The Star Wars timeline is one of the more expansive in media history, with many different eras containing stories set in a galaxy far, far away. Originally, the Star Wars timeline was fairly simple. Upon the release of the first Star Wars movie in release order, the original trilogy was born. The two subsequent movies in the trilogy meant that all three movies belonged to one era, with little in the way of more extensive content existing in the Star Wars timeline.
Then came the prequel trilogy, a more divisive era regarding the ranking of Star Wars movies. With the sequel trilogy movies produced by Disney, the Star Wars theatrical films make up three distinct eras of the franchise’s timeline. That said, the explosion of expanded content within the saga that was brought about thanks to Lucasfilm’s insistence on a transmedia franchise has only added more to the timeline. With upcoming Star Wars movies and upcoming Star Wars TV shows planning to continue this, a succinct breakdown of the franchise’s timeline is more necessary than ever.
Every Canonical Star Wars Movie and Show in Chronological Order:
- James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi Movie
- Young Jedi Adventures
- The Acolyte
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
- Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (Various Timelines)
- Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Movie)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Series)
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
- Star Wars: Tales of the Empire (Various Timelines)
- Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld (Various Timelines)
- Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
- The Bad Batch
- Solo: A Star Wars Story
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Star Wars Rebels
- Andor
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
- Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
- Forces of Destiny
- The Mandalorian
- The Book of Boba Fett
- Ahsoka
- Skeleton Crew
- The Mandalorian & Grogu
- Dave Filoni’s New Republic Movie
- Star Wars Resistance (starts shortly before TFA)
- Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
The Star Wars Timeline Is Centered Around The Battle Of Yavin:
The Star Wars Timeline Is Centered Around The Battle Of Yavin
The Climactic Battle From A New Hope Serves As The Star Wars Timeline’s Focal Point
The Battle of Yavin serves as the center point of the timeline, with events before and after this battle denoted as BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) and ABY (After the Battle of Yavin).
This makes it much easier to place major events in-universe, by comparing them with the original movie from 1977 and its own place in the franchise’s long timeline.
The Dawn Of The Jedi Era Explained
Pre-25,000 BBY
The Old Republic Era Explained
25,000–1,000 BBY
The era that comes after is that of The Old Republic. This era has rarely been explored in canon, with most stories instead existing within Legends. Regardless, this era featured Jedi at their height but also led to conflict when a splinter group created the Sith.
The Old Republic era is also known for major conflicts like the Mandalorian-Jedi War. With little outside these major events known, hope remains that upcoming projects will be set in this era.
The High Republic Era Explained
500–100 BBY
The next era is known as the High Republic. This period saw Jedi become dominant after a time without Sith following their war. This era is marked by relative peace and prosperity.
The bulk of stories set in this era exist within Lucasfilm’s initiative titled “The High Republic,” which began with novels and comic books focusing on conflicts involving pirates known as Nihil.
What Happened Between The High Republic & The Skywalker Saga?
The Sith Began To Rise Once More
A significant change occurred between these two eras as Sith began to rise again, leading into events depicted in prequel films.
The Fall Of The Republic & The Clone Wars Explained
32–19 BBY
This era saw Darth Sidious enact his plan to form a Galactic Empire through manipulation and conflict.
The Dark Times Explained
19–0 BBY
This period is also referred to as the Reign of the Empire, where Sidious ruled over a galaxy under his iron fist.
The Galactic Civil War Explained
0–4 ABY
This era began with Rogue One and saw major battles between Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire.
The New Republic Era Explained
4–34 ABY
This period followed after Jakku where Mon Mothma reformed the Republic amidst Imperial remnants plotting their return.
The Sequel Trilogy Era Explained
34–35 ABY
This era marks a resurgence of stories post-Empire focusing on new threats like First Order under Supreme Leader Snoke.
