# Star Wars viewing order for newbies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 25, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783 "2013-11-25T21:59:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/1 "2013-11-25T21:59:51Z")
My kids (10 and 7 (and 4, but I’m not worried about him)) are into Star Wars from the cartoon series and the Angry Birds games. I think they are old enough to watch the real thing. Starting this weekend, Spike TV is running all 6 movies and I’m going to DVR them. Should I start with Episode 1 or Epsiode IV? I saw IV-VI when they originally came out. I saw Ep 1 when it came out but wasn’t impressed and never saw II or III. Will it make more sense to them going I - VI? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/2 "2013-11-25T22:01:21Z")
Start with _Star Wars_. Hide the existence of _The Phantom Menace_ from them for as long as possible. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/3 "2013-11-25T22:02:49Z")
The last time we did this, the most popular orders were 4-5-6-1-2-3 or the intriguing 4-5-1-2-3-6. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/4 "2013-11-25T22:06:01Z")
4-5-1-2-3-6? Hmmm… for someone not very into the SW universe, what is the advantage to that order? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/5 "2013-11-25T22:06:21Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > The last time we did this, the most popular orders were 4-5-6-1-2-3 or the intriguing 4-5-1-2-3-6. A New Hope - The Empire Strikes Back - Return of the Jedi Then stop. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/6 "2013-11-25T22:07:53Z")
Here’s a [great article](http://static.nomachetejuggling.com/machete_order.html) on the 4-5-1-2-3-6 (also called “Machete Order”). I think it makes the best sense by far. You can even drop 1, though since you have kids, 1 might be fun for them. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/7 "2013-11-25T22:19:57Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > 4-5-1-2-3-6? Hmmm… for someone not very into the SW universe, what is the advantage to that order? It’s spelled out in the article, but basically you get to the big reveal, then do the flashback/origin story stuff, and then get the dramatic victory of good over evil and the happy ending. Watching them in numerical order is worse because you don’t know why you should care about Anakin and the big reveal is ruined (which is, IMO, the crowning moment of the entire series), and watching them in release order ends on a bit of a rough note, and places the worst movie up front and the best ones at the back. Machete order also lets you skip 1 if you want (which really adds nothing, and is easily the worst of the movies). ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/8 "2013-11-25T22:27:50Z")
That wa s agreat article, thanks. Makes sense to me. The kids do love the pod race sequence from the video game, but they can watch that later… ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/9 "2013-11-25T22:28:08Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > A New Hope - The Empire Strikes Back - Return of the Jedi > > Then stop. One too many. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/10 "2013-11-25T22:30:45Z")
people suggesting watching all 6 movies. even people calling Star Wars “a new hope” awful lot of gotdanged casual fans here Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back Return of the Jedi stop please don’t expose your children to the other stuff or the special editions it’s kinda sad that a generation of kids will grow up thinking greedo fired a shot 😕 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/11 "2013-11-25T22:34:55Z")
I went IV, V with my daughter; I then asked if she wanted to see how Darth Vader got that way; she said yes, so we went I-II-III, which she loved, and then VI. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/12 "2013-11-25T23:32:31Z")
While lots of intriguing conversations may be launched when they are older, the prequels are best ignored until they can understand the poor decisions made by the writer/director. Just show IV, V, VI and discuss the prequels when they discover them on their own. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/13 "2013-11-25T23:35:58Z")
At which point in the order should they see the Star Wars Holiday Christmas Special? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/14 "2013-11-25T23:45:27Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Just show IV, V, VI and discuss the prequels when they discover them on their own. They already watched the cartoon series, so presumably, they will want to at least see where the characters there come from. I think machete order (4-5-2-3-6, skip 1) is the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/15 "2013-11-26T00:29:55Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > At which point in the order should they see the Star Wars Holiday Christmas Special? When you disown them. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/16 "2013-11-26T00:43:53Z")
4, 5, half of 6, then the Clone Wars. Then introduce them to the EU books and let them go. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/17 "2013-11-26T01:06:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > At which point in the order should they see the Star Wars Holiday Christmas Special? After they die. Happy Life Day. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/18 "2013-11-26T01:19:33Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > and watching them in release order ends on a bit of a rough note, and places the worst movie up front and the best ones at the back. :dubious: Did you misspeak there? Release order is 4,5,6,1,2,3. I would agree with “ends on a bit of a rough note,” but “worst movie up front and the best ones at the back” makes no sense. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/19 "2013-11-26T01:33:36Z")
I don’t think the kids are going to take the prequels as a personal insult like old fans do. Especially if they’ve been enjoying the CGI Clone Wars. They may very well like the prequels better. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783/20 "2013-11-26T03:22:47Z")
If you were showing them to adults I would say go in the order hey came out with Star Wars (Episode IV) first (Bonus: ending with Episode Three makes you want to watch Star Wars Again :)). For kids, I think you should start in Episode Order. Episode I is made with kids in mind. And for all its flaws, kids like it. I’m afraid the dated effects and pacing of the original trilogy would bore little kids. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-viewing-order-for-newbies/674783.md?page=2)