Star wars watch order

[Bigbootyjudy]

So my girlfriend has never seen or even looked at a star wars movie and she said she wanted to watch them to know what I'm always talking about. I just don't know what order to show them in. I don't really want to watch the prequels except for rogue one because that explains the plot of the original movies. This is also because the new star wars came out today. (NO SPOILERS) What order should I watch the movies in?

[Drak3]

Either 4, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

Or 1 through 7.

[Cryosec]

You should follow the Machete order:

 

4, 5, (1), 2, 3, 6, 7, 8.

 

Why this? A great explanation comes from the guy who invented it.

 

edit: I'll just add here the second part of that blog post, updated for Episode VII.

[Blasteque]

Realistically, the prequels build on drama from the first movies.  You can go through them in episode order, but the significance of the characters (Anakin, Oni-wan, Yoda) won't be there.  Starting with the prequels will also make 4,5, and 6 seem slow and not exciting.  Even though the episode numbers are the thematic order, they clearing weren't written in that order.  In this regard, release order makes a stronger argument.

 

However, if you're wanting to share your experience with her, then show them in the order you experienced them so she gets as close to the same experience as you did.

 

Otherwise, in my mind it should be 4, 5, 6, Rogue One, and then 7; if she wants to see more, then follow with 1, 2, and 3.  (Though that reflects my personally dim view of 1, 2, and 3.)

[Tcrumpen]

1 hour ago, Bigbootyjudy said:

So my girlfriend has never seen or even looked at a star wars movie and she said she wanted to watch them to know what I'm always talking about. I just don't know what order to show them in. I don't really want to watch the prequels except for rogue one because that explains the plot of the original movies. This is also because the new star wars came out today. (NO SPOILERS) What order should I watch the movies in?

4,5,6

 

skip 1 (Or just watch the Darth Maul fight) and watch 2 only to see what an Anakin was like so 3 doesn't confuse; but forewarn her that the romance in 2 is god awful like approaching twilight levels of gagging bad

 

Then after 2 and 3 i'd watch The Clone wars animated series. Then go with 7 finally round it of with Rebels, i know that's not most cannon order but it gives you introduction into all characters first before diving into the deeper understandings

 

But if she only wants to see 1 film from each set of trilogies go with 3 and 5

[Mutoh]

2 hours ago, Cryosec said:

You should follow the Machete order:

 

4, 5, (1), 2, 3, 6, 7, 8.

 

Why this? A great explanation comes from the guy who invented it.

 

edit: I'll just add here the second part of that blog post, updated for Episode VII.

This is usually what I recommend when people ask how they should watch it without knowing much about the SW universe etc...

[Crunchy Dragon]

I usually start with 4, 5, 6, and then skip most of 1, 2, and I've never actually seen 3 but it doesn't take long to explain what all goes on in it(Order 66, Anakin becomes Darth Vader, etc). I did see 7 but didn't think a whole lot of it and I don't plan on seeing Rogue One or 8 any time soon.

[Inkz]

I would say order of release becasue while I like the original trilogy, the pacing is a lot slower than the prequels. And all the characters and nostalgia for 7 will have zero impact if you haven't seen the previous movies.  Honestly for the prequels I liked most of them. Jar Jar was weird, but I liked the battle of Naboo and some of the pod racing. I loved the Obi Wan side of 2 tracking Jango and learning about the clones (however I can't stand the Anikin side that feels like it takes FOREVER). I liked all of episode 3, but it did have a really intense feeling for the majority of the movie that I know some people don't like.

[dalekphalm]

8 hours ago, Bigbootyjudy said:

So my girlfriend has never seen or even looked at a star wars movie and she said she wanted to watch them to know what I'm always talking about. I just don't know what order to show them in. I don't really want to watch the prequels except for rogue one because that explains the plot of the original movies. This is also because the new star wars came out today. (NO SPOILERS) What order should I watch the movies in?

Okay so, if she's NEVER seen them, here's my suggested order:

 

Episode 3.5 (Rogue One)

Episode 4 (A New Hope)

Episode 5 (Empire Strikes Back)

Episode 1 (Phantom Menace)

Episode 2 (Attack of the Clones)

Episode 3 (Revenge of the Sith)

Episode 6 (Return of the Jedi)

Episode 7 (Force Awakens)

Episode 8 (Last Jedi)

 

Why do it in this order? Well, first, because it introduces the Original Trilogy first, which sets the tone. Next, it preserves the most important twist/reveal in the entire series (Spoiler):

Spoiler

Vader is Luke's Father - oh and Leia is his sister

 

Then, you jump back to the Prequel movies, which gives you backstory on Anakin Skywalker. Who he was, how he fell. Who he became. Think of these as a series of Flash Backs. Then after the "flash backs", you jump right back into Return of the Jedi, and you have the fresh perspective of how Anakin fell to the dark side.

 

And then you just continue from there.

 

I don't recommend skipping the Prequels on first viewing. Yeah lots of people hate them, but there ARE redeeming features, and they add important backstory. Save skipping the prequels for rewatches, if you/she ends up disliking them.

 

I also struggled a bit on where to put Rogue One. On one hand, I feel like watching it first might leave the viewer a bit confused, since there's at least some backstory that they just assume you know the history of Star Wars.

 

But on the other hand, it makes no sense to watch it after A New Hope, since it is so crucially tied to A New Hope's plot. Also, the movie stands alone fairly well. A casual viewer will still be able to enjoy the movie, even if they don't get some of the finer details.

 

On subsequent viewings (rewatches), you can watch them in Chronological order (1 straight thru to 8), but because 1-thru-3 spoil the OT, that's why I suggest my initial viewing order at the top.

[IAmAndre]

For me, if she has never watched any of the movies, you shouldn't show her any of the movies released in the 70's. I personally started with the trilogy released in the 2000's and still haven't found the time and courage to watch all the original trilogy. Just finished watching episode 8 and man it's just awesome!

[dalekphalm]

8 minutes ago, IAmAndre said:

For me, if she has never watched any of the movies, you shouldn't show her any of the movies released in the 70's. I personally started with the trilogy released in the 2000's and still haven't found the time and courage to watch all the original trilogy. Just finished watching episode 8 and man it's just awesome!

What... why? I mean, without the OT (Original Trilogy), the context of the NT (New Trilogy) is lacking. You're missing out so much on context.

 

I do think that some people (especially younger/millennial who didn't grow up with the OT) will find A New Hope hard to get through though.

[Arika]

chronologically.

1 hour ago, dalekphalm said:

Why do it in this order? Well, first, because it introduces the Original Trilogy first, which sets the tone. Next, it preserves the most important twist/reveal in the entire series

Even if you've never watched the movies. you already know this. it's not a surprise to anyone.

 

 

[dalekphalm]

Just now, Sierra Fox said:

chronologically.

Even if you've never watched the movies. you already know this. it's not a surprise to anyone.

 

 

Not true at all. There are many people who were surprised about the Empire reveal.

 

Sure the general public knows the name Darth Vader. And sure, many of them will know "Yeah he's the bad guy from Star Wars", but not necessarily know that "Oh yeah he's Luke Skywalker's father".

[IAmAndre]

12 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

 

I do think that some people (especially younger/millennial who didn't grow up with the OT) will find A New Hope hard to get through though.

That's my point actually.

[dalekphalm]

Just now, IAmAndre said:

That's my point actually.

Yeah... but they should try anyway. Because Empire is markedly better. I do think that most older Star Wars fans have rose tinted goggles for A New Hope. Most people still rank it as #1 or #2 in the series. Personally I think that if you objectively look at all the movies, A New Hope ranks lower.

 

Empire is paced really well, though it's still a slower movie - it just doesn't feel boring. The slow scenes make sense and allow you to sit back and digest what's going on.

 

Either way, that's another reason to start with Rogue One. It's pacing is much more "modern" (faster paced), it's action packed. The visual effects are great (though it's a toss up about the two CGI faces - personally I had no issues at all with Tarkin's face, but Leia's was more obvious).

 

Anyway - I'd suggest watching the OT anyway. They give important context (and lots of details, aside from the big major plot points).

[dalekphalm]

11 minutes ago, gabrielcarvfer said:

Prequel trilogy and then the original trilogy, or the opposite. Rogue one and the new trilogy are terrible.

Disagree - Rogue One was great fun. Sure it's not perfect, and there were parts that weren't very good, but overall it's pretty decent.

 

Force Awakens is also very fun, great characters, with a meh story. Last Jedi is much of the same but for very different reasons.

[dalekphalm]

Just now, gabrielcarvfer said:

Rogue One was a complete disgrace. It should be about Kyle Katarn, just like in the Jedi Knight series.

Force Awakens: what was that blaster paralyzed with the force? Or how the heck did Rey got to use power and fight with the saber without training? Completely bizarre. Last Jedi, read some spoilers, and confirmed it's not worth to even watch it. They could have just stick to the expanded universe and make great movies, but they decided to make that crap.

I get you, but... yeah. Kyle Katarn isn't canon anymore. Those stories from Expanded Universe (EU - now Legends) are all non-canon now. Though certainly they can and do cherry pick some elements from Legends to bring into the new Canon. Also I disagree that Rogue One was a disgrace. How so? It gave a plausible and satisfying explanation as to why the Death Star had a stupid obvious weakness. The cast was, while partially forgettable, still mostly well cast. K-2SO was great in particular, and the Battle of Scarif (both on the planet, and in orbit) was just fantastic.

 

As for FA:

A new force ability - who knows how it works? Why is that a problem?

Rey: She's powerful in the force, so much of what she can do is intuition. Plus early in the film it's established that she's a competent close-quarters combatant. She has excellent combat skills already.

 

Last Jedi: I've seen it, so yeah. I won't say anything here because it'd be spoilers.

 

You got to remember that while the EU had some good stories (Thrawn Trilogy, etc), there was a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT  of utter shit.

 

The idea behind the new canon is simple: The writers didn't want to be written into a corner because of pre-existing stories, lots of which are inconsistent of each other, and/or terribly written, and/or simply make no sense.

 

Did they execute the new canon well? Outside of the new movies? Yes I think so for the most part. Most of the new books and comics are very highly reviewed. Force Awakens had a lot of interesting ideas. Last Jedi does it's thing - people will for the most part, either love it or hate it, I think.

 

Personally I'm hoping that in Episode 9, they can address the story issues with Last Jedi.

[divito]

I'm hoping to get through life having never seen them.

[8uhbbhu8]

13 hours ago, Cryosec said:

You should follow the Machete order:

 

4, 5, (1), 2, 3, 6, 7, 8.

 

Why this? A great explanation comes from the guy who invented it.

 

edit: I'll just add here the second part of that blog post, updated for Episode VII.

That is actually genius! Never thought of that!  

[dalekphalm]

9 hours ago, 8uhbbhu8 said:

That is actually genius! Never thought of that!  

Yep the Machete order - or one of it's variants, is really the ideal way to watch them. Especially for a first viewing.

[Lathlaer]

10 hours ago, gabrielcarvfer said:

Rogue One was a complete disgrace. It should be about Kyle Katarn, just like in the Jedi Knight series.

Force Awakens: what was that blaster paralyzed with the force? Or how the heck did Rey got to use power and fight with the saber without training? Completely bizarre. Last Jedi, read some spoilers, and confirmed it's not worth to even watch it. They could have just stick to the expanded universe and make great movies, but they decided to make that crap.

Don't take it personally but your post (this one and subsequent) illustrates exactly why I, as a huge fan of SW franchise, can't stand other huge fans of SW franchise.

 

You know, those guys who literally live with the plot of the books from EU and are salty right now because no Katarn, no Thrawn, no Kyp Durron, no Mara Jade, no Anakin/Jaina/Jacen etc.

 

Those guys who go to Metacritic and/or RT and, enjoying the fact that internet anonymity is their shield, give Force Awakens or The Last Jedi a grand score of 0/10 because ofc it's the worst movie ever made that raped their childhood etc. Not a 4/10, not a 5/10 or even 6/10 - indicating a well made movie that somehow disappointed. No, let's give 0 because I'm angry and need to unleash the wrath on the Internet. 

 

Same guys who say that Disney destroyed SW films conveniently ignoring the fact Gungans and the Clones are the effect of George Lucas having unlimited influence over his saga.

 

You are ofc entitled to your own opinion and kudos for that, but I personally disregard such comments just like I disregard die-hard comic book fans who trash MCU.

 

EDIT:

 

9 hours ago, gabrielcarvfer said:

EU had some terrible shit, but the Kyle part and the Jedi academy vs fight against the empire and emperor clones were fine and well stablished.

How can you say that with a straight face while calling new trilogy fanfics is beyond me. Just think about it for a second, how it sounds.

[dalekphalm]

18 minutes ago, Lathlaer said:

Don't take it personally but your post (this one and subsequent) illustrates exactly why I, as a huge fan of SW franchise, can't stand other huge fans of SW franchise.

 

You know, those guys who literally live with the plot of the books from EU and are salty right now because no Katarn, no Thrawn, no Kyp Durron, no Mara Jade, no Anakin/Jaina/Jacen etc.

 

Those guys who go to Metacritic and/or RT and, enjoying the fact that internet anonymity is their shield, give Force Awakens or The Last Jedi a grand score of 0/10 because ofc it's the worst movie ever made that raped their childhood etc. Not a 4/10, not a 5/10 or even 6/10 - indicating a well made movie that somehow disappointed. No, let's give 0 because I'm angry and need to unleash the wrath on the Internet. 

 

Same guys who say that Disney destroyed SW films conveniently ignoring the fact Gungans and the Clones are the effect of George Lucas having unlimited influence over his saga.

 

You are ofc entitled to your own opinion and kudos for that, but I personally disregard such comments just like I disregard die-hard comic book fans who trash MCU.

 

EDIT:

 

How can you say that with a straight face while calling new trilogy fanfics is beyond me. Just think about it for a second, how it sounds.

Agreed. Although just an FYI, Thrawn IS Canon again. They brought him back for the Star Wars Rebels TV series, and he also got his own book (titled "Thrawn") - I don't recall whether he's made any Comic Book appearances yet, but most likely.

 

He's not the exact same character, and the events of the Thrawn Trilogy, etc, are all still Legends, but his personality/motivations/skills, etc, and at least some of his backstory remains unchanged.

 

But yeah - even if someone didn't like Force Awakens, it's still not a terrible movie. Maybe a 6/10 in that case (I'd probably give it a 7/10).

 

But they have to realize that EU Canon included Splinter in the Minds Eye, where Leia and Luke hook up. It included the Emperor cloning himself a bunch of times (Granted, the Dark Empire Trilogy DID have some good stuff in there, but also a lot of crap). It included Gungans, pod racing, and Anakin Skywalker saying shit about how he dislikes sand.

 

Also, the old EU is pretty much the very definition of Fanfic. It was inconsistent, incoherent at times, and of wildly varying quality. As bad as someone might dislike the new Movies, they have to realize that back in the old EU, there was way more bad stuff, than good stuff.

 

I admit that I think Disney made some missteps with the new Canon. I think the new Canon is overall aimed too much at kids, and not enough at adults who grew up with Star Wars. I also think - especially when it came to the Last Jedi, that Disney let the story kind of become muddled a bit.

 

I like Rian Johnson as a writer and director, but I think he was given too much latitude in creating his story. I think that some of his choices will make Episode 9 difficult for JJ Abrams to continue his original vision. Johnson forced his hand in changing directions - and I'm confused as to why Disney/Lucasfilms/Kathleen Kennedy let him do that.

 

And that's the thing.

 

I can be a Star Wars fan, enjoy the new Canon and the new movies, and understand that they are flawed, and dislike aspects of them.

 

3 minutes ago, gabrielcarvfer said:

The prequel was a disaster, but at least made sense and was a real part of the story, developing characters and so on, while the new trilogy is just a mess. TLJ is so bad that made the prequel looks really good.

Hahaha.. oh you're serious... AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

I mean, I Like Revenge of the Sith. I even have a special place of enjoyment for Phantom Menace (though Attack of the Clones is still mostly garbage)... but think about what you just said. You think TLJ makes the prequels look... not just good, but really good.

 

Let's just say that we strongly disagree on that. I think Revenge of the Sith is an honest to god good movie. It ranks above A New Hope for me (which honestly isn't that good), but it's certainly not as good as Jedi or Empire. But Episodes 1 and 2 are pretty bad movies. The writing, direction, acting, etc, are all subpar. Even the really good actors struggle with the vomit inducing dialog they are given.

[Lathlaer]

11 minutes ago, gabrielcarvfer said:

Even Mark Hamill said he didn't liked anything from the original script of TLJ, but ended up doing the movie...

AFAIK Hamill only said that he fundamentally disagrees with what was done to his character and I tend to agree that it wasn't to my liking - but still the ending gave Skywalker justice, I think. And he also said that it's not necesarily a bad thing that he disagrees with the direction because maybe it's time for a different vision.

 

Besides, do you think Hamill would've liked to fight Emperor's Clone instead? I mean, common.

 

6 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

Also, the old EU is pretty much the very definition of Fanfic.

 

Agreed. Sure it's fun to read how Luke is so strong with the Force that even a black hole wouldn't have moved him from time to time, but common.

 

 

[dalekphalm]

14 minutes ago, Lathlaer said:

AFAIK Hamill only said that he fundamentally disagrees with what was done to his character and I tend to agree that it wasn't to my liking - but still the ending gave Skywalker justice, I think. And he also said that it's not necesarily a bad thing that he disagrees with the direction because maybe it's time for a different vision.

 

Besides, do you think Hamill would've liked to fight Emperor's Clone instead? I mean, common.

 

 

Agreed. Sure it's fun to read how Luke is so strong with the Force that even a black hole wouldn't have moved him from time to time, but common.

 

 

Haha yeah - I actually loved those books (Dark Nest Trilogy), because it gave us an opportunity to see what a Badass Luke could be after 40+ years of training as a Jedi, and becoming the new Grand Master.

 

Also Mark disagreed with the direction of his character - he didn't actually say he hated it. Just thought it would go a different direction. And besides, Mark was probably hoping to get some more ultimate badass scenes (though he does get one or two).

[dalekphalm]

Just now, gabrielcarvfer said:

And maybe they were wrong with that vision. With Emperor's clones? No idea, but against dark jedi, probably. As I said before, they could strip down some parts of EU to get the best parts instead of throwing everything away, including stuff from previous trilogies.

But they are doing that - at least in the current Canon outside of the movies. Many of the books and comics have taken ideas, characters, even nigh-entire storylines, and updated and tweaked them to fit into the new Canon.

 

Is it enough to satisfy? Well that's up to each person to decide. I definitely think there's room for improvement, but I also don't think Star Wars is ruined.