Best Viewing Order for A Star Wars First-timer
Disclaimer: This is only my opinion. Also I didn’t include the sequels as I barely watch them and I don’t think there is much debate as to the order to watch them.
Caution: Star Wars spoilers ahead. If you don’t want spoilers watch the movies in the order Rogue One, 4, 5, 2, 3, 6.
Whenever one of my friends wants to show someone Star Wars for the first time, they ask me what order they think they should watch it in. This has sparked quite a debate between my boyfriend and I. I know not everyone is going to agree with me on this but I don’t think there is one correct order to show someone Star Wars for the first time. I think there are three orders that make sense (to me) and I will break down the pros and cons of both of them.
Machete Order
I think most people are familiar with machete order by now but in case you aren’t it goes 4, 5, 2, 3, 6. I personally would include Rogue One before 4, but of course it is optional. You could also include Solo before Rogue One but I think that movie is largely unnecessary and might be strange because of Darth Maul at the end. There are two main ideas behind machete order. The first is that Episodes 2 and 3 are inserted between Episodes 5 and 6. The idea behind this is that you get Anakin’s backstory before Episode 6 making the ending of the movie more meaningful, but you don’t spoil the reveal of Darth Vader being Luke’s father (if the person somehow doesn’t know that). The other idea behind machete order is cutting out Episode 1 because in all honesty nothing happens in that movie. There’s some cool scenes (podracing and the battle with Darth Maul) but there is nothing that really impacts the rest of the prequel or original trilogy in Episode 1. Plus then Anakin and Padme’s relationship is slightly less weird.
I love the idea of machete order and it is my preferred order to watch the movies. (Although I often will re-insert Episode 1 for nostalgia purposes). However, I do not think it is always the best order for introducing someone to Star Wars. I think it depends largely on the age of the person. I think children might have a hard time with switching from the original trilogy to the prequels and then back to the original trilogy. I also think that the original trilogy is not as interesting to children. I remember when I first watched Star Wars when I was 7, I preferred the prequels to the original trilogy. Which brings me to the option I think is better for kids.
Chronological Order
I think the order 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 is often overlooked. Of course, with that order you still have the option of cutting out Episode 1 and inserting Rogue One and/or Solo. I like this order because it is simple. Sometimes people can get confused going from Episode 5 to Episode 3 and then to Episode 6. Also as I mentioned previously, I think that starting with the prequels is better for kids than the sequels. Not only are the special effects better, but the prequels were more targeted at kids than the original trilogy was. While most adults hate Jar Jar, I remember thinking he was pretty funny as a kid.
One issue with chronological order is the sudden drop in the quality of the special effects. The lightsaber duels are also much better choreographed in the prequels than the originals. It can be fairly jarring (especially to children) to start off with a higher quality of special effects and then to drop down to a lower quality of effects.
I actually showed my family friends’ kids (aged 10 and 13) Star Wars in chronological. Both of the kids really enjoyed the prequels and the original trilogy. However, the younger girl enjoyed the prequel trilogy more than the originals while the older girl enjoyed the original trilogy more than the prequels. The younger girl found Jar Jar hilarious while the older girl thought he was annoying. Both of the girls noticed the decrease in the quality of the visual effects in Episode 4. In fact, the girls both thought Yoda looked better in the prequels than the originals and sequels. I think this goes to show the difference age can make on the perception of the prequels versus the original movies. I’m not sure the exact age cut off when the originals became more interesting than the prequels as it probably depends on the child. However, I think for about 10 year olds and younger chronological order is the way to go.
One last consideration to make when considering the order is what the person already knows about Star Wars. If they know that Darth Vader is Luke’s dad but they don’t know that Anakin is Darth Vader (as was the case with the kids I introduced Star Wars to), then I think chronological order is the way to go. It was really cool when the kids were shocked that Anakin turned evil. However, if the person you are showing Star Wars to doesn’t know that Darth Vader is Luke’s dad, then I think machete order is probably a better order. Realistically, most adults already know both of these twists, but it’s possible that they don’t.
Release Order
Most people I talk to think 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3 is the best order to watch the movies. Often times people enjoy the original trilogy more than the prequels so it is a good way to get someone invested in the story. It also follows two complete arcs without a cut in the middle like machete order. However, I feel like Episode 6 isn’t as impactful without the context of the prequels. I think there is more suspense on if Luke will turn to the dark side with machete order. Also, Episode 3 is kind of a weird place to stop watching Star Wars. Its not as satisfying of an ending as Episode 6 is. Additionally, the sequels don’t fit in very well with release order as there is a huge time jump between Episodes 3 and 7.
Honestly, release order is my least favorite way to watch the movies so I don’t have a ton to say about it.
Since there are many factors that go into choosing a viewing order for Star Wars, I don’t think any order is necessarily superior to another. Machete and chronological order are my personal favorite orders to watch the movies.
