Where does Rogue One fit in the correct Star Wars viewing order?

There is a correct order to show your children the Star Wars movies
(Image credit: CC by: Wikimedia Commons)

Hundreds of millions of people are born between the release of each Star Wars movie, and millions of those people will eventually watch all eight films (and counting). There is a robust debate among Star Wars fans about the correct order to watch the movies if you've never seen any of them. This debate is complicated by Rogue One, the new Star Wars movie that takes place just before the original Star Wars (Episode IV) but stands outside of the triple trilogy saga. Where does it fit in if you're watching Star Wars for the first time?

George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, urges people to watch the movies in chronological order, starting with Episode I: The Phantom Menace, which was actually the fourth movie made. Presumably he would stick Rogue One in between Episodes III and IV. "Start with I — that's the way to do it right," Lucas told Vulture: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. That's the way they're supposed to be done. Just because it took a long time to film it doesn't mean you don't do it in order."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.