AnotherStar Warsday has come and gone. In the best years, May 4th comes on a weekend, teeing up the perfect opportunity for a movie marathon. This year fans may have to wait a little longer to start a grandStar Warsre-watch, but waiting comes with its own benefits, like figuring out how to watch all the movies in the first place.
The prequels introduced the problem of viewing order toStar Wars. Suddenly there were two through lines in the franchise. One was story of Anakin Skywalker, and the other was the story of his son, Luke. The Disney era ofStar Warshas added plenty of complications to the view order debate. Now that the Skywalker Saga is finished, and the weekend is just around the corner, it’s a good time to review the pros and cons of the variousStar Warsviewing orders.
RELATED:Star Wars: This Storytelling Theory Retroactively Improves The Prequels
Release Order
The most straightforward way to watch theStar Warsmovies is to follow their release order. The original trilogy would kick off the movie marathon, followed by the prequels. With all of George Lucas’sStar Warsfilms finished,Disney’s sequel trilogy can close outthe series.
WatchingStar Warsin release order simulates the experience fans had moving through the franchise for the very first time. Luke Skywalker’s story still serves as the selling point for the entire franchise. The prequels fill in the backstory of the Empire’s and Darth Vader’s rise to power. Disney’s sequels disappoint or delight according to the taste of whoever is sitting in front of the screen.
The downside to using release order for aStar Warsmarathon is that,extreme opinions aside, the best films are over first. Some people prefer the prequels to the sequels, while others would rather pretend the prequels didn’t exist. Either way, fans almost universally agree that the original trilogy are the best filmsStar Warscurrently has on offer. After starting with the original films, moving through the prequels and sequels could feel like a slog through lesser material.
Chronological Order
The nine mainStar Warsfilms tell the “Skywalker Saga,” but they didn’t tell that story in order. The chronological viewing order suggests watching the “Episodes” sequentially. The marathon would start with the prequels, then move through the original trilogy and the sequels.
There are some major benefits to watchingStar Warschronologically as opposed to going with release order.George Lucas has saidthat Episodes 1-6 are really the story of Anakin Skywalker’s fall and redemption. Starting with the prequels centers Anakin as the main character inStar Wars. It also gets some of the weakestStar Warsentries out of the way early on. Fans may haveforgiven Lucas for his messy prequels, but they still aren’t the best movies in the galaxy.
On the other hand, the chronological viewing order makes some fundamental changes to theStar Warsexperience. Despite Lucas insisting Anakin is the center of his films, most fans view Luke Skywalker as the franchise’s primary protagonist. With chronological order, Luke isn’t met until the fourth film. On top of that, the reveal of Darth Vader as Luke’s father, which is one of the best moments in cinema history, is entirely lost. Plus, no one really wants to start aStar Warsmarathon withThe Phantom Menace.
Machete Order
It’s no secret that theprequel trilogy wasn’t exactly popularwhen it first released. Many fans rejected the idea that Anakin Skywalker is the true protagonist ofStar Wars. Many more were simply bored to tears by the prequels in general andThe Phantom Menacein particular. The machete order is perfect for fans who want to hold onto their nostalgia while still offering some leeway toGeorge Lucas’s artistic vision. This order begins withA New HopeandThe Empire Strikes Back. Then it goes to the prequels. It chops offThe Phantom Menace, in favor of just watchingAttack of the ClonesandRevenge of the Sith. The order concludes with the originalStar Warsfinale,Return of the Jedi.
The machete order has some enormous benefits to other options. It retains the surprise reveal of Darth Vader’s identity, and it keeps Luke as the primary protagonist in the story. The order extracts the best of the prequels and leaves the rest behind. Also, it ends on a high note.
The downside is, of course, that the machete order doesn’t offer the fullStar Warsexperience.The Phantom Menacehas some redeeming momentsthat true fans will want to watch. Though the machete order would prefer to ignore them, the Disney sequels do exist and are a part ofStar Wars. This order is ideal for purists who just want to experience the best of pre-DisneyStar Wars.
Completionist Order
A perfect viewing order forStar Warsretains the experience of the original trilogy whileincorporating everything that’s been added since 1983. Here’s the plan: start withA New Hope, then go toThe Empire Strikes Back. After that, it’s time to watch all the prequels to get the story of Anakin Skywalker. From there, dive intoReturn of the Jedito get Anakin’s redemption. Disney’s sequel trilogy will close out the Skywalker Saga from that point.
This viewing order gets the main benefit of the machete order without skipping any of the films. Luke remains the core ofStar Warsand the first protagonist to be introduced.Return of the Jediserves as a light at the end of the tunnel while watching the prequels.Disney’s sequel trilogy makes for an uneasy conclusiontoStar Wars, but there’s really nothing to be done about that.
There hasn’t been a perfect way to watch the franchise sinceThe Phantom Menacereleased in 1999. Being a hardcoreStar Warsfan means loving all the movies, despite their frequent flaws. The completionist order retains the magic of the original trilogy, breaks up the monotony of later additions to the franchise, and doesn’t deny the existence of anyStar Warsfilm. Well, except for the spin-offs, but those are really “watch at your own risk” affairs.
MORE:Star Wars: The Movies Are The Weakest Part Of The Entire Franchise
