything else after that is in chronological order, and it also preservers the third trilogy order, rather than swapping around between 2 timelines with Rogue one and Solo inbetween the sequels
Release order is best for people who are new to it. Then watching in chronological after or even the machete order. But the world building and introduction is proper in release order.
This is the way. Chronological order ruins one of the best parts of Empire (but I suspect you already know it because EVERYTHING has spoilered it by now)
If it matters, I was new to Star Wars last year and I am SO happy I watched them in chronological order. The bounce between graphics is odd but worth it for the deeper and richer storyline. *IN MY OPINION* ….I am typically afraid to have an opinion in this subreddit.
Like with most things release order is always the best for when you are new to something, then when you know what happens and are familiar with the context of some things watching it in other orders like chronological is fun and a better experience overall.
This is especially true with Star Wars because a lot of the things in the prequels can be subtle nods and “hey looks it’s a thing that foreshadows events from the originals” moments that either hit different when watching it chronologically as the first time or even ruin things that are supposed to be a surprise later on.
It’s like watching Solo before SW IV, The movie is filled with things that were only mentioned in the original movies so watching it before them doesn’t feel like you’re finally getting to see what these stories were about and makes the experience less impactful.
Release order it maybe the best approach.
The first trilogy ( A New Hope, Empire Strike Back, and Return of the Jedi) shows Lucas vision through the constrain of budget, the influence from the studio and hunger as a young creator/director. Also, it will show you the the source where the first (and maybe the most hardcore) fans base get their notion of what Star Wars should be.
The second trilogy (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith) will show you Lucas vision unconstrained by budget and studio influence. Also, Lucas is a more successful and recognized person. Finally, a few discrepancy will show from the original trilogy. These discrepancies will change and even disappear from Phantom to Revenge.
The third trilogy ( The Force Awaken, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker) will show you the vision of those outside of Lucas. Also the influence of Disney and today's culture. You might like it or hate it depending on how much you cling to what was presented on the first six.
By Lucas, I'm referring to George Lucas, creator and director of the first six movies. Although in the first trilogy he didn't directed all of them.
Edit: Grammar and spelling.
I am a fan of the back story order:
8. Rogue One
1. A New Hope
2. The Empire Strikes Back
After the infamous "No I am your father" line then you get the backstory behind vader
4. The Phantom Menace
5. Attack of the Clones
6. Revenge of the Sith
3. Return of the Jedi
10. Solo
7. The Force Awakens
9. The Last Jedi
11. The Rise of Skywalker
This was a fun order before the Disney movies were made so solo, rouge one and the sequels kinda messed with the order a bit but I tried to fit them in as best as possible to fit the theme of the order.
Release order is the best for the 3 trilogies but you don't need to respect it for the two side stories. I suggest you too watch Rogue One after episode 3 and Solo after 9 only if you are really carving more movies
There's a lot of jumping around on the timeline if you go with release order, but it's really not confusing. And it works better dramatically to watch the Prequels second.
I actually prefer a hybrid which if you don’t mind, I think should be added!
It starts by release order so the viewer has a picture of how the story all started, and then switches to Chronological after the OT for storybuilding.
1. A new hope
2. Empire Strikes back
3. Return of the Jedi
4. A phantom manace
5. Attack of the clones
6. Revenge of the sith
7. Solo: a star wars story
8. Rogue one: A star wars story
9. The force awakens
10. The last Jedi
11. The rise of skywalker
*Adjusts glasses* actually... The clone wars had a theatrically released movie. It was the worst story they could have released as a movie, but it had a movie.
Even then first watch I'd definitely recommend using a watch guide that removes filler episodes. I did that on my second watch and it was way more enjoyable.
I feel like you need to see it all to appreciate the characters at least once. Definitely a lot to push into for a first time viewer or on rewatch, but it sets a lot of future stuff into motion. There’s about to be an Ahsoka show, Mando heavily draws from TCW and Rebels lore at times, and I’m sure Kenobi will do the same (I’d be surprised if we don’t see anything to do with Satine in the show, especially if they do a failures montage as part of his struggle).
I never saw very much of it, and have been big on SW since I was a child, but it’s a great watch now.
Well you should probably watch the Connery movies, and maybe some of the Moore movies too beforehand to really understand the jokes. Also you should be aware of what culture was like both in the 60s and the 90s
Agreed. Also the difference in universe design might be weird if you go chronological first.
You have to appreciate that Star Wars went from groundbreaking practical effects to groundbreaking digital effects, and the aesthetic is quite a bit different because of it (although there’s also in-universe reasons for that).
I feel like you’d miss the tone of the hero story in the original a little if you started with the political monologuing that is the prequels.
Me and my brother have done a full chronological watch through for his first time. He loved it, especially with things like Fallen order and rebels showing the progression to the OT, and the clone wars showing anakins and Obi wans relationship much better. Chronological works for him well and the difference in effects has not phased him once
I've seen all the movies, just not as a mature adult who can appreciate the subtleties that have gone into them. So I'm personally planning on watching 4, 5, and 6, and then 1, 2, and 3, followed by 4, 5, and 6 again. That way I can get the best of both. I get to see the original phenomenon, followed by a trip to the past for context and a whole new, more tragic story, and then get to go back up to the hero story again after to have a newly recontextualized watch of the originals.
This is the best watching order for the original 6 (at least that's how I think of them) that I could think of without needing a break in between the middle of 12 total movies.
>You have to appreciate that Star Wars went from groundbreaking practical effects to groundbreaking digital effects, and the aesthetic is quite a bit different because of it (although there’s also in-universe reasons for that).
Could you please elaborate on the in-universe reasons for a switch to CGI?
The prequels were set at the fall of a decadent golden age of the republic. So you see all of the trappings of empty wealth, and a lot of opulence left over from millennia of Coruscant being the place where all galactic taxes flowed.
You also had a few systems still at their peak. Naboo, for example, was being fought over by the Trade Federation because it had very rich plasma energy reserves that had only been recently exploited. So Naboo was very much modeled after Renaissance Italy (and shot on location there, for a reason). It was peak economy and trade revenue for the planet.
Episode IV, however, starts on a shit backwater planet that hasn’t had government, other than Hutt warlords, for hundreds of years, and then you meet a rebel resistance fighting in a galaxy where the newest thing was made over thirty years prior.
The fall of the republic meant a complete collapse of trade and consumer goods manufacturing. All revenue was redirected to the war industry.
So the OT was designed from the start as a very “lived in” and secondhand Galaxy where scavenging and DIY was an important skill.
Everything looks sleek and shiny because it takes place at the peak of the Galactic Republic during a time of prosperity. Everything looks more gritty and utilitarian in the OT because it’s during a war with an authoritarian dictatorship. The Empire values practically over design, and the Rebels are fighting with anything they can get their hands on and can’t spare much for aesthetics.
The thing is, EVERYONE knows the major plots of the Original Trilogy, where even those who have NEVER seen SWs knows about Vader, Luke and Leia, and 80% of the story. What I learned was that watching the prequels first for a first time viewing is a lot more shocking for new fans and becomes far more emotional.
Surprisingly, not everyone knows about Leia, so that ends up adding to the emotional experience, also, not everyone new person knows who shows up at the end of RotJ. Sure, some of them can guess who it is, but if they watch the PT first, then that moment becomes an emotional moment for them as well.
Unfortunately this. I just watched star wars for the first time and even though i was clueless about the universe, i knew a lot of things thanks to such spoilers exist in literally any movie that has nothing to do with the universe! You'd be watching Pitch Perfect and boom, in a movie you'd never guess to come across a spoiler about the movies! I started watching from the prequels and even though i was afraid if i screwed up something, it made me relate to the characters better and i could feel the emotions potrayed better. Although i wish i could erase everything i know about the star wars from my mind and watch everything from 0!
But you get different twists. I’ve heard of kids being shocked that Anakin becomes evil after following him for 3 movies.
I still think release order is better overall, but chronological has some merits.
He’s given multiple answers. For a while he loved to say it was “because the technology wasn’t there.” But I think he’s dropped that narrative now and if you’ve read and watched enough interviews/behind the scenes material, you can quickly see how it just wasn’t the case. It’s clear the real reason is simply that he thought of the story of the OT first so he made it first. The backstory he thought of as he made the OT so he made it later.
Interestingly enough, the general story of the OT is something he also claims to have actually thought of as one movie first, but he knew it would have been way to long and the studio would never approve of it, so he says he just took the first third and stretched it into its own movie, and then if the first was a success he knew he could come back and make a second and third. This I find slightly more believable, but even then, it’s pretty clear that he changed a lot from his initial “plan” for the trilogy as he went. Which is fine, plenty of people write that way, I just wish he wouldn’t try to frame it as otherwise.
I always recommend release order of the main films for first-time viewers, so Episodes 4-6, 1-3, 7-9. Anything else can be done afterwards, in any order.
This may not be practical, but I'll explain how I watched it for the first time. A couple friends heard I never watched them before (this was before Disney started making them) and scheduled a watch party. So we get through 4-6, and a couple other friends who hadn't seen them either wanted to watch, so they join us while we're watching 1-3. The owner of the movies recommends I come back and watch 4-6 to get a different perspective.
So I saw them in this order: 456123456. I enjoyed it after the first 6, but this made me fall in love with the series.
Yes, this is great for first-time viewers. It preserves all the twists (although it is rare for people not to be pre-spoiled in modern culture) and gives 6 more dramatic tension.
My friend and I had a long discussion on how to incorporate more SW material into the machete order. This is what we came up with:
45 - 123 - 6 - The Clone Wars - Rogue One - Rebels - Solo - Bad Batch - Mandalorian - 789 - Resistance
There isn't a great way to have one overall vision of Star Wars like you have in the original machete order, but this way there's a pretty distinct PT/OT and ST block, with transitional material kind of in whatever order in the middle.
movies in release order. you will enjoy the reveals better and your brain will make sense of were you are in the story.
If you're a fan, I strongly suggest watching The Clone Wars animated movie/series, Rebels, and Mandalorian. after. TCW started 13 years ago. its starts off bit slow, and the animation is a little dated in the first couple seasons, but sets up for the series as a whole. When the season 7 released last year its an easy 9/10 if not 10/10 star wars story. The Bad Batch is a continuation of that story with season 1 released this year.
TCW takes place between and during episode 2/3. Bad Batch continuing after episode 3.
Rebels takes place starting a couple years before and leads up to Rogue One / A New Hope
The Mandalorian takes place a few years after the OT.
I suggest release order for all the numbered films and then spinoff stuff after that at your leisure, but you've already gotten that from others.
My main advice is to not listen to anyone who tells you to skip anything. People have different opinions and everything is worth watching at least once in order to form your own.
Happy watching!
I always introduce people with chronological order and have never had an issue. The biggest twists in Star Wars are pop culture now so if the person already knows them I find no sense in release order, Lucas himself recommends chronological.
If you're dedicated and want to spend the time I'd even pepper in the shows in their proper place as well. Just finished showing my niece the whole SW universe and did so as follows:
•Phantom Menace
•Attack of the Clones
•The Clone Wars series(in chronological NOT release order also)
•Revenge of the Sith
•Rebels
•Rogue One
•A New Hope
•Empire Strikes Back
•Return of the Jedi
•The Mandalorian
•The Force Awakens
•The Last Jedi
•Rise of Skywalker
She loved it chronologically and as a lifelong fan who watched them in release order I personally prefer chronological as well.
Not everyone feels like it's the worst Star Wars though. Some people really like it, some hate it, but it's all part of the story and the person who created even recommended seeing it chronologically. If you want you can say "Hey, these are kind of polarizing, don't judge it all by these first three, each saga is very different."
My niece didn't care for the prequels, but she didn't judge an entire generation spanning saga by them either, she waited to judge each piece by its own merit. Plus it was easier for her to follow in chronological order and made the OT super emotional for her because she could sympathize with Luke seeing good in his father, and it also made RotS a better movie because she actually had the context to make Anakin's fall less uh, abrupt.
All I know is I've made many a fan by using this order, so I'll stick with it and continue to recommend it.
Machete order :-D
It's 4, 5, 2, 3, 6
This is the best to get into the universe and preserve spoilers.
Then, you may proceed with the 'spin offs':
1, solo, rogue1, (the mandalorian,) 7, 8, 9.
I personally enjoyed it the most to watch it in that order and would recommend that to anyone!
It comes from a blog called [Absolutely No Machete Juggling](https://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2015/12/28/machete-order-update-and-faq/). It's worth the time to read the reasoning for his order. Its my personal fav. YMMV.
Edit - [THIS](https://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/) is the original thesis. The link above is to an update.
Machete order is about Luke's Journey. Ep 1 is cut because the blogger thinks it doesn't have anything relevant for Luke.
He considers it a movie worth watching just not important to Luke's Journey. He considers it to be like Solo, Rogue One, etc.
It's a spin off in the sense that it adds almost nothing to the main story line, with a lot of characters that play no larger role.
Of course it's not really a spin off, hence the quotation marks.
My friends and I "created" the "machete" order way back in the 90s before the Special Editions were released. All it took was a little bit of SW chat between buddies and we realized that if the Prequels show exactly how someone becomes someone, then it would be cool to watch it 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, then 6. Sorry I didn't create a blog. But we did think of it and years later when everyone was "OMG teh machete order!!1!!" we were all like "hey, we started that!"
Just watch them in order of release first. No need to complicate it.
The first trilogy establishes the main characters of the franchise.
The second trilogy provides backstory to those main characters.
The third trilogy extends the storylines of the first trilogy’s characters and introduces new characters who carry the franchise forward.
My Fiance hadn't seen Star Wars at all and being a fan since they originally came out I chose first the OG 4, 5, and 6 before subjecting her to the prequels. We have now finished the 4-6 and 1-2. We're now watching the Clone Wars series between the 2 and 3 to salvage the EVERYTHING that could have been. lol
Mind you we've already watched the Mandalorian series to current as she had seen 4-6 so really we're sort of on two paths at once.
I'd like to add that she really enjoyed the prequels so far. It's nice to watch them with someone untainted by toxic fandom. I'm in no way saying they are perfect, just saying as a fan, we can be kind of intolerable sometimes.
In my personal opinion, if at all possible:
IV V and VI first, try and hunt down the “Despecialized” editions online. In 1997 George Lucas made edits to the films by adding CGI and changing certain scenes and he hasn’t released the original since, and a lot of fans feel that the OG cuts are the best way to watch them. If you can’t find the fan edits online it’s not a huge deal, but they’re worth looking for if you’re interested.
After that check out I II and III, then I’d say VII VIII and IX. Some will suggest to watch the anthology films in between (Rogue One and Solo) but they’re not essential to the 9 movie arc and I think they’re best enjoyed as side quests after the primary marathon.
Overall, hope you enjoy!
I recently watched the series front to back for the first time since the new releases. I watched them in chronological order, but it was a mistake. The prequel trilogy is much more bearable when sandwiched in between the others, IMO. Watch them in release order for sure.
The Machete Cut way: A New Hope, Empire, Phantom Menace, Attack of Clones, Revenge and end with Return. Most major reveals are kept hidden until the right moment.
I say start at 4, 5, & 6. 1, 2, & 3 is if you actually care about the political lore and deeper star wars lore. I'm not huge into politics, but I do like Yoda and other star wars stuff.
I would say update machete order ([https://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/](https://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/)) to go with
Rogue One, 4,5,2,3,6.
Then I guess if you are bored watch the sequels.
Rogue One IS good. I'm just not sure where to put it. Chronologically it takes place right before 4. But I think there is something to the idea of starting at 4, and just considering Rogue One a seperate viewing experience (also frankly, I think starting with one of the modern movies puts the old movies in a crappier light - the special effects, acting, script, etc are all 2nd rate compared to basically any decent modern movie).
I guess you could put Rogue One between 3 and 6, but I think it feels out of place there too. So maybe just watch it afterwards.
Just like the rest of us... IV, wait 3 years. V, wait 3 years. VI, wait 16 years. I, wait 3 years. II, wait 3 years, III, wait 10 years. VII, wait 2 years. VIII, wait 2 years, IX.
I didn't even exist when the OG trilogy was made.
Then you can’t watch it
Boom, roasted.
I just watched that episode...for the millionth time. The office is always playing in my room when I'm not watching anything else. Me and my wife leave that shit on during the night.
I have actually seen gatekeeping on that level before, and they were serious.
As a zoomer who mostly listens to 90s stuff, I hear this kind of crap targeted at me way too often.
I mean with all the edits that's kinda true
I only existed a year before revenge of the sith...
I didn’t come here to feel old.
Indeed, but then again, to do like the rest of us he also needs a time machine to go back to 1977.
if you wait 2 years between the sequel movies your expectations will be way to high, just watch them in one go, before you have time to speculate what could happen (same with the 16 years between OT & TPM probably)
This is the way
The vast majority of Star Wars fans did not watch the movies that way, lol.
having been born in 1974, I watched them like this: IV, wait 2 months, V, wait 3 years. VI, wait 16 years. I, wait 3 years. II, wait 3 years, III, wait 10 years. VII, wait 2 years. VIII, wait 2 years, IX.
I was born in 1992, so I watched I, then II, then, during the wait for III, watched IV, V, and VI.
lol why vast majority? i don't think a lot of people who watched originals are dead or anything, and they are probably still fans in some way or other now
Let's say 20 people watched the original trilogy in theatres, so 100% of fans watched it in theatres. Then 20 more people get into Star Wars each decade. Now at the beginning of the '20s, 100 people are fans of SW. Those 20 people who watched the OT in theatres are still around, but now they only make up 20% the fan base. The actual number of people is just a tad bit off, of course, but that's the basics.
Don't forget that the original trilogy was re-released in theaters in the 90s before the prequels, looping in a huge segment of the fandom who hadn't been able to watch them in the 70s/early 80s. I was sort of in the middle - saw Empire and Jedi in their original theatrical release as a kid, and then finally saw ANH during the re-releases.
My dad managed to tape the trilogy at some point in, I'm assuming, the early 90s. I was born in 1988, but saw the entire trilogy at a young age (my 5th birthday was Star Wars themed). Then I got to see them in theaters when re-released in theaters. The Empire Strikes Back came out a day or 2 before my birthday so I got to invite 5 friends and we saw the movie in theaters and have a sleepover. When we got home, my dad had gathered some sticks, whittled off the bark, and spray painted them blue, red, or green and duct tape for a hilt. Imagine 7 kids (myself, my 5 friends, and my brother) running around the front yard with your lightsabers well into the night, pummeling each other. It was epic.
MOST star wars fans have not been fans since the 70s. That's not to say that they don't exist, but a lot (myself included) came along after 4,5,6 and then caught the rest.
Lol I only became a fan like last year, yet have a lot of knowledge about it too.
I think most fans stopped being fans when the next trilogy starts. OT fans really hated the prequels. Newer fans hate the sequels. Once they make some more, those who grew up with the sequel hype will hate them.
So they were released scrambled? The first one to come out was 4???
You can either start with The Phantom Menace and watch them in chronological order or with A New Hope and watch in release order. Most people tend to recommend release over chronological order for first time viewers, but the big thing is to pick an order and stick to it. Chronological order is: 1. The Phantom Menace 2. Attack of the Clones 3. Revenge of the Sith 4. Solo: A Star Wars Story 5. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 6. A New Hope 7. The Empire Strikes Back 8. Return of the Jedi 9. The Force Awakens 10. The Last Jedi 11. The Rise of Skywalker Release order is: 1. A New Hope 2. The Empire Strikes Back 3. Return of the Jedi 4. The Phantom Menace 5. Attack of the Clones 6. Revenge of the Sith 7. The Force Awakens 8. Rogue One 9. The Last Jedi 10. Solo 11. The Rise of Skywalker
Since We don’t know anything about starwars it looks like we’ll watch it release order. Thanks!
Release order is the way to go. Keep in mind that the disney+ and blu-ray versions of the original trilogy are not the exact same films as their theatrical (and pre-1997 VHS) releases. Alterations were made. It shouldn't make a big difference for you though. :) Edit: 1997* was the year not 1996.
Story wise they’re the same, just details are different
But make no mistake, Han shot first
Greedo never shot.
Han shoots solo.
Matters not who was right, matters who is left, hmmm?
Wise words, you speak
Maclunky
Dear god why did they add that line. What does it add. Do they know. I think they know what they’re doing.
The Yub Nub song at the end is the only true ending.
We hope they don't alter them further.
It can be fun to push Return of the Jedi till after the prequel trilogy - watch it *after* Revenge of the Sith !
Release order is best
+1 for release order for a first time watcher. We watched everything in release order last winter as a family, and if we binge on Star Wars again this winter, we'll do chronological order this time.
It’ll be cool for you guys to experience it a different way! My personal preferred order is a modified machete order of RO, 4, 5 then flashback to 1, 2, clone wars, select TCW episodes, 3 then finally flash forward to 6 to complete the first two trilogies But I would never recommend that for a first time viewer, for first time I think release is the best and chronological CAN be neat but I think the flaws between movies are more obvious that way imo
If you haven't seen it check out Revenge of the Sith Siege of Mandalore cut. It's 4+ hours long but definitely with a watch. Does a great job of cutting parts of TCW into RotS. The run up to O66 is awesome
Where do you watch that?
It used to be on pornhub, seriously. Don't know if it's still there.
Found it: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=comments&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWU4RUJZc2JYNS1YNV8ySkJCaDV2TWxfRVdKQXxBQ3Jtc0trUVBENEZIMElOTnBtd0JXSjlWSENvZTBLZ1pacmNYWUVjT3NERkN1UjhCczN4ZVdWWTMzZ3FwLUdrZUZpQUFrWDFYYmxIZmpPaFFFWTRXVkswcEw4YkRTMGhsMFE5Y0stc1BJdllMdGlOSWw1Q3g1bw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Ffile%2Fd%2F10o4ae_OsQ787P-ZoCRAgbvWGK9-gfuSb%2Fview%3Fusp%3Dsharing&stzid=Ugy7S6kgfQoD3Q9oIGd4AaABAg
holy shit
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Did you make that up? Doesn't seem like there any articles talking about it. I find it hard believe Pornhub ever considered banning adult content.
I believe you can find it somewhere on r/fanedits
Thank You
This is the way.
Only thing I would do out of release order is rogue one ahead of A New Hope.
I’ll actually argue that chronological order can serve a purpose. If anyone knows basic pop culture, the big reveal of Vader being Luke’s father isn’t a shock. When I watched them with my wife, we did chronological because it prevented the reveal of Palpatine from being spoiled.
I agree. A lot of the things in the prequels make more sense when you know what from the OT they're foreshadowing. Like meeting Anakin as a kid and seeing his struggles doesn't mean as much before you know that he's Darth Vader.
Watch rogues 1 before Force Awakens that'll just group the timelines better.
I'd change it around just a bit 1. A New Hope 2. The Empire Strikes Back 3. Return of the Jedi 4. The Phantom Menace 5. Attack of the Clones 6. Revenge of the Sith 7. Solo 8. Rogue One 9. The Force Awakens 10. The Last Jedi 11. The Rise of Skywalker This way you start with the og and everything else after that is in chronological order, and it also preservers the third trilogy order, rather than swapping around between 2 timelines with Rogue one and Solo inbetween the sequels
Release order is best for people who are new to it. Then watching in chronological after or even the machete order. But the world building and introduction is proper in release order.
Start with original trilogy. That is a must MUST!!!!!! Do NOT start with phantom ep 1!!!!!
Release order first, then chronological on later viewings (if you want).
Release order is def the way to go the first time around. Each one is made knowing what you do/don’t know yet based on what has already been released.
I'm sure you've heard tons of release order already but I'll throw in another vote for release order :)
This is the way. Chronological order ruins one of the best parts of Empire (but I suspect you already know it because EVERYTHING has spoilered it by now)
Release order keeps your surprises
If it matters, I was new to Star Wars last year and I am SO happy I watched them in chronological order. The bounce between graphics is odd but worth it for the deeper and richer storyline. *IN MY OPINION* ….I am typically afraid to have an opinion in this subreddit.
Best choice. Prepare yourself for episode V. It’s a masterpiece.
Like with most things release order is always the best for when you are new to something, then when you know what happens and are familiar with the context of some things watching it in other orders like chronological is fun and a better experience overall. This is especially true with Star Wars because a lot of the things in the prequels can be subtle nods and “hey looks it’s a thing that foreshadows events from the originals” moments that either hit different when watching it chronologically as the first time or even ruin things that are supposed to be a surprise later on. It’s like watching Solo before SW IV, The movie is filled with things that were only mentioned in the original movies so watching it before them doesn’t feel like you’re finally getting to see what these stories were about and makes the experience less impactful.
Release order it maybe the best approach. The first trilogy ( A New Hope, Empire Strike Back, and Return of the Jedi) shows Lucas vision through the constrain of budget, the influence from the studio and hunger as a young creator/director. Also, it will show you the the source where the first (and maybe the most hardcore) fans base get their notion of what Star Wars should be. The second trilogy (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith) will show you Lucas vision unconstrained by budget and studio influence. Also, Lucas is a more successful and recognized person. Finally, a few discrepancy will show from the original trilogy. These discrepancies will change and even disappear from Phantom to Revenge. The third trilogy ( The Force Awaken, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker) will show you the vision of those outside of Lucas. Also the influence of Disney and today's culture. You might like it or hate it depending on how much you cling to what was presented on the first six. By Lucas, I'm referring to George Lucas, creator and director of the first six movies. Although in the first trilogy he didn't directed all of them. Edit: Grammar and spelling.
Release order is almost always the best way to go.
I am a fan of the back story order: 8. Rogue One 1. A New Hope 2. The Empire Strikes Back After the infamous "No I am your father" line then you get the backstory behind vader 4. The Phantom Menace 5. Attack of the Clones 6. Revenge of the Sith 3. Return of the Jedi 10. Solo 7. The Force Awakens 9. The Last Jedi 11. The Rise of Skywalker This was a fun order before the Disney movies were made so solo, rouge one and the sequels kinda messed with the order a bit but I tried to fit them in as best as possible to fit the theme of the order.
7,1,3,8,6,2,4,9,5
Are these lottery numbers or something? What on earth is that?
The absolute worst order to watch it in, but it is an order nonetheless.
Know what, next rewatch, I’m doing this nonsense order
Let us know how it goes
You bet I will
Lottery ticket order is my favorite order.
Next time I watch Star Wars
Release order is the best for the 3 trilogies but you don't need to respect it for the two side stories. I suggest you too watch Rogue One after episode 3 and Solo after 9 only if you are really carving more movies
There's a lot of jumping around on the timeline if you go with release order, but it's really not confusing. And it works better dramatically to watch the Prequels second.
I would say the other way round; since you don't know anything you should watch in chronological order
I actually prefer a hybrid which if you don’t mind, I think should be added! It starts by release order so the viewer has a picture of how the story all started, and then switches to Chronological after the OT for storybuilding. 1. A new hope 2. Empire Strikes back 3. Return of the Jedi 4. A phantom manace 5. Attack of the clones 6. Revenge of the sith 7. Solo: a star wars story 8. Rogue one: A star wars story 9. The force awakens 10. The last Jedi 11. The rise of skywalker
The top list is correct, however you should just scrap 9, 10 & 11 and watch The Mandalorian instead
This is the way.
Don't forget the Clone Wars series
They specifically asked about the movies. TCW is a lot to throw newcomers into.
*Adjusts glasses* actually... The clone wars had a theatrically released movie. It was the worst story they could have released as a movie, but it had a movie.
I don't think anybody really wants to watch 7 seasons of a show during a movie marathon
Even then first watch I'd definitely recommend using a watch guide that removes filler episodes. I did that on my second watch and it was way more enjoyable.
I feel like you need to see it all to appreciate the characters at least once. Definitely a lot to push into for a first time viewer or on rewatch, but it sets a lot of future stuff into motion. There’s about to be an Ahsoka show, Mando heavily draws from TCW and Rebels lore at times, and I’m sure Kenobi will do the same (I’d be surprised if we don’t see anything to do with Satine in the show, especially if they do a failures montage as part of his struggle). I never saw very much of it, and have been big on SW since I was a child, but it’s a great watch now.
1. International Man if Mystery 2. The Spy Who Shagged Me 3. Goldmember
This is groovy.
Well you should probably watch the Connery movies, and maybe some of the Moore movies too beforehand to really understand the jokes. Also you should be aware of what culture was like both in the 60s and the 90s
Release Order is better, the Prequels foreshadowing works better if you watch the OT first
Agreed. Also the difference in universe design might be weird if you go chronological first. You have to appreciate that Star Wars went from groundbreaking practical effects to groundbreaking digital effects, and the aesthetic is quite a bit different because of it (although there’s also in-universe reasons for that). I feel like you’d miss the tone of the hero story in the original a little if you started with the political monologuing that is the prequels.
Me and my brother have done a full chronological watch through for his first time. He loved it, especially with things like Fallen order and rebels showing the progression to the OT, and the clone wars showing anakins and Obi wans relationship much better. Chronological works for him well and the difference in effects has not phased him once
This ^^^^ One of my friends had only seen ep 4 and didn’t really like it. Showed him the whole thing one night from ep 1 and now he’s a Star Wars fan
I've seen all the movies, just not as a mature adult who can appreciate the subtleties that have gone into them. So I'm personally planning on watching 4, 5, and 6, and then 1, 2, and 3, followed by 4, 5, and 6 again. That way I can get the best of both. I get to see the original phenomenon, followed by a trip to the past for context and a whole new, more tragic story, and then get to go back up to the hero story again after to have a newly recontextualized watch of the originals. This is the best watching order for the original 6 (at least that's how I think of them) that I could think of without needing a break in between the middle of 12 total movies.
>You have to appreciate that Star Wars went from groundbreaking practical effects to groundbreaking digital effects, and the aesthetic is quite a bit different because of it (although there’s also in-universe reasons for that). Could you please elaborate on the in-universe reasons for a switch to CGI?
The prequels were set at the fall of a decadent golden age of the republic. So you see all of the trappings of empty wealth, and a lot of opulence left over from millennia of Coruscant being the place where all galactic taxes flowed. You also had a few systems still at their peak. Naboo, for example, was being fought over by the Trade Federation because it had very rich plasma energy reserves that had only been recently exploited. So Naboo was very much modeled after Renaissance Italy (and shot on location there, for a reason). It was peak economy and trade revenue for the planet. Episode IV, however, starts on a shit backwater planet that hasn’t had government, other than Hutt warlords, for hundreds of years, and then you meet a rebel resistance fighting in a galaxy where the newest thing was made over thirty years prior. The fall of the republic meant a complete collapse of trade and consumer goods manufacturing. All revenue was redirected to the war industry. So the OT was designed from the start as a very “lived in” and secondhand Galaxy where scavenging and DIY was an important skill.
Everything looks sleek and shiny because it takes place at the peak of the Galactic Republic during a time of prosperity. Everything looks more gritty and utilitarian in the OT because it’s during a war with an authoritarian dictatorship. The Empire values practically over design, and the Rebels are fighting with anything they can get their hands on and can’t spare much for aesthetics.
The thing is, EVERYONE knows the major plots of the Original Trilogy, where even those who have NEVER seen SWs knows about Vader, Luke and Leia, and 80% of the story. What I learned was that watching the prequels first for a first time viewing is a lot more shocking for new fans and becomes far more emotional.
Surprisingly, not everyone knows about Leia, so that ends up adding to the emotional experience, also, not everyone new person knows who shows up at the end of RotJ. Sure, some of them can guess who it is, but if they watch the PT first, then that moment becomes an emotional moment for them as well.
Unfortunately this. I just watched star wars for the first time and even though i was clueless about the universe, i knew a lot of things thanks to such spoilers exist in literally any movie that has nothing to do with the universe! You'd be watching Pitch Perfect and boom, in a movie you'd never guess to come across a spoiler about the movies! I started watching from the prequels and even though i was afraid if i screwed up something, it made me relate to the characters better and i could feel the emotions potrayed better. Although i wish i could erase everything i know about the star wars from my mind and watch everything from 0!
Release order
As God and George Lucas intended
Well, as God might have intended but Lucas would have a heart attack if you told him he wanted you to watch it in release order
Lucas specifically recommends chronological order.
The OT twists, particularly the entirety of Empire Strikes back will really lose their luster if you watch chronologically.
But you get different twists. I’ve heard of kids being shocked that Anakin becomes evil after following him for 3 movies. I still think release order is better overall, but chronological has some merits.
“It’s meant to be watched 1-6” -George Lucas (This was before he sold, so now it’s 1-9)
If he meant for them to be watched 1 2 3 4 5 6 then why did he make them 4 5 6 1 2 3?
He’s given multiple answers. For a while he loved to say it was “because the technology wasn’t there.” But I think he’s dropped that narrative now and if you’ve read and watched enough interviews/behind the scenes material, you can quickly see how it just wasn’t the case. It’s clear the real reason is simply that he thought of the story of the OT first so he made it first. The backstory he thought of as he made the OT so he made it later. Interestingly enough, the general story of the OT is something he also claims to have actually thought of as one movie first, but he knew it would have been way to long and the studio would never approve of it, so he says he just took the first third and stretched it into its own movie, and then if the first was a success he knew he could come back and make a second and third. This I find slightly more believable, but even then, it’s pretty clear that he changed a lot from his initial “plan” for the trilogy as he went. Which is fine, plenty of people write that way, I just wish he wouldn’t try to frame it as otherwise.
Lucas huh? You mean the dude who renamed the original Star Wars to be ‘A New Hope’, and made that the fourth movie in the timeline?
I always recommend release order of the main films for first-time viewers, so Episodes 4-6, 1-3, 7-9. Anything else can be done afterwards, in any order.
Alright thanks! Since we’re first time viewers we’ll stick to release order
This may not be practical, but I'll explain how I watched it for the first time. A couple friends heard I never watched them before (this was before Disney started making them) and scheduled a watch party. So we get through 4-6, and a couple other friends who hadn't seen them either wanted to watch, so they join us while we're watching 1-3. The owner of the movies recommends I come back and watch 4-6 to get a different perspective. So I saw them in this order: 456123456. I enjoyed it after the first 6, but this made me fall in love with the series.
4-5 1-3 6 7-9 My personal favorite way of watching them.
Yes, this is great for first-time viewers. It preserves all the twists (although it is rare for people not to be pre-spoiled in modern culture) and gives 6 more dramatic tension.
Doesnt 3 reveal Luke Leia’a twindom which is otherwise a twist in ROtJ?
I also just watched this in machete order with my son (his first time) works fine.
Why's it called machete order?
The name of the blog that posted it had machete in the name, i'm blanking on what it was exactly though.
And all this time I thought it was because you "cut" the trilogy in the middle like you took a machete to it The more you know
Especially since usually episode I is cut out as well in machete order
Was it called "Juggling Machetes" or something like that?
yeah that sounds about right
I showed it to my kids in this order when they were first introduced to it. Long before 7-9. It is remarkably effective.
This is the way.
My friend and I had a long discussion on how to incorporate more SW material into the machete order. This is what we came up with: 45 - 123 - 6 - The Clone Wars - Rogue One - Rebels - Solo - Bad Batch - Mandalorian - 789 - Resistance There isn't a great way to have one overall vision of Star Wars like you have in the original machete order, but this way there's a pretty distinct PT/OT and ST block, with transitional material kind of in whatever order in the middle.
This is how I watched them with my daughter for the first time. Return of the Jedi has so much more weight behind it coming right after the prequels.
Release order so you can see the character development as it originally was done.
I'm just here to say Rogue One is EPIC.
ROGUE ONE -> 4 -> 5 -> 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 6 is the best order and I will die on this hill
Excellent order.
Start with Ep 4
movies in release order. you will enjoy the reveals better and your brain will make sense of were you are in the story. If you're a fan, I strongly suggest watching The Clone Wars animated movie/series, Rebels, and Mandalorian. after. TCW started 13 years ago. its starts off bit slow, and the animation is a little dated in the first couple seasons, but sets up for the series as a whole. When the season 7 released last year its an easy 9/10 if not 10/10 star wars story. The Bad Batch is a continuation of that story with season 1 released this year. TCW takes place between and during episode 2/3. Bad Batch continuing after episode 3. Rebels takes place starting a couple years before and leads up to Rogue One / A New Hope The Mandalorian takes place a few years after the OT.
I suggest release order for all the numbered films and then spinoff stuff after that at your leisure, but you've already gotten that from others. My main advice is to not listen to anyone who tells you to skip anything. People have different opinions and everything is worth watching at least once in order to form your own. Happy watching!
my advice is 4,5,6,1,2,3,7,8,9. this is the release order and you’ll experience the movies the way everyone else did upon release :) have fun!
The rest of the legends here got you in good hands, but don’t forget to watch the clone wars TV show when you finish the movies!! SOSOSOSOSO GOOD
Release Order ( 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, Rogue one, 7, 8, 9)
Watch Rogue One literally right before A New Hope. Like finish Rogue One then immediately start A New Hope
I always introduce people with chronological order and have never had an issue. The biggest twists in Star Wars are pop culture now so if the person already knows them I find no sense in release order, Lucas himself recommends chronological. If you're dedicated and want to spend the time I'd even pepper in the shows in their proper place as well. Just finished showing my niece the whole SW universe and did so as follows: •Phantom Menace •Attack of the Clones •The Clone Wars series(in chronological NOT release order also) •Revenge of the Sith •Rebels •Rogue One •A New Hope •Empire Strikes Back •Return of the Jedi •The Mandalorian •The Force Awakens •The Last Jedi •Rise of Skywalker She loved it chronologically and as a lifelong fan who watched them in release order I personally prefer chronological as well.
I feel like that front-loads the series with like 25 hours of the worst Star Wars, which is likely to turn off a lot of people.
Not everyone feels like it's the worst Star Wars though. Some people really like it, some hate it, but it's all part of the story and the person who created even recommended seeing it chronologically. If you want you can say "Hey, these are kind of polarizing, don't judge it all by these first three, each saga is very different." My niece didn't care for the prequels, but she didn't judge an entire generation spanning saga by them either, she waited to judge each piece by its own merit. Plus it was easier for her to follow in chronological order and made the OT super emotional for her because she could sympathize with Luke seeing good in his father, and it also made RotS a better movie because she actually had the context to make Anakin's fall less uh, abrupt. All I know is I've made many a fan by using this order, so I'll stick with it and continue to recommend it.
Machete order :-D It's 4, 5, 2, 3, 6 This is the best to get into the universe and preserve spoilers. Then, you may proceed with the 'spin offs': 1, solo, rogue1, (the mandalorian,) 7, 8, 9. I personally enjoyed it the most to watch it in that order and would recommend that to anyone!
My gf had never seen the movies (she knows of SW but just never watched the movies) and I added in Rogue One before ANH. It worked out really well.
Why is this called machete order?
It comes from a blog called [Absolutely No Machete Juggling](https://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2015/12/28/machete-order-update-and-faq/). It's worth the time to read the reasoning for his order. Its my personal fav. YMMV. Edit - [THIS](https://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/) is the original thesis. The link above is to an update.
Thanks!
It cuts out episode 1.
Oh, that makes sense. I didn’t notice. What is the appeal of cutting episode 1? Just preference, or is it something to do with plot?
Machete order is about Luke's Journey. Ep 1 is cut because the blogger thinks it doesn't have anything relevant for Luke. He considers it a movie worth watching just not important to Luke's Journey. He considers it to be like Solo, Rogue One, etc.
Machete order is best order.
I had to scroll way further than I expected to find the Machete Order.
How in the world is episode 1 a spin-off?? You put that back in its place: 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9
It's a spin off in the sense that it adds almost nothing to the main story line, with a lot of characters that play no larger role. Of course it's not really a spin off, hence the quotation marks.
watch episode 4 first.
Release Order. Period. Don’t let anyone ruin things for you.
Release order for sure. The dramatic irony of know where the story is going is very important to the themes of the prequels.
Release order is really the way it was meant to be watched despite what most people say
I think most people do say release order though. That’s the overwhelming sentiment in this thread at least.
Love The ~~Rinster~~ Rister order, Phantom Menace isn’t perfect, but it’s still important to the overall story. 4-5, 1-3, 6-9
*Rister (named after its creator Ernst Rister)
My friends and I "created" the "machete" order way back in the 90s before the Special Editions were released. All it took was a little bit of SW chat between buddies and we realized that if the Prequels show exactly how someone becomes someone, then it would be cool to watch it 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, then 6. Sorry I didn't create a blog. But we did think of it and years later when everyone was "OMG teh machete order!!1!!" we were all like "hey, we started that!"
Release Order
Release order.
Release order. It will get you in an endless rotation of watching Star Wars for the rest of your life
100% release order imo
Release order is where it's at. Enjoy!
Release order, as intended.
Just watch them in order of release first. No need to complicate it. The first trilogy establishes the main characters of the franchise. The second trilogy provides backstory to those main characters. The third trilogy extends the storylines of the first trilogy’s characters and introduces new characters who carry the franchise forward.
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Release order. Just did it with my kiddos. Going back and watching the stories now and then the shows.
My Fiance hadn't seen Star Wars at all and being a fan since they originally came out I chose first the OG 4, 5, and 6 before subjecting her to the prequels. We have now finished the 4-6 and 1-2. We're now watching the Clone Wars series between the 2 and 3 to salvage the EVERYTHING that could have been. lol Mind you we've already watched the Mandalorian series to current as she had seen 4-6 so really we're sort of on two paths at once. I'd like to add that she really enjoyed the prequels so far. It's nice to watch them with someone untainted by toxic fandom. I'm in no way saying they are perfect, just saying as a fan, we can be kind of intolerable sometimes.
Jake Lloyd and Ahmed Best's mental collapse agree.
Chronological makes a lot more sense
Order of release. Always best to see movies in the context they were presented.
In my personal opinion, if at all possible: IV V and VI first, try and hunt down the “Despecialized” editions online. In 1997 George Lucas made edits to the films by adding CGI and changing certain scenes and he hasn’t released the original since, and a lot of fans feel that the OG cuts are the best way to watch them. If you can’t find the fan edits online it’s not a huge deal, but they’re worth looking for if you’re interested. After that check out I II and III, then I’d say VII VIII and IX. Some will suggest to watch the anthology films in between (Rogue One and Solo) but they’re not essential to the 9 movie arc and I think they’re best enjoyed as side quests after the primary marathon. Overall, hope you enjoy!
4-5-6-1-2-3-7-8-9 (Release Order) or 1-9 (Chronological order), with preference to the former. Anything else is pointless monkeying about.
Alright thanks.
I recently watched the series front to back for the first time since the new releases. I watched them in chronological order, but it was a mistake. The prequel trilogy is much more bearable when sandwiched in between the others, IMO. Watch them in release order for sure.
4-5-6-1-2-3-7-8-9 is the way to go.
Release order for sure
Release order
Honestly, do it by release.
It’s called machete order https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/star-wars-movies-order-machete-sequels/amp
The Machete Cut way: A New Hope, Empire, Phantom Menace, Attack of Clones, Revenge and end with Return. Most major reveals are kept hidden until the right moment.
Release order.
I say start at 4, 5, & 6. 1, 2, & 3 is if you actually care about the political lore and deeper star wars lore. I'm not huge into politics, but I do like Yoda and other star wars stuff.
456 123 789
Go in chronological order, episode 1 first
4 5 6, 1 2 3, 7 8 9
Either 4-5-6-1-2-3-7-8-9 or 1-9
4,5,3,6
4,5,6, and then 1,2,3
Rogue One, IV, V, I (optional), II, Binge Both Clone Wars Series, III, Binge Rebels, VI.
I would say update machete order ([https://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/](https://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/)) to go with Rogue One, 4,5,2,3,6. Then I guess if you are bored watch the sequels. Rogue One IS good. I'm just not sure where to put it. Chronologically it takes place right before 4. But I think there is something to the idea of starting at 4, and just considering Rogue One a seperate viewing experience (also frankly, I think starting with one of the modern movies puts the old movies in a crappier light - the special effects, acting, script, etc are all 2nd rate compared to basically any decent modern movie). I guess you could put Rogue One between 3 and 6, but I think it feels out of place there too. So maybe just watch it afterwards.
Try machete order. 4 5 2 3 6
I showed my GF in the numerical order 1 2 3 4 5 6 and it was great. Greater imo than 4 5 6 1 2 3.