A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away…
Well not that long ago, and not really that far away, a youngling watched Star Wars for the first time. This Padawan might just as easily have been someone watching A New Hope in 1977, The Phantom Menace in 1999, or The Force Awakens in 2015. If this all sounds like a foreign language – fear not, teach you I will.
The Star Wars phenomena started in 1977 with the release of a movie called Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode IV). The movie was the first of its kind; mixing a compelling storyline with an amazing soundtrack and out-of-this-galaxy visual effects. This movie also was particularly successful as one of the first films to have merchandise associated with it – clothing, toys, lunchboxes, etc. If you loved Star Wars, you could quite literally have it all. To add to the excitement surrounding such an exhilarating movie was the close release of two additional episodes that continued the epic journey – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V) in 1980 and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Episode VI) in 1983. These first three Star Wars movies are collectively – even reverentially – referred to as the Original Trilogy.
The next era of Star Wars movie is dubbed “The Prequels.” This trilogy includes Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Episode I) released in 1999, then Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (Episode II) released in 2002, and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (Episode III) released in 2005.
After the Prequel Trilogy, there was an era of Star Wars animation (all previous Star Wars movies were live-action, full-length feature films) with made-for-TV series called Star Wars: The Clone Wars beginning in 2008 and Star Wars Rebels starting in 2014. The former did begin with an animated movie called Star Wars: The Clone Wars which was also released in 2008.
The most recent era of Star Wars is a little more complicated to pin down in a timeline. The three films referred to as the Sequels include Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Episode VII) released in 2015, Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Episode VIII) released in 2017 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Episode IX) released in 2019.
Here is where the fun begins! In 2016 (in other words, after Episode VII and before Episode VIII) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was released. The events in Rogue One lead up directly to the start of Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode IV). In other words, a Star Wars film was released NOT in direct timeline order – which seems a bit odd to some people. Next up in 2018 (after Episode VIII and before Episode IX) Solo: A Star Wars Story was released. This movie gives the back story of Han Solo, a character we first see in Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode IV) but takes place chronologically before the events of Rogue One. Also in 2018, an animated series called Star Wars Resistance was released, which takes place slightly prior to Episode VII and then extends past Episode VII but concludes before Episode VIII.
2019 was a big year for Star Wars fans, not only for the release of the final movie in the Sequel Trilogy but the first live action series was released on the new streaming platform Disney+ called The Mandalorian. The events happening in The Mandalorian take place after Episode VI (the ending of the original trilogy) and before Episode VII (the sequel trilogy). In 2021, The Book of Boba Fett was released. This live action series takes place directly after Episode VI and shares more on a fan favorite character who had some of the shortest amount of spoken words in the original trilogy. Star Wars: The Bad Batch is an animated series that also hit small screens in 2021.
2022 saw the release of two live action series: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor. The former picks up directly following the events in Episode III, while the latter picks up slightly before the events in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (with the teaser that season 2 will end right at the events leading directly to Rogue One). Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi is a series of animated shorts that spans across the timeline, and appeared in 2022. Ahsoka is the most recent Star Wars live action series, and was released in 2023.
Deep breath. So, what I just described is the official “release order” of Star Wars. It can be a little complicated when you’re jumping around the timeline, especially if you are brand new to the Star Wars galaxy. If you enjoy a challenge and want a full Star Wars experience, I do recommend watching all of the Star Wars movies/shows in the release order. It is amazing and beautiful to see the expansion of the scope of the storylines, as well as huge advances in both storytelling skill development and technical visual effects.
Thanks to Disney+ it’s possible (and easy!) to watch all of the Star Wars movies and shows in one spot. They have a Star Wars section which breaks it all down into timeline order, and even offered a subsection called “Ahsoka Essentials” to get you caught up on the beloved character Ashoka if you are unfamiliar with them or wanted a refresh.
Here is that Chronological Order breakdown in simplified form:
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Episode I) [1999]
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (Episode II) [2002]
Star Wars: The Clone Wars [movie, 2008]
Star Wars: The Clone Wars [series, 2008]
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi [2022]
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (Episode III) [2005]
Star Wars: The Bad Batch [2021]
Solo: A Star Wars Story [2018]
Obi-Wan Kenobi [2022]
Andor [2022]
Star Wars Rebels [2014]
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story [2016]
Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode IV) [1977]
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V) [1980]
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Episode VI) [1983]
The Mandalorian [2019]
The Book of Boba Fett [2021]
Ahsoka [2023]
Star Wars Resistance [2018]
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Episode VII) [2015]
Star Wars: The Last Jedi [2017]
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker [2019]
Not included in this list is the wide range of written Star Wars materials: both books and comic books that span across the full timeline. I can honestly say that I have loved all the Star Wars books I have read. I would recommend being a Jedi Master – one who has a strong understanding of the force – before diving into those pages. There are also many Star Wars Videos games that allow you to play your way through the galaxy! There is even a Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978 – it’s a huge fan favorite but has gotten some less than favorable reviews! There are some versions available on the internet and I do hope one day it will be available on Disney+ (fingers crossed!)
Star Wars is not only a comic book, video game, movie or tv show – it is something that has become interwoven into the culture of our modern society. When Star Wars was first released back in the 1970’s, many people were made fun of for the new Science Fiction Symphony film and that ridicule continued for quite a while. Then, there were many who were not fans of the prequels when they were first released. I will admit, Episode I is my least favorite Star Wars anything – but I’ll admit that it is essential to the overall storyline. The Sequels really started to shift the perception of who a “typical” Star Wars fan was, and the release of The Mandalorian was a huge equalizer in acceptance for Star Wars across so many people! I know the explosion of Mandalorian fandom has also made so many more people interested in Star Wars — and I am here for it!
I was the child who would watch the original trilogy on repeat, making sure I’d rewind that VHS so I wouldn’t have to wait foreeeeeeeever when I wanted to watch the movie again. I had the most amazing 9th grade English teacher (shout out to all those amazing teachers who were there for us during difficult times) who made us do a whole unit on classical character archetypes, concluding with us watching A New Hope and discussing the topics presented in the movie. I’ll admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of the prequels when they first released but looking back, I think I was in the closet with my Star Wars fandom – much like my book nerd era, which I wrote about in this article.
I didn’t catch the hype surrounding The Force Awakens because I was a relatively new parent of two kids with another on the way. However, in 2017, I felt like it was time. We needed to do a Star Wars Marathon in order to go and see the new movie, and we also had an upcoming Disney trip planned. They were going to show scenes from the new movie in the Star Tours ride, so I felt we needed to see it to appreciate and understand it. Plus with current events happening in 2017, I read an article that mentioned watching Star Wars as a way to cope, reflect, and inspire during difficult times.
My children were 6, 4, and 2 years old when I watched Star Wars: A New Hope with them and my husband (who was 34 and had never watched Star Wars before). My kids were hooked in with that opening scroll! We did break the full length movies into about 45 minute sections to keep their attention. We did the Original Trilogy (Episodes IV, V and VI), The Prequels (Episodes I, II, and III), and The Force Awakens (Episode VII). The conclusion of our first Star Wars Marathon was Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Episode VIII) in the movie theater! Oh those littles ones eyes were so wide as they soaked it all in on the big screen! My Star Wars nerdy heart was just about to burst.
Cue: March 2020….. Most activities had stopped …. What to do?? Well, the answer seemed simple: have a STAR WARS MARATHON! We decided to start in timeline order this time by including the animated series in addition to the full length movies. It took a while, but we had time to spare! It was really comforting for me to enjoy and expand my love for the Star Wars Galaxy again.
There are lots of local (and not so local) events that will easily help you find a community of Star Wars fans. There are local ComicCons in San Antonio, while the San Diego ComicCon is one of the largest in the country. If your horizons are broader still, there is a Star Wars Celebration happening next year in Japan! There are also a whole host of online communities where Star Wars fans gather together to discuss and share their love of a Galaxy Far Far Away. If you’d like to connect with local Star Wars fans, check out the Star Wars Society of San Antonio.
Both Walt Disney World and Disneyland both have Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – literally a dream come true for Star Wars fans, from the casual to the most dedicated. Disneyland currently has the Season of the Force, which has both special offerings and Star Wars Nite on select nights. My family and I attended Star Wars Nite on May 4, 2022 and it was the most epic time we’ve had at Disneyland, ever!
May 4th is the unofficial, official Star Wars Day when it has become a ritual to say “May The 4th Be With You.” Here are some local events to celebrate Star Wars in San Antonio on May 4th this year:
Heroes & Fantasies 281 Location:
May 4th from 5-9pm: Pinata Bash, Lightsaber battle and Padawan Training, Star Wars Trivia, Youngling Costume Contact, and Lightsaber Light Up
May 4th at 7:30pm: Star Wars Night
May 4th from 9am-8pm: Paint the Galaxy Event
May 4th from 7-9pm: Star Wars Trivia
May 4th from 10am-6pm: small pop-up with cool vendors, collectibles, cosplayers, giveaways and more!
Wilson County Mental Health Advisory Board:
May 4th at 7am: May the Fours Be With You 4.4K run/walk
Woodlawn Lake Park San Antonio:
May 4th at 2pm: Join BARKITECTURE SAN ANTONIO for PAW WARS: a themed costume contest for your dog!
May 4th from 11am-6pm: a day featuring iconic characters from the original trilogy!
May 4th from 4-7pm: Wear your best Star Wars Shirt or costume to join the Karaoke Fundraiser for Student Parents Empowered
Government Canyon State Natural Area:
May 4th from 8-11am: May the Forest Be with You! A guided hike!
Whichever way you choose to force jump into Star Wars, there is no wrong way – though, keep in mind that this is the way.
PS MTFBWY = May The Force Be With You
