Star Wars has a problem no other franchise has. The first film is episode four.
Forty-nine years, twelve cinema films, more than fifteen series and something past two hundred and fifty hours of it. There is no single correct order, and anyone who tells you there is has picked a side in an argument that has been running since 1999.
So here are three routes, with an honest recommendation for each kind of viewer, plus the complete lists and three things about the Disney+ catalogue that are worth knowing before you start.
Three things about what is actually on Disney+
These are not the original films
The versions on Disney+ are the later revised editions, not the cuts that played in British cinemas between 1977 and 1983. Scenes have been added, effects replaced, and a few moments changed in ways that have irritated people for thirty years.
The original theatrical versions have never been released on the service and there is no sign of that changing. If you remember the film you saw and something looks wrong, that is why.
The Holiday Special is not there
The 1978 television special has never had a proper release and it is not on Disney+. This is probably for the best, and it remains the most-asked question about the catalogue.
The Mandalorian & Grogu is already streaming
Most watch-order guides still list it as upcoming. It went to cinemas on 22 May 2026 and reached Disney+ by early September, which is a fairly typical gap and one our guide to how long films take to reach streaming in the UK covers.
Route one: the Skywalker Saga only
Best for: anyone who wants the story and has a life.
Nine films, no series, no spin-offs. This is the route most people actually want and almost nobody offers it.
- Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
- Episode 2: Attack of the Clones
- Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith
- Episode 4: A New Hope
- Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back
- Episode 6: Return of the Jedi
- Episode 7: The Force Awakens
- Episode 8: The Last Jedi
- Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker
About twenty hours. It is one complete story about one family, and it works.
The one argument against it: starting with The Phantom Menace spoils the single biggest revelation in cinema history, which lands in Empire. If that reveal means nothing to you yet, consider route two instead.
Route two: release order
Best for: a first-time viewer who wants the reveals to land properly.
Watch the three original films first, then the prequels, then everything else as it appeared. The famous twist arrives when it was meant to, and you get the whole cultural argument in sequence.
The films and the first animated series
A New Hope · The Empire Strikes Back · Return of the Jedi · The Phantom Menace · Attack of the Clones · Revenge of the Sith · The Clone Wars · Rebels · The Force Awakens · Rogue One · The Last Jedi · Resistance · Solo · The Rise of Skywalker
The Disney+ era
The Mandalorian series one · The Mandalorian series two · The Bad Batch series one · The Book of Boba Fett · Obi-Wan Kenobi · Andor series one · Tales of the Jedi · The Bad Batch series two · The Mandalorian series three · Young Jedi Adventures series one · Ahsoka · The Bad Batch series three · The Acolyte · Young Jedi Adventures series two · Tales of the Empire · Skeleton Crew · Andor series two · Young Jedi Adventures series three · Maul: Shadow Lord · The Mandalorian & Grogu
About thirty-three entries. A serious commitment, and the reason route one exists.
Route three: chronological order
Best for: a rewatch, or anyone who already knows the story and wants the history.
Star Wars is unusual in that chronological order genuinely works. Unlike Marvel, the timeline is mostly linear and the series were written to slot into gaps.
The Republic falls
Young Jedi Adventures · The Acolyte · Tales of the Jedi · The Phantom Menace · Attack of the Clones · The Clone Wars · Revenge of the Sith
The Empire rises
Tales of the Empire · Maul: Shadow Lord · The Bad Batch · Solo · Obi-Wan Kenobi · Rebels · Andor · Rogue One
The original trilogy
A New Hope · The Empire Strikes Back · Return of the Jedi
After the Empire
The Mandalorian series one · The Mandalorian series two · The Book of Boba Fett · The Mandalorian series three · Ahsoka · Skeleton Crew · The Mandalorian & Grogu
The new trilogy
Resistance · The Force Awakens · The Last Jedi · The Rise of Skywalker
Maul: Shadow Lord, which no published list includes
Worth its own section, because every watch-order guide we checked leaves it out.
It premiered on Disney+ on 6 April 2026 with two episodes, then ran weekly to 4 May. It picks up after Maul’s arrest on Mandalore and his escape from Order 66, following him down into the criminal underworld.
Chronologically it sits between The Clone Wars and Rebels, which is where we have placed it above. It was also positioned as the lead-in to The Mandalorian & Grogu, so if you are watching the film, watch this first.
Where to start if you have never seen any of it
The honest answer, which nobody gives because it sounds unhelpful: watch A New Hope and see if you like it.
It is two hours, it stands entirely alone, and it was made with no expectation that anything would follow. If it lands, Empire is next and it is better. If it does not, you have lost an evening rather than two hundred and fifty hours.
Then, if you are still with it, the order that works best is: original trilogy, prequel trilogy, The Clone Wars, Rebels, Andor, and only then the rest. That skips nothing important and front-loads the good parts.
The ones that are better than their reputation
Three recommendations, since a list of titles tells you nothing about quality.
Andor is the best thing with Star Wars in the title since 1980 and it barely feels like Star Wars at all. It is a spy drama about how people are recruited into a resistance, it is almost entirely free of lightsabers, and both series are excellent. If you have one evening, spend it here.
The Clone Wars is a children’s animated series that turns into something considerably more serious around its third year. It is also the only route to understanding roughly half the live-action series, which is a lot to ask of a cartoon and it carries it.
Rogue One is the only Star Wars film with a tone of its own, and it leads directly into the opening shot of A New Hope. Watching those two back to back is the single best pairing in the whole franchise.
Watching with children
Star Wars is pitched broadly, but not everything in it is for small children. Young Jedi Adventures is made for the youngest viewers and works well. The prequel films are more violent than people remember, particularly Revenge of the Sith, and Andor is an adult drama about torture and radicalisation that happens to be set in space.
The age filtering on Disney+ handles this reasonably well, provided the adult profiles are locked with a PIN, which our guides to parental controls and the best streaming service for families in the UK both go through.
Common questions
What order should I watch Star Wars in?
Release order for a first watch, so the Empire Strikes Back twist lands properly. Chronological for a rewatch. If you only want the central story, the nine numbered films in order are enough.
Is every Star Wars film on Disney+ UK?
All twelve theatrical films, yes, though in their later revised editions rather than the original cuts. The Mandalorian & Grogu arrived in September 2026.
Are the original versions of the films on Disney+?
No. Only the revised editions, with added scenes and replaced effects. The original theatrical cuts have never been released on the service.
Is the Star Wars Holiday Special on Disney+?
No. It has never had a proper release anywhere.
Do I have to watch The Clone Wars?
Not to follow the films, but about half the live-action series assume you have. It is also better than it sounds.
Where does Maul: Shadow Lord fit?
Between The Clone Wars and Rebels, and immediately before The Mandalorian & Grogu if that is what you are building towards.
What should I watch if I only have one evening?
Andor. It is the best of all of it and it does not require you to have seen anything else.
The short version
Release order the first time, chronological for the rewatch, and the nine numbered films if you just want the story. The films on Disney+ are the revised editions rather than the originals. Maul: Shadow Lord arrived in April 2026 and no published list includes it, so slot it between The Clone Wars and Rebels. And whatever route you take, Andor is the one to watch.
For the other half of the Disney+ catalogue, see our guide to every Marvel film and series on Disney+ UK in order, and for the service itself, our complete guide to Disney+ UK.
