Hello internet, it’s Slick Dungeon here!

This week marks a special treat for Star Wars fans. I, myself, am a huuuge Star Wars fan so I’m pretty pumped about the fact that Return of the Jedi is playing in my area. For those of us who are big Star Wars fans this is something fun to go do and we always get a kick out of seeing some of our favorite films back in theaters. But, what I realized recently after talking to someone who has never seen any of the Star Wars movies is if you are new to Star Wars you might have no idea where to start.

I’m the type of Star Wars fan who loves it all. Yes, even that one that you’ve heard is terrible, or that other thing people are arguing about online. I find at least some entertainment value in everything Star Wars I have ever consumed. Yes, including that other one you heard not even Star Wars fans like. I like it. What this means is I have a pretty big base of knowledge when it comes to my favorite fandom. And that makes me the perfect person to guide someone who is overwhelmed by the sheer amount of Star Wars out there. You may not know how to begin and feel like there is so much media, it’s pointless to even try.

Well, good news if that’s you. I have you covered. I’m going to throw a lot of information at you here but if you stick with me through this post I’ll tell you the only way to get started with Star Wars.

I’m going to go through what Star Wars has to offer in all kinds of media, including film, television, books, video games and more. I’ll focus on the films mostly because that’s how 90% of people are introduced into the storylines but if you’d rather see what there is in the way of books, games, or whatever, I’m going to throw those in there as well.

The MOvies

As of this writing there are eleven live action films that have been released and it can be daunting to figure out what order to watch them in. There is an original trilogy, a prequel trilogy, a sequel trilogy and two spin off movies which don’t have to be watched to get the larger context but can be fun to fill in gaps. There is also an animated movie that debuted in theaters but doesn’t really belong in the list when you’re first trying to watch the main story. We’ll cover that one in the television section.

With these films there are two basic ways to watch. One way is in release order, as in, you watch them based on what year the film released. The other way is in chronological order. This would be going through the movies by episode number, with the spin offs squeezed in roughly around the time periods they would happen in the larger storyline.

With either method, the spin offs are technically optional, but I still recommend watching them.

Also, there are a couple of other methods some Star Wars fans use to watch the movies but that’s more advanced level watching so I’m just sticking to the two methods here.

Chronological Order

If you watch the movies in chronological order you get a fairly linear storyline and it’s pretty easy to follow the events in the films. It won’t be hard to keep track of the characters and you’ll know who the good guys and bad guys are. The problem with this method is it’s not very adventurous and it will make what would have been original twists in the movies seem like mundane facts everyone should know. I’ll give you the chronological order but I will say it is not my recommended way of watching for the first time.

1. Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace
2. Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones
3. Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
4. Solo: A Star Wars Story
5. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
6. Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope
7. Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
8. Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
9. Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens
10. Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
11. Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Release Order

Using the release order method you’ll feel like you were dropped into the middle of an episodic drama where there is missing information but you’ll still get a sense of the larger story. As you go through all of the films, many of the gaps will be filled in and a lot of the drama is intensified. It’s the way us original Star Wars fans saw them after years of speculating what would happen while we waited for the next installment. There are plot holes the size of a spaceship in some of these movies but they get filled in eventually either with other films in the series or through television, comic books, novels, and other media. Watching in release order will allow the viewer to have a lot more questions about the story and the twists and turns are a lot more fun to see unfold this way. I highly recommend using this method if you are new.

1. Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope
2. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
3. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
4. Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace
5. Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones
6. Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
7. Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens
8. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
9. Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
10. Solo: A Star Wars Story
11. Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Television

It used the be the case the only way to consume Star Wars was through film. Then came novelizations, comic books and video games. But recently there is a new Star Wars phenomena. Television. There are live action shows and animated shows. These shows take place during different periods in the larger storyline but in general, the television shows tend to fill in gaps in time between films. If you put the films and shows together, you start to get a massive storyline with hours and hours of stuff to watch. You can, in fact, just watch the television shows if you want to and not see the films. But, if you do that, you’re missing the most vital part of the story. While I don’t recommend it to someone new to Star Wars, television can be an entry point. I’m going to list the shows here and tell you how they fit in with the movies. Some shows are better than others but it also depends on what kind of show you like. There are shows full of action and cameos and fun easter eggs for hardcore fans. There are also shows that are slow burn character dramas. Whatever you like in the way of television, you can probably find a Star Wars show that fits your preferences.

I’ll give you the list of live action shows and the list of animated shows. As a rule of thumb the live action shows tend to lean toward a more adult audience and the animated shows are geared a bit more towards the younger crowd. There’s really only one show on here, Andor which you might think twice before showing to kids. Everything else is generally family friendly, depending on your viewing preferences.

Live Action Television Shows

1. Obi-Wan Kenobi – This focuses on a singular character and takes place between Solo: A Star Wars Story and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
2. Andor – This also focuses on a singular character and it’s more of a slow burn character drama. It takes place after Obi Wan Kenobi but it is also between Solo: A Star Wars Story and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
3. Star Wars: Holiday Special – This was a live action holiday special variety show George Lucas was contractually obligated to make. Not recommended to anyone but a superfan and it’s hard to find. It takes place between Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
4. Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure – This is actually a movie made for television in the 1980’s and it takes place on the planet Endor which is featured in the movie Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. It’s made for kids and has a bit of a cult following but definitely looks like it was made in the 1980’s for television. It takes place after Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back but before Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
5. Ewoks: The Battle for Endor – This is a sequel to Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure. It was also made for television and takes place in the same time period as the first Ewok movie.
6. The Mandalorian – The most well known of all the live action shows. This is the one that stars Pedro Pascal and if you are going to start watching Star Wars through a television series, this would be my recommended entry point. It takes place between Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens. It connects to the larger stories but you can follow this story without knowing a lot about Star Wars to begin with.
7. The Book of Bobba Fett – This show has strong connections to The Mandalorian and they tie in together but the focus of this show is on a character from the movies. This takes place in the same relative time period as The Mandalorian.

Some of these shows are better than others but as I said above, the best entry point in TV shows for a new fan is far and away The Mandalorian. There is some question as to whether numbers 3, 4, and 5 on the list above count as “cannon” to the main story. I included them just because they are live action shows you could watch. One thing to make clear here is that you do not have to watch any of these shows for the films to make sense. Instead, the shows tend to do the job of filling in story gaps for the movies rather than being a launchpad for any of the films.

Animated Television Shows

1. Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles – A fun, silly show perfect for young kids and Lego enthusiasts. It talks about things in the movies but doesn’t count towards the larger story.
2. Lego Star Wars: The Padawan Menace – Similar to the above, this is a silly Lego version that relates to Episode I but is not actually part of the main story. Lots of fun to watch.
3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars – This is an animated film which takes place between Episode II and Episode III. The movie itself wasn’t well received but it is the official start to the fantastic animated series The Clone Wars.
4. The Clone Wars – This is a series that ran from 2008 – 2014. It’s a great show full of intense action and intriguing drama. This is not only great for kids but adults can find a lot of value in this show as well. It does a great job filling in a lot of the blanks between Episode II and Episode III and really adds context to the story. If you are going to begin watching Star Wars through animated television, I highly recommend starting with this series.
5. Star Wars: The Bad Batch – This is a series that follows The Clone Wars which focuses on a few characters. It’s still going on but it started in 2021. I don’t recommend watching it until you have seen The Clone Wars but once you have seen that one, it’s a great follow up.
6. Star Wars Rebels – This is a Disney series that takes place between Episode III and Episode IV. It shows the beginnings of the rebellion we see in Episode IV but it doesn’t focus on the characters from that film. The animation leaves a bit to be desired but the storylines are great and it’s definitely a good one for kids.
7. Star Wars Droids – This was a cartoon from the 1980s and it focuses on the droids from the Star Wars films. It takes place between Episode III and Episode IV but doesn’t really count towards the larger story. It’s fun to watch if you like 80’s cartoons but otherwise, definitely skippable.
8. Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out – Another Lego movie, pretty fun and it obviously lampoons Episode V but again, doesn’t count towards the larger story.
9. Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures – This was a series that aired from 2016-2017. It’s a bit of an outlier in that it is a Lego show that is episodic. At one point it was supposed to count towards the larger story but it doesn’t really fit. It’s still a fun watch, especially for kids, though.
10. Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales – This is another Lego special which focuses on the droids. And again, like the other Lego shows doesn’t really count for the whole story but is sure fun to watch.
11. Ewoks – This was the partner show to Star Wars Droids in the 1980s. This show focuses on the furry creatures known as Ewoks from Episode VI. I liked it as a kid but this probably doesn’t hold up that well compared to other cartoons of the time.
12. Star Wars Resistance – This is an animated series that takes place between Episode VI and Episode VII and focuses on a group of pilots. It’s a fun show but definitely geared towards the younger crowd. It does follow a bit of a story similar to how The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch, and Rebels do.
13. Lego Star Wars: The Resistance Rises – Another Lego special. This takes place just before Episode VII but again doesn’t count towards the larger story.

I’ve left off several shows that are either upcoming, anthology series, or don’t count as cannon to the story. Those have their merits but most of the ones on the list above are worth watching (although if you hate Lego stuff don’t watch those). For my money, the best shows to watch on this list are The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch, and Rebels. The rest are fun but those three have really engaging stories and there is some top notch animation in Clone Wars and Bad Batch. If you want to start watching Star Wars with animated series, I strongly recommend starting with Star Wars: The Clone Wars and then watching the follow up The Clone Wars series.

Video Games

Video games are a bit tougher to categorize. In order to give you all the possible games you could play that were related to Star Wars in some way, I’d have to practically give you a history of video game consoles. Instead, I will keep this simple and just include the ones that are now considered cannon. Just know there are a whole lot more games I could have put here.

1. Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) – This one is a cannon game. It’s a fun game and it does count toward the larger story though you don’t have to play it to understand the movies. It’s basically a first person shooter in space.
2. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – This is an action adventure style game which focuses on a character who is not in the movies but does fill in some gaps between Episode III and Episode IV. It’s not only a great Star Wars game, it’s a great game. If you want to start your Star Wars journey with a video game, I recommend this one.
3. Vader Immortal: A Star Wars Series – This is a virtual reality game where it tells a little side story about someone Darth Vader hires. But mostly it’s fun because you get to pretend to swing around a lightsaber.
4. Star Wars Battlefront (2015) – This is fourth on the list, after Star Wars Battlefront because the main story happens in a time period later in the Star Wars universe. But technically both games cover multiple time periods so it’s a little confusing. Also, this is actually a reboot of a different Star Wars Battlefront just to make it even more confusing. But like the other one on this list, it’s an FPS style game with a bit of story that relates to the movies.
5. Star Wars Squadrons – This is a space battle game where you get to fly different kinds of ships and blow stuff up. It’s got a decent story as well. It’s a fun game but I wouldn’t recommend starting here as an entry point.
6. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – This is the sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and it counts toward the story. I wouldn’t play this one without playing the first one but this is the newest Star Wars game out there. The gameplay is fun and the story is as interesting as the first one (though I have not played to the end yet)

There are a few more games slated to come out but I won’t get into those here. If you just have to get started with Star Wars through video games, then I definitely recommend Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. But if you love FPS games, the Battlefront ones are good too.

Books

There are soooo many Star Wars books out there. Broadly they can be divided into two types, Cannon and Legends. Cannon means they count towards the current Star Wars stories. Legends means they once did but no longer do, or were written as something as a fun book but not meant to count towards the bigger story. To save us from the longest blogpost in human history, I am going to just put the Cannon books here. There are tons of Legends books I recommend people read but it really helps if you’re familiar with Star Wars at large before diving into those.

Also, there are many eras in the Star Wars timeline. The one that goes farthest back is called The High Republic. The thing with these books is they are coming out in phases and we are currently on phase 2. And in Star Wars tradition, phase 2 jumps even further back in time than phase 1. So I am putting these in order by chronology, not phases. Just know there are more books to come for phase 2.

The High Republic Phase 2

1. The High Republic: Path of Deceit
2. The High Republic: Convergence
3. The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha
4. The High Republic: Cataclysm
5. The High Republic: Path of Vengeance

I wish I could tell you what all those books are about but I have not yet read them. (Watch this blog for reviews on them eventually) But I can tell you these books do not focus on the characters from the movies with the exception of a character named Yoda. If you know nothing about Star Wars and want to start with the books to get the story from the very beginning, these are the ones to start with. They are a mix of books made for adults and kids though. And one of them is an audio drama. What I like about the High Republic books is they tell a big, connected story, but you get different types of media to enjoy it in.

The High Republic Phase 1

1. The High Republic: Light of the Jedi
2. The High Republic: Into the Dark
3. The High Republic: The Rising Storm
4. The High Republic: Out Of The Shadows
5. The High Republic: Tempest Runner
6. Star Wars Insider: The High Republic: Starlight Stories
7. The High Republic: The Fallen Star
8. The High Republic: Midnight Horizon
9. The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life

Again I have not read all of these but what I have read so far I have enjoyed. If you want a real Star Wars experience without watching the movies, read phase 1 first and then read phase 2 which is the order they were released in.

Fall of the Jedi Era

1. Padawan
2. Master & Apprentice
3. Queen’s Peril
4. Queen’s Shadow
5. Dooku: Jedi Lost
6. Queen’s Hope
7. Brotherhood
8. The Clone Wars Anthology: Stories of Light and Dark
9. Dark Disciple
10. Thrawn: Ascendancy: Chaos Rising

This era takes place just before and during Episodes I, II, and III. You’ll notice I’ve left out the novelizations of the films on this list. That’s for two reasons. First, they are constantly printing new books so where those go in the list of books is constantly changing. Second, you may only want to read and not watch the movies, in which case you wouldn’t be interested in the novelization of the films. The movies are meant to be experienced visually first.

This is one of the most interesting eras in Star Wars as wars are burgeoning and plots are being hatched in the shadows which will lead to a calamity of war and destruction.

Reign of the Empire Era

1. Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good
2. Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil
3. Ahsoka
4. Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade
5. Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel
6. Lords of the Sith
7. Tarkin
8. Most Wanted
9. Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars
10. A New Dawn
11. Crimson Climb

This era is set between Episodes III and IV. Things start to take a darker turn here as a new power rises in the galaxy but with this rise also comes rebellion against those in control.

Age of Rebellion Era

1. Leia: Princess of Alderaan
2. Thrawn
3. Thrawn: Alliances
4. Thrawn: Treason
5. Guardians of the Whills
6. Rebel Rising
7. Rogue One
8. From A Certain Point of View
9. Battlefront II: Inferno Squad
10. Smuggler’s Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure
11. Heir to the Jedi
12. The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure
13. Doctor Aphra: An Audiobook Original
14. From A Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
15. Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure
16. Battlefront: Twilight Company

These books take place in and around the time of the first three movies released. You have an evil empire in control with a small band of rebel fighters trying to overcome the powers that be. It’s my favorite era of Star Wars.

New Republic Era

1. The Princess and the Scoundrel
2. Alphabet Squadron
3. Aftermath
4. Alphabet Squadron: Shadow Fall
5. Aftermath: Life Debt
6. Aftermath: Empire’s End
7. Alphabet Squadron: Victory’s Price
8. Lost Stars
9. Last Shot
10. Poe Dameron: Free Fall
11. Shadow of the Sith
12. Bloodline

This era happens between Episode VI and Episode VII. It focuses on a time where it looks like the good guys have won but there are secret plans for a new evil power to rise. It’s one of the less explored eras in Star Wars which makes it pretty fun.

Rise of the First Order Era

1. Force Collector
2. Phasma
3. Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens
4. Before the Awakening
5. The Legends of Luke Skywalker
6. Canto Bight
7. Cobalt Squadron
8. Resistance Reborn
9. Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire
10. Galaxy’s Edge: A Crash of Fate

These books take place before and during the so called sequel saga which comprises Episodes VII, VIII and IX. There is still a lot of territory to explore here so I am sure we’ll see more books to fill in here.

As you can see, there is no shortage of printed material to choose from when it comes to Star Wars. Most of the stories are self contained but connect to the larger story. You don’t have to read any of them to get into the movies. As far as quality of the writing goes, it varies, as does the subject matter. These are all generally kid friendly but some of them are slower and some of them are non-stop action. If you like to read, Star Wars will provide you with hours and hours of reading material.

Comic Books

I love a good comic book. And if it’s a good Star Wars comic book? Sign me up! There are tons of series out there and like the books they fall into legends and cannon. I’m only going to list the series that are cannon here. I’ll do my best to list them in order chronologically to the story, but these tend to jump around a bit. Pro Star Wars comics reading tip though – my favorite way to read this is to throw on the Star Wars soundtracks on a loop as I read them. That just makes it feel more like the films and gives me that good ol’ Star Wars movie vibe.

The High Republic Phase 2

1. Star Wars: The High Republic Phase II Vol. 1 – Balance of the Force
2. The High Republic: The Edge of Balance: Precedent

These are still being released so there’s not too much to catch up on here. It takes place thousands of years before most of the events in the movies.

The High Republic Phase 1

1. Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures, Vol. 1
2. Star Wars: The High Republic Vol. 1: There is No Fear 
3. Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance, Vol. 1
4. Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures, Vol. 2
5. The High Republic: Trail of Shadows
6. Star Wars: The High Republic Vol. 2: The Heart of Drengir
7. The High Republic: The Edge of Balance Vol. 2
8. The High Republic Vol. 3: Jedi’s End

These are all a fun read but again, not really connected to the movies… yet.

The Fall of the Jedi Era

1. Star Wars: Age Of Republic – Qui-Gon Jinn #1 
2. Darth Maul
3. Star Wars: Age Of Republic – Darth Maul #1 
4. Star Wars: Age Of Republic Special #1 
5. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Graphic Novel Adaptation
6. Star Wars: Age Of Republic – Obi-Wan Kenobi #1
7. Star Wars: Obi-Wan & Anakin
8. Star Wars: Age Of Republic – Jango Fett #1
9. Star Wars: Age Of Republic – Count Dooku #1
10. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Graphic Novel Adaptation
11. Jedi of the Republic: Mace Windu
12. Star Wars: Age Of Republic – Anakin Skywalker #1
13. Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars – Battle Tales
14. Star Wars: Age Of Republic Special #1
15. Star Wars: Age Of Republic – General Grievous #1
16. Forces of Destiny: Ahsoka & Padmé #1
17. Star Wars: Age Of Republic Special #1
18. Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir
19. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005))

You’ll notice here that I did put in the movie adaptations. That’s because in my opinion the comics do a great job of translating the films, better than the novels do. But, if you don’t want to read those, feel free to skip and watch the movies instead!

Reign of the Empire

1. Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith Vol. 1: Imperial Machine
2. Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith Vol. 2: Legacy’s End
3. Age of Rebellion: Darth Vader #1
4. Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith Vol. 3: The Burning Seas
5. Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith Vol. 4: Fortress Vader
6. Jedi: Fallen Order: Dark Temple
7. Han Solo: Imperial Cadet
8. Lando: Double or Nothing
9. Star Wars: Solo Graphic Novel Adaptation
10. Star Wars: Han Solo & Chewbacca Vol. 1: The Crystal Run

Age of Rebellion

1. Star Wars: Age Of Resistance Special #1
2. Star Wars Rebels Manga Vol. 1
3. Star Wars Rebels Manga Vol. 2
4. Star Wars Rebels Manga Vol. 3 
5. Kanan Vol. 1: The Last Padawan
6. Kanan Vol. 2: First Blood
7. Forces of Destiny: Hera #1
8. Leia, Princess of Alderaan Vol. 1
9. Rogue One: Cassian & K-2SO Special
10. Star Wars: Thrawn
11. Vader: Dark Visions
12. Star Wars: Obi-Wan — A Jedi’s Purpose
13. Star Wars Adventures: Tales From Vader’s Castle
14. Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle
15. Guardians of the Whills: The Manga
16. Star Wars: Age Of Rebellion Special #1 
17. Star Wars: Rogue One Adaptation
18. Star Wars: A New Hope Graphic Novel Adaptation (Star Wars Movie Adaptations)
19. Age of Rebellion: Grand Moff Tarkin #1
20. Princess Leia
21. Star Wars Adventures: Smuggler’s Run
22. Age of Rebellion: Han Solo #1
23. Chewbacca
24. Han Solo
25. Star Wars: Age Of Resistance Special #1 
26. Target Vader
27. Star Wars: Age Of Rebellion Special #1 
28. Star Wars Adventures: The Weapon of a Jedi
29. Star Wars (2015) Annual #4 
30. Star Wars Vol. 1: Skywalker Strikes
31. Darth Vader Vol. 1: Vader
32. Star Wars Vol. 2: Showdown on the Smuggler’s Moon
33. Darth Vader Vol. 2: Shadows and Secrets
34. Vader Down
35. Star Wars Vol. 3: Rebel Jail
36. Darth Vader Vol. 3: The Shu-Torun War
37. Darth Vader Vol. 4: End of Games
38. Star Wars Vol. 4: The Last Flight of the Harbinger
39. Doctor Aphra Vol. 1: Aphra
40. Star Wars Vol. 5: Yoda’s Secret War
41. The Screaming Citadel
42. Doctor Aphra Vol. 2: Doctor Aphra and The Enormous Profit
43. Star Wars Vol. 6: Out Among the Stars
44. Star Wars: The Last Jedi – The Storms Of Crait #1
45. Doctor Aphra Annual #2
46. Lando
47. Star Wars Vol. 7: The Ashes of Jedha
48. Star Wars Vol. 8: Mutiny at Mon Cala
49. Doctor Aphra Vol. 3: Remastered
50. Doctor Aphra Vol. 4: The Catastrophe Con
51. Doctor Aphra Vol. 5: Worst Among Equals
52. Star Wars Vol. 9: Hope Dies
53. Star Wars Vol. 10: The Escape
54. Star Wars Vol. 11: The Scourging of Shu-Torun
55. Doctor Aphra Vol. 6: Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon
56. Age of Rebellion: Lando Calrissian #1
57. Star Wars Vol. 12: Rebels and Rogues
58. Star Wars Vol. 13: Rogues and Rebels
59. Doctor Aphra Vol. 7: A Rogue’s End
60. Age of Rebellion: Boba Fett #1
61. Age of Rebellion: Jabba the Hutt #1
62. Star Wars: Age Of Rebellion Special #1
63. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Graphic Novel Adaptation
64. Lost Stars Vol. 1
65. Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path
66. Darth Vader Vol. 1: Dark Heart of the Sith
67. Bounty Hunters Vol. 1: Galaxy’s Deadliest
68. Doctor Aphra Vol. 1: Fortune and Fate
69. Darth Vader Vol. 2: Into the Fire
70. Star Wars Vol. 2: Operation Starlight
71. Bounty Hunters Vol. 2: Target Valance
72. Doctor Aphra Vol. 2: The Engine Job
73. War of the Bounty Hunters
74. War of the Bounty Hunters Companion
75. Darth Vader Vol. 3: War of the Bounty Hunters
76. Star Wars Vol. 3: War of the Bounty Hunters
77. Bounty Hunters Vol. 3: War of the Bounty Hunters
78. Doctor Aphra Vol. 3: War of the Bounty Hunters
79. Star Wars: Crimson Reign
80. Star Wars Vol. 4: Crimson Reign
81. Darth Vader Vol. 4: Crimson Reign
82. Doctor Aphra Vol. 4: Crimson Reign
83. Bounty Hunters Vol. 4: Crimson Reign
84. Star Wars Vol. 5: The Path to Victory
85. Doctor Aphra Vol. 5 — The Spark Eternal 
86. Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 5 — The Shadow’s Shadow
87. Star Wars: Bounty Hunters Vol. 5 — The Raid on the Vermillion
88. Lost Stars Vol. 2
89. Age of Rebellion: Luke Skywalker #1
90. Age of Rebellion: Princess Leia #1
91. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Graphic Novel Adaptation
92. TIE Fighter

I know this is a looong list. But remember, comics are fast, light reads. And while I enjoy most of these, I think the Darth Vader and Dr. Aphra comics are some of the best comics (not just Star Wars comics) I have ever read. You definitely don’t have to read them all but a lot of them interconnect and make the stories more fun.

The New Republic

1. Star Wars Adventures: Shadow of Vader’s Castle #1
2. Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader’s Castle
3. Shattered Empire
4. Lost Stars Volume 3
5. Star Wars: The Mandalorian Vol. 1: Season One Part One
6. Star Wars: The Mandalorian Vol. 2 – Season One, Part Two
7. The Legends of Luke Skywalker: The Manga
8. The Rise of Kylo Ren
9. Life Day #1

As you can see from the short length of this list, this is some of the less explored territory in the Star Wars timeline. There are some great stories here and anything with The Mandalorian is usually worth a look.

Rise of the First Order

1. Age of Resistance: Supreme Leader Snoke #1
2. Age of Resistance: Captain Phasma #1 
3. Age of Resistance: Finn #1 
4. Age of Resistance: General Hux #1
5. Age of Resistance: Kylo Ren #1
6. Age of Resistance: Rose Tico #1
7. Star Wars Adventures: Destroyer Down
8. Age of Resistance: Poe Dameron #1 
9. Poe Dameron Vol. 1: Black Squadron
10. Age of Resistance Special #1 
11. Poe Dameron Vol. 2: The Gathering Storm
12. Poe Dameron Vol. 3: Legend Lost
13. Poe Dameron Vol. 4: Legend Found
14. Star Wars: The Force Awakens Graphic Novel Adaptation
15. Captain Phasma
16. The Last Jedi: DJ #1
17. Age of Resistance: Rey #1
18. Star Wars: The Last Jedi Graphic Novel Adaptation
19. Poe Dameron Vol. 5: The Spark and the Fire
20. Allegiance
21. Galaxy’s Edge
22. Halcyon Legacy
23. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Graphic Novel Adaptation

These are decent comics but most of them are here just to get the audience geared up and excited for the sequel trilogy movies.

I think comic books can be a great way to get into Star Wars. If you’re not going to go with the movies, I think comics are the next best avenue for exploring the universe.

Tabletop Role Playing Games

This list would be incomplete without me at least mentioning some Table Top Role Playing Games (TTRPGs). If you are not into movies, video games, books or comic books, you can still enjoy the Star Wars universe. It certainly helps to at least have seen the movies but it’s not a requirement if you want to play these.

1. Star Wars: Edge of the Empire
2. Star Wars: Age of Rebellion
3. Star Wars: Force and Destiny

There are a bunch more Star Wars TTRPG’s than these but these three are pretty easy to find and get a group together to play. They let you be in charge of the story. It’s a lot like playing Dungeons & Dragons, only it’s in the Star Wars universe. I’ve spent a lot of hours playing these so I won’t bore you with the details but the only real difference between the three is at what time period in the Star Wars universe these things happen. I recommend them all if you do like TTRPGs.

The ONly Way to Get Started with sTar Wars

I’ve hit you with a lot of information here and you’re probably wanting me to get right to the point. Well, here’s the thing, there are tons of ways to get into Star Wars. I strongly suggest watching the movies in release order to begin with. But if you would rather read, watch TV shows or play video games, that’s totally fine. There is no wrong way to get into Star Wars.

So what’s the only way to get started with Star Wars? The way you want to! You might take a look and not like it at all. That’s totally fine. Some of the stuff on here is not for everyone’s taste. But I hope you give it a shot with one or more of the myriad avenues available to you. If you do get into Star Wars, I’ll have plenty to talk about with you.

Expect more Star Wars related content to pop up on this blog. If that’s not for you, no worries, I’ll still blog about other stuff.

Until then,

May the Force be with you!