Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was being sold as the final chapter of an epic story. The first teaser featured the tagline “The Saga Comes To An End”; the final trailer promised “The Saga Will End.” There was even a TV spot that’s just called “End.” After 40 years, the stars are no longer at war.

That makes this the perfect time for a rewatch — or maybe even a first viewing in some cases — of the entire Star Wars series. There are different ways you can approach that. You could watch the films in the order in which they were released, starting with the original Star Wars, then proceeding through The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, then venturing through the prequels before hitting the new Disney productions like The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Or you can watch chronologically, starting with The Phantom Menace and the prequels, then hitting SoloRogue One, and the Original Trilogy before concluding with The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

My advice? Don’t do either of those.

Instead, I’d like to propose a somewhat radical reordering of the movies, one that shifts certain films around in the timeline and avoids others entirely. My preferred Star Wars saga gives you all the killer with the least possible filler so that you can understand everything that happens while avoiding as many monologues about the ickiness of sand as possible.

Here’s my recommended Star Wars viewing order. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

One more time, here’s my best possible Star Wars viewing order:

  1. Rogue One
  2. Star Wars
  3. The Empire Strikes Back
  4. Revenge of the Sith
  5. Return of the Jedi
  6. The Mandalorian
  7. The Force Awakens
  8. The Last Jedi
  9. The Rise of Skywalker (I guess...)

So what do you think? Am I on to something? Am I high on death sticks? Do you have an even weirder Star Wars viewing order you prefer? Let me know, and however you decide to embark on your rewatch of the entire Star Wars franchise, may the Force be with you.

Gallery — Every Star Wars Movie Ranked From Worst to Best:

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