There are 13 Star Wars movies, released in US theaters between 1977 and 2026, starting with A New Hope in May 1977 and most recently The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22, 2026. These star wars movies split into three trilogies, three standalone live-action films and one animated feature, and release order and story order are two different sequences.
The chart counts every Star Wars film with a theatrical release that StarWars.com lists on its Films page: the nine Skywalker saga episodes, Rogue One, Solo, the 2008 animated The Clone Wars film and The Mandalorian and Grogu. Dates are US theatrical dates and the eras are StarWars.com’s own labels. One more film, Starfighter, is dated for May 28, 2027.
All 13 Star Wars Movies in Release Order With Era and Timeline Position
| Release # | Film | Year | Era | Group | Chronological # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A New Hope (Episode IV) | 1977 | Age of the Rebellion | Original trilogy | 7 |
| 2 | The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V) | 1980 | Age of the Rebellion | Original trilogy | 8 |
| 3 | Return of the Jedi (Episode VI) | 1983 | Age of the Rebellion | Original trilogy | 9 |
| 4 | The Phantom Menace (Episode I) | 1999 | Fall of the Jedi | Prequel trilogy | 1 |
| 5 | Attack of the Clones (Episode II) | 2002 | Fall of the Jedi | Prequel trilogy | 2 |
| 6 | Revenge of the Sith (Episode III) | 2005 | Fall of the Jedi | Prequel trilogy | 4 |
| 7 | The Clone Wars (animated film) | 2008 | Fall of the Jedi | Standalone animated film | 3 |
| 8 | The Force Awakens (Episode VII) | 2015 | Rise of the First Order | Sequel trilogy | 11 |
| 9 | Rogue One | 2016 | Reign of the Empire | Standalone | 6 |
| 10 | The Last Jedi (Episode VIII) | 2017 | Rise of the First Order | Sequel trilogy | 12 |
| 11 | Solo | 2018 | Reign of the Empire | Standalone | 5 |
| 12 | The Rise of Skywalker (Episode IX) | 2019 | Rise of the First Order | Sequel trilogy | 13 |
| 13 | The Mandalorian and Grogu | 2026 | The New Republic | Standalone | 10 |
Star Wars Movies in Release Order, Film by Film
A New Hope: The 1977 Film That Opened as Simply Star Wars
Released: May 25, 1977 (limited) · Runtime: 2h 1min · Era: Age of the Rebellion · Rating: PG
The first Star Wars movie premiered in San Francisco on May 1, 1977 and opened in US theaters on May 25. It reached screens under the title Star Wars alone and the subtitle A New Hope was added later.
At 2 hours 1 minute it is the shortest of the nine saga episodes. Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo share the Death Star scenes, and the film sits seventh in story order.
The Empire Strikes Back: The Sequel That Put Darth Vader Center Frame
Released: May 21, 1980 (limited), June 20, 1980 (wide) · Runtime: 2h 4min · Era: Age of the Rebellion · Rating: PG
The second film premiered in Washington DC on May 17, 1980. It opened in limited release on May 21, and the wider US release followed on June 20.
It runs 2 hours 4 minutes, three minutes longer than the original, and is eighth in story order. Darth Vader aboard his flagship is the frame pictured above.
Return of the Jedi: The 1983 Close to the Original Trilogy
Released: May 25, 1983 · Runtime: 2h 14min · Era: Age of the Rebellion · Rating: PG
Return of the Jedi premiered in New York City on May 23, 1983 and reached US theaters two days later. It ended the first run of Star Wars films, and the next one did not arrive for another 16 years.
The still above is promotional artwork of the Millennium Falcon and TIE fighters attacking the second Death Star, not a live-action frame. The film runs 2 hours 14 minutes and is ninth in story order.
The Phantom Menace: The 1999 Film That Restarted the Series
Released: May 19, 1999 · Runtime: 2h 16min · Era: Fall of the Jedi · Rating: PG
Episode I premiered in Los Angeles on May 16, 1999 and opened in US theaters on May 19. It is the first film in story order, even though it was the fourth to be released.
Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi face Darth Maul in the Theed generator corridor, the duel pictured here. The film runs 2 hours 16 minutes and begins the Fall of the Jedi era.
Attack of the Clones: Episode II Moves to Geonosis
Released: May 16, 2002 · Runtime: 2h 22min · Era: Fall of the Jedi · Rating: PG
Attack of the Clones premiered at Tribeca on May 12, 2002 and opened in US theaters on May 16. It is second in story order and fifth in release order.
The Geonosis arena, with Padme Amidala holding a blaster beside Anakin Skywalker, is the set piece. At 2 hours 22 minutes it is six minutes longer than The Phantom Menace.
Revenge of the Sith: The First Star Wars Film Rated PG-13
Released: May 19, 2005 · Runtime: 2h 20min · Era: Fall of the Jedi · Rating: PG-13
The third prequel premiered in Los Angeles on May 12, 2005, in New York City on May 16, and opened in US theaters on May 19. It is the first of the films to carry a PG-13 rating, after five PG releases.
Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi face off on Mustafar. Though it closes the prequel trilogy, it sits fourth in story order because the animated Clone Wars film slots in before it.
The Clone Wars: The 2008 Animated Feature Between Episodes II and III
Released: August 15, 2008 · Runtime: 1h 40min · Era: Fall of the Jedi · Rating: PG
The Clone Wars premiered in Hollywood on August 10, 2008 and opened in US theaters on August 15. It is the only animated film in the chart and the shortest of the 13 at 1 hour 40 minutes.
The art above is animation promo art showing Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and Yoda with clone troopers. The film is third in story order, between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
The Force Awakens: The 2015 Film That Began the Sequel Trilogy
Released: December 18, 2015 · Runtime: 2h 16min · Era: Rise of the First Order · Rating: PG-13
Episode VII premiered in Los Angeles on December 14, 2015 and opened in US theaters on December 18. It arrived 10 years after Revenge of the Sith and began the Rise of the First Order era.
Rey and BB-8 on Jakku are pictured above. The film runs 2 hours 16 minutes, the same length as The Phantom Menace, and is eleventh in story order.
Rogue One: The First Standalone Star Wars Story
Released: December 16, 2016 · Runtime: 2h 14min · Era: Reign of the Empire · Rating: PG-13
Rogue One premiered in Los Angeles on December 10, 2016 and opened in US theaters on December 16. It is the first of the anthology films and carries no episode number.
Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso lead the story. It sits sixth in story order, ahead of A New Hope, and belongs to the Reign of the Empire era alongside Solo.
The Last Jedi: The Longest Star Wars Film at 2h 32min
Released: December 15, 2017 · Runtime: 2h 32min · Era: Rise of the First Order · Rating: PG-13
Episode VIII premiered in Los Angeles on December 9, 2017 and opened in US theaters on December 15. At 2 hours 32 minutes it is the longest of the films with a stated runtime.
Rey holds a lit blue lightsaber on Ahch-To. The film is twelfth in story order and the second chapter of the sequel trilogy.
Solo: The Han Solo Origin Film Released in May 2018
Released: May 25, 2018 · Runtime: 2h 15min · Era: Reign of the Empire · Rating: PG-13
Solo premiered in Los Angeles on May 10, 2018 and opened in US theaters on May 25. It is the second anthology film.
Han Solo and Chewbacca share the frame. The film is fifth in story order, the film immediately before Rogue One, and runs 2 hours 15 minutes.
The Rise of Skywalker: Episode IX Closes the Skywalker Saga
Released: December 20, 2019 · Runtime: 2h 22min · Era: Rise of the First Order · Rating: PG-13
The ninth episode premiered in Los Angeles on December 16, 2019 and opened in US theaters on December 20. It is the last saga film in release order and thirteenth in story order.
Finn, Rey, C-3PO and Poe Dameron appear together on a desert world. At 2 hours 22 minutes it matches Attack of the Clones for length.
The Mandalorian and Grogu: The Newest Star Wars Movie
Released: May 22, 2026 · Premiere: May 14, 2026, TCL Chinese Theatre · Era: The New Republic · Rating: PG-13
The thirteenth film premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre on May 14, 2026 and opened in US theaters on May 22. It followed the Mandalorian series to the big screen, and it went to digital on July 21, 2026 and to Disney+ on September 2, 2026.
It is the only film set in the New Republic era, and it sits tenth in story order, between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. Its StarWars.com page states no runtime.
Three Trilogies and Four Standalone Films Make Up the Star Wars Eras
The original trilogy covers A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, released from 1977 to 1983, all in the Age of the Rebellion. The prequel trilogy covers The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, released from 1999 to 2005, all in the Fall of the Jedi. The sequel trilogy covers The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, released from 2015 to 2019, all in the Rise of the First Order.
The nine episodes form the Skywalker saga. Two of the four standalones, Rogue One and Solo, belong to the Reign of the Empire. The Clone Wars film joins the prequels in the Fall of the Jedi, and The Mandalorian and Grogu stands alone in the New Republic.
Star Wars Movies in Chronological Order, All 13 in Story Sequence
Story order shuffles the release sequence. The list runs from first to last, with the release year in brackets.
- The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Attack of the Clones (2002)
- The Clone Wars (2008)
- Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Solo (2018)
- Rogue One (2016)
- A New Hope (1977)
- The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Return of the Jedi (1983)
- The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)
- The Force Awakens (2015)
- The Last Jedi (2017)
- The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
The Skywalker Saga Marathon, shown in theaters on May 4, 2024, screened the nine episodes in the order Episode I to Episode IX, which is the same sequence with the standalones removed.
Starfighter Is the Next Star Wars Movie, Dated May 28, 2027
Star Wars: Starfighter premieres in theaters on May 28, 2027. Shawn Levy directs from a script by Jonathan Tropper, and Levy produces with Kathleen Kennedy. Ryan Gosling stars as Kade Auberon, with Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Flynn Gray and Amy Adams in the cast.
No era or runtime is attached to the film yet, so it is left out of the numbered chart. For more on its lead, see the Ryan Gosling movies ranked.
What the Dates, Eras and Counts Rest On and Where They Stop
Release dates are US theatrical dates, and premieres in Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Washington DC, Hollywood and Tribeca are named separately because they came days or weeks earlier. A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back had limited openings before a wider run, so a single date does not mark when each reached every screen.
The 13 count leaves out television series, the Ewoks TV movies, the Holiday Special, shorts and Disney+ specials. Era names are StarWars.com’s, and chronological positions come from its viewing guide. The guide gives no in-universe years for the films, so none appear here. The Mandalorian and Grogu has a PG-13 rating but no runtime on its StarWars.com page.
How to Use This Chart to Pick Your Order and Your First Film
Choose release order if you want to see the films as audiences did, from the 1977 original through 2026. Choose story order if you want the timeline in sequence, starting with The Phantom Menace. The StarWars.com viewing guide says whichever order you pick is the right one.
Runtime is the other practical check. The Clone Wars film is the shortest at 1h 40min, A New Hope runs 2h 1min, most saga episodes sit between 2h 14min and 2h 22min, and The Last Jedi tops the list at 2h 32min.
If the games are your way in, the Fortnite Star Wars skins bring the series into the game, and if you are weighing this series against another, the Harry Potter movies run to eight films.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Star Wars movies are there?
There are 13 released theatrical Star Wars films: nine Skywalker saga episodes, Rogue One, Solo, the 2008 animated The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian and Grogu. A fourteenth, Starfighter, is dated May 28, 2027.
What is the newest Star Wars movie?
The Mandalorian and Grogu is the newest. It opened in US theaters on May 22, 2026, reached digital on July 21 and streamed on Disney+ from September 2, 2026. The next film is Starfighter in May 2027.
Is The Clone Wars film one of the Star Wars movies?
Yes. StarWars.com lists it under Films, places it in the Fall of the Jedi era and puts it third in story order and seventh in release order. It opened in US theaters on August 15, 2008.
Which Star Wars movie is the longest and which is the shortest?
The Last Jedi is the longest at 2h 32min. The Clone Wars film is the shortest at 1h 40min, and A New Hope is the shortest saga episode at 2h 1min.
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