Complete Star Wars Skywalker Saga Film Order
The Skywalker Saga consists of nine main episodic films released between 1977 and 2019, produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios after the acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012. The storyline order begins with Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), followed by Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), and Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). This sequence follows the chronological narrative of Anakin Skywalker's fall, the Galactic Civil War, and the final confrontation with the resurrected Emperor Palpatine. The saga has generated over 10 billion dollars in global box office revenue across theatrical releases and re-releases, making it one of the highest-grossing film franchises in history. For detailed financial and corporate data, refer to the official Disney annual reports and SEC filings available at https://www.sec.gov.
Beyond the nine episodic films, the storyline order also incorporates the 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which bridges the events of Episode II and Episode III and expands the conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist Alliance. The film introduced the character Ahsoka Tano and established key battlefronts and political machinations that drive the prequel trilogy's middle acts. The Clone Wars movie and its associated television series are considered canonical within the Lucasfilm storytelling framework, directly influencing the depiction of the Jedi Order's decline and the rise of the Empire.
Standalone Star Wars Films and Their Place in the Timeline
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) is set immediately before Episode IV and details the Rebel Alliance's theft of the Death Star plans, directly leading into the opening of A New Hope. The film features Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor as central characters and was produced by Lucasfilm under the Walt Disney Studios banner. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) covers the early life of Han Solo, including his first encounter with Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian, and is set between the prequel and original trilogies. Both standalone films expand the galactic conflict and provide context for events referenced in the main saga episodes.
The standalone films are integrated into the broader timeline through their narrative connections to the episodic saga, with Rogue One functioning as a direct prequel to the original 1977 release and Solo filling in character backstory that enriches the understanding of the original trilogy's smuggling underworld and criminal networks. Lucasfilm has confirmed that these stories are part of the official Star Wars canon, and the studio continues to develop additional projects under the guidance of Kathleen Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm.
Streaming Availability and Franchise Expansion
All Skywalker Saga films and standalone titles are available on Disney+, the flagship streaming service launched by The Walt Disney Company in November 2019. The platform hosts the complete film library in both original theatrical and modified formats, alongside animated series such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance, and the live-action series The Mandalorian, which is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. The streaming strategy centralizes the franchise under a single subscription service, aligning with Disney's direct-to-consumer business model and global content distribution goals.
The franchise continues to expand through new film projects announced by Lucasfilm,