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I'll be honest, if they haven't seen them yet, I think the moment has probably passed.
They're family films, really. I loved them growing up, and I loved sharing them with my sons. Episodes 8 and 9 were atrocious. Rogue One was brilliant, and probably the best stand-alone film of all of them, although Empire Strikes Back is best over all because of what it does with characters who had become icons.
But overall I feel that an adult who has always been proudly in the "I've never watched Star Wars" camp is not going to be won over now.
I would rather bring an adult in cold to watch either Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy or the Marvel films. Maybe even Harry Potter from Azkaban onwards. I just think they will spend the whole time saying "What's all the hype about?" Not realising that none of those would have been possible (or Kingsman, Matrix, The Mummy etc) without the advances in model making and lighting, sound and CGI which Star Wars ushered in.
If you have Disney+ then they have a Star Wars section which tells you the best way to watch all of the films. As well as all of the other money making exercises (sorry spin-offs). Hope it helps.
Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (1999) Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones (2002) Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2003-2005) Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith (2005) Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021-2023) Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) Star Wars: Rebels (2014-2018) Andor (2022) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope (1977) Star Wars: Episode 5 - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Star Wars: Episode 6 - Return of the Jedi (1983) The Mandalorian, season 1 and 2 (2019-2020) The Book of Boba Fett, season 1 (2021) The Mandalorian, season 3 (2023) Star Wars: Resistance, season 1 (2018) Star Wars: Episode 7 - The Force Awakens (2015) Star Wars: Episode 8 - The Last Jedi (2017) Star Wars: Resistance, season 2 (2019) Star Wars: Episode 9 - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
This is an awful order. Completely ruins the "Luke, I AM your father" reveal in TESB
This is an awful order. Completely ruins the "Luke, I AM your father" reveal in TESB
They revealed that in a magazine a few months before EMPIRE came out.
In the spirit of reconciliation and happiness at the end of the Banter Era (RIP) and as a result of promotion I have cleared out my ignore list. Look forwards to reading your posts!
If you have Disney+ then they have a Star Wars section which tells you the best way to watch all of the films. As well as all of the other money making exercises (sorry spin-offs). Hope it helps.
Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (1999) Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones (2002) Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2003-2005) Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith (2005) Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021-2023) Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) Star Wars: Rebels (2014-2018) Andor (2022) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope (1977) Star Wars: Episode 5 - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Star Wars: Episode 6 - Return of the Jedi (1983) The Mandalorian, season 1 and 2 (2019-2020) The Book of Boba Fett, season 1 (2021) The Mandalorian, season 3 (2023) Star Wars: Resistance, season 1 (2018) Star Wars: Episode 7 - The Force Awakens (2015) Star Wars: Episode 8 - The Last Jedi (2017) Star Wars: Resistance, season 2 (2019) Star Wars: Episode 9 - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Personally 4,5,6 1,2,3 I’m not a fan of the sequel trilogy though I did like rogue one and Han Solo film but for me George Lucas’ Star Wars is the only Star Wars and the rest just cash cows. However that’s just my opinion
To reply to the OP - I think you need to watch the main 9 in the order they were released. 4 to 6 have to be first, as the rest of the Star Wars story spins out from those, and they are the best 3 of the 9.
Then 1 to 3 - a decent story/plot through them, but largely terribly made/acted/directed.
7 to 9 - hit and miss, if we're being honest, but watchable nevertheless.
Rogue One you can watch at any time, and is by far the best of the newer films.
Solo is a decent standalone film to watch at any time after episodes 4 to 6.
I was born underwater, I dried out in the sun.
I started humping volcanoes baby, when I was too young.
I think I’m in the minority that loved The Phantom Menace.
Not seen the latest trilogy yet.
Rogue One was brilliant.
Don't think I have ever seen the word 'loved' used in association with the Phantom Menace! The plot is decent, but the actual film pretty ropey. Its better than Attack of The Clones, I'll give it that much.
My very short review of the new ones, in case you're interested in my opinion.
The Force Awakens - actually pretty good, albeit just a cover version of A New Hope. The Last Jedi - Some decent bits, but pretty incoherent, a side plot that serves no purpose and therefore sterilises two characters, and a few really stupid bits. The Rise of Skywalker - So far fetched in places that I stopped caring.
They are all watchable, but none are even close to Rogue One.
I was born underwater, I dried out in the sun.
I started humping volcanoes baby, when I was too young.
Like GB said, I'd honestly skip the sequel trilogy. They should be 100% scrubbed from canon. The prequel trilogy isn't perfect (or close to), but it adds far more the to universe than the incoherent sequels.
TV: if they're younger (or prefer the prequels) I'd go for Clone Wars, rebels and bad batch first. Older, then go for Mando, Boba Fett and Andor. Not watched Ashoka yet, but based on trailers, Rebels would seem a required watch first.
Don't think I have ever seen the word 'loved' used in association with the Phantom Menace! The plot is decent, but the actual film pretty ropey. Its better than Attack of The Clones, I'll give it that much.
My very short review of the new ones, in case you're interested in my opinion.
The Force Awakens - actually pretty good, albeit just a cover version of A New Hope. The Last Jedi - Some decent bits, but pretty incoherent, a side plot that serves no purpose and therefore sterilises two characters, and a few really stupid bits. The Rise of Skywalker - So far fetched in places that I stopped caring.
They are all watchable, but none are even close to Rogue One.
If I can make one defence of Phantom Menace, the fight between Obi Wan, Qui Gon and Maul is by far my favourite light saber battle.
The atmosphere, the pacing, the soundtrack, the choreography is fantastic. The only issue is how bad sight saber duels in the original trilogy look.
Really hard to offer advice because they've been a part of my life since I watched Star Wars and Empire Strikes back on VHS and then ROTJ in the cinema as an 8 year-old back in 1983.
I was a complete Star Wars nerd and had read about 80 of the expanded universe novels etc. prior to the Disney sale - but the treatment of the expanded universe and the complete mess that is the sequels has meant I pretty much ignore Episode 7-9. Not an anti-Disney position; they have really delighted me with some of the other stuff they have produced (see below).
So what order would I recommend?
I find it hard to think that the original trilogy can have the same weight if you've already watched episodes 1-3 because: - big plot lines from 4-6 are revealed in the prequels (not just 'I am your father', but also who or what Yoda is, the fact that Luke and Leia are twins) - major characters from Episodes 1-3 just disappear in 4-6 (Emporer Palpatine for all of 4 and most of 5, Yoda from 4, Bail Organa is only mentioned in passing, Mon Mothma doesn't reappear until 6, Boba Fett not until the third act of 5) - the special effects in Episodes 1-3 make 4-6 look a bit pedestrian.
So I would go:
- First phase of viewing: Episodes 4,5,6 (despite it making Episode 4 even better when you watch them back to back, I would hold off Rogue One for the first viewing)
- Second phase of viewing: Episodes 1,2,3, Rogue One, Episode 4, 5, 6 (making sure that Rogue One and Episode 4 are watched back to back in one super long sitting)
- Third phase of viewing: Episodes 1,2, Clone Wars movie and series, Episode 3, Solo, Mandalorian series, Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Andor series, Rogue One, Episodes 4,5,6
Personally, to get them hooked on reading - I would recommend they then pick up the expanded universe books for post-ROTJ and just pretend that 7,8,9 never happened. Start with the Tomothy Zahn series that revolves around Grand Admiral Thrawn - and buy a big bookcase.
Book of Boba Fett is not essential at all (not terrible, not good, no consequence) and I haven't watched Bad Bunch, Rebels or Ashoka so can't comment.
The prequels get a bad rep from people of my age, because let's be honest there were some missteps and some poor casting choices - but if I ask my kids (who were born post-prequels) they love them all. In fact, they especially love Phantom Menace because the pod racing and lightsaber fight with Darth Maul are incredible to watch through the eyes of a child (as are the final battles in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith).
Whilst you lose some of the pay-off feeling of the original three, i do think that just watching them chronologically is now the best way to watch them, so i'd go 1-3, Rogue One, 4-9.
If you're enjoying, you can watch Solo too - i don't think it really matters whether you watch it in the correct slot or not. And if you get really into it, whilst they clearly look like they are for kids, the true best content for Star Wars is the Clone Wars TV Show and Rebels. Some seriously good stuff in there, and rekindled my enjoyment of the franchise after Episode 9 killed it.
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