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Next month marks the release of Star Wars:The Rise of Skywalker , the final instalment of the saga that first began in 1977.
While some enjoy watching the various movies and TV shows in release order so that events, such as the Darth Vader reveal, have the intended impact, others – including George Lucas himself – have taken to re-watching everything in chronological order (for a more in-depth look at the various watching orders, read our article here ).
So, where to start? Below, we break down the Star Wars timeline, only featuring the major canon material, broken into smaller segments.
We have stuck to the films and TV shows for the purpose of this piece, rather than delve into comics, books, games, online promotional material, etc.
The Prequels Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
The Clone Wars (film)
The Clone Wars (seasons 1 - 6 plus unfinished episodes)
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
While perhaps the worst reviewed era of Star Wars , the prequels establish how a young boy became the most-feared villain in all the galaxy. Timeline wise, the prequels are quite messy because of The Clone Wars TV series. Two episodes take place before the 3D animated movie, with the series often jumping backwards in time to explore other characters. For the series to make the most sense, fans should watch in the intended order and not ruin the surprise of going backwards.
The middle films Solo - A Star Wars Story - trailer Solo: A Star Wars Story
Untitled Obi-Wan Kenobi TV show
Untitled Cassian Andor TV show
Star Wars Rebels (seasons 1 – 4)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
47 best movie closing linesShow all 49 1 /4947 best movie closing lines 47 best movie closing lines Alien (1979) "This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off."
20th Century Fox
47 best movie closing lines Amadeus (1984) "Mediocrities everywhere, I absolve you! I absolve you! I absolve you! I absolve you! I absolve you all!"
Orion Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Apocalypse Now (1979) "The horror, the horror."
United Artists
47 best movie closing lines Back to the Future (1985) "Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads!"
Universal Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Barton Fink (1991) "You're beautiful. Are you in pictures?"
Universal Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Before Sunset (2004) "Baby, you are gonna miss that plane."
Warner Independent Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Blade Runner (1982) "It's too bad she won't live – but then again, who does?"
Warner Bros
47 best movie closing lines Casablanca (1942) "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
Warner Bros Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Clue (1985) "They all did it. But, if you wanna know who killed Mr Boddy, I did. In the hall. With the revolver. Okay, Chief, take 'em away. I'm gonna go home and sleep with my wife."
Paramount Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Crimes of Passion (1984) "I was scared s***less to come back here. I told Joanna, and she took me in her arms and she said, 'It's okay to be scared.' I felt stronger and freer and more like a man than I've ever felt before in my life. Then we f***ed our brains out."
Orion Pictures Corporation
47 best movie closing lines The Dark Knight (2008) "We will hunt him down because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A dark knight."
Warner Bros Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Days of Heaven (1978) "This girl, she didn't know where she was goin' or what she was gonna do. She didn't have no money on her. Maybe she'd meet up with a character. I was hopin' things would work out for her. She was a good friend of mine."
Paramount Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Les Diaboliques (1955) "I saw her. I know I did."
Gala Film Dists
47 best movie closing lines E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982) "I'll be right here."
Universal Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) "I said it before and I'll say it again: life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Paramount Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Fight Club (1999) "You met me at a very strange time in my life."
20th Century Fox
47 best movie closing lines Full Metal Jacket (1987) "I'm in a world of s***, yes. But I am alive – and I am not afraid."
Columbia-Cannon-Warner
47 best movie closing lines Gone with the Wind (1939) "I'll go home and I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day."
Loew's Inc
47 best movie closing lines Gremlins (1984) "So, if your air conditioner goes on the fritz or your washing machine blows up or your video recorder conks out, before you call the repairman, turn on all the lights, check all the closets and cupboards, look under all the beds, 'cause you never can tell – there just might be a gremlin in your house."
Warner Bros
47 best movie closing lines Groundhog Day (1993) "It's so beautiful – let's live here! We'll rent to start."
Columbia Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Inglorious Basterds "You know something, Utivich? I think this just might be my masterpiece."
47 best movie closing lines It's a Wonderful Life "Look, daddy. Teacher says, 'Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.'"
"That's right. Attaboy, Clarence."
47 best movie closing lines Jaws "I used to hate the water."
"I can't imagine why."
47 best movie closing lines King Kong "Oh, no. It wasn't the airplanes. It was Beauty killed the Beast."
47 best movie closing lines The Lady of Shanghai "The only way to stay out of trouble is to grow old, so I guess I'll concentrate on that. Maybe I'll live so long that I'll forget her. Maybe I'll die trying."
47 best movie closing lines The Lost Boys (1987) "One thing about livin' in Santa Carla I never could stomach – all the damn vampires."
Warner Bros
47 best movie closing lines Memento (2000) "Now, where was I?"
Newmarket Films
47 best movie closing lines Network (1976) "This was the story of Howard Beale, the first known instance of a man who was killed because he had lousy ratings."
United Artists
47 best movie closing lines Planet of the Apes (1968) "You maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!"
20th Century Fox
47 best movie closing lines The Prestige (2006) "Now, you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because, of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled."
Warner Bros
47 best movie closing lines Psycho (1960) "I'm not even gonna swat that fly. I hope they are watching. They'll see. They'll see and they'll know and they'll say, 'Why, she wouldn't even harm a fly'."
Paramount Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Raising Arizona (1987) It seemed reaI. It seemed Iike us. And it seemed Iike, well, our home. If not Arizona, then a land not too far away, where all parents are strong and wise and capable, and all children are happy and beloved. I don't know. Maybe it was Utah."
20th Century Fox
47 best movie closing lines The Ring (2002) "What about the person we show it to? What happens to them?"
DreamWorks Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Road House (1989) "A polar bear fell on me."
MGM/UA Communications Co
47 best movie closing lines Road to Perdition (2002) "When people ask me if Michael Sullivan was a good man, or if there was just no good in him at all, I always give the same answer. I just tell them he was my father."
20th Century Fox
47 best movie closing lines Saw (2004) "Most people are so ungrateful to be alive, but not you, not any more. Game over."
Lionsgate Films
47 best movie closing lines Seven (1995) "Ernest Hemingway once wrote, 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part."
New Line Cinema
47 best movie closing lines The Silence of the Lambs (1991) "I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner."
Orion Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Some Like It Hot (1959) “I'm a man!”
"Well, nobody's perfect."
United Artists
47 best movie closing lines The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) "Just keeping the British end up."
United Artists
47 best movie closing lines Stand by Me (1986) “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”
Columbia Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Sunset Boulevard (1950) "Alright Mr DeMille, I'm ready for my closeup."
Paramount Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) "The unknown future rolls toward us. I face it for the first time with a sense of hope, because if a machine – a Terminator – can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too."
TriStar Pictures
47 best movie closing lines Toy Story 3 (2010) "So long, partner."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
47 best movie closing lines True Romance (1993) "Sometimes Clarence asks me what I would have done if he had died, if that bullet had been two inches more to the left. To this, I always smile, as if I'm not gonna satisfy him with a response. But I always do. I tell him of how I would want to die, but that the anguish and the want of death would fade like the stars at dawn, and that things would be much as they are now. Perhaps. Except maybe I wouldn't have named our son Elvis."
Warner Bros
47 best movie closing lines The Untouchables (1987) "They say they're gonna repeal Prohibition. What will you do then?"
"I think I'll have a drink."
Paramount Pictures
47 best movie closing lines The Usual Suspects (1995) "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist. And like that... he is gone."
Gramercy Pictures
47 best movie closing lines White Heat (1939) “He finally got to the top of the world – and it blew right up in his face.”
Warner Bros
47 best movie closing lines The Wizard of Oz "Auntie Em, there's no place like home."
Loew's, Incorporated
Ever watched the original trilogy and wondered how Han Solo became the dry-witted smuggler fans adore? Or how the Rebel Alliance got those Death Star plans? Well, these films, designed to fill in the gaps, have you covered as they answer the questions you previously used your imagination to answer. rogue One is even getting its own prequel series on streaming service Disney+ – it’ll explore the role of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) alongside K-2S0 (Alan Tudyk) in the growing Rebel Alliance.
Unlike The Clone Wars , fellow 3D animated TV show Rebels has a much more straight forward timeline – the series follows a group of rebels as they confront the Empire.
The poor box office performance for Solo put an end to any more of these big screen adventures for the time being. One that was rumoured – an Obi-Wan Kenobi film – will proceed as a TV show on Disney+. Ewan McGregor himself revealed it’ll take place eight years after Revenge of the Sith .
The original trilogy Episode IV: A New Hope
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
These film are where the saga all began. The original trilogy will forever be praised as the greatest era of Star Wars movies, and rightly so. Disney has yet to announce any TV shows or spin-offs that’ll take place between these three films.
The Sequels The Mandalorian
Star Wars Resistance
Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
After Disney acquired LucasFilm for $4b, they rapidly began churning out Star Wars movies, starting with JJ Abrams’ The Force Awakens . Now, the company are exploring the era seen in the original trilogy with Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian , which will premiere in the US later this month). It’ll take place five years after the fall of the Empire – as depicted in Return of the Jedi – and 25 years before the emergence of the First Order as witnessed in The Force Awakens . Disney+ will also premiere an untitled animated series centred on a young fighter pilot in Resistance .
Star Wars films – ranked worst to best Show all 11 1 /11Star Wars films – ranked worst to best Star Wars films – ranked worst to best 11. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) The prequel trilogy has lived on in infamy, but the true low point of this low point in the Star Wars franchise must be Attack of the Clones, the dry, crusted middle of the cinematic sandwich. While Revenge of the Sith has some sense of completion and The Phantom Menace has some sense of wonder, all Attack of the Clones has is a CGI Yoda bopping about the screen like an unswattable fly while battling Christopher Lee’s Count Dooku. It’s a film driven by unnecessary desires: from the space politics, to Boba Fett’s backstory, to Padmé and Anakin’s romance. The latter is the most insufferable, since George Lucas never had much of an ear for dialogue, as notoriously pointed out by Harrison Ford when he declared on set: “George, you can type this s***, but you sure as hell can’t say it.” Which leads us to one of the worst line readings in cinematic history, when Hayden Christensen’s Anakin laments: “I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating – and it gets everywhere.”
Rex Features
Star Wars films – ranked worst to best 10. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) Hollywood has increasingly made the assumption that “darker” means better when it comes to cinema – it explains why the Harry Potter films look like they were made while someone gradually turned down the dimmer switch on the studio lights. Of course, audiences know that “darker” sometimes means that your protagonist-turned-villain becomes a “youngling”-murdering, amateur street magician-looking sourpuss. Anakin’s arc here comes to a whimper of an ending, underlined by the much-derided decision to have Darth Vader’s first moments onscreen involve him howling “Noooooo!” up to the sky like a mournful hound. That said, Ewan McGregor confirms here that he managed to escape the franchise largely unscathed, as this instalment sees him have the most fun with the clunky dialogue (see: “Hello there!” and “I have the high ground!”).
Rex Features
Star Wars films – ranked worst to best 9. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) The Phantom Menace escapes slightly ahead of the rest of the prequel trilogy, if only for the fact it remembers these films are meant to be fun once in a while. The pod race – it’s a good scene! Darth Maul is all looks, zero follow through – it’s embarrassing to act like you’ve won, only to be cut in half and sent hurtling down an exhaust pipe – but his inclusion in the film did introduce one of the best musical themes in Star Wars history, John Williams’s “Duel of the Fates”. However, the space politics are a particular drag here, with all the talk of trade disputes, and, of course, it's obligatory to mention the terror that is Jar Jar Binks.
Rex
Star Wars films – ranked worst to best 8. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) Although it’s the weakest of the new generation of Star Wars films, Solo still holds up as a fun romp worthy of Han Solo’s rascal reputation. Alden Ehrenreich picks up on enough of Harrison Ford’s mannerisms to sell the character without sliding into imitation, while Donald Glover is a scene stealer from the very moment he walks on screen as Lando Calrissian. It’s a lost opportunity, then, that the film is otherwise slowed down by an impulse to offer backstory to as many aspects of Han’s character as possible. Did we really need to know how we got the name “Solo”? Really?
Rex Features
Star Wars films – ranked worst to best 7. Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker Director JJ Abrams, like the hero of an ancient prophecy, was destined to make both enemies and allies with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. There will be arguments. And there will be arguments about the arguments. There will be obsessive deconstructions and over-interpretations of each frame and intake of breath. But, at the end of the day, this is still a Star Wars film in its very bones, muscle, and sinew. Whatever controversy Abrams might have brewed up with his artistic choices, he still captures magnificently the soul of this series: that unwavering hope that the powerless can win, despite the odds.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Star Wars films – ranked worst to best 6. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) There’s a lot to wrap up in the concluding chapter of the original trilogy. The result is a few odd turns for the sake of plot convenience. What does one do with a character as enigmatic as Boba Fett? Why, have him topple into the Sarlacc pit within the first 20 minutes! How does one put to rest the love triangle hinted at in A New Hope? Why, insert a revelation that Luke and Leia are, in fact, brother and sister! Even the second Death Star oddly feels sillier than The Force Awakens and its third attempt at a giant ball in space, since The First Order at least had the excuse that their obsessive admiration of the Empire may have clouded their judgement. That said, there’s still plenty of charm to be found here and the Ewoks aren’t all that bad. Before you dismiss them as irritating merchandise opportunities, it’s worth remembering that they have absolutely no qualms about killing and eating people.
Rex Features
Star Wars films – ranked worst to best 5. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) If Rogue One is any indication of Disney’s plans for the franchise and its future, then there’s no cause for concern. The first of the “A Star Wars Story” spin-offs, it shifts into gear with ease, soothing audiences by not straying too far from the familiar timeline while introducing a full set of new characters and a grittier tone. Stylistically, it feels more like a Vietnam War movie and is proof of how far a gifted director like Gareth Edwards can stray from the franchise’s usual formula and still feel grounded in the same world. Plus, you have to admire the guts it takes to deliver an ending like that…
Rex Features
Star Wars films – ranked worst to best 4. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) Disney made a very smart move with The Force Awakens. As the first Star Wars film of a new generation, it not only had to make its own mark, but feel familiar enough that it welcomed fans back with open arms. The balance is hit perfectly here. That’s largely due to the film’s new trio of central heroes, who radiate the same kind of warmth, bravery, and spirit that carved a special place in people’s hearts when they were first introduced to the franchise’s original stars. Daisy Ridley’s Rey, John Boyega’s Finn, and Oscar Isaac’s Poe honour Star Wars's past while striding into its unknown future. It also helps that the film has landed on a villain like Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), whose drive and complexity may see him surpass even Darth Vader by the end of his story in Episode IX.
Rex Features
Star Wars films – ranked worst to best 3. Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) Any divisiveness the film attracted certainly proved one thing: here’s a Star Wars film that actually took a creative risk. And what a bold, ambitious, and ultimately beautiful risk that was. Director Rian Johnson took the cinematic legacy presented before him and added a new richness to its textures. He allowed heroism to go beyond the clean divide between good and evil; through Luke and Rey, we were taught not to be ashamed of our doubts but to grow stronger because of them. We were taught not to use destiny as a crutch, but to know when to forge our own paths. The Last Jedi is a soulful film told through some of the most striking cinematography of the entire franchise.
Rex Features
Star Wars films – ranked worst to best 2. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) It’s the place where it all began. The Star Wars franchise has only become the success it is today because of how purely revolutionary the first instalment was as a piece of Hollywood filmmaking. It is, to this day, one of the most successful examples of the modern epic, endlessly imitated but so rarely with the same heart or ambition. George Lucas tapped into one of the most timeless qualities of storytelling: its ability to let us see and understand our own world through the eyes of another. Star Wars has become so iconic because, even on such a grand scale, we know and relate to the emotions at hand – fear, love, or a desire to do what’s right.
Rex Features
Star Wars films – ranked worst to best 1. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) The Empire Strikes Back is remarkable in its ability to pursue real emotional stakes. Its closing moments, the final note to its symphony of sacrifice and tragedy, leaves us with the single, delicate emotion that is hope, blooming in the darkness as our heroes set out to save Han and restore the Rebel Alliance. What A New Hope built up by making us fall in love with these characters, The Empire Strikes Back recouped in sharing with us their pain and their fears. Darth Vader’s reveal that he’s Luke’s father has, of course, found its place in history, but there’s an equal sense of emotional resonance in the moment Leia and Han depart, moments before he’s trapped in carbonite. When Leia’s “I love you” is returned by Han’s “I know” – a line written by Harrison Ford himself – we’re reminded of how magical Star Wars’s sense of storytelling can be, condensing everything that these two characters feel for each other into five simple words.
Rex Features
Spin-offs
So, what about that Rian Johnson trilogy? And the cancelled trilogy from Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and DB Weiss? What form they’ll take and where they’ll fit on the timeline is completely unknown at this stage. They will reportedly have nothing to do with Skywalkers, though, which will be a drastic change for the series.
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