Franchise trivia
Chronological Order vs. Release Order: Why Prequel Trilogies Split Opinion
Updated Sep 28, 2026
Some franchises are shot in one order and set in another, which leaves every new household the same question before the first movie even starts: watch it the way it was made, or the way it happened?
The classic case
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) were all released after Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), but tell the story that comes before it in-universe. Chronological order (I–VI) front-loads world-building; release order (IV–VI, then I–III) front-loads the mystery the original trilogy was actually written to create.
What each order costs you
Chronological order means meeting Darth Vader as a child before ever seeing him as the villain — a reveal the 1977 audience didn't have and a new viewer can't get back once it's spoiled by simply starting at the beginning. Release order preserves that reveal but means jumping backward in tone and effects quality after Episode VI.
Neither order is "wrong"
This isn't a case of one version being an error and the other correct — unlike a soft reboot that quietly erases continuity, both orders show the same six films and reach the same events. It's a preference about which surprises a household wants to keep intact, not a factual dispute.
Where to check before starting
The Star Wars Watch Order lists both common orders side by side with the reasoning for each, so a household can pick once and not relitigate it every time someone suggests movie night.