Release Order or Story Order - How Do You Watch the Star Wars Saga?

Narratively Chronological Order is the official order, which makes it the "correct" order as determined by those parties responsible for the franchise's existence.

I personally separate the 'Story' films from the Skywaker Saga films, though.

 

For first-time viewing, I strongly advice watching the Skywalker Saga in chronological release order with no anthology sidestories. Keep it a focused Skywalker affair and let the story unfold in the way it was originally told.

For consecutive viewings, I advice whatever order you want. Personally, I tend to watch the Skywalker Saga in narative chronologival order, interspersed with Solo:ASWS & Rogue One as extra spice.

 

The Skywalker Saga story isn't meant to unfold in "chronological release order", so introducing people to it that way doesn't make any sense when the alternative of letting them experience it as narratively intended - Episodes 1 to 9 in numerical order - exists.

 

I completely disagree. If you watch the Skywalker Saga for the first time in episodic order you spoil many set-ups & pay-offs in the OT since the PT assumes knowledge of the OT. The search for and reveal of Yoda, as an example, falls completely flat as first time viewing mystery if you already know who the little frog-guy is because you watched the PT before the OT. Things like that. I maintain that for first-time viewing, the best way to go about it is to watch the Skywalker movies in chronological release order.

 

Only if you assume that there are things in the OT that have to come as "surprises" to the audience.

Introducing someone to Star Wars for the first time should not be done based on preconceived ideas or prejudices.

 

No, introducing somene to Star Wars should be done with goal to bring maximum immersion and effect out of each individual movie, letting each film shine at it's very best.

But this is becoming a useless discussion of circular arguments and nothing is more pointless than that, so. I'm done.

 

I agree with you... and introducing the films to someone in Narrative Chronological Order is (in my mind and in the minds of the people at Lucasfilm both now and in the past) the best way to accomplish this because it lets people experience the story as it unfolds and as it was ultimately intended to unfold.

 

As I said, circular argument. We're back to where we strated 4 posts ago. Anyone interested in seeing a repete of our exchange can just start from the top again. I'm good.

 

I’m with @Angelman. You should watch it in order of release during your first viewing of the films, then watch it in chronological order for subsequent viewings. A New Hope may not be chronologically first in the narrative, but it was the first to be made; thus, it sets up the ground rules for Star Wars better than any of the other movies. If you’re starting with The Phantom Menace, you get little explanation for the Force or the Jedi or anything really (other than Qui-Gon’s line about midi-chlorians, but those barely ever get brought up again). Plus, part of the fun of watching the prequels is knowing where everything and everyone lies up in the end.

As for what I include in my Star Wars marathons, it often varies. Sometimes I’ll just watch the Skywalker Saga and sometimes times I’ll include the spin-off films. I’ve even included The Clone Wars series into some of my past marathons, even skipping Episodes 1 and 2 and starting off with that series on one or two occasions.

Once this new season of The Clone Wars wraps up, I’ll do a mega marathon of that, Rebels, Resistance, and The Mandalorian interspersed with the saga and standalone films.

 

Lucasfilm says otherwise.

Yes, George Lucas made the films out-of-sequence, but he always maintained that the order in which he made them was not in fact the way he wanted them to be experienced.

 

That's easy. Release order of course. Anything else doesn't really make sense.

The Prequel Trilogy was created with the intention to improve the Original Trilogy. So, you have to watch the PT with the knowledge of the OT, that's the use of prequels after all.

Watching R1 or/and Solo prior ANH doesn't do anything but confuse the audience. You don't know the story or characters yet. Furthermore in the case of Solo, it ruins Han's perfect introduction as a character in ANH.

Chronical story order (if you can even call it that way because there are dozen stories with flashbacks) only makes sense if you already watched all the movies.

 

^ All of these "release order only" statements are opinions that are directly countermanded by everything George Lucas has ever said as well as what Lucasfilm's officially stated position on the subject is.

 

So? Unless one is living in a totalitarian dictatorship, one are allowed to think for oneself. Whatever Mr. Lucas might have said on the matter, it doesn't change the fact that ANH & OT sets up the universe and story, and, say... Obi-Wan's exposition on what the Force and the Jedi are is knowledge viewers of the PT are obviously assumed to possess. You don't get the exposition in TPM because we've already seen it in ANH.

Why are we even arguing about this? If you want to watch the Skywalker Saga in episode order, then do that. Arguing over pointless things on the internet is boring, even when there's a global plague going on.

See, there I went and argued circularly again... I'm going to stop now, I promise.

 

Recommended" viewing or reading orders - especially those imposed by the creators of a given property - exist for a reason.

One is free to ignore such "recommended orders", but choosing to ignore them is far different from trying to impose an absolute requirement that is countermanded by them.

To insist that a Star Wars newbie must experience the franchise in release order in defiance of George Lucas and Lucasfilm's officially stated position that the films are best experienced in Narrative Chronological Order is to put one's own thinking above those individuals responsible for the franchise's existence and insist that their officially stated position is wrong.

 

However, that is not the question is it? You were asked for your personal preference and if you vary during subsequent viewings.

I wholehartedly agree with you!

Relax my friend, you'll sprain somethimg...

Exactly!

Not much assuming is needed, especially in "Empire" there are the introduction of Yoda with the joke that luke is looking for this "great warrior" and the reveal Darth Vader is Luke's father!

Yup!

Yeah, this is becoming rediculous.

And for subsequent viewings it is the best way to view the whole saga, but when introducing Star Wars to someone, the release-order ensures the reveals of both Yoda turning out to be the affore- mentioned warrior and Luke's daddy-issues, are not spoiled.

Come on man... just breathe! The galaxy will not implode when we differ in opinion.

Well said!

As you might have guessed... My choice is: Release-order to introduce to new viewers and chronological story-order for subsequent viewing (including Solo and R1).

 

I honestly use the machete order. I think that works well with first time watchers and repeatedly viewings. You watch Episodes 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 ,8, 9. Since Episode 5 ends on a cliffhanger, you can go back and re-watch the 1 through 3 without loosing any surprises that the OT has and you can treat 1 through 3 as a "flashback" I think that's a good middle ground and alternative way for viewing Chronological and watching theatrical order.

 

If "preserving things like Yoda's introduction and the reveal of Vader being Luke's father" was actually narratively important, George Lucas and Lucasfilm's official "recommended viewing order" would not be Narratively Chronological. It is only fans who think these things are important.

 

The possible combinations for which order to watch Star Wars is in mind-boggling huge at this point, depending what you include. Personally I (now) favour the ‘official’ / narrative order but good luck to anyone who likes any other order. It seems a little odd to me for any long-term fans to be too strident/militant about it though, given that the films themselves were not released in the order now regarded as the official way to watch...

I think if you are introducing Star Wars to someone it’s best to try and ask them what order they want to watch it in, explaining the main options in as unbiased a way as possible. I think there are good arguments for numerous orders.

“There are heroes on both sides”.