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What is recommended way to watch the Star Wars series?

https://lemmy.zip/post/38889743

What is recommended way to watch the Star Wars series? - Lemmy.zip

This is my first time watching any Star Wars content. From what I understand and remember I should be watching it in chronological order and I should only watch I-VI since from what I heard that those are the only ones that are actually worth a watch. Main question — For the original trilogy I’ve decided to watch the 4K77, 4k80, and 4k83 v1.0 no DNR but I want to know what is the the definitive way to watch the prequels so I wanted to ask which Blu-ray release or fan edit or any release should I look for? Sorry if I’m asking the wrong community, but I saw a post before in a Star Wars community and it doesn’t look like there was much discussion on it.

May 19, 2025 at 1:14amWeb
Show threadshnizmuffinMay 19, 2025
I’d do my best to watch them in the order they were commercially released so you can appreciate how damaging and awful the edits are.
Show threadmaxprimeMay 19, 2025
Do you mean watching the theatrical release of the original trilogy, then watching the specialized edition, then the DVD re-releases, then the prequels, then the blu-ray re-releases, then the sequel trilogy?
Show threadSpikesOtherDogMay 19, 2025
Either or, but the commercial release order is more dramatic. 1-3 are technically prequels, so they are more answering questions and laying backstory. Release order also follows the evolution of the sfx.
Show threadKoboldCoterieMay 19, 2025
There’s also the Machete Order. The TL;DR is to watch the movies in the order of: IV, V, II, III, VI. The reasons why are explained at that link and can’t be discussed without spoilers.
The Star Wars Saga: Introducing Machete Order » Rod Hilton

Watch them in this order: IV, V, II, III, VI. Skip I.

Show threadcatloafMay 19, 2025
The non-spoiler tl;dr is that it maintains Star Wars as Luke’s story.
Show threadMantisToboggonMay 19, 2025
with a lightsaber handle in your butt. and a droid on your lap.
Show threadBldckMay 19, 2025

Just posted this in a thread about watching the show Andor. Additional context, I’d watch the movies first before you decide to get into any of the shows

——-

I highly recommend Rogue One as well. It follows Cassian Andor as a spy for the rebellion immediately after the second (and final) season of the show.

Rogue One is a story set immediately before the first movie: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Immediately as in the final scene of Rogue One is the first scene of A New Hope.

Similar to the other commenter, the problem is that Rogue One is by far the best movie of the entire franchise, so you start at the high point.

If you like the movie and want more Star Wars, I recommend this order. I’ll list the title and the “episode” number

  • Rogue One (3.9)
  • A New Hope (4)
  • The Empire Strikes Back (5)
  • The Phantom Menace (1)
  • Attack of the Clones (2)
  • Revenge of the Sith (3)
  • Return of the Jedi (6)

    • There are three more movies after #6, but there’s almost no point in watching them.

    It’s really important to remember that a lot of the Star Wars movies aren’t good but they’re cultural institutions and you kinda have to accept them as they are. The writer/director of the original trilogy spent a lot of time tweaking and editing them after their original releases including adding new scenes digitally created decades after the release.

    Show threadRhaedasMay 19, 2025

    I'd disagree with Rogue One as a first intro to Star Wars simply because there's a lot of assumptions of knowledge of things explained at a minimum in ANH. If anything, ANH first, then Rogue One to cover the stolen plans story that is mentioned all throughout.

    The only benefit for seeing Rogue One before ANH is to explain why Vader is so pissed at the princess.

    Show threadIlandarMay 19, 2025

    I’d disagree with Rogue One as a first intro to Star Wars simply because there’s a lot of assumptions of knowledge of things explained at a minimum in ANH.

    This is the problem with getting viewing recommendations from fans - they are so obsessed with the franchise that they fail to realise/appreciate how many of the additional films and TV series are designed and written for them to the exclusion of everyone else. Rogue One is a film written for existing Star Wars fans, filled with fan service and references designed specifically to excite viewers of the original trilogy. As an actual standalone story it is pretty fucking boring, as are its main characters who exist purely to service the main plot. Speaking of the plot, it is designed entirely around explaining a minor plot hole from the original film - something only massive fans of the franchise care about. It’s a terrible recommendation for a first-time viewer.

    Show threadBldckMay 19, 2025

    That’s an interesting take. I don’t really like the mainline Star Wars films at all. I think the entire skywalker saga is incredibly boring and a massive waste of a fascinating universe.

    Rogue One is great because there’s enough exposure to the universe without relying on any prior knowledge.

    Discussion about the plot

    The first half of the film gives us an interesting cast of characters who all have motivations that are at odds with each other. Then they earn each other’s trust and agree on a common goal. The final hour of the movie is an exciting action sequence spanning space fighters to ground troops and an infiltration mission

    The characters are well written and the main elements of plot don’t rely on any Star Wars knowledge to really understand what’s going on.

    If you like the film, watch more. If you don’t, leave it at an action film that doesn’t explain everything about that dude with a laser sword or why the Empire is bad or what they do afterwards.

    Show threadcatloafMay 19, 2025

    I don’t know if anyone has done special versions of the prequels, so I’d just watch them as-is. George Lucas hasn’t re-released a fucked-up version of those (yet, anyway).

    In my own opinion, these are the exact versions of the original series I recommend:
    05-Star.Wars.4K77.2160p.UHD.no-DNR.35mm.x265-v1.0.mkv
    The.Empire.Strikes.Back.1980.D+80.v2.1.UHD.2160p-oohteedee.mkv
    03-Return.of.the.Jedi.4K83.35mm.minimalNR.v1.6.UHD.2160p.mkv

    Or the 1080p versions if 2k is too much for you. I didn’t make notes about why I preferred each one when choosing them a few years ago, so if there are any newer edits you might evaluate them yourself. And apparently Radarr overwrote my selections at one point because none of my file sizes match the table…

    Show threadFaceDeerMay 19, 2025

    I'm a fan of the Machete Order.

    There may be some spoilers in that blog post, it's been a while since I read it, so here it is in summary:

    • A New Hope (4)
    • Empire Strikes Back (5)
    • Attack of the Clones (2)
    • Revenge of the Sith (3)
    • Return of the Jedi (5)

    Phantom Menace is omitted because it's the weakest of the prequel trilogy and everything that happens in it is summarized at the beginning of Attack of the Clones anyway. If you want to be a completionist then watch it between Empire Strikes Back and Attack of the Clones.

    There's good reasons for following this order, but it's hard to describe them without spoiling anything. Basically, Lucas assumed you'd watched the original trilogy when he made the prequels, so it's got a bunch of spoilers in it that the Machete Order preserves quite nicely.

    The Star Wars Saga: Introducing Machete Order » Rod Hilton

    Watch them in this order: IV, V, II, III, VI. Skip I.

    Show threadPaula_TejandoMay 19, 2025
    The Phantom Menace goes together with Rogue One as interesting expansions that aren’t crucial to the main plot. Better watched after all the others.
    Show threadgravitas_deficiencyMay 19, 2025
    Rogue One is far and away a better movie though
    Show threadThat Weird VeganMay 19, 2025
    Don’t bother with the sequels. Tfa was okay, but it’s shit by og standards.
    Show threaddumblederpMay 19, 2025
    Try to find the original versions of the first three movies without the added CG that messes with the story a little.
    Show threadFoxMay 19, 2025
    Could you explain how they mess with the story? Didn’t know about that.
    Show threaddwindling7373May 19, 2025
    After Han steps on Jabba’s tail you tend to shit and cry for a good 20 minutes and that usually prevents you from having a clear undestanding of the following scenes.
    Show threaddumblederpMay 19, 2025
    spoilersHan shot first, establishes character.
    Jabba would accept the disrespect of Han stepping on his tail.
    Show threadI Cast FistMay 19, 2025
    Go for release order. People (including me) can complain about episode 1 all they want, I think it’s better to get a good grasp of “what was intended” first before understanding the whole fan recommendations
    Show threadJoYoMay 20, 2025
    Just watch Andor and Rogue One, the rest is for children.