How Many Star Wars Movies Are There? The Count and Complete List
Key takeaways
- There are 12 Star Wars theatrical feature films in the established movie lineup: nine numbered Skywalker Saga episodes, two live-action standalone films, and the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie.
- Nine counts only the main saga. Eleven includes the two live-action spin-offs but leaves out the animated film.
- There are three trilogies in the Skywalker Saga, with three films in each.
- Release order is a good default for a first viewing.
- For the established Star Wars theatrical lineup, the answer is 12 movies.
Table of contents
The Star Wars Movie Count, Explained
The easiest way to understand the total is to separate the films into three groups:
| Category | Number of movies | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Skywalker Saga | 9 | Episodes I–IX, divided into three trilogies |
| Live-action standalone films | 2 | Rogue One and Solo |
| Animated theatrical films | 1 | Star Wars: The Clone Wars |
| Total | 12 | The established theatrical feature-film lineup |
A theatrical feature is a full-length movie released in cinemas. That distinction matters because Star Wars also has television movies, animated shows, live-action series, and specials.
Re-releases don’t add to the count. A new theatrical run, restored edition, or altered version of an existing film is still the same movie for this purpose.
Why do some people say there are nine Star Wars movies?
They’re counting the Skywalker Saga: the nine films with episode numbers.
These movies form the franchise’s central, multigenerational story. They’re organized into the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy, and the sequel trilogy.
Nine is therefore the correct answer to “How many movies are in the main Star Wars saga?” It isn’t the full theatrical-film total.
Why do other lists say 11?
There are 11 live-action films in the established lineup: the nine saga episodes plus Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
The twelfth movie, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, is animated. If a list explicitly counts only live-action films, 11 makes sense. If it claims to include all theatrical features, it should include The Clone Wars too.
All 12 Star Wars Movies in Release Order
Release order is the order in which audiences first encountered the films. It begins with Episode IV, not Episode I, because the original trilogy came before the prequels.
The official Star Wars guide identifies the films and distinguishes the animated movie from the television series of the same name.
| Release order | Movie | Release year | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Star Wars: A New Hope — Episode IV | 1977 | Original trilogy |
| 2 | Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back — Episode V | 1980 | Original trilogy |
| 3 | Star Wars: Return of the Jedi — Episode VI | 1983 | Original trilogy |
| 4 | Star Wars: The Phantom Menace — Episode I | 1999 | Prequel trilogy |
| 5 | Star Wars: Attack of the Clones — Episode II | 2002 | Prequel trilogy |
| 6 | Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith — Episode III | 2005 | Prequel trilogy |
| 7 | Star Wars: The Clone Wars | 2008 | Animated theatrical film |
| 8 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens — Episode VII | 2015 | Sequel trilogy |
| 9 | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | 2016 | Live-action standalone film |
| 10 | Star Wars: The Last Jedi — Episode VIII | 2017 | Sequel trilogy |
| 11 | Solo: A Star Wars Story | 2018 | Live-action standalone film |
| 12 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker — Episode IX | 2019 | Sequel trilogy |
The first film originally opened under the title Star Wars. It’s now commonly identified as A New Hope or Episode IV, which keeps it distinct from the franchise as a whole.
How Many Movies Are in Each Star Wars Trilogy?
There are three trilogies in the Skywalker Saga, with three films in each.
The original trilogy: three movies
- A New Hope — Episode IV
- The Empire Strikes Back — Episode V
- Return of the Jedi — Episode VI
These films introduced Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the conflict between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire. Although they occupy the middle of the numbered story, they were released first.
For a newcomer, this is a straightforward starting point: you meet the setting and its central ideas in the order they were originally introduced.
The prequel trilogy: three movies
- The Phantom Menace — Episode I
- Attack of the Clones — Episode II
- Revenge of the Sith — Episode III
The prequels take place before the original trilogy. They explore Anakin Skywalker’s earlier life, the Jedi Order, and the Republic.
Their episode numbers explain a common source of confusion: Episode I is the beginning of the numbered story, but it isn’t the first Star Wars movie released.
The sequel trilogy: three movies
- The Force Awakens — Episode VII
- The Last Jedi — Episode VIII
- The Rise of Skywalker — Episode IX
The sequels take place after the original trilogy and introduce a new generation of central characters, including Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, and Kylo Ren.
Together, these three trilogies account for all nine numbered episodes.
Which Movies Aren’t Part of the Numbered Saga?
Three films in the 12-movie lineup don’t carry a Skywalker Saga episode number.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One takes place shortly before A New Hope. It focuses on a mission connected to the Death Star plans, making it a direct companion to the original film.
It belongs in the theatrical-film count, but it isn’t Episode X or an additional chapter in one of the three trilogies.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Solo follows a younger Han Solo before the events of A New Hope. Its place in the franchise is a character-focused standalone adventure rather than a numbered saga episode.
“Standalone” doesn’t mean disconnected from Star Wars. It means the film sits outside the main nine-episode structure.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
The 2008 animated The Clone Wars is a theatrical movie set between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
It’s easy to miss when counting because there is also a television series called Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The official guide lists the movie and series separately.
Count the film once. Don’t count the television series as another movie.
What Is the Chronological Order of the Star Wars Movies?
If you’d rather follow the story’s timeline than release history, the established 12 films fit into this order:
- The Phantom Menace — Episode I
- Attack of the Clones — Episode II
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- Revenge of the Sith — Episode III
- Solo: A Star Wars Story
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- A New Hope — Episode IV
- The Empire Strikes Back — Episode V
- Return of the Jedi — Episode VI
- The Force Awakens — Episode VII
- The Last Jedi — Episode VIII
- The Rise of Skywalker — Episode IX
This is a movie-only order, not a complete timeline of every Star Wars screen production. Adding the television series makes the sequence much more involved, particularly around the Clone Wars and the years between the original and sequel trilogies.
Which order should a first-time viewer choose?
Release order is a good default for a first viewing. It preserves the original sequence of introductions and revelations, rather than giving you the backstory first.
For a simpler starting plan, watch the nine saga films in release order:
IV → V → VI → I → II → III → VII → VIII → IX
Then add the standalone films and the animated movie if you want to explore beyond the central story.
Chronological order suits viewers who already know the major story developments or prefer to follow events from the earliest period onward. Neither approach changes the number of films—it only changes their sequence.
Do TV Movies, Series, and Upcoming Films Count?
Not in the 12-film total used here.
Television productions are a separate category
Shows such as The Mandalorian, Andor, and Ahsoka expand the story, but they aren’t theatrical feature films. The same distinction applies to animated series and streaming specials.
The Ewok television movies, Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, also sit outside this standard theatrical lineup. If you include television movies, you’re answering a broader question and need to state that counting rule.
Announced films don’t automatically increase the released count
The official Star Wars film catalogue also covers projects beyond the established 12-film lineup, including The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter.
A listed project or scheduled release date isn’t, by itself, proof that a movie has opened. The count above covers the established films through The Rise of Skywalker; a later verified theatrical release would increase that total.
This is why any claim about the number of movies should specify both what it counts and which releases it includes.
The Bottom Line
For the established Star Wars theatrical lineup, the answer is 12 movies: nine Skywalker Saga episodes, two live-action standalone films, and one animated film.
If you only want the main story, start with the nine numbered episodes. If you want the full movie lineup, add Rogue One, Solo, and the 2008 The Clone Wars—and keep television productions and later releases separate when checking the total.
