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Time travel

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Time travel was a form of transportation through time into the past [2] or the future. [1] Although some beings sometimes wished they could travel back in time to change mistakes they made in their lives, [2] [3] such a thing was still widely thought to be impossible, even during the height of the New Republic . [4] A hypothetical device for allowing so was known as a time machine . [3]

The World Between Worlds

Access to the World Between Worlds made time travel possible through many of the doors and pathways to the past, present and future. However, the mystical Force realm's existence was mostly unknown, and only a few Force-users could enter it. In 0 BBY , Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger entered the World Between Worlds through a portal in the Lothal Jedi Temple and rescued the former Jedi Ahsoka Tano from being killed by Darth Vader during the mission to Malachor , which had occurred three years before, by pulling her through a portal. During their time there, Bridger briefly considered rescuing his master Kanan Jarrus , who had died during the rescue of Hera Syndulla , by pulling him through a portal. However, Tano talked him out of it by pointing out that rescuing Jarrus would mean that all of the other Spectres present, including Bridger, would have died in the explosion of the Imperial gas refinery, causing a paradox. After being attacked by Darth Sidious , Bridger and Tano returned through the same portals they had entered, emerging on Lothal and Malachor respectively, three years apart. [5]

Luke Skywalker , when asked by C-3PO how the latter could help the former, sarcastically suggested that the droid could help by altering time far enough into the future to bypass the harvest season so he could join the Imperial Academy . [1]

Behind the scenes [ ]

Time travel was first mentioned, sarcastically, in Star Wars : Episode IV A New Hope . [1] It first appeared in Star Wars canon in the second issue of the 2016 comic book series Star Wars: Doctor Aphra . [6]

The non-canon LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special has time travel as a major part of its plot, as Rey Skywalker is guided to a Jedi Temple on the planet Kordoku . She finds a portal there that sends her on a journey through time to meet many important figures from galactic history. [7]

Appearances [ ]

The High Republic: Cataclysm (Indirect mention only)
The High Republic: Cataclysm audiobook (Indirect mention only)
Master & Apprentice (Mentioned only)
Master & Apprentice audiobook (Mentioned only)
Lost Stars (Mentioned only)
Lost Stars audiobook (Mentioned only)
Servants of the Empire: The Secret Academy (Indirect mention only)

Star Wars : Episode IV A New Hope (First mentioned) (Mentioned sarcastically)
Star Wars: A New Hope junior novelization (Mentioned only)
Doctor Aphra (2016) 2 (First appearance) (In flashback(s))
" The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku " — Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens: Volume I (Mentioned sarcastically)
Phasma (Mentioned only)
Phasma audiobook (Mentioned only)

Non-canon appearances [ ]

The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special

Notes and references [ ]

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Star Wars : Episode IV A New Hope
↑ 2.0 2.1 Lost Stars
↑ 3.0 3.1 Servants of the Empire: The Secret Academy
↑ " The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku "
↑ Doctor Aphra (2016) 2
↑ The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special

External links [ ]

1 Star Wars Outlaws
2 Cortosis blade

Den of Geek

How Time Travel Works in Star Wars

We examine how Rebels' "A World Between Worlds" changes what's possible in Star Wars.

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This Star Wars article contains spoilers.

Once hyperspace is conquered, the next step is to explore the timeline. Star Wars Rebels recently opened up a new dimension with the starry sky of the World Between Worlds, a mystical place where all times happen at once. By unlocking the Jedi Temple on Lothal and finely attuning himself to the Force, Ezra Bridger enters this strange space and finds himself able to visit doors into the past and future.

The temple has one last lesson for Ezra, and with it comes a slew of new possibilities for the saga. The voices of Rey, Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, and many others from different eras of Star Wars can be heard as Ezra explores the World Between Worlds.

So what are the rules here, and what happens if someone tries to break them? Each doorway indicates a potential space for Ezra to walk into, a potential chance for him to change the course already set in stone … perhaps.

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There’s actually a precedent for time travel in the galaxy far, far away. Here’s how the sci-fi concept has worked in Star Wars in the past:

How Time Travel Works in Rebels

The reveal of the World Between Worlds, the place where a Force user can access doorways to other times, is visually linked to the Mortis gods from The Clone Wars . The three aspects of the Force represented by the Mortis gods (light, dark, and balance) are all symbolically connected to the ability to travel in time. Time works a bit differently in the World Between Worlds as it did in the realm of the Force wielders, which I’ll talk about in a minute, but their presence in the painting at the entrance to the chamber indicates that the Jedi Temple on Lothal taps into aspects of the Force more strange, more powerful, and more embodied than the telepathy and telekinesis Ezra has already learned.

His Force abilities and connection to Lothal enable him to enter the World Between Worlds and find a portal to the time in which Ahsoka dueled Darth Vader in the Sith Temple on Malachor in season two. There, voices from the past and future drift through the black-and-white dreamscape. One could imagine that it was the will of the Force which led him to the particular portal behind which Ahsoka is fighting, since the Force has been connecting Ahsoka and Ezra for a long time. Or, it was the will of the plot: Ahsoka later helps rescue Ezra from Emperor Palpatine, who also has access to the in-between plane.

Although Palpatine can threaten their lives within the World Between Worlds, the Force seems very particular about making sure that no one can change anything while inside. Ahsoka returns to the time from which she was pulled, dropping right back into the scene where she disappeared . Or is this non-interference policy a moral choice rather than a physical law?

Ezra almost tests it out himself. He wants to rescue Kanan, and the Force allows him to see a doorway to the time and place where he could do so. Ultimately, the World Between Worlds is a place of emotional catharsis for Ezra. He’s forced to not only relive the traumatic death of his father figure, but also to realize that he has the control and the authority to stop it — and then come to terms with the fact that Kanan’s death was meant to be all along. If Ezra had rescued Kanan, the rest of their found family would have died, possibly trapping Ezra in a time paradox where he himself is both alive and dead.

Ahsoka doesn’t use this scientific argument with Ezra, though. Instead, she focuses on his emotional needs. He should not trade several lives to save one, and he should learn that a Jedi can accept loss without being consumed by grief.

Palpatine seems to have known about the World Between Worlds for a while, since he accessed it himself and sent an Imperial researcher to oversee the ruins. Along with the planet’s ore, it’s one of the reasons the planet Lothal is so important. Darth Sidious’ knowledge of time travel might be the best proof that the Force does not allow the time stream to be manipulated. If it could be, the Emperor would have changed certain things in the timeline by now.

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How Time Travel Works in The Clone Wars

Although time travel was not explicitly used or even introduced into the realm of possibility as much as it recently was in Rebels , the Mortis gods – Father, Daughter, and Son – are shown to exist outside of time in The Clone Wars as well. Their planet exists in an invisible pocket of time and space, technically undetectable even when viewed from a starship nearby. When Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka return from the Mortis realm to the natural world, no time seems to have passed at all since they arrived at the anomalous region of space.

Seasons and days are also distorted on the planet where the Force wielders live. Time passes quickly. With night comes a cold and barren winter and the morning brings an impossibly vibrant spring. The Jedi cannot control this passage of time at all. The Mortis gods do not weaponize it either, inasmuch as their knowledge of the past and future is not a threat.

The veil between different times also seems thin here, allowing Obi-Wan and Ahsoka to have visions of the past and future respectively. However, Anakin’s similar vision turns out to be a trick of the Son, the aspect of the dark side, so it’s hard to say what was the direct influence of the Mortis gods and what was the veil in the time-stream fluttering in that space.

How Time Travel Worked in the Old Expanded Universe (Legends)

Time travel also appeared in the old Expanded Universe (now known as Legends canon) in several different forms, often in the realm of rumor or the unexplained.

In the Ewoks comic book series, a hyperdrive malfunction leads to R2-D2 and C-3PO traveling into the future. In the ancient Sith Order, an artifact called the Darkstaff could create a Force storm that transported its bearer to the future. A few other examples could be found in comic books, including “Tilotny Throws a Shape” by Alan Moore. This story features creatures with godlike powers, reminiscent of the Mortis trio only in that they were similarly powerful.

In the Legacy era, “Flow-walking,” a skill learned by a select few Jedi decades after the events of the Original Trilogy, enabled a person to appear as a disembodied perspective in the past, like a view through a camera into another world. Jacen Solo uses this to visit the Jedi Temple during Order 66. He wants to find out what drove Anakin Skywalker to the dark side in order to justify his own dark side actions and inner turmoil. He is tempted to step into the past and make a change, but such manipulation is impossible. Flow-walking allows for only small changes, which are inevitably caught up in the continuous flow of time and do not change history.

While the effect is similar, the nature of flow-walking is different from the time portals in Rebels . It is described as a Jedi’s ability to access a stream of Force energy, instead of a physical location where the past and future can be opened like doors along a hallway. In both instances, events can’t actually be manipulated or changed.

Flow-walking is used as a way to connect Jacen’s story to the story of the Prequel Trilogy, as well as to show the similarities between Anakin’s fall and Jacen’s own. Does the dark side run in the Skywalker family blood, the scene indirectly asks? Since Jacen’s sister, mother, and uncle remain in the light side of the Force, it doesn’t seem to. Instead, the flow-walking shows the way cycles of peace and war turn and turn — in the Star Wars universe as well as our own.

Megan Crouse

Megan Crouse writes for Star Wars Insider and Star Wars.com and is a co-host on Den of Geek's Star Wars podcast, Blaster Canon. Twitter: @blogfullofwords

Ahsoka Suggests Time Travel Is Coming To Star Wars – But This Isn't New

This article contains spoilers for "Ahsoka."

Sooner or later, every franchise tackles time travel. "SpongeBob SquarePants," "Game of Thrones," the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Family Guy," the Arrowverse, and even "Riverdale" have all sent characters spiraling through history at some point over the duration of their runs. On "Star Trek," of course, a journey to the past is just another day ending in "y" for the various members of Starfleet.

It begs the question: why hasn't that other long-running property with "Star" in the title taken a stab at time travel yet? Well, dear reader, I'm here to tell you that it has ... except, like so many of the most interesting elements of "Star Wars" these days, it's been limited to animation so far. In an intriguing development, however, it seems that may be changing as Lucasfilm Animation boss and "The Mandalorian" executive producer Dave Filoni continues his mission to bring the live-action and animated sides of a galaxy far, far away together.

The latest "Mandalorian" spinoff, "Ahsoka," sees Filoni acting as head writer, and he's already spent the first two episodes bringing some of the best characters and story threads from his "Star Wars" animated shows into the realm of live-action. Episode 2, "Toil and Trouble," even teases the prospect of time travel in the scene where Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) — the former Magistrate of Calodan whom we previously encountered on "The Mandalorian" — uses a star map to pinpoint the location of her absentee boss, the Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen). "Thrawn calls to me across time and space," she states at one point.

Sure, that sounds like the sort of vaguely mystical claptrap that "Star Wars" villains love to proclaim, but it could also be referencing something more concrete: The World Between Worlds.

The World Between Worlds

Among the many fascinating ideas Filoni introduced to the mythology of the Force on the animated series "Star Wars Rebels" is The World Between Worlds. Also known as the Vergence Scatter, this mysterious realm exists outside of time and space and manifests itself as a series of pathways leading to infinite doorways, each of which will take you to a specific place and moment in time. Think of the fifth-dimensional tesseract from "Interstellar" (or, to use the, ahem, scientific terminology, the space library ) and you'll have a rough idea of how The World Between Worlds functions.

Discovered by the Jedi in ancient times, The World Between Worlds is incredibly difficult to reach. There are mystical creatures that can venture there thanks to their intrinsic connection to the Force, but beyond that, there are very few ways for the mere mortals of the "Star Wars" universe to access it. That's undoubtedly for the best, though, given its potential to wreak havoc on history. Case in point: When "Rebels" hero Ezra Bridger accessed the realm through a long-lost Jedi Temple on Lothal, he was able to rescue Ahsoka Tano from her nearly-fatal showdown with Darth Vader on Malachor ... only for Emperor Palpatine to detect their presence via the dark side and nearly enter the realm himself before Ezra and Ahsoka stopped him.

Will "Ahsoka" feature a live-action version of The World Between Worlds? Morgan's dark side-wielding crony Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) claims Thrawn holds the key to "Power, such as you've never dreamed," which, coupled with Morgan's comment, could mean that Thrawn has somehow tapped into The World Between Worlds. Is that a stretch? Absolutely, but even the mere possibility of Thrawn being able to time travel is too darn exciting to dismiss out of hand.

New episodes of "Ahsoka" premiere Tuesdays at 6 pm PST/9 pm EST on Disney+.

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How the Star Wars Kessel Run Turns Han Solo Into a Time-Traveler

You’ll hear any reputable Star Wars fan point it out eventually: Han Solo's famous boast that the Millennium Falcon “made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs" may have sounded impressive, but from an astronomical perspective, it made no sense. A parsec is a unit of distance, not time, so why would Solo use it to explain how quickly his ship could travel?

There are two stories going on here. The first is that Solo's famous line of dialog was simply a mistake of terminology. The second – the one I choose believe – is far more interesting, because it means that when Obi-Wan sat down across from the wryly smiling Han Solo in that cramped cantina, he met a time-traveling smuggler born at least 40 years before the events of The Phantom Menace ever took place.

A Parsec by Any Other Name

First coined in 1913 by British astronomer Herbert Hall Turner, the term "parsec" is a portmanteau of "parallax" and "second," and is defined as the distance from the Sun to an object that has a one-arcsecond (1⁄3,600 of a degree) parallax. What this awesome-to-say description really means is that if you were to draw a straight line between an object and the Earth, and a straight line between the object and the Sun, if the angle between the lines is one-arcsecond, then the object is one parsec away – or 3.26 light-years.

According to Star Wars: The Essential Atlas , the Kessel Run was an 18-parsec (59 light-year) route used by smugglers to get around Imperial blockades. So why would Solo describe how quickly he traveled it using a word that described distance?

It turns out that the expanded universe of the Star Wars franchise – the additional books and content created within the Star Wars universe but outside of the films – contains an answer to that question. The Essential Atlas maps a Kessel Run whose path travels around “The Maw,” a cluster of black holes. To cut down on the distance traveled, pilots could dangerously skirt the edges of the black holes, while trying to avoid spaghettification. If Solo was a skilled enough – or crazy enough – pilot to deviate from the typical route and fly close enough to the black holes to cut nearly 20 light-years off his space odometer, then his ship was fast indeed — the power required to stay out of the gape of an event horizon is something worth bragging about.

Image: Star Wars: The Essential Atlas

So by being able to dance around singularities, the Millennium Falcon establishes itself as a fast ship – and Solo's famous brag makes sense. But this brings up a bigger, more inherent problem: The Kessel Run that Solo completed covered nearly 40 light-years of cosmos. If the blasters and speeders and starships of Star Wars more or less follow the laws of physics, taking that famous run even once would change the entire chronology of Han Solo’s life.

One Hour, Three Years

In A New Hope , Solo establishes that the Millennium Falcon can go “0.5 past light speed,” dashing the hope for a completely scientifically accurate discussion. Light speed is the universal speed limit, and nothing can outrun it, not even Han’s beloved vessel. Try as you might, E=mc 2 is our description of nature’s constant attempt to foil your “jump to hyperspace.”

So for the purposes of calculating the Kessel Run, let's say the Millennium Falcon is the fastest ship ever. Somehow able to withstand the forces involved (perhaps it has something to do with that sweet tractor-beam tech), we can calculate what happens when Han and his baby go 99.9999999 percent the speed of light, or 0.999999999c.

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t': This is the amount of time passing for a stationary observer. Because of special relativity, time dilates or expands outward as the moving observer travels faster and faster. The faster Han goes, the less time he experiences — even if we see him traveling over light years. t: This is the amount of time passing for a moving observer. This is what Han Solo experiences in the Millennuum Falcon.

v: This is the velocity of the moving observer — Han Solo. c: This is the speed of light in a vacuum or around 186,000 miles per second.At these ludicrous speeds, time itself contracts. The faster you go, the slower you wade through time’s river. A clock running on a ship moving 99.9999999 percent the speed of light actually ticks more slowly for someone on that ship than a clock for an outside observer. Not only do clocks obey this contraction, but biology does too. Anyone on a hypervelocity ship will age more slowly than those not on the ship. It’s an astonishing conclusion, but it’s how the world actually works. For example, if we transport a super-accurate atomic clock across the globe by plane , we have to correct for the discrepancy between it and another clock on the ground. After six months in the International Space Station, orbiting astronauts have aged 0.007 seconds less than the rest of us.

Unfortunately for Han Solo – and the larger hope of long-distance, high-speed travel – time only contracts for the person who's moving. It marches on the same for everyone else. Using the equation for time dilation, we can see how much slower Han’s clock ticks while on the Millennium Falcon traveling at 99.9999999 percent the speed of light. Experiencing just one hour on the Falcon, Han returns to find everyone three years older.

Because the shortened Kessel Run spans 12 parsecs (39.6 light-years), a ship traveling nearly light-speed would take a little more than 39.6 years to get there. Factoring in time dilation, anyone watching the Kessel Run would see Solo speeding along for almost 40 years, but Solo himself would experience only a little more than half a day.

If you haven’t picked out the potential pitfall for the Star Wars timeline I’ll spell it out: In the time it takes Han to complete just one Kessel Run, the rest of the galaxy battles, negotiates, and force-chokes its way through almost 40 years – and pushes the date of Solo's birth 40 years further into the past.

The Long Con

In the Expanded Universe of Star Wars material, the timeline is numbered using the designation BBY, or “Before the Battle of Yavin,” which is the mustering of the rebellion and the destruction of the first Death Star. According to this timeline, the Millennium Falcon was constructed in 60BBY, so we know that there couldn’t have been a Solo Kessel Run in it before then. We also know that Han Solo won the Falcon from Lando Calrissian in a card game at 2BBY. Lastly, we're told that Han is around 29 years old at 0BBY.

A 40-year Kessel Run would mean that Han is chronologically much older than his physical appearance would indicate. In order to appear 29 years old during A New Hope , Han would have to be 29 years old 40 years before the events of the film. This pushes his birthday back from 29BBY to 69BBY, meaning that Han would have been born before Obi-Wan. Of course, Solo would literally not age a day from when he started the run, but the rest of the galaxy would age without him. Taking the Kessel Run would mean that Solo was entering his teens long before Anakin Skywalker was born, trained, and turned to the Dark Side.

In this alternate, physics-friendly timeline, Han Solo and Lando Calrissian are born almost 70 years before they ever lay eyes on Princess Leia’s hair buns. Once they are both around 30, they bet the Millennium Falcon in a card game, which Lando loses (if Han did make a Kessel Run with the Falcon, he would have to have won it long before 2BBY). Han then takes Lando and his prize out for a spin and sets a record by navigating a shorter route close to the black holes of The Maw on a journey to Kessel. When they return, they remain around 30 years old, but almost four decades have passed, and the Empire is amassing its forces.

Of course, there is the warp drive loophole. If you can traverse less distance by folding space itself, there is no time dilation problem. But because Han made that “0.5 past light-speed” remark – and because a warp drive device is never explicitly mentioned in Star Wars , as it is in say, Star Trek: The Next Generation – we still have all the chronological problems that come along with forward-only time travel.

And even if Han never personally jumped in the “fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy” and made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, the chances are still pretty good he made the run without it. The Kessel Run was one of the most trafficked smuggling routes in the galaxy according to additional Star Wars canon. And Han was a seasoned smuggler at the time of A New Hope, already indebted to some unsavory slugs and charmingly shooting his way through Chia Pet-looking aliens. If he didn’t do it with the Falcon, he did it with some other ship. And a slower ship would only move his birth further into the past.

Extending the adventure in pedantry, we can graph the rapidly increasing age of Han Solo as a function of how many Kessel Runs he has been on. If we put his age at 29 in A New Hope , then each Kessel Run would cause his birthday to move further back into history. With only two runs under his belt, Han would be older, chronologically, than Emperor Palpatine.

One wonders how a smuggling run with such consequences could even work. Who has the foresight to smuggle something the other party won’t see for 40 years? And imagine how it would work for the smuggler. Off he goes on a Kessel Run, and barely 16 hours later – from his perspective – he returns to find a world changed: the remnants of a galactic clone war, the fall of one Jedi order and the rise of another, and the floating remnants of two Death Stars.

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This Mysterious Place Could Introduce Time Travelling to 'Ahsoka'

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Editor's Note: The following contains mild spoilers for Ahsoka Episodes 1 & 2.

The Big Picture

Star Wars Rebels introduced time travel through the World Between Worlds, allowing characters to alter the past and future in the franchise. We saw this when Ezra went back in time to save Ahsoka during her duel with Darth Vader.
The exact nature of time travel in Star Wars remains vague, leaving open the possibility of changing events and altering the canon.
Introducing time travel poses risks for the franchise, as it could disrupt continuity and potentially upset fans, making it crucial for future stories to build on what has come before.

Time travel and Star Wars seem like they should go hand in hand. The beloved sci-fi media franchise has made use of almost every kind of science fiction character or concept throughout its more than forty-year history, from robots to clones and including practically everything in between. Many characters in the Star Wars universe are able to perceive time in unusual ways through their connections to the Force, but actual physical travel between different points in time has remained exceedingly rare in the franchise and for a long time only occurred in obscure works in the Expanded Universe. It wasn’t until relatively recently that a more mainstream Star Wars project introduced time travel to the Disney-era canon. In the final season of the animated series Star Wars Rebels the lead characters discovered a mysterious realm called the World Between Worlds which seemingly allowed one of them to go back in time and make a major change to Star Wars history.

Rebels ’ fourth and final season focused on the main characters, the Rebel Alliance’s Spectre unit , returning to Lothal, home planet of Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger ( Taylor Gray ), to free it from occupation by the Galactic Empire. During the conflict, the team discovered that the Empire was devoting extensive resources to researching the planet’s ancient Jedi temple, which Ezra and his master, Kanan Jarrus ( Freddie Prinze Jr. ), had visited in the past. Hoping to find out why the Empire was so interested in it, Ezra and Sabine Wren ( Tiya Sircar ) snuck into the temple site. The Empire found that a section of the temple wall featured a painting of the Father ( Lloyd Sher ), Daughter ( Adrienne Wilkinson ), and Son ( Sam Witwer ) of Mortis, powerful Force-wielding beings that Anakin Skywalker ( Matt Lanter ), Ahsoka Tano ( Ashley Eckstein ), and Obi-Wan Kenobi ( James Arnold Taylor ) encountered in Star Wars: The Clone Wars . Ezra connected to the wall through the Force and paintings of local creatures called loth-wolves began moving, leading him to another section, where he found a portal that he then stepped through.

After stepping through the portal Ezra found himself in a mystical space, where voices from other points in time (including those of many other characters from the Star Wars franchise) could be heard and which featured doorways to other places and times. After wandering through the space for a time Ezra found Morai the convor, an owl-like creature he had often seen in Ahsoka’s company, perched atop one of the doorways. In the doorway, he saw Ahsoka in the midst of her fateful duel with Anakin (who by this time had taken his place as Darth Vader), which had occurred years prior. As the Sith temple around them began to crumble Ezra pulled Ahsoka through the doorway. Ahsoka described the space as “a world between worlds.”

RELATED: What Happened to Ezra Bridger Before 'Ahsoka'?

How Does Star Wars' Time Travel Work?

Rebels left the exact nature of the World Between Worlds’ time travel vague. It is unclear if Ezra actually changed the future by saving Ahsoka, or if his interference in her duel always occurred as part of a time loop, like the ones depicted in films such as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and The Terminator . When they left the World Between Worlds, Ahsoka went through a different door than Ezra and wasn’t seen again until the series finale, suggesting that she may have returned to her time and lived the intervening years naturally. It’s even possible that she was always fated to survive the duel, the outcome of which had always been intentionally vague, and that Ezra’s involvement didn’t really change things much. But if that’s the case it raises the question of why Ahsoka wouldn’t have returned to her Rebel allies, or at least let them know she was alive, sooner.

In addition, Ahsoka did convince Ezra not to save Kanan from dying when they saw his death in another doorway because she feared how this would change the present and future, meaning she at least believed it was possible to do so. Emperor Sheev Palpatine/Darth Sidious’ ( Ian McDiarmid ) interest in the World Between Worlds also makes the most sense if he could use it to control the future. In Rebels ’ final episodes, Ezra was brought before a hologram of the Emperor, who showed him that he had salvaged a piece of the Lothal temple. This was implied to have a connection to the World Between Worlds, as a doorway opened to a scene from Ezra’s childhood. Palpatine tried to tempt Ezra to go through the doorway and prevent his parents’ deaths, although the evil Sith Lord could have of course been lying and wanted Ezra to go through it for some other reason. But the way Palpatine spoke about it made it seem like he most likely wanted to use the World Between Worlds to control fate. Based on all of this the most likely conclusion is that the World does in fact create the possibility of altering the past and future.

Time Travel Is a Risky Introduction to Star Wars

Introducing time travel to mainstream Star Wars in this way was one of the boldest storytelling choices in the Disney era. But while this opens up a lot of exciting possibilities for the franchise’s future it also poses significant risks. It may be fun to imagine what would happen if say, Luke Skywalker ( Mark Hamill ) went back in time and met Anakin before his turn to the Dark Side, or if a character from the Prequel Trilogy was thrust into the time period of the Sequels, but events like this could also throw the franchise’s continuity into turmoil.

Films like the later installments in the Terminator series and X-Men: Days of Future Past used time travel to erase the consequences of storylines from some of their less popular predecessors, but this wouldn’t work for the Star Wars franchise. The history of Star Wars, or at least that of the live-action films, is so entrenched in popular memory that any significant changes to the canon, like bringing back a long-dead character or altering the outcome of a certain plot, would likely be wildly unpopular. There may be a vocal minority of viewers who would like it if the World Between Worlds was used to alter the events of the Sequel Trilogy , but ultimately the creators of future stories are better off building on what has come before, the good and the bad, rather than trying to change it.

It's uncertain if and where time travel will be used again in the franchise. The Ahsoka series is serving as a live-action sequel to Rebels , continuing many of its most significant storylines. This has led many fans to expect it to expand on the mythology of the World Between Worlds, but there is no guarantee this will happen. Between the search for the missing Ezra ( Eman Esfandi ) and Grand Admiral Thrawn ( Lars Mikkelsen ), Ahsoka’s ( Rosario Dawson ) dysfunctional partnership with Sabine ( Natasha Liu Bordizzo ), and the pair’s conflict with Dark Jedi Baylan ( Ray Stevenson ) and Shin ( Ivanna Sakhno ), the series already has a lot going on and adding in the World Between Worlds and time travel might make it too convoluted. It’s possible that these elements will remain exclusive to Rebels , where they served an important purpose by facilitating Ahsoka’s survival, without contradicting any of the more widely-known parts of canon.

TV Features
Star Wars: Rebels (2014)
Ahsoka (2023)

Ahsoka: Did the New Star Wars Series Just Introduce Time Travel?

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This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of Star Wars: Ahsoka on Disney+, as well as Star Wars Rebels The Star Wars galaxy is home to some truly outlandish sci-fi fantasy concepts. Whether it be with giant space whales that can travel faster than the speed of light or the First Order turning an entire planet into a giant superweapon capable of destroying multiple other planets at once, Star Wars fans have more than grown used to these crazy and often silly ideas. However, one of the strangest things to be introduced into the Star Wars canon has been a place called the “World Between Worlds,” which first appeared in the animated Star Wars Rebels series and has just reappeared in the new live-action Disney+ series Ahsoka .

When the World Between Worlds was first introduced in Rebels , it turned out to be a fairly controversial development for Star Wars fans. That is because many fans viewed it as Dave Filoni introducing the concept of time travel into the galaxy far, far away. If that’s true, bringing it back in Ahsoka could have major ramifications on the series and the future (and the history) of Star Wars as a whole. But is the World Between Worlds actually time travel? Only sort of. Here’s what we know:

The Nexus of Time and Space

When it was introduced in Rebels , the World Between Worlds was depicted as a realm that existed within the Force, beyond the confines of time and space. The show’s hero, Ezra Bridger, entered the realm through a doorway he opened at a Jedi Temple on the planet Lothal. The key to unlocking this doorway was hidden in a painting of three characters known as the Mortis Gods, who were first introduced in Filoni’s Clone Wars animated series and are way too complex to dive into in-depth here.

In short, they were gods of a sort with deep connections to the Force; one of them (the Daughter) embodied the Light, while another (the Son) was the Dark and the third (the Father) was the balance between the two. Given that Ezra entered the World Between Worlds through artwork of these characters, many fans believe they are directly tied to the realm in some way as well.

With all of that said, the World Between Worlds itself is a place that is a concentrated manifestation of the Star Wars galaxy and its extensive timeline. It connects everything together, binding it as the Force is often said to do. As Ezra explores the realm in Rebels , he hears voices from characters from throughout the past and future of the franchise, ranging from Yoda, Anakin Skywalker, and Qui-Gon Jinn to Rey, Kylo Ren, and Maz Kanata.

Essentially, the World Between Worlds exists as a realm from which everything that has happened or will happen in the Star Wars galaxy can be observed. Its real purpose is unknown, but the Jedi Order has studied it, and it is even written about in one of the ancient Jedi texts that Luke Skywalker kept on Acht-To in Episode VIII – The Last Jedi .

Related: Ahsoka: Breaking Down the Craziest Theories Half-Way Through the Star Wars Series

Its Use in Rebels

Ezra’s visit to the World Between Worlds only occurs within one episode in the final season of Rebels , so the realm has not been explored all that in depth. We are likely to get more information about it through its appearance in Ahsoka though. In Rebels , Ezra finds the entrance to this realm as he is investigating an Imperial operation at the Jedi Temple. Emperor Palpatine, aka Darth Sidious, had been searching for the entrance, as he believed controlling the World Between Worlds would mean having complete control of all the galaxy: past, present, and future.

While Ezra explores the realm, he encounters a myriad of different doorways that lead to different points and places in time. One of these doorways shows Ahsoka Tano’s battle with Darth Vader at the end of Rebels ’ second season . The young Jedi witnesses the battle and, just as Vader is about to kill Ahsoka, Ezra reaches out and pulls her through the doorway. He removed her from that point in time and brought her into the World Between Worlds with him. As the two survey the realm together, Ezra is tempted to go back and save the life of his master, Kanun Jarrus, as well, but Ahsoka explains to Ezra that they cannot change the past and that they must let things happen as they will.

Shortly after Ezra decides to leave Kanan’s fate as-is, Ahsoka and Ezra encounter Darth Sidious through one of the portals. Fearing he will gain access to the realm, they quickly flee, and Ezra seals the entrance. However, one key aspect to know is that Ahsoka returns to the time and place that she was taken from, rather than joining Ezra on Lothal.

This is crucial because the Rebels season two finale briefly showed Ahsoka leaving that location where she dueled Vader. She always survived, but it was not immediately clear how. Ezra pulling her out of the battle did not change the past , it showed how she had survived all along. That event had always happened, and her returning to that point closed the loop.

Related: Star Wars: Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano Feels Different from The Clone Wars, Here’s Why That’s a Good Thing

Limiting its Effect

The World Between Worlds is a tricky thing to introduce to Star Wars , because it does flirt very closely to time travel. By having Ahsoka return to her time in Rebels , Filoni avoided creating any sort of paradoxes within the Star Wars timeline. There were no Back to the Future 2 -style alternate futures created, nor, to borrow an MCU term, were there any branching timelines established. The Star Wars galaxy remained as it was and had always been. By bringing the World Between Worlds back in Ahsoka , Filoni is attempting to balance on the edge of that knife once again.

However, if he was able to show restraint with the realm before, we believe that he will be able to do so again here. Fans might be treated to some interesting and exciting flashbacks with Ahsoka and Anakin, but there would be no creative reason to go back and change things.

So does the inclusion of the World Between Worlds mean that Star Wars is about to become a franchise centered around time travel or the potential alternate universes that can span from it? No, not at all. If anything, we expect that Filoni will actively want to avoid that kind of storytelling for two clear reasons. One is that other franchises like Marvel and DC have really struggled with multiverse storytelling , and audiences have not been as compelled or excited about it as anticipated. Secondly, is that Filoni is not going to want to significantly alter the Star Wars canon.

Filoni has largely been very respectful of the wider Star Wars universe and the countless stories that have unfolded within it. He is not going to undermine all of that by introducing or embracing a method through which to change everything. In Ahsoka , we anticipate that the World Between Worlds will be a method through which to view the past and future, but not one to change it.

If it’s anything beyond that, it’ll maybe also be a means to transport Ahsoka to the other galaxy that Ezra and Thrawn reside in. It might make for some cool moments, but we doubt it'll be anything that will have ramifications affecting the whole franchise. It won’t be an easily accessible time-traveling device, because time travel is such a far cry from what makes Star Wars interesting, and if anyone is going to understand that, it’s Dave Filoni.

Ahsoka (2023)

Star Wars Has Time Travel, Ahsoka Might Explore What That Means

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After Andor Season 2, Lucasfilm Only Needs This Live-Action Star Wars Show

Tom welling offers update on animated smallville revival, young sheldon's georgie & mandy spinoff promo sees missy cooper return home.

Cast members on Disney+'s Ahsoka are wrapping up filming, and the series' principal photography should be completed soon. The series from George Lucas' own Padawan, Dave Filoni, is the most important new "saga" story on the way in part because Star Wars has time travel, and Ahsoka is the show that's probably going to explore that.

Ahsoka Tano is not a Skywalker, just like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Han Solo aren't. Yet, she is as tied to their saga as any character. Not bad for a character who, when first introduced , fans thought was sure to die. During the run of Star Wars Rebels , some fans thought Filoni did kill her. She was last seen fighting Darth Vader in the Season 2 finale episode. However, in the final season she appeared again, rescued by Ezra Bridger in a place called "The World Between Worlds." It introduced time travel, with limits, to save Ahsoka Tano. Still, even then Filoni said he didn't want to see this device used in the films or other stories. Yet, Filoni wanted a "place" in the Star Wars universe where "everything" came together. If he's ever going to revisit it, it will be in his first solo live-action series.

RELATED: Tales of the Jedi's Ahsoka Retcon Proves Star Wars Fans Should Let Go of Canon

How The World Between World Works in Star Wars

To make a long lore-y short, The World Between Worlds is a physical place that exists outside of space and time. Essentially, it's like being inside the Force. There are infinite gateways that open on different places and times, though characters are typically drawn to those that have personal meaning to them. Similarly, powerful Force users like Yoda can enter the space, and others like Palpatine want to control it. When Ezra rescued Ahsoka from Vader, he was from a later point in time than she was. In the time-travel game, we call that "a causality loop."

When Filoni announced her return, he did it using the slogan "Ahsoka lives." Yet, maybe she is supposed to die as everyone expected before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope ? Perhaps the Ahsoka story will carry her forward but end her journey back there in that temple on Malachor under her former master's blade. Yet would Dave Filoni ever kill his beloved Ahsoka? Would the fans even want that?

Another way The World Between Worlds might be used is to simply connect Ahsoka with important figures in the Force. Maybe the first time she met Luke Skywalker was there. It also could be how she tracks down Ezra on the series , since he used it to save her. While time travel may not actually come into play on Ahsoka , it's a safe bet The World Between Worlds will.

RELATED: Andor Is Star Wars for Adults - And There’s a Place for That

The Ahsoka Announcement Teased The World Between Worlds

When the Ahsoka series was announced during a Disney investors presentation, the title treatment was all there was. Yet, it was informative, at least for details-obsessed nerds. The design behind the letters and over the star field looks very much like The World Between Worlds. Similarly, that style of writing is often found in places strong with the Force. Also, the inclusion of characters from Rebels suggests that Ahsoka will sequelize the series in more than just plot. Star Wars Rebels was all about the Force , and with Rosario Dawson and the Volume at Filoni's disposal, this live-action series will be, too. The World Between Worlds is not so much a gateway to enter other worlds and times, but rather a source of knowledge. That's how it will be used.

Even if the time travel on Ahsoka goes beyond simply looking through one of the gates and seeing her and Anakin in the past, this will not become the norm in Star Wars . While a number of powerful Force users can potentially access The World Between Worlds, in our world it's a power that is likely exclusive to Dave Filoni.

Ahsoka is expected to debut on Disney+ in 2023.

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Ahsoka (2023)

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Does ‘star wars: the rise of skywalker’ trailer confirm time travel.

The arrival of a classic Star Wars villain in the trailer of 'Rise of the Skywalker' may confirm that a massive moment from 'Star Wars Rebels' might be coming to the movies.

By Rosie Knight

Rosie Knight

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An evil laugh at the end of the trailer Star Wars : Rise of Skywalker teases the return of Emperor Palpatine , something that feels fitting for the final chapter of the Skywalker saga and also raises a big question: how?

The answer may be time travel, something that has precedent in Star Wars canon.

To truly understand this theory, and why it actually makes a lot of sense, we have to look back at the final episodes of Star Wars Rebels . The fan-favorite animated series followed Ezra Bridges and a ragtag group of the titular heroes, taking place between the events of the final film in the prequel trilogy ( Episode III: Revenge of the Sith ) and the first entry of the classic trilogy ( Episode IV: A New Hope ). As the series wrapped up, the action began to center around an ancient Jedi Temple on the planet of Lothal, which the Empire appeared to have nefarious plans for. As viewers reached the 13th episode, “A World Between Worlds,” the Temple ended being at the core of the series’ largest and most universe-shaking revelation.

Under the Lothal Temple, accessed by an ever-shifting mural of the Mortis family — the Father, the Daughter and the Son, who were first introduced in George Lucas’ original Clone Wars series — was something unlike anything that had ever been seen in the galaxy far, far away. It was a giant portal, which acted as a gateway to any moment or place in the entire universe. As Ezra wandered the infinite paths, voices from the past and present of Star Wars echoed through the space. It was a startlingly moving moment and one that changed everything.

In the words of an Imperial Minister, what was introduced was “a pathway between all space and time … whoever controls it controls the universe.” Ezra proved the power of the portals by pulling Ahsoka Tano out of her time and saving her from almost certain doom in the Malachor Sith Temple. It was a confirmation of not only the power of the mysterious realm but also of the ability to travel through time and space within the Star Wars universe.

So what does any of this have to do with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ? Well, the reason that the Empire was interested in the Temple on Lothal was the ability that it would have given the Emperor to control the entire Galaxy, completely. The Emperor and his minions were the few people who knew about the spectacular powers that were buried under the Lothal Temple, and while he was defeated it doesn’t mean that one of his disciples or followers couldn’t have learned about the abilities of the realm and the possibilities of discovering a similar space again.

The Rise of Skywalker filmmaker J.J. Abrams has talked about how he wants this entry into the series to unite the three trilogies, and with the instantly recognizable cackle of Palpatine and the arrival of actor Ian McDiarmid onstage after the trailer first played at Star Wars Celebration, it seems to confirm that the ultimate evil from has once again returned. But, of course, fans who have watched Star Wars were wondering how, and the events of “A World Between Worlds” seem to hint at an answer to that burning question.

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Star Wars Timeline: Every Movie, Series And More

Ask any Star Wars fan about which film sits where on the timeline of the galaxy far, far away, and they’re most likely tell you it’s simple – before, five minutes later, ranting and raving with a web of red string and a whiteboard, in the style of the Charlie Day Always Sunny meme. With three film trilogies, two spin-off movies, multiple animated series, several live-action shows, canonical video games, plus an entire era so far only explored in novels and comics, the Star Wars timeline has never been bigger – and it’s always expanding in multiple directions.

To keep things simple, we’re breaking down all the big stuff in order – every film, series, and need-to-know era, including a handful of stories that haven’t even reached us yet. We’re making it easy for you, so all you need to know is that ‘BBY’ and ‘ABY’ mean ‘Before the Battle of Yavin’, and – you guessed it – ‘After the Battle of Yavin’, referring to the blowing up of the Death Star at the end of the original Star Wars , aka Episode IV – A New Hope . Seatbelts on, course plotted, hyperspace jump ready: punch it.

Dawn Of The Jedi

This one’s hot off the press – at Star Wars Celebration 2023 , it was unveiled that Logan and Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny director James Mangold will be making a Star Wars film , set many thousands of years before the main series, during the newly-minted ‘Dawn Of The Jedi’ era. Until Mangold’s film moves into production, this is mostly a mystery – but the time period involves the discovery of the Force, and the emergence of the first Jedi.

The Old Republic

Is The Old Republic even canon anymore? Possibly not – but it is a hugely popular era among fans, as depicted in video games like Knights Of The Old Republic , Knights Of The Old Republic II: The Sith Lords , and online multiplayer experience Star Wars: The Old Republic . And ‘old’ really means ‘old’ – this is still multiple millennia before Luke and Leia were even a twinkle in Anakin’s rapidly-yellowing eyes. This era sees the Jedi-packed (old) Republic hit with the resurgence of the Sith, the wrath of Darth Malak – and most importantly, Malak’s Sith master Darth Revan. (Spoiler alert: Revan turns out to be, well, you .) It remains to be seen whether The Old Republic will be brought back into continuity at some point, or whether elements of the era will become canonical.

The High Republic

500-100 BBY

Recently established in a run of novels and comics , The High Republic era sees the Jedi at, well, their height. It’s an opulent time where the Order is flourishing – there are Force-users everywhere, with a general aura of peace and progress. There's a real sense of expansion too, with hyperspace routes still being mapped out, and the Starlight Beacon space station offering an outpost on the fringes of the galaxy. Think medieval-meets-Wild West, and you’re partway there. But there’s threat, too, from Viking-esque group the Nihil, rampaging for whatever they can get their hands on. While The High Republic is being mapped out on the page – there are adult novels, YA novels, kids stories, and comics that all cross over with each other, set across a broad 400-year timespan – it’s finally making its way to the screen in…

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures

For the most part, this is relevant mainly to young kids – think the Star Wars equivalent of Spidey And His Amazing Friends , or Paw Patrol with tiny Jedi instead of pups. But Young Jedi Adventures is, technically, our first screen media set in the High Republic, concerning a group of plucky Padawans – Kai Brightstar, Lys Solar, and Nubs – as they learn the ways of the Jedi (sometimes from Yoda himself – he’s a sprightly 664 years old at this point in the timeline).

The Acolyte

For older viewers, Disney+ series The Acolyte is the best way to witness the High Republic on screen – set 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace . Since it takes place at the end of the High Republic era, the story of Jedi-killing assassin Mae (Amandla Stenberg), her Jedi-trained twin sister Osha (um, also Amandla Stenberg) and several fellow Jedi ‘heroes’ – Carrie-Anne Moss’ Force-fuing Master Indara, Lee Jung-Jae’s Master Sol, Charlie Barnett’s Yord, and Dafne Keen’s Padawan Jecki – will indicate how that time of plentiful Jedi led to the re-emergence of the Sith. The series is devised by Leslye Headland, co-creator of Russian Doll , who pitched The Acolyte as ‘ Frozen meets Kill Bill ’ – boasting martial arts-inspired Force fights, and plenty of narrative mysteries to uncover.

Episode I – The Phantom Menace

The Skywalker Saga begins – not with a bang but with, er, trade negotiations. Yippee! The first chapter in George Lucas’ prequel trilogy is both the story of Jake Lloyd’s young Anakin Skywalker (fated to become Darth Vader) being rescued from servitude by Jedi duo Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (hello there, Ewan McGregor), and a look at how the Empire’s eventual rise began with political meddling and Sith-flavoured subterfuge in the highest halls of power. Spoiler: the ‘Phantom Menace’ is Senator Sheev Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), aka Darth Sidious, the man who’ll later become the Emperor, pulling the strings on a manufactured dispute to destabilise the Republic. More likely, you’ll remember the podrace set-piece, the astonishing ‘Duel Of The Fates’ lightsaber battle as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan face off against Palpatine’s apprentice Darth Maul (resulting in Qui-Gon’s noble end, and Maul being sliced in two), and the slapstick antics of one Jar Jar Binks.

Episode II – Attack Of The Clones

The middle film in the prequel trilogy leaps forward a decade after The Phantom Menace – Anakin Skywalker is now not only Hayden Christensen-shaped, but a hater of sand, a beginner at flirting, and a fully-fledged Padawan apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi (still McGregor). Attack Of The Clones is both a romance, and a conspiracy thriller: while Anakin pursues a secret love affair with Naboo royalty Padmé Amidala (let’s gloss over the fact that she met him when he was a small child in Phantom ), Obi-Wan is on a trail to find the truth behind an assassination attempt on Padmé’s life. That path leads him to discover that a clone army is being created, ordered by a long-dead Jedi, supposedly intended to help the Republic. So far, so suspicious. After tussling with clone DNA source (and bounty hunter) Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison), Obi-Wan eventually learns that Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) was behind the murder plot, and is Darth Sidious’ latest apprentice. Anakin secretly marries Padmé, and prepares to fight alongside Obi-Wan in…

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

While Yoda declared, “Begun, the Clone War has” at the end of Attack Of The Clones , the conflict was never depicted in the movies. Enter The Clone Wars , a theatrically-released animated 2008 film (directed by Dave Filoni, no less) that kicked off a seven-season cartoon series , exploring what Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Padmé got up to while fighting alongside the clone army, against Count Dooku’s Separatists. Told across 133 episodes, comprising various story arcs, presented in non-chronological order, with a vast amount of expanded lore – from Mandalorians to Sith holocrons, with entire new planets and races introduced – The Clone Wars is almost a whole galaxy unto itself. Most importantly, it introduces Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein), a Jedi Padawan to Anakin Skywalker who eventually decides to leave the Jedi Order after feeling betrayed by them when framed for murder. And the final few episodes of The Clone Wars ’ final season take place concurrently with…

Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith

The final chapter of the prequel trilogy sees Anakin Skywalker finally become Darth Vader – turned to the Dark Side under the influence of Palpatine, who’s eventually revealed as the mastermind behind the collapse of the Republic. Padmé is pregnant, and Anakin is suffering nightmare visions of her dying in childbirth. Having already lost his mother during Attack Of The Clones , Anakin vows to save Padmé – and is told by Palpatine that only the powers of the Dark Side can allow that to happen. The real sting in Palpatine’s plan to kick-start the Galactic Empire is executing Order 66 – a genetically-encoded decree to the clone army to turn against their Jedi allies and slaughter them all, wiping out near every Jedi in the galaxy. A Dark Side-leaning Anakin battles Obi-Wan on the lava-strewn planet of Mustafar – where Obi-Wan eventually gets the high ground, and Anakin loses limbs and falls into the fire. As Anakin is encased in his life-saving Darth Vader armour, Padmé dies giving birth… to twins! She names them Luke and Leia, and Obi-Wan places them in separate care – Leia with Senator Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) on Alderaan, Luke with Uncle Owen (Joel Edgerton) and Aunt Beru (Bonnie Piesse) on Tatooine – to protect their lives.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch

The Clone Wars ended around the events of Revenge Of The Sith – and The Bad Batch is effectively its sequel series, concerning a squad of rogue clone mercenaries, Clone Force 99, on the run after witnessing the atrocities of Order 66. With the Clone Wars over, the members of Clone Force 99 – that’s Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Crosshair and Echo (all voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) – are not only figuring out their place in the galaxy in the early days of the Empire, but looking after young girl Omega (Michelle Ang); a female clone drawn from the same Jango Fett DNA as the rest of the Batch. Evading the new Imperial regime, the Batch undertake dangerous missions, uncover clone conspiracies, and pull on threads that gesture towards Palpatine’s death-defying master plan.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

The Jedi games are the most story-driven Star Wars video games in recent memory, and are designed as official canon. They put players in the hardy leather boots of Cal Kestis (Cameron Monaghan) – a Jedi who survived Order 66 (but whose master, Jaro Tapal, did not). Five years after the noble knights were slaughtered en masse, Cal finds himself forced out of hiding and chased down by the Inquisitors – Vader’s personal hit-squad of Jedi-hunters (themselves former Jedi, turned to the Dark Side), first introduced in Star Wars Rebels ; keep reading for more on that. Along with chirpy droid BD-1, Jedi-turned-mercenary Cere, grouchy alien Greez, and spooky Nightsister Merrin, Cal traverses the galaxy in the Stinger Mantis ship, pushing countless Stormtroopers off cliffs and avoiding being bisected by Inquisitors along the way. His journey takes him to Darth Maul’s home of Dathomir, Wookiee planet Kashyyyk, and the Fortress Inquisitorius (the Inquisitors’ sleek Apple-gone-goth base), facing off against the likes of the Ninth Sister, the Second Sister – and, eventually, Vader himself.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Ever wondered what legendary smuggler Han Solo got up to a decade before swaggering into A New Hope ? Probably not – but Solo fills in the blanks, with Alden Ehrenreich playing the younger version of Harrison Ford’s original trilogy hero. It begins with a prologue in 13 BBY, as Han evades capture from a local gang on Corellia – unlike his lucky pal Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), who’s captured – and signs up to become an Imperial pilot. Cut to three years later, and Han deserts an Imperial battle and is swept up in a mission to swipe valuable fuel for dangerous gangster Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany), who’s since added Qi’ra to his ranks. Along the way we discover the origin of the surname ‘Solo’, see Han’s first meeting with Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), witness the legendary Kessel Run, and watch Han win the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover). Plus, there’s a greater exploration of the galaxy’s criminal underworld, and a cameo from Darth Maul – having survived his ‘death’ in The Phantom Menace , as revealed in The Clone Wars . For now, that tease is yet to be capitalised upon in live-action.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

A decade after Revenge Of The Sith , Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor, again) is not in a good place – physically or emotionally. In a literal sense, he’s carving out a simple life as ‘Ben’, hiding out off the radar in a Tatooine cave. Spiritually, he’s racked with PTSD and guilt over losing his former Padawan to the Dark Side, and losing his entire Jedi Order to Order 66, and losing Padmé, and losing his old master Qui-Gon Jinn, and… well, he’s lost a lot. While he’s keeping an eye over young Luke Skywalker from a distance, his mission in Obi-Wan Kenobi is to rescue young Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) – kidnapped by bounty hunters, drawing Obi-Wan out into the path of Vader’s Jedi-hunting Inquisitor squad. The headline event is two lightsaber-clashing rematches between Obi-Wan and Vader, carefully skirting the edges of canon to set up their final duel in A New Hope – and elsewhere, there’s an Attack Of The Clones flashback for Obi-Wan and Anakin, a fascist moleman, and a live-action trip to the Fortress Inquisitorius.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Cal Kestis returns! The second Jedi game takes place five years after Fallen Order – placing it pretty much concurrently with Obi-Wan Kenobi . And there are elements that cross over – most notably, the notion of the ‘Hidden Path’, an Underground Railroad-style effort to provide safe passage for Force-sensitive people while the Empire tries to snuff the final Jedi remnants out. The Survivor plot sees Cal reunite with Cere, Greez and Merrin, on the hunt for the hidden planet of Tanalorr, after spending time working under uncompromising resistance fighter Saw Gerrera. On the way, there are ties to The High Republic’s Nihil, more appearances from Vader, and a trip to the planet Jedha – spectacularly exploded in Rogue One . A third Cal Kestis game hasn’t been unveiled yet, but is expected; if it leaps forward five more years, that’d place it in line with…

Star Wars Rebels

As its name implies, animated series Rebels is set against the backdrop of the rising Rebellion, in the run-up to the events of A New Hope . But primarily, its central character is Force-sensitive youngster Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray), a canny thief from the planet Lothal, who is swept up into the crew of the Ghost: Twi’lek pilot Hera Syndulla (Vanessa Marshall), beefy Lasat warrior Zeb Orrelios (Steve Blum), paint-spraying Mandalorian Sabine Wren (Tiya Sircar), cantankerous droid Chopper and Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.). As Ezra trains under Kanan, the Ghost crew’s anti-Imperial efforts become part of the wider Rebellion – coming into contact with Ahsoka Tano, Mon Mothma, Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian and more as they face danger from Vader, the Inquisitors, Darth Maul, and eventually Grand Admiral Thrawn. In the finale – SPOILER WARNING – Ezra makes a desperate bid to free Lothal from Imperial rule, blasting himself and Thrawn to who-knows-where with the help of hysperspace-travelling creatures the Purrgil.

The Rogue One prequel series is almost a live-action, adult-oriented companion piece to Rebels – set roughly across the same time period, and exploring the history of Rebel fighter Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as he’s drawn further into the cause. While it’s Andor’s name in the title, it’s really an ensemble show exploring the key figures in the fightback – from Genevieve O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma, plotting against the Empire while working in the Senate, to Stellan Skarsgård’s Luthen Rael, co-ordinating disparate rebel efforts into an organised network. Plus, we see the story from the Empire’s side too, with Denise Gough’s terrifying Dedra Meero working her way through the ranks, while the snivelling Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) pines for her approval. Season 1 is set across one year – 5 BBY – and offers chilling visions of the prison-industrial complex (Andor is held captive and forced to build Death Star parts), explorations of widespread dissent (the Ferrix funeral uprising), and a real sense of what Imperial rule means (the occupation of Aldhani). Season 2 will leap forward a year every three episodes , covering 4-0 BBY, and leading directly into …

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

In the opening text crawl of A New Hope , we’re told that “Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR” – information that turns the tide of the entire war. Rogue One is the story of how – and by whom – those plans were stolen. The answer is, by a ragtag group of scrappy oddballs on a suicide mission. Leading the story is Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), raised by Rebel extremist Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) after her father Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) was forcibly recruited by the Empire to build the Death Star. Primarily looking to reunite with her dear old dad, she’s swept up into the cause by Cassian Andor – working with sarcastic, gangly droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), blind monk Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen), burly brawler Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen), and defecting Imperial pilot Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed) to pilfer the schematics from tropical planet Scarif. They succeed – but none make it out alive. Plus, Vader pops up in his lightsaber-swinging pomp, Grand Moff Tarkin appears via a CGI Peter Cushing, and it closes on a de-aged Leia speaking the all-important word: “Hope.”

Episode IV – A New Hope

The film that started it all. Luke Skywalker, now 19 and played by Mark Hamill, is bored of his dry, desert life on Tatooine and pines for a more exciting existence among the stars. And he gets it – taken under the wing of Obi-Wan Kenobi (now Alec Guinness) when he buys droid R2-D2, who just happens to contain those all-important Death Star schematics. With smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford), his furry pal Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and protocol droid C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) on board, they set out in the Millennium Falcon to rescue no-nonsense Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) from the clutches of Darth Vader (David Prowse in body, James Earl Jones in soul), before aiding the Rebellion in blowing the Death Star to smithereens. Medals all round (except for you Chewie, sorry big guy). With the Battle Of Yavin won by the Rebels, we’re finally heading into the ‘ABY’ portion of the timeline.

Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

Three years after losing the Death Star, the Empire is not best pleased. And strike back it does – unleashing a ferocious attack on the Rebel base of ice planet Hoth, sending our heroes scattered to the winds. Luke heads off to meet Master Yoda (Frank Oz) on Dagobah after being prompted by a vision of Obi-Wan’s Force ghost. Han, Leia, C-3PO and Chewie flee in the Falcon, pursued by bounty hunter Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch) – and when they hole up on Cloud City under the protection of gambler Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), he betrays them to Darth Vader. It all ends in tragedy: Han is encased in Carbonite to be held captive by gangster Jabba the Hutt; Yoda senses some dangerous Dark Side leanings in Luke, who leaves his training early; Luke battles Vader, loses a hand – and learns that the Sith Lord isn’t his father’s murderer, but his actual father. Bummer.

Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi

The original trilogy concludes a year after the events of The Empire Strikes Back . Luke (now with robotic hand), Leia, C-3PO and R2-D2 sneak into Jabba’s palace on Tatooine to rescue Han – and get captured in the process. Before they can be fed to the Sarlacc, the gang fight back – Leia strangles Jabba to death, Han knocks Boba Fett into the Sarlacc’s maw, and Luke swings his shiny new green lightsaber around. From there, the ultimate fight back against the Empire unfolds. Luke returns to Dagobah to reunite with a dying Yoda, who reveals that Leia is his twin sister – and also Force-sensitive. Meanwhile, Han and Leia head to the forest moon of Endor (home to the adorable but deadly Ewoks) where they can lower the shield on the Empire’s second Death Star – seemingly only half-built, but secretly fully operational. With the Ewoks’ help, they lower the defenses; Luke battles Vader once more and brings him back to the light, Anakin’s last act being to chuck the Emperor down the Death Star’s reactor core; Lando, fighting with the Rebellion, takes out the Death Star 2.0. The Empire is defeated! Yub nub!

The Mandalorian: Season 1 & 2

Five years after the end of the original trilogy, in swaggers The Mandalorian . Din Djarin’s (Pedro Pascal, chiefly) adventures are set in the New Republic era – with the galaxy pulling itself back together after the fall of the Empire, and plenty of criminal opportunities (and die-hard Imperial remnants) awaiting in the Outer Rim. It’s in those shady backwaters that the Beskar-clad bounty hunter is hired by The Client (Werner Herzog) to track down the artist formerly known as Baby Yoda, likely for nefarious ends – until Din takes the child under his wing and goes on the run, avoiding the clutches of evil Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). Along the way, they encounter a Mudhorn, a Frog Lady, blue macarons, and heroes including Carl Weathers’ Greef Karga. Plus, Ahsoka Tano pops up in Rosario Dawson form to reveal Baby Yoda’s name as Grogu; Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) shows up as an ally to Mando, having officially escaped the Sarlacc pit; and Luke Skywalker eventually enters to take Grogu and teach him the ways of the Force, with Din removing his Mandalorian helmet (a big no-no) to bid a proper goodbye to his little green boy. Tears all around.

The Book Of Boba Fett

Jumping off the events of The Mandalorian Season 2 , Boba Fett heads back to Tatooine with mercenary Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) in tow, bumping Bib Fortuna off Jabba’s former throne, and asserting himself as a local crime lord. Along the way we get flashbacks to his escape from the Sarlacc in Return Of The Jedi , moody visions of his time spent in the desert with the Tusken Raiders, and present-day power tussles with the Hutt Twins and the Pyke Syndicate. Crucially, we also get two major Mandalorian-centric episodes – one depicting Din Djarin’s lonely journeys in the stars without Grogu by his side, and one showing us Grogu’s training under Luke Skywalker (with important visits from both Ahsoka and Din). Ultimately, Grogu (now having unlocked ‘front-flips’ among other Force abilities) chooses to return to his Mando-dad rather than stay with Luke – and the two reunite during a scuffle on Tatooine, in which Mando helps Boba Fett fight back against the Pykes. Oh, and Boba Fett rides a marauding Rancor. It’s a whole thing.

The Mandalorian: Season 3

Frankly, the passing of time in the ‘ Mando -verse’ isn’t too clear. But according to Jon Favreau, Mando and Grogu were apart for a good while prior to their The Book Of Boba Fett reunion. Either way, by The Mandalorian Season 3 , two years have passed since the duo first found each other. Together, they head to the long-bombed-out remnants of Mandalore so that Din Djarin can bathe in the Living Waters and repent for his helmet removal. Along the way, he re-teams with stoic Mandalorian warrior Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), who wants the mythical one-off Darksaber that Din won from Moff Gideon at the end of Season 2. The trio reunite several Mandalorian factions and, led by the Darksaber-wielding Bo-Katan, eventually reclaim Mandalore together – taking Moff Gideon out in a ball of flame to boot. There’s also a greater exploration of the New Republic – welcoming in supposedly-rehabilitated former Imperials, struggling under mountains of bureaucracy, and facing threat from the secret Shadow Council who plot its demise. By season’s end , Mando has officially adopted Grogu, living it up together in their cosy new Navarro homestead, with all the frogs Grogu can eat. This is the way.

The events of Ahsoka act as a Rebels sequel-of-sorts – and are concurrent with Mando Season 3, delving further into the New Republic era. Investigating rumours of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s (Lars Mikkelsen) return, Ahsoka teams up with Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) to follow the clues. The wrinkle? In the years since Rebels ended, Ahsoka tried taking on Sabine (a Mandalorian, if you recall) as a Jedi Padawan – which ended less-than-well. The pair try to repair their frosty bond while Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) warns the ambivalent New Republic leaders of Thrawn’s impending return, being facilitated by Morgan Elsbeth. Somewhat seismically, it turns out the Purrgil space-whales – SPOILER ALERT! – zapped Thrawn and Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) to an entirely separate galaxy, to which nefarious Jedi-turned-mercenary Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) is hoping to travel, with his apprentice Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) in tow. Come season’s end, Thrawn and Ezra have returned to the main Star Wars galaxy, while Ahsoka, Sabine, and Baylan and Shin are stranded on Peridea in the galaxy far, far away. Oh, and Ahsoka has a vision quest to Force-realm the World Between Worlds where she encounters Clone Wars -era Anakin in live-action. Trauma: resolved!

Skeleton Crew

After Ahsoka , the next story in the Mando -verse will be Skeleton Crew – the series overseen by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, concerning a group of adventurous kids who get more than they bargained for when they leave their peaceful planet for the vastness of space. While the directors and cast members (including Jude Law as a mysterious new Jedi , and Marti Matulis as pirate Vane, as seen in Mando Season 3) have been confirmed, little is known about the show so far. That includes exactly when it takes place, though you’d imagine it arrives after the existing adventures of Mando, Grogu and Ahsoka. We’ll find out when the series finally lands, later in 2024.

The Mandalorian & Grogu

It’s official: Mando and Grogu will be back. But – at least for now – not in The Mandalorian Season 4. Instead, they’re heading to the big screen in a feature film to be directed by Jon Favreau, with Dave Filoni and Kathleen Kennedy producing. Next-to-nothing is known yet on what the film will involve (could they be facing the newly-returned Grand Admiral Thrawn? A new plot from the seemingly-deceased Moff Gideon? A blue macaron raid?), or how long after Season 3 it'll take place – but it’s going into production in 2024, expected to hit cinemas in summer 2026.

Dave Filoni’s Untitled Movie

Dave Filoni – Star Wars Celebration 2023

Another relative unknown, for now, is the Dave Filoni-directed movie announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023. But this, too, will be taking place in the Mando -verse , expected to tie in characters like Din Djarin, Grogu, Ahsoka, and Grand Admiral Thrawn. This one will arrive after The Mandalorian & Grogu movie, and the confirmed Ahsoka Season 2, but it's unknown how many other adventures are expected to play out before Filoni goes cinematic . As such, it’s impossible to say exactly which year his film will be set in – but expect it to be an important part of the story of the New Republic era, prior to the events that kick off the Sequel Trilogy in 34 ABY.

Star Wars Resistance

The sequel era technically begins here. Animated series Resistance starts six months before The Force Awakens , with plucky pilot Kazuda Xiono (Christopher Sean) tasked by Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) to spy on the inhabitants of the Colossus, a sea-bound refuelling platform on watery planet Castilon. Working with mechanics Jarek Yeager (Scott Lawrence), Tam Ryvora (Suzie McGrath), chatty green alien Neeku (Josh Brener), and droid Bucket, Kaz watches for signs of the First Order – which, over the course of Season 1, encroaches more and more on the station with visits from Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) and the gold-plated Commander Pyre (Liam McIntyre). Near the season’s end it syncs up with Force Awakens , showing us General Hux’s speech on Starkiller Base as the new war truly begins. In Season 2, set during and after The Last Jedi , the Colossus (revealed to be more a ship than a station) searches for a new home while evading First Order attacks – including from Tam, sucked in by propaganda to become a TIE Fighter pilot. Tam eventually defects, the Colossus destroys Pyre’s Star Destroyer, and the show concludes prior to the events of The Rise Of Skywalker .

Episode VII – The Force Awakens

Three decades after the end of Return Of The Jedi , the next era unfolds. As the First Order begins taking over the New Republic, scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) crosses paths with droid BB-8, who holds information as to the location of the long-lost Luke Skywalker (a returning Mark Hamill) planted on him by Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Isaac). Rey and BB-8 then encounter defected stormtrooper Finn, formerly FN-2187 (John Boyega), and together escape desert planet Jakku in the Millennium Falcon. From there, Rey meets Han Solo (Ford) and Chewbacca, discovers she’s Force-sensitive, and is accosted by the villainous Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) – revealed as the son of Han and General Leia Organa (Fisher), turned to the Dark Side by Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). After the First Order destroys New Republic capital Hosnian Prime with its super-sized Death Star dupe Starkiller Base, Finn, Chewie and Han save Rey; Kylo Ren kills Han Solo in cold blood; Poe Dameron blows up Starkiller Base; and Rey heads to Ahch-To to find Luke, where she hands his old lightsaber out towards him…

Episode VIII – The Last Jedi

…and he promptly chucks it over his shoulder. The Last Jedi picks up exactly where The Force Awakens left off – with Rey trying to coax a reluctant Luke out of exile, and the First Order retaliating against the Resistance by, well, blowing up their entire base. As the dregs of the Resistance stay barely one step ahead of the advancing First Order – while rapidly losing fuel – Poe Dameron proposes a mutinous side-mission: dispatching Finn and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) to Canto Bight to hire a hacker who can stop the First Order tracking our heroes through hyperspace. Their reckless plan fails, as does Rey’s attempt to redeem Kylo Ren, who she’s now inadvertently communing with via the Force. Together, the duo take down Snoke and his Praetorian Guard – but Ren steps up as the new Supreme Leader, and Rey (who is told her long-lost parents were nobodies) is left to escape to Crait, where a handful of Resistance survivors await their doom. Thankfully, Luke – after some nudging from Yoda’s Force Ghost – turns up on Crait for a showdown with Kylo Ren. Or, the image of Luke projected through the Force does – distracting the First Order long enough for the Resistance to escape. The effort kills Luke, who becomes one with the Force amid an Ahch-To sunset – and his brave stand becomes an inspiring new legend that spreads across the galaxy.

Episode IX – The Rise Of Skywalker

One year after The Last Jedi , the Resistance has rebuilt its ranks. Good job, since the First Order has too – its forces bolstered by Sith cultists on the hidden planet of Exegol, where a resurrected Palpatine clone prepares the Final Order. As Rey, Finn, Poe, C-3PO and Chewie venture off to find a Sith Wayfinder that will show them the path to Exegol, Rey and Kylo Ren’s Force connection grows stronger – turns out, they’re a Force Dyad, their powers linked since Kylo Ren is Vader’s grandson, and Rey is – gasp! – Palpatine’s granddaughter (or, the daughter of a failed, benevolent Palpatine clone). On the Death Star 2.0 wreckage, Rey kills Kylo Ren, who’s already being drawn back to the light by Leia, reaching out to him through the Force in her dying moments. Rey revives Ren using the Force, and he returns as Ben Solo. Together, they fight Palpatine on Exegol, while the Resistance – including Lando Calrissian – battles the Final Order’s massive army with the help of people across the galaxy inspired by Luke’s stand on Crait. Rey communes with the entire lineage of the Jedi and destroys Palpatine – and shares a quick kiss with Ben Solo, who promptly dies. Not because of the kiss (we don’t think). Rey buries Luke and Leia’s sabers on Tatooine, before naming herself Rey Skywalker. Peace is restored. Again! Yub nu- wait, wrong trilogy.

New Jedi Order

As it stands, The Rise Of Skywalker is the furthest-forward point of the Star Wars timeline – but not for long. The next era will be the ‘New Jedi Order’ , with none other than Jedi Master Rey building up a whole new generation of Force users, 15 years after the end of the Skywalker Saga. Other details are scarce for now, but a film exploring this very idea is set to be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, from a script by Steven Knight . To be continued….

Odds and Ends

Star Wars: Tales Of The Jedi

This series of animated shorts is canon – but it doesn’t slot neatly in the timeline. That’s because the episodes of Tales Of The Jedi zip about chronologically, offering glimpses at specific snippets of time along the way. Season 1 has six episodes, three concerning Ahsoka Tano and three concerning the exploits of a younger Count Dooku. The Ahsoka strand begins with her at one year old (taking place roughly a handful of years before The Phantom Menace ), then picks up with her being trained by Anakin during the Clone Wars, and closes with her evading Inquisitors post- Revenge Of The Sith . The Dooku thread begins with the Count as a Jedi Master, training a young Qui-Gon Jinn, over 25 years before the prequel trilogy begins, and ends with his secret conversion to the Dark Side under the influence of Darth Sidious – in the same year as The Phantom Menace .

Star Wars: Tales Of The Empire

Effectively Season 2 of Tales Of The Jedi , Tales Of The Empire presents six more bite-sized shorts – this time exploring the trajectories of two characters as the Empire rises. One of them is Barriss Offee, the disillusioned Jedi who bombed the Temple (and framed Ahsoka for it) back in The Clone Wars . Freed from her life imprisonment, she’s brought to Vader to become an Inquisitor, and faces some seriously dark decisions as a consequence. Also mired in murk is the story of Morgan Elsbeth (of Mando Season 2 and Ahsoka ), whose childhood among the Nightsisters is depicted here, burned to ashes as Dathomir is ravaged in the Clone Wars. Then, we see her joining forces with Grand Admiral Thrawn while the Galactic Empire reigns, ahead of their team-up in Ahsoka .

Star Wars Visions

Undoubtedly, Visions is one of the coolest explorations of the Star Wars galaxy – allowing international animation studios to play with the iconography of cinema’s greatest space opera. In Volume 1 , its focus was entirely on Japanese anime studios. For Volume 2 , that expanded to contributions from around the globe – including a UK entry, Aardman’s ‘I Am Your Mother’ . Crucially, though, they’re not canon – part of the ‘anything goes’ interpretations that make Visions shorts so distinctive and boundlessly creative. Well worth watching, then, but impossible to place on a timeline.

Star Wars: Clone Wars

Before The Clone Wars , there was 2003’s Clone Wars – from cult cartoonist Genndy Tartakovsky. Told in a distinctive 2D animation style across 25 episodes, it offered the first interpretation of what exactly went down after Attack Of The Clones , with Obi-Wan, Yoda, Mace Windu, Count Dooku, Padmé Amidala, Palpatine, General Grievous, Kit Fisto, Qui-Gon Jinn, Ki-Adi-Mundi and more caught up in the conflict. It’s no longer considered canon, though – and crucially doesn’t feature Ahsoka Tano, one of the most important figures of the canonical Clone Wars material. It did, however, influence the stylised look of the 2008 The Clone Wars movie and series, and introduced elements that crossed over – like the villainous Asajj Ventress.

Star Wars Holiday Special

The original Holiday Special is legendarily terrible – disowned by basically everyone involved following its 1978 debut on America’s CBS network. It isn’t considered canon, and while there’s a central narrative around Chewbacca returning to Kashyyyk to celebrate ‘Life Day’, it’s also a variety show featuring a (favourably remembered) Boba Fett cartoon segment, musical numbers, and comedy skits. To this day, it’s not available to view on any official channels, though the animated Boba Fett sequence is on Disney+. Let’s never speak of Chewbacca’s son Lumpy ever again.

LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special

LEGO’s Holiday Special is a vast improvement on the ’78 one – a tongue-in-cheek time-hopping animated adventure once again focused around Life Day. It’s not considered canon, so doesn’t fit in the timeline – but nominally, it’s set after The Rise Of Skywalker and sees our heroes investigate a Jedi temple that sends them hurtling through the Skywalker Saga timeline, jumbling up characters, locations, and plot points from all three trilogies in fun and surprising ways. It’s worth enjoying while chowing down on some festive Tip-yip – but while it does feature some intriguing narrative elements like Rey training up Finn as a Jedi (after Rise bungled the reveal that, yes, he is Force-sensitive too), don’t expect it to necessarily inform what comes in the New Jedi Order era.

Caravan Of Courage: An Ewok Adventure / Ewoks: The Battle For Endor

While the stories for the two made-for-TV Ewok movies were devised by George Lucas himself, these too are generally not considered canon anymore – not necessarily because any canonical stories now directly contradict them, but because… well, they’re largely thought to be a bit rubbish. Both take place around 3 BBY, a year before the events of Return Of The Jedi (the ‘Battle For Endor’ of the second film’s title is not that Battle ‘Of’ Endor), and concern a handful of humans who crash-land on the fluffy Ewoks’ forest moon and pal about with Wicket and co. The Battle For Endor takes place around six months after Caravan Of Courage – and human protagonist Cindel departs Endor at the end of the second film, so as not to interrupt the events that close out the original trilogy.

Here’s the official slate of upcoming Star Wars movies and TV

The future of a galaxy far, far away

by Pete Volk and Michael McWhertor

Star Wars is in an interesting place. Multiple movies have been delayed or canceled after the mixed response to Rise of Skywalker in 2019 and Solo: A Star Wars Story the year before. Since then, most new Star Wars projects have been of TV shows on Disney Plus, ranging from the high highs of Andor to the low lows of The Book of Boba Fett , with plenty of Mandalorian , Obi-Wan Kenobi , and others in between.

At 2023’s Star Wars Celebration , Lucasfilm and Disney outlined their plans for the future of the Star Wars universe, including updating fans on upcoming projects and confirming a few release dates. And as of January 2024, there was another significant update with the announcement of a Mandalorian-led movie .

Below, you can find the full calendar of upcoming Star Wars releases — what they are, where you’ll be able to watch them, and when they come out. And while you’re in the mood for more Star Wars, you might be tempted to catch up on the whole universe. Here’s the best order to watch it all in.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

Coming to Disney Plus on Dec. 3, 2024

Jude Law as Jod Na Nawood is surrounded by a group of kids — Ravi Cabot-Conyers (Wim), Kyriana Kratter (KB), Robert Timothy Smith (Neel) and Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Fern) — in a still from Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

Jon Watts, the director of the MCU Spider-Man trilogy, helms this show starring Jude Law and a group of kids set around the same time as The Mandalorian . Watts has described it as a throwback to ’80s Amblin movies like The Goonies , and Everything Everywhere All at Once directors Daniel Kwan and Scheinert directed an episode .

Law will play Jod Na Nawood, a mysterious figure whom the actor describes as “someone who uses quick thinking, charm and conversation to get out of all sorts of scenarios.” He’ll be joined by actors Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Wim, Kyriana Kratter as KB, Robert Timothy Smith as Neel, and Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Fern, the four kids who find themselves lost in a strange part of the Star Wars galaxy. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will also feature new droid named SM 33, who will be voiced by Nick Frost ( Shaun of the Dead , Hot Fuzz ).

Andor season 2

Coming to Disney Plus in 2025

Cassian Andor kneels down next to B2EMO in Andor.

The best Star Wars property of all time? I think so, and I’m not alone . Andor was a game-changer for Star Wars, and while details are light on the timing and scope of the second season, we know it will be 12 episodes and the end of the show’s run. Season 2 of Andor was originally slated to premiere in summer 2024, but the follow-up to the best Star Wars TV show to date has slipped to 2025.

The Mandalorian & Grogu

Coming to movie theaters on May 22, 2026

The Mandalorian and his furry green friend are headed to the big screen , in a movie directed by Jon Favreau and produced by Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, and Dave Filoni. No word on what this means for the future of the show, which does not technically have a season 4 announcement, but production on the film, titled The Mandalorian & Grogu , is slated to start in 2024.

Ahsoka season 2

Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) speaks with Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) next to a starship in episode eight of Ahsoka season 1

Lucasfilm and Dave Filoni are also currently developing a second season of Ahsoka , which may lead up to the events of the Mando and Grogu movie. Here’s everything we know about season 2 of Ahsoka so far.

Untitled Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Star Wars movie

Dave Filoni, Daisy Ridley and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy onstage during the studio panel at the Star Wars Celebration 2023

This was previously “Damon Lindelof’s Star Wars movie”, but news broke in March 2023 that he was replaced by screenwriter Steven Knight ( Peaky Blinders, Locke, Serenity ). Obaid-Chinoy ( Ms. Marvel ) is directing. The new Star Wars movie will be set in a new era called the New Jedi Order and will be set more than a decade after the events of Episode IX, The Rise of Skywalker .

Actor Daisy Ridley will reprise her role as Rey (uh, Rey Skywalker) in the movie as she tries to rebuild the Jedi order.

Untitled Dave Filoni Star Wars movie

The force behind much of Star Wars’ televised content, Dave Filoni, will direct a new movie that plans to focus on the New Republic , the government body that comes into power in the wake of the Empire’s implosion. Lucasfilm says Filoni’s movie will “close out the interconnected stories told in The Mandalorian , The Book of Boba Fett , Ahsoka , and other Disney Plus series.” Given how much the third season of The Mandalorian has focused on cloning technology and post-Imperial power struggles, Filoni may be looking to fill in lore gaps about the return of Emperor Palpatine and the rise of Snoke in the Star Wars sequel trilogy era.

Untitled James Mangold Star Wars movie

James Mangold and Dave Filoni onstage during the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023

Director James Mangold ( Logan , Ford v Ferrari , Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ) will helm a Star Wars movie set in the distant past — some 25,000 years before the original trilogy Star Wars era — that goes back to the dawn of the Jedi (literally). Mangold’s take on the earliest stages of Star Wars will be “a Biblical epic, like [ The ] Ten Commandments , about the dawning of the Force,” the director said at Star Wars Celebration 2023.

Mangold will explore questions like “Where did the Force come from, when did we discover it, [and] when did we learn how to use it?” he said.

Untitled Taika Waititi Star Wars movie

Not much is known about this project, first announced in 2020 , besides writer-director Taika Waititi’s involvement. It was not included in the January 2024 announcement of Disney’s upcoming Star Wars slate, and the latest word from Waititi and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy is that it’s still being developed , though it doesn’t sound anywhere near close to completion. “My thing is I want to take my time with that and get it right,” Waititi told Entertainment Tonight in 2023. “I don’t want to rush this movie.”

Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars story. He lounges smarmily at a sabacc gambling table, surrounded by weird aliens.

Disney first announced this spinoff show about Lando Calrissian in December 2020, and hasn’t said a word about it since. On the one hand, that means it’s not officially canceled — Disney’s been pretty open about cancelling Star Wars projects recently. On the other hand, there’s been no official confirmation that the show is still happening, or that Donald Glover will return to reprise his role from Solo — but at least we know he’s interested in it.

Shawn Levy’s Star Wars movie

Frequent Ryan Reynolds collaborator Shawn Levy ( Free Guy , Deadpool & Wolverine ) is making a Star Wars movie. Not much is known about it, other than he hopes it will have a “big heart.” But there are questions of whether it’ll happen; Levy was not included in the January 2024 announcement of Disney’s upcoming Star Wars slate.

But there is movement on the project. In July, Deadline reported that writer Jonathan Tropper, creator of TV shows Banshee and Warrior , was attached to write the untitled Star Wars film. Tropper and Levy previously teamed up on The Adam Project , Netflix’s time-traveling sci-fi movie that starred Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, and Zoe Saldaña.

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The 32 greatest time travel movies

You don't need a DeLorean to revisit these time travel gems

If you had the means to travel in time, where would you go? The past, or the future? For so long, filmmakers have wondered this same question, with more time travel movies than you can count. At least some of them happen to be - ahem, timeless classics.

While time travel has existed in the human imagination for centuries, with examples found in Hindu and Islamic mythologies, our modern understanding of time travel begins with early science fiction tales. Stories like The Year 2440 by French author Louis-Sébastien Mercier, Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy, and The Time Machine by H.G. Wells are some of the earliest and most popular uses of time travel in sci-fi.

It should be no surprise that as soon as humans invented moving pictures, time travel became a recurring genre. (This is not to be confused with time loop movies, in which stories involve a set and finite time frame that "loop" back and start all over again.) Whether it's to prevent catastrophes or just fall in love, filmmakers have obsessed over time travel as a story device to explore what it really means to be human. With so many time travel movies to choose from, here are 32 of the greatest time travel movies ever made.

32. The Time Machine (1960)

It should be no surprise that the first feature film adaptation of H.G. Wells' seminal science fiction novella The Time Machine also qualifies as one of the best time travel movies ever made. Rod Taylor stars as a scientist inventor, also named "H. George Wells," whose invention of a time machine flings him to Earth's distant future where he sees mankind split between peaceful, gentle Eloi and the predatory Morlocks who feed on them. Though its primitive effects may be hard on modern eyes, George Pal's movie splits the difference between pulp slop and old-school magnificence.

31. Timecop (1994)

It's not saying much that Timecop, an adaptation of comic strips published by Dark Horse, is one of the best movies starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. But JCVD is in top form in Peter Hyams' corny '90s gem. Van Damme stars as a police officer in the Time Enforcement Commission who must stop a corrupt politician (played by Ron Silver) from influencing the past for personal gain. Although Timecop's comic book-y premise and wham-bam filmmaking renders it indistinguishable from other Van Damme flicks, it also happens to feature one of Van Damme's finest performances.

30. The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

Based on Audrey Niffenegger's hit debut novel, The Time Traveler's Wife stars Rachel McAdams as the wife of a Chicago librarian (Eric Bana) who suffers from a genetic disorder that causes him to spontaneously travel through time, making a stable life in the present difficult to maintain. Written by Niffenegger as an elaborate metaphor on her failed relationships, the sentimental and sappy movie version - from director Robert Schwentke - efficiently captures that painful desire to stay still in a life that pulls us apart.

29. Déjà Vu (2006)

In their third collaboration together, actor Denzel Washington and director Tony Scott teamed up for the time travel thriller Déjà Vu. Washington plays a special agent who goes back in time to prevent a terrorist attack in New Orleans. While doing so, he falls in love with a beautiful victim (Paula Patton) and becomes determined to save her. While Déjà Vu isn't the best movie by Scott nor even the best from Scott and Washington's creative tag-teaming, it's still a gritty action thriller with a novel science fiction bent.

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28. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

While it may feel too "Tumblr twee" for some, Colin Trevorrow's Safety Not Guaranteed is an emotional comedy-drama about having trust in the impossible. A group of magazine journalists (played by Aubrey Plaza, Jake Johnston, and Karan Soni) investigate a curious classified ad that promises a time travel adventure; Mark Duplass plays the socially awkward grocery clerk who placed the ad, claiming to have a time machine. Safety Not Guaranteed notably launched Trevorrow into the realm of big budget blockbusters, with the director landing the gig of helming Jurassic World shortly after and, for a time, attached to the coveted ninth Star Wars movie. Safety Not Guaranteed is small fries in comparison, but the movie's flightful sensibilities showed what Trevorrow was capable of.

27. Donnie Darko (2001)

It's a bit of a spoiler to detail exactly how time travel factors into Richard Kelly's morbid teen drama Donnie Darko. But in its tale about a troubled suburban teenager (Jake Gyllenhaal) who receives cryptic psychic messages from an ominous figure in a scary bunny costume, Donnie Darko explores adolescence as a vehicle to meditate on the nature of reality. Years later, Donnie Darko remains a cult classic, not only for its dark and cerebral tone and surprisingly star-studded cast, but for its enthralling portrait of teenage angst and depression through the lens of science fiction and comic book tropes.

26. Star Trek (2009)

In this modern reboot of the classic 1960s sci-fi television saga, the past and present collide in unexpected ways when villainous Romulans (led by Eric Bana) are flung to Starfleet past, changing the course of Star Trek history forever. As the starting point for what has been called the "Kelvin Timeline" - an alternate timeline diverting from original Star Trek canon - J.J. Abrams ' Star Trek satisfies fans both new and old with a zippy, crowd-pleasing blockbuster that is secretly about the burdens of history and legacy and the virtues of pursuing one's own path.

25. Midnight in Paris (2011)

Leave it to Woody Allen to create a time travel movie that isn't about aliens or A.I., but hanging out with famous literary icons. Owen Wilson stars as a dissatisfied screenwriter who, while on a trip to Paris with his fiance (Rachel McAdams), finds himself able to travel to 1920s Paris, meeting the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald and befriending Ernest Hemingway. After a long period of movies that failed to live up to his established reputation, Allen enjoyed a brief career resurgence with his critically acclaimed Midnight in Paris, a jovial gem (with an excellent Corey Stoll as Hemingway) that romanticizes Paris regardless of whatever era you're seeing it.

24. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

While parsing out the X-Men movie timeline can induce psychic shock, the 2014 tentpole X-Men: Days of Future Past is still one of the franchise's all-time strongest entries. Loosely adapting Chris Claremont's iconic comic book storyline, Bryan Singer's film version swaps Kitty Pryde for fan-favorite Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) who is psychically sent back in time to the 1970s to prevent Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) from creating his menacing Sentinels that will doom mankind and mutantkind alike. With memorable set-pieces and a locked-in Jackman anchoring alongside Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy, the past and present collide like never before in this exquisite sci-fi superhero spectacle.

23. When We First Met (2018)

After falling in love at a Halloween party in 2014, lovestruck Noah (Adam Devine) uses a magical photo booth to relive the night he met the gorgeous and funny Avery (Alexandra Daddario), who only sees Noah as a friend. While Noah tries to relive and redo that night all over again, he quickly finds out that love is sometimes set in stone. Though Ari Sandel's sugary rom-com for Netflix may leave some audiences in the friend zone, for anyone familiar with the pangs of unrequited feelings, When We First Met is a breeze of a movie that can help us figure out why things happen for a reason - or for no reason at all.

22. Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Raunchiness meets bitterness in the R-rated time travel comedy Hot Tub Time Machine. John Cusack, Rob Corddry, and Craig Robinson (plus Clark Duke, as Cusack's nephew) play unsatisfied adult men who - after a freak accident involving a hot tub and an energy drink spillage - find a way to time travel back to one fateful night in 1986. Determined to change their mediocre lives for the better, the men embark on reliving the greatest night of their young lives. With surprising depths of darkness, wistful nostalgia, and an underlying message to never take even one second for granted, Hot Tub Time Machine is more than its simplistic title leads on.

21. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

If your life ethos is to "Be excellent to each other!" and "Party on, dudes!" then you have Bill and Ted to thank. In this cult classic from 1989, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter co-star as dim-witted high school students and aspiring rock stars who are desperate to pass their history class and avoid being enrolled in military school. With the help of an enigmatic figure - played by the legendary George Carlin - Bill S. Preston Esq. and Ted "Theodore" Logan travel in time to collect the world's greatest figures in history to help them pass. While Bill and Ted inadvertently threaten to change history, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is, indeed, an excellent movie about the virtues of friendship and being true to oneself.

20. Synchronic (2020)

In this time travel horror movie, two New Orleans paramedics - hard-drinking playboy and terminally ill Steve (Anthony Mackie) and family man Dennis (Jamie Dornan) - find a series of bizarre deaths linked to a designer drug called Synchronic, which induces abilities to travel in time. Dennis grows alarmed when his daughter goes missing at a party where Synchronic was rampant. With its explorations of loss and friendship, Synchronic is unlike many other time travel movies with a distinctly dark and grim atmosphere. It's complimented by the skillful filmmaking of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, who have helmed films like Spring (2014), The Endless (2017), Something in the Dirt (2022), and the Marvel shows Moon Knight and Loki.

19. Click (2006)

Ever wondered what the "Beyond" was in Bed, Bath, and & Beyond? Adam Sandler found out in the 2006 comedy Click, where Sandler plays a workaholic family man who finds a universal remote that lets him travel in time. Though Sandler has fun "fast-forwarding" mundane moments, he soon finds out how critically important it is to relish every single minute you get in life. While Click initially polarized audiences and critics, it has slowly accrued goodwill, with some observers calling it one of Sandler's best and most mature movies behind Uncut Gems.

18. Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

Oh, behave! In the third installment of the Austin Powers series, the out-of-time special agent Austin Powers (Mike Meyers, reprising one of his most iconic characters) is flung from 2002 back to 1975, teaming up with feisty FBI agent Foxxy Cleopatra (Beyoncé) and his own distant father, Nigel Powers (Michael Caine) to stop the mastermind known as "Goldmember." After spoofing spy-fi media of the 1960s, Jay Roach's Goldmember roasts the grittier, funkier era of '70s James Bond and Blaxploitation classics like Foxy Brown.

17. Kate & Leopold (2001)

Can love transcend time? That's the idea behind Kate & Leopold, a most enchanting romantic comedy from James Mangold and starring Meg Ryan opposite Hugh Jackman. Jackman plays Leopold, the handsome Duke of Albany from the 19th century who falls through a time portal and ends up in 2001 Manhattan. While adjusting to the 21st century, he begins wooing a successful but lonely ad executive (Ryan). Kate & Leopold is good old fashioned Hollywood magic at its best, being a mismatched couples comedy that champions how love can triumph over all - even time itself.

16. About Time (2013)

Several years after The Time Traveler's Wife, Rachel McAdams again fell in love with a time traveler in Richard Curtis' sappy but sweet romantic dramedy About Time. Domnhall Gleeson plays an ordinary man who inherits a remarkable family power: the power to travel in time. (The only catch: They can only travel in their lived timeline, and never forwards.) Determined to use his power to find love, he becomes smitten with beautiful Mary (McAdams), though using time travel to maintain a perfect life involves a lot more risk than it seems. About Time plays fast and loose with its time travel rules, but the movie's irresistible premise and picturesque romance is enough to thaw even the most cynical of hearts.

15. Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

After revolutionizing Hollywood filmmaking with his acclaimed gangster epics The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, Francis Ford Coppola lightened up with his lively comedy about middle-age regret and baby boomer nostalgia. In Peggy Sue Got Married, dissatisfied Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner) is on the brink of divorcing her unfaithful husband Charlie (Nicolas Cage) when she faints at her 25th high school reunion. When she wakes up, she's back in her senior year of high school, learning she's been given a second chance at changing her life for the better.

14. Looper (2012)

Brick star Joseph Gordon-Levitt and director Rian Johnson reunite for one of the best time travel thrillers of the 2010s. Looper, released in 2012, takes place in a near future reality where time travel is possible but illegal; "loopers" are hired assassins who are sent back in time to kill specific targets. Things get complicated for a looper named Joe (Gordon-Levitt) who must "close the loop" when his older self (Bruce Willis) is sent back for him to kill. A trippy action-thriller that was critically acclaimed for its ingenious depiction of time travel, the buzzy success of Looper undoubtedly put Johnson on the map to later helm Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2017.

13. See You Yesterday (2019)

Time travel whimsy meets timely social commentary in See You Yesterday from director Stefon Bristol and producer Spike Lee. Teenage science prodigies and best friends C.J. (Eden Duncan-Smith) and Sebastian (Danté Crichlow) invent backpacks that enable time travel; they use their inventions to save C.J.'s brother, who was killed by a racist police officer. But in trying to save her family, C.J. finds unforeseen problems in trying to alter the past. A beautiful mix of Amblin-esque adventure and the full weight of systemic racism, See You Yesterday - a sweeping picture about love and the ethics of genius - elevates the time travel genre into something more.

12. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

To mark the end of Marvel's acclaimed Infinity Saga, directors Joe and Anthony Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely invited Marvel fans to take another lap around the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the time travel-oriented finale Avengers: Endgame. Following up on the events of Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame sees the Avengers reunite and hatch a scheme to reobtain the powerful Infinity Stones - all scattered throughout the MCU's vast canon - and restore a vanished populace, not to mention stop Thanos for good. Avengers: Endgame needs no introduction; it was and still is one of the biggest movies of all time.

11. Time Bandits (1981)

Terry Gilliam brings his strange sensibilities to a more mainstream family audience with his 1981 classic time Bandits. Craig Warnock stars as Kevin, a young boy with a fascination for history who is visited by time-traveling dwarves who plunder treasures from different historical periods. As Kevin joins the dwarves, they escape capture by Evil (David Warner), a malevolent entity who wants to steal the dwarves' map that lets them travel through portals. Time Bandits stands the test of, ahem, time, to look and feel like a riveting children's storybook come to life.

10. Primer (2004)

In Shane Carruth's debut feature film, two engineers (played by Carruth and David Sullivan) accidentally discover the means of time travel. While experimenting with their discovery, they find out that time travel is a lot more complex than they thought it would be. Still an underground indie favorite to this day, Primer is remembered for its experimental plot structure that mixes philosophical theory with hard mathematics. Primer was concocted by Carruth, who actually majored in mathematics in college and previously worked as an engineer prior to becoming a filmmaker. Primer was a huge hit at the Sundance Film Festival and is still beloved for its cerebral exploration of the ethics of scientific discovery.

9. Time After Time (1979)

Nicholas Meyer pays tribute to the granddaddy of time travel storytelling, H.G. Wells, with his delectable time travel fantasy Time After Time. Malcolm McDowell plays H.G. Wells, who uses his time machine to finally apprehend Jack the Ripper (David Warner) after the famed serial killer escapes to modern-day San Francisco. While Time After Time tries to be a dark thriller, it can't help but have fun with H.G. Wells and Jack the Ripper exploring a most alien environment loaded with fast food chains and disco nightclubs.

8. Somewhere in Time (1980)

Have you ever been in love so bad you were willing to get lost in time? Shortly after Christopher Reeve took off with Superman: The Movie, the actor strove to play against typecasting with Somewhere in Time. Directed by Jeannot Szwarc, Reeve stars as a playwright who becomes smitten by a beautiful stage actress (Jane Seymour) seen in a portrait dated 1912. Under hypnosis, Reeve's character ends up in 1912 and tries to find and woo the woman. He succeeds, but we won't spoil the devastating ending. While the movie endured bad reviews during its original release, it has since become a beloved romantic classic. The Grand Hotel in Michigan, where the majority of principal photography, hosts annual anniversary screenings of the picture every October.

7. 12 Monkeys (1995)

Terry Gilliam is no stranger to science fiction and time travel stories. One of his most successful Hollywood films to date is still the 1995 classic 12 Monkeys. Bruce Willis plays a convict from 2035 who is sent back in time to 1996 (though he ends up in 1990) to gather information about the terrorist plot that led to a virus wiping out most of humanity. Arriving at the right time to observe the paralyzing inundation of information at the end of the 20th century, 12 Monkeys mesmerized critics and audiences to become the number one movie for two weeks in January 1995. While not strictly a remake of the French New Wave sci-fi La Jetée by Chris Marker - Gilliam even claimed he hadn't even seen it before production - Universal Studios obtained the remake rights to Marker's film after producer Robert Kosberg successfully pitched the studio 12 Monkeys as a movie heavily inspired by it. In 2015, a hit TV series remake premiered on Syfy.

6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Time travel isn't exclusive to science fiction. In the 2004 sequel to the hit fantasy film saga, Mexican auteur Alfonso Cuarón adapts the book of the same name which sees the increasingly aging Hogwarts trio - Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermoine (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) - meet the wizard criminal Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) who has connections to Harry's family. A key part of Prisoner of Azkaban's story involves a magical device that lets the characters travel in time; some of the film's most memorable and deliciously staged set pieces center around ingenious depictions of time travel.

5. Source Code (2011)

In the aftermath of major events like 9/11, some Hollywood filmmakers dared to ask if time travel could stop acts of terrorism. Enter: Source Code, from director Duncan Jones. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a U.S. soldier tasked with using a cutting-edge government program called "Source Code" to relive the final minutes of a commuter train prior to its bombing and identify the terrorist behind it. The catch is that Gyllenhaal's character enters the program inhabiting the body of another unknown man, which creates problems for both himself and the unknown man's beautiful companion (Michelle Monaghan). Jones' movie is a muscular action-thriller that successfully combines time travel with time loop stories, perfectly balancing the two to become something totally unique.

4. Tenet (2020)

Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker obsessed with time as a thematic motif. But in 2020, Nolan was in top form with his summer sci-fi Tenet. John David Washington stars as the nameless agent, going only by "The Protagonist" who must navigate the twilight world of international espionage to stop the powerful arms dealer Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh) and prevent World War III. To accomplish this, he teams up with another enigmatic agent (Robert Pattinson) and the beautiful wife of Sator, Kat (Elizabeth Debicki), all while using the newest tool in his arsenal: inverted entropy, basically the reverse physics of an object in time. Confused yet? A lot of people were. But that hasn't stopped Tenet from amassing a dedicated fanbase who insist that Tenet isn't a movie you think about, but rather feel.

3. Your Name (2016)

In this sweeping animated romantic fantasy by acclaimed director Makoto Shinkai, two teenagers (voiced by Ryunosuke Kamiki and Mone Kamishiraishi in the original Japanese language, and Michael Sinterniklaas and Stephanie Sheh in the English dub) mysteriously find themselves swapping bodies. In their efforts to better understand what is going on, they find a deeper connection linked to a tragic natural disaster. A time travel movie unlike so many others, Your Name was celebrated upon release for its gorgeous visuals and equally breathtaking story about fate, love, and intertwined destinies that transcend time itself.

2. The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Arguably the definitive time travel action blockbusters, James Cameron 's Terminator movies are simply unstoppable. Arnold Scwharzenegger is in top form as the T-800, who is initially dispatched to kill the mother of mankind's hero John Connor, a woman named Sarah (Linda Hamilton). In the bigger, somehow better sequel Terminator 2, Schwarzenegger returns as a repurposed T-800 to save both Sarah and her 12-year-old son John Connor (Edward Furlong). Despite numerous sequels, nothing can top the tech-noir transcendence of the first two Terminator entries.

1. The Back to the Future Trilogy (1984-1989)

Robert Zemeckis' '80s classic trilogy is, without question, one of the greatest time travel adventures ever told, an untouchable sci-fi trilogy if there ever was one. In the first movie, teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) accidentally travels to 1955 and must figure out a way to get his own parents to fall in love again after his presence disrupts the whole town. In the sequels, Marty travels to the "future" year of 2015, and then the distant past of the Old West, all with the help of Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and a ridiculously tricked-out DeLorean. The Back to the Future trilogy is foundational for an entire generation, and it's not hard to see why. The movies are fast, fun, and unforgettable, a movie that doesn't need roads to take us away.

Eric Francisco is a freelance entertainment journalist and graduate of Rutgers University. If a movie or TV show has superheroes, spaceships, kung fu, or John Cena, he's your guy to make sense of it. A former senior writer at Inverse, his byline has also appeared at Vulture, The Daily Beast, Observer, and The Mary Sue. You can find him screaming at Devils hockey games or dodging enemy fire in Call of Duty: Warzone.

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Every Upcoming Star Wars Movie and Series – With Key Details and Dates!

From disney+ series the acolyte to taika waititi's movie and the daisy ridley–led film about the rise of a new jedi order, we're going deep on the future that lucasfilm is shaping..

TAGGED AS: Disney , Disney Plus , Disney+ Disney Plus , movies , Star Wars , streaming

[Updated 8/28/2024]

Jedi Master Yoda once said “always in motion is the future” — and though he was talking specifically about Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill) predicament in The Empire Strikes Back , The Force may have allowed Yoda insight into the current state of affairs at Lucasfilm, the Disney company in control of Star Wars and its future. Both business entities stunned fans and investors in December 2020 with an ambitious plan to produce as many as 10 television series for Disney+ in the next decade. In addition to its Disney+ roster, the company also stated an intention to make at least three features by 2027. That ambition was curbed by the motion of the future, though, with series becoming films, films becoming vapor, and just about everything in between. Nevertheless, Disney and Lucasfilm are still committed to expanding the breadth and scale of Star Wars . A veritable fleet of new stories awaits on the horizon.

Of course, fans of Star Wars media already knew the fictional galaxy could fuel hundreds of films and shows. They also hope the expansion of Star Wars content means there will be room for Jedi Knight protagonist Kyle Katarn (or occasional antagonist Mara Jade) to re-enter the canon.

And canonicity is a big deal for Star Wars . When Disney first bought Lucasfilm, they declared all previous Star Wars comics, novels, games, and cartoons (except for the long-running Star Wars: The Clone Wars ) as non-canon “legends” of the Star Wars galaxy. The move was made to offer maximum freedom to the filmmakers involved in the Sequel Trilogy ( Star Wars: The Force Awakens , The Last Jedi , and Rise of Skywalker ), but it didn’t take long for “Legends” characters and ideas to seep back into programs like Star Wars Rebels and The Mandalorian . And, as you will see in this guide to Star Wars ’ streaming and theatrical future below, that sense of canon and continuity is as important to the galaxy as the Force itself.

Here we’ve gathered everything we know about every Star Wars movie and series coming to streaming and theaters in the next few years, and broken down how they fit into the emerging Star Wars galaxy. Tell us which new Star Wars projects you’re most excited about in the comments.

Disney+ Series

Star wars: skeleton crew.

Release Date: December 3, 2024

What We Know: First revealed in the May 2022 Vanity Fair article with the codename “Grammar Rodeo,” Skeleton Crew is a series from Spider-Man: Homecoming director Jon Watts and co-writer Chris Ford with Jude Law set to star as Jod Na Nawood. The codename is a reference to a Simpsons episode in which Bart, Milhouse, Martin, and Nelson go on a road trip to Knoxville, but the series is described as an Amblin-style coming-of-age adventure set in the post– Return of the Jedi era. At the 2022 Star Wars Celebration, Watts offered a little more clarity about the program, saying it is a “story about a group of kids — [each] about 10 years old — from a tiny planet who get lost in the Star Wars galaxy … They’re trying to get home.”

At the 2024 D23 Disney Entertainment Showcase, Law added, “Accidentally blasting off from their home planet, our four protagonists find themselves lost, in danger.”

Despite the series completing production in early 2023 — and the addition of young cast members Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Wim, Kyriana Kratter as KB , and Robert Timothy Smith as Neel — the series was held back as Disney and Lucasfilm slowed down production on Star Wars series. At the time, the identity and purpose of Law’s Nawood also remained a mystery. A trailer screened at that year’s Star Wars Celebration revealed he can use The Force and the subsequent trailer suggests he may have been a Jedi at one time. Also, the Amblin style always has a sympathetic adult, a role he could fill admirably. The 2024 D23 also confirmed Vane, the recurring mercenary from season 3 of The Mandalorian , will reappear in the series — although it is unconfirmed if Marti Matulis will reprise the role. Other cast includes Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Fern, Nick Frost as droid SM 33, and Kerry Condon and Tunde Adebimpe in undisclosed roles.

The Mandalorian executive producers Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau serve as executive producers with a roster of directors that includes David Lowery , Jake Schreier , The Daniels ( Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert ), Bryce Dallas Howard , and Lee Isaac Chung .

How It Fits Into the Emerging Star Wars Galaxy: Beyond the understanding that it will take place at the same time as Din Djarin’s ( Pedro Pascal ) adventures, it is always possible the kids being assembled for the show will turn out to have Jedi potential and, possibly, find their way to Luke’s new school or, maybe, even appear as grown ups in Rey’s ( Daisy Ridley ) New Jedi Order (more below).

Andor Season 2

Premiere Date: 2025

What We Know: While Lucasfilm and Disney continue to shift their plans and release schedules for its Star Wars projects, Andor — their most prized critical darling — chugs along with seemingly little fuss. Stars Diego Luna , Kyle Soller , Denise Gough , and others will return to fill out the final four years of Cassian Andor’s (Luna) life. The program will reportedly end three days before the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story , the film that introduced audiences to Cass. Production continued through the early part of the 2024 writer’s strike, but suspended once the Screen Actors Guild joined the picket lines. Production picked up again afterward and concluded in February 2024.

At that year’s D23 Entertainment Showcase, Luna thanked the fans for embracing Cassian into their hearts and added that the remaining years of the character’s life will reveal how “he grows into the Rebel who will sacrifice his life in Rogue One . As the imperial threat grows, he’s filled with a purpose to fight for a better tomorrow.”

A behind-the-scenes featurette screened at the showcase revealed Alan Tudyk will finally return as lovable Rogue One droid K-2SO while Ben Mendelsohn will also make an appearance as that film’s disgruntled middle-manager, Director Orson Krennic. Showrunner Tony Gilroy also revealed his wish to “amp” the choices the characters have to make and the consequences.

Originally intended for a summer 2024 premiere, the second and final season of Andor will materialize in 2025.

How It Fits Into the Emerging Star Wars Galaxy: Filling in the gaps between the first season and Rogue One means there are only so many things the series can accomplish. Will Cassian find his sister before he completes his transition into a hardened man who fights for a sunrise he will never see?

Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2

Premiere Date: TBD

What We Know: Early in 2024, Lucasfilm and Disney revealed they are developing a second season of Filoni’s series. Presumably, stars Rosario Dawson and Natasha Liu Bordizzo will return. The encore engagements of Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati and David Tennant as the voice of Huyang are also pretty safe bets. But other actors — like Mary Elizabeth Winstead as General Her Syndulla and Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger — may sit the second year out as Ahsoka (Dawson) and Sabine’s (Bordizzo) tale continues literally galaxies away from the main Star Wars action, which will also remove Grand Admiral Thrawn ( Lars Mikkelsen ) from the equation. Then there’s the tragic case of Ray Stevenson , who passed away in May 2023, just a few months before Ahsoka premiered. Considering his character, Baylan Skoll, was last spotted on a monument to Filoni’s take on Star Wars spirituality, we’re going to presume Baylan will be recast.

Little has been said about the series since, with Filoni watching over other Star Wars projects as Lucasfilm’s chief creative officer and prepping his own feature film debut. Although, as that project is meant to conclude several story threads across The Mandalorian , Ahsoka , and (potentially), The Book of Boba Fett , a second season may rest on how important it is to that film.

How It Fits Into the Emerging Star Wars Galaxy: Separated from the Star Wars galaxy, Ahsoka, Sabine, Shin, and Baylan will likely learn more about its underpinnings as they confront the so-called Mortis gods, representations of the Light side, Dark side, and balance of The Force Ahsoka has encountered before in Star Wars: The Clone Wars .

Read also: The Mandalorian Season 3 Finale: A Battle Ensues During the Return to Mandalore

Rangers of the New Republic

(Photo by © Lucasfilm Ltd.)

Premiere Date: Indefinitely Delayed

What We Know: Another series from Favreau and Filoni was meant to follow a group of New Republic soldiers in the same era as The Mandalorian . While Lucasfilm President Kennedy offered few details about this show during the 2020 Disney Investor Day presentation, she mentioned it was to cross over with other stories from The Mandalorian and Ahsoka to culminate in an “event” at some point in the future. Unfortunately, development of the program was postponed indefinitely with Kennedy telling Empire Magazine in November 2021 that some of its ideas may be absorbed into The Mandalorian . The description of the series will remain here until a Lucasfilm rep calls it completely kaput. Also, why would Cobb Vanth ( Timothy Olyphant ) survive his encounter with Cad Bane in The Book of Boba Fett if not to become a ranger?

In a curious twist, the culminating event will occur as Filoni’s feature film debut (more on that below).

How It Fits Into the Emerging Star Wars Galaxy: As the program is the most mysterious, the crossover seems to be the most tantalizing element. Was a larger skirmish with the Imperial Remnant meant to be its focus? Also, considering the state of the galaxy in the Sequel Trilogy, did the Rangers’ mission fail? Definitely a question worth exploring.

The Mandalorian & Grogu

Release Date: May 22, 2026

What We Know: As part of Lucafilm’s ever-evolving plans, Mandalorian Din Djarin (Pascal) and his adopted son, Din Grogu, will become feature film stars. Announced at the start of 2024, The Mandalorian & Grogu represents the next chapter in the characters’ wanderings. Of course, it is unclear what trouble they will get into and who they might meet along the way. But considering The Mandalorian takes plenty of cues from Lone Wolf & Cub , it is possible this could be a standalone adventure or something very much central to the tale Favreau and Filoni are telling in the years after Return of the Jedi . Favreau is signed to direct with Filoni on board as a producer. Kennedy, of course, is also listed as a producer.

Favreau and Filoni took to the stage at the 2024 D23 Entertainment Showcase to tease the film, which began shooting just a few weeks prior. Favreau declined to get specific about the film’s plot, but he presented a sizzle reel of sorts complied from the early production. One moment featured Star Wars Rebels fan favorite character, Zeb ( Steve Blum ) – although it’s unclear if the Razorcrest he’s flying is his or a replacement for the one Din lost in the second season of The Mandalorian . Other quick glimpses included a planet where Mando must face Snow Troopers and AT-ATs. And a final shot sees Grogu in a ship piloted by and sized for Anzellans, the species which counts Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ’ s Babu Frik as one of its own and had their own Grogu-sized problem in The Mandalorian ‘s most recent season.

How It Fits Into the Emerging Star Wars Galaxy: It appears the film will take the place of The Mandalorian ‘s fourth season — although another year of the series is in development — so expect at least one key moment of emotional growth for Djarin and, perhaps, Grogu’s first words in Basic, the suspiciously English-sounding common language of Star Wars . Speak it with backwards syntax, will he?

Untitled Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Star Wars Film

Release Date: TBD

What We Know: An open secret in Hollywood, Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson were reportedly working on a script for two-time Oscar-winning director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy since October 2022. The whispers became shouts when reports surfaced in March 2023 indicating the two writers were leaving the project. Peaky Blinders ’ Steven Knight soon emerged as their replacement. At Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023’s Lucasfilm presentation, Kennedy confirmed the project exists and that it will center on Rey’s attempts to build a new Jedi order 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker .

Obid-Chinoy, who claimed the 1990s Star Wars Special Editions saved her life, said, “I’ve always been attracted to the hero’s journey and the fact the world needs many more heroes. I’ve spent the better part of my life meeting real heroes who fight oppressive regimes. I am attracted to immersing myself in a new Jedi Academy with a powerful Jedi master.”

Although neither she, Ridley, nor Kennedy offered a release date, we were left to assume it will open in the 2025 calendar slot Disney held for a Star Wars feature. In subsequent months, Disney unveiled a long-term release calendar with May 22, 2026 (now claimed by The Mandalorian & Grogu ), December 18, 2026, and December 17, 2027 held in reserve for Lucasfilm titles. Of course, this was before the industry strikes began, so some of those dates may already need rescheduling.

How It Fits Into the Emerging Star Wars Galaxy: The film will establish a new class of Jedi and the forward status quo for the Star Wars timeline. It is, in essence, Episode X.

Read also: Everything We Learned at Star Wars Celebration 2023: Ahsoka , Andor , and Rey’s New Jedi Order

Untitled James Mangold Star Wars Film

What We Know: Long after he signed up to make a Boba Fett film, director James Mangold will finally join the pantheon of Star Wars storytellers with a film looking back into the furthest reaches of Star Wars history and focus on the first human to touch the Force 25,000 years before the Skywalker Saga. According to the filmmaker, “When I first started talking to Kathy about doing one of these pictures, I thought about a biblical epic, a Ten Commandments .” Presumably that tone will give Star Wars a fresh perspective. That said, it is unclear when the film will be ready as Mangold is preparing scripts for the project and a Swamp Thing feature at Warner Bros. Also, fallout from the strikes could imperil its very existence.

How It Fits Into the Emerging Star Wars Galaxy: The story of the first Jedi is something teased and suggested across the years, but making a concrete tale could have wide-reaching implications in future stories.

Untitled Dave Filoni Star Wars Film

What We Know: Where the Obid-Chinoy and Mangold films represent the future and distant past of the Star Wars timeline, Filoni will make his feature film debut with a story firmly rooted in the “present” of Star Wars — the post Return of the Jedi era he and Favreau explore on Disney+. According to Kennedy, it will be the climatic event first teased during her 2020 Disney Investor Day presentation, tying up ideas from The Mandalorian , Ahsoka , and presumably Boba Fett with tensions between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant reaching a crisis point.

“I grew up in a time of the Original Trilogy,” Filoni added. “I grew up with the Expanded Universe. We’re drawing on a lot of things [from then] and new things that were created in the meantime to tell this epic.” Based on this and a few other teases across Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023, some believe the film will adapt author Timothy Zahn’s 1990s Thrawn Trilogy. The trio of books, starting with 1991’s Heir to the Empire , introduced Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Imperial Remnant, and may other ideas now seen on The Mandalorian . But will the film actually be called Heir to the Empire ? That remains to be seen.

How It Fits Into the Emerging Star Wars Galaxy: Beyond giving the current television shows a cinematic climax, the film will presumably also establish how the Remnant became the First Order of the Sequel Trilogy.

Untitled Shawn Levy Star Wars Film

What We Know: In the fall of 2023, Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy emerged as another filmmaker poised to join the Star Wars team. In an interview with Variety that October, he said Kennedy specifically wants “a story and a tone that reflects you and your taste and what you bring to your movies — with a Star Wars story.” He also expressed that he felt very “empowered” to use that brief. At the time, the writers strike impeded development and it is unclear if plans resumed.

How It Fits Into the Emerging Star Wars Galaxy: Like so many other Star Wars film projects, the setting in time and space matters. Will Levy find his own quadrant of the galaxy to explore and, maybe, deliver a movie with a broader sense of humor? Or, alternatively, will the Levy of Stranger Things make a surprise appearance for a Star Wars story with horror elements?

(Photo by © Lucasfilm)

What We Know: As of 2020, Dear White People ’s Justin Simien was developing a limited series devoted to charismatic card player and scoundrel Lando Calrissian. While it was unclear who would play the title role, a teaser video featuring Lando’s unblemished Millennium Falcon shown during the 2020 Investor Day presentation suggested it will go back to the days before he met Han Solo. During the 2022 Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy confirmed Solo: A Star Wars Story ’s Donald Glover was involved and that the company was waiting for him to complete other projects before moving forward. Shortly before the 2023 Celebration, Glover confirmed he was “talking” to Lucasfilm about the project.

That July, word broke indicating Glover and his brother, Stephen Glover, would take direct creative control of Lando as its writers. Simien, as it happens, left the project sometime before the Glovers signed on — all of which occurred before the 2023 writers and actors strikes began. Curiously, original Lando Calrissian Billy Dee Williams posted on social media later that month that “something truly magnificent is coming soon.” Signing off his post with “May the Force be with you all” left many speculating that he may appear in Lando after all. In September of 2023, as the strikes raged on, reports surfaced indicating the series has been converted into a feature. As of the summer 2024, it appears the project is still in the works with a theatrical debut in mind.

How It Fits Into the Emerging Star Wars Galaxy: A series (or film) primarily concerned with the young Lando would be less beholden to lore and, potentially, revel more in the fun of being a scoundrel. Perhaps he could even run with (or against) Star Wars animation’s favorite ne’er-do-well, Hondo Ohnaka (voiced by Jim Cummings ).

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron

WONDER WOMAN, director Patty Jenkins, Gal Gadot on set, 2017. ph: Clay Enos/©Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection

(Photo by Clay Enos/©Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection)

Status: Reportedly Back In Development

What We Know: First revealed at the 2020 Investor Day presentation, Rogue Squadron was to be directed by Wonder Woman ’s Patty Jenkins and focus on a new generation of X-Wing pilots. In a video posted to her Twitter account , Jenkins revealed the story is personal as her father was a fighter pilot who lost his life in service to his country. She also subsequently clarified that the film will honor the Rogue Squadron video games and novels even as it flies off in its own direction. Sadly, the film was indefinitely delayed in November 2021. But in a curious note, Disney still listed its intended December 2023 release date for a surprisingly long time. Additionally, Kennedy told Vanity Fair in May 2022 that the film is still happening with Jenkins at the helm. In early 2023, the project was said to no longer be in active development, but not necessarily abandoned.

And for a year, that was the end of the story. But in March of 2024, Jenkins took to the TCM/Max podcast podcast to reveal she owed Lucasfilm a new draft of Rogue Squardon . As she tells it, she originally left the project to fulfill her commitment to Wonder Woman 3 , but when that movie fell under the changing Warner Bros. Discovery corporate strategy, she started negotiating a new deal in the Star Wars universe. The summer 2023 strikes delayed talks for a time, but with those resolved, a script for Rogue Squadron should be on Kennedy’s desk soon. Although, Lucasfilm has yet to confirm Jenkins’ return, so her account of the latest happenings must be labeled as a report.

Untitled Taika Waititi Star Wars Film

(Photo by Jasin Boland/©Marvel)

Status: TBD

What We Know: Although the industry knew about Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi ’s Star Wars project for some time, Kennedy finally commented on it in December 2020, saying his approach to Star Wars will be “fresh, unexpected,” and “unique.” She also pointed to his talent and his “sense of humor” as two strengths which will set Waititi’s project apart from other Star Wars endeavors. Meanwhile, reports indicate Waititi is in talks to star in the film as well as write and direct. Although, it seems he still needs to write the script before anything can go forward. Nearly four years on, though, it appears development has slowed to a crawl.

How It Fits Into the Emerging Star Wars Galaxy: It all depends on when it is set. With thousands of years of lore available to explore, Waititi could do just about anything he wants — from a story of the early hyperspace routes to a film set entirely in Ackmena’s ( Beatrice Arthur ) cantina from The Star Wars Holiday Special .

Rian Johnson’s Star Wars Trilogy: Episode I

(Photo by David James/ © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Lucasfilm Ltd. /Courtesy Everett Collection)

Status: Not In Active Development

What We Know: First announced in 2017, Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson is expected to spearhead a new trilogy sometime in the next decade — writing and directing the first film himself. Although he reaffirms his involvement every so often, the trilogy is reportedly no longer in active development. At the same time, it is said to be something both Johnson and Lucasfilm want to return to at some juncture. First, he has another Knives Out sequel to make and another season of Poker Face to produce. Kennedy also cited his schedule as a stumbling block as recently as Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023.

How It Fits Into the Emerging Star Wars Galaxy: Right now, it doesn’t. It’s just an agreement to make a series of movies, and as seen with Lucasfilm’s quick decision to cancel the Star Wars Story anthology of films in wake of Solo: A Star Wars Story ’s underperformance, that deal could dissolve at any moment — if it hasn’t already. See also: the company’s about-face regarding a series of films to be developed by Game of Thrones executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

A Droid Story

(Photo by Courtesy the Everett Collection)

What We Know: As Kennedy described at the 2020 Investor Day presentation, the only Star Wars TV movie currently on the Disney+ roster will be an “epic journey” featuring a new hero guided by Star Wars ’ most famous droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO. Although the Lucasfilm president was light on story details, she did mention the project will be a chance for the company’s animation and live-action special effects groups to stretch their expertise to its limits. No further concrete details have come to light since.

How It Fits Into the Emerging Star Wars Galaxy: Like Star Wars Visions , the film may also be freed from canon.

Untitled J.D. Dillard Star Wars Project

(Photo by Leon Bennett/WireImage)

Status: Presumably Shelved

What We Know: According to The Hollywood Reporter , Sleight director J.D. Dillard and Marvel TV writer Matt Owens ( Luke Cage ) were developing some sort of Star Wars project for Lucasfilm. In the years since the story first broke, though, no additional details have come to light. And even at the time of reporting, it was unclear if the project would be a Disney+ series, TV movie, or feature film. That ambiguity made it an even more tenuous project than Johnson’s trilogy. In November 2022, Dillard left the project.

Untitled Kevin Feige Star Wars Film

Kevin Feige and Scarlett Johansson (Albert L. Ortega/WireImage)

(Photo by Albert L. Ortega/WireImage)

Status: A Genuine Mystery

What We Know: Word first broke in 2019 that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was involved in developing a Star Wars film with Kennedy. At the time, Walt Disney Studios Co-Chairman Alan Horn said “it made sense for these two extraordinary producers to work on a Star Wars film together.” In May 2022, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron told Variety that he was not only writing the film, but appreciated being unmoored from the TV shows and films. In early 2023, reports surfaced indicating the project was on indefinite hold as Disney looked to slow down development across all its divisions. During Celebration 2023, Kennedy told IGN that the project was “something announced in the press, or I suppose fandom, but there was nothing — nothing ever got developed,” adding to the mystery of a movie idea that both exists and doesn’t . In November of 2023, Feige confirmed whatever was going on will no longer be happening.

Which Star Wars projects are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments.

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Star Wars movies in order: Chronological and release

Watch all the Star Wars movies in order and prove you’re strong with the Force.

two people fighting with lightsabers, there is one green and one red lightsaber.

Chronological order
Release order

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

Star wars: episode ii – attack of the clones, star wars: the clone wars, star wars: episode iii – revenge of the sith, solo: a star wars story, 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, star wars: episode vii – the force awakens, star wars: episode viii – the last jedi, star wars: episode ix – the rise of skywalker.

Watching the Star Wars movies in order is a fantastic way to prove you are one with the Force (the Force is with you). Whether you prefer watching them in chronological order or release order, we have you covered.

Watching the Star Wars movies in chronological order allows you to experience the Skywalker saga as it unfolds, getting the prequel trilogy (which didn't score highly on our ranked list ) out of the way early. On the other hand, if you opt to marathon this iconic franchise in release order, you get to relive the story as it was originally presented.

— Best lightsaber fights

— Best Lego Star Wars deals

— Best Lego Star Wars sets

— Best Star Wars books

If you don't own physical copies of all the movies, don't worry — Disney Plus has you covered. As the current home of all things Star Wars, it allows you to stream every movie and TV show in the franchise. They offer both monthly and annual subscriptions, so if you're not interested in a long-term commitment, you can subscribe just long enough to enjoy all the top Star Wars content.

If all the Star Wars movies in order aren't enough for you to get your sci-fi fix, it could be worth checking out our guides for the best sci-fi movies and TV shows to stream on Disney Plus , Paramount Plus , Nextlix and Amazon Prime . Our guide also includes Star Wars TV shows, for added context and in case you want to watch those too. So, read on below to get the round-up of Star Wars movies in order. Oh, and one last thing: watch or watch not, there is no try.

Note: This page does contain spoilers.

*These aren't really canon, so they don't fit into the proper chronology.

Star Wars movies in release order

Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021-2023)
Star Wars: Visions (2021-2023)

two mean wearing long cloaks are sitting talking. There is a boy between them and a small robot (R2-D2) behind him.

Release date: May 19, 1999
Cast: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman

If you want to watch all the Star Wars movies in chronological order then sadly your marathon starts with the very first (and pretty awful) prequel movie. And it doesn't get much more prequel than Darth Vader as a 10-year-old kid. This film sees Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi discover a slave boy on Tatooine called Anakin Skywalker who's chock full of Midi-chlorians.

Unfortunately, the Jedi council isn't keen on training the child as a Jedi. But, while trying to protect Queen Padmé Amidala, Qui-Gon Jinn is killed by Sith Darth Maul and in honor of his memory Obi-Wan Kenobi promises to train the kid. Biiiiig mistake.

a woman on the left wears a white crop top and holds a large gun, the man to the right is wearing dark clothes and is looking off to the right.

Release date: May 16, 2002
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen

A few years later, Anakin is training as a Padawan under Obi-Wan Kenobi when the now Senator Padmé Amidala’s life is threatened once again. While Obi-Wan investigates, Anakin and Padmé fall in love, despite the Jedi Code which forbids attachments. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan Kenobi discovers an army of clones being created for the Republic, as well as an attempt by the Separatist group led by Count Dooku to overthrow the Republic using a droid army.

Obi-Wan is captured, along with Anakin and Padmé who try to save him, and all three are eventually rescued by the clone army, authorized by the newly powerful Chancellor Palpatine.

cartoon illustration showing a man on the left with his arms folded and a person on the right with orange skin and a large blue and gray headpiece.

Release date: August 15, 2008
Cast: Matt Lanter, Ashley Eckstein, James Arnold Taylor

Not long after, the Republic's clone army and Dooku’s droid army are at war, with Dooku's Sith Master Darth Sidious kidnapping gangster Jabba the Hutt's son, Rotta, to try and frame the Jedi. Anakin and his new Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, must try and save the little Huttlet, while Obi-Wan negotiates a treaty with Jabba. Worried for Anakin's safety, Padmé attempts to contact Jabba's uncle, Ziro, only to discover that he's actually in on the plan to kill Rotta so he can take over the Hutts.

Anakin and Ahsoka eventually rescue Rotta, but Jabba tries to have them killed anyway, believing they're responsible for kidnapping him until Padmé reveals what she knows. Jabba is so grateful, he signs the treaty with the Republic.

image of two men, the one of the left is in the foreground and has a concerned look on his face, along with a scar on the right side of his eye. The man on the right also looks concerned and is wearing a white robe.

Release date: May 19, 2005

After Anakin rescues him, Chancellor Palpatine appoints him to the Jedi Council, but the Jedi are suspicious and order Anakin to spy on Palpatine. Padmé reveals she's pregnant and Anakin starts to have nightmares of her dying in childbirth. Palpatine lures Anakin to the dark side with the promise of saving Padmé's life, and orders the clone army to kill the Jedi, declaring himself Emperor.

Padmé and Obi-Wan try to convince the new Darth Vader to return to the light side, but they fight which leaves Vader mortally wounded. Meanwhile, Padmé dies giving birth to twins, Luke and Leia, and Obi-Wan decides to go into hiding with the children. Palpatine rescues Vader, giving him a suit to keep him alive, and telling him that he killed Padmé.

a man in the center is looking off into the distance, there is a large wookiee to his right, it looks like a large hairy bear cross ape. there is a robot with yellow eyes behind the man on the left of the image.

Release date: May 25, 2018
Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke

Nearly 10 years later, Imperial Flight Academy dropout Han Solo is thrown into a cell with a Wookiee called Chewbacca and the pair team up to escape. Once free, they join a gang trying to steal a shipment of coaxium for crime lord Dryden Vos. They’re thwarted by marauders, the Cloud-Riders, but convince Vos to give them another chance as long as his lieutenant (and former love interest of Han's) Qi'ra tags along.

Teaming up with smuggler Lando Calrissian, they use his ship the Millennium Falcon to steal the coaxium, but are discovered by the Cloud-Riders who reveal they're actually rebels fighting against the Empire. Han sympathizes and lets them have the coaxium, betraying Vos (who’s eventually killed by Qi'ra), but declines to join the rebels.

two people looking serious and concerned. The man on the left is wearing a blue coat and the woman on the right a scarf.

Release date: December 16, 2016
Cast: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn

Jyn Erso is rescued from an Imperial labor camp by the Alliance who want her to find her father who's working on a superweapon called the Death Star. Along with rebel spy Cassian Andor, she tracks down her dad only for him to be killed before he can tell them anymore. Jyn wants to steal the plans to the Death Star so they can learn how to destroy it, but the Alliance council doesn’t agree, so Jyn, Cassian, and a group of rebels attempt to steal them on their own.

They travel to Scarif, eventually finding the plans and transmitting them to the Alliance, but at great cost to themselves. As they die on the planet below, the plans eventually make their way into the hands of Princess Leia.

three people are all looking to the right of the image. They look determined. The man on the left is wearing a white top and holding a gun, the woman in the middle has brown hair in buns on the side of her head and the man on the right is wearing a brown waistcoat over a off-white shirt.

Release date: May 25, 1977
Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher

Not long after, Darth Vader captures Princess Leia, but not before she hides the plans in an R2-D2 droid who escapes to the planet Tatooine in search of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He's found by Luke Skywalker and takes him to Obi-Wan who reveals he knew Luke's father, claiming he was killed by Darth Vader.

Luke convinces Obi-Wan to let him help rescue the princess and the pair team up with smuggler Han Solo and his co-pilot, Chewie. They rescue Princess Leia and escape, but Obi-Wan is killed by Darth Vader in the process. After delivering the plans to the Alliance, Luke becomes a rebel pilot and helps destroy the Death Star.

Darth Vader holds out his left hand as though he is about to pick an apple from a tree. But he isn't, he's in a technological setting with large circuit boards behind him.

Release date: May 21, 1980

Three years later, Darth Vader locates Luke, Leia, and Han on a rebel base on Hoth and sends his forces to destroy it. They escape, with Luke traveling to Dagobah to train as a Jedi under Yoda as Obi-Wan wanted, and Leia, Han, and Chewie taking the Millennium Falcon to Cloud City to ask Lando Calrissian for help. Unfortunately, Darth Vader is waiting for them and captures Leia and Chewie, giving Han to a bounty hunter who plans to sell him to Jabba the Hutt who's been after him for a while.

Luke realizes his friends are in trouble and tries to rescue them, but ends up dueling Darth Vader who reveals he’s Luke's father before cutting his hand off. Luke is rescued by Leia, Chewie, and Lando, and they all escape together.

the main cast of return of the jedi are all sat together in a spacecraft. There is a large wookiee on the left then a woman with her hair braided on top of her head then behind is a golden robot shaped like a person, in front of the robot is a man with a concerned look on his face and in front of his is another man with an equally concerned look on his face.

Release date: May 25, 1983

Luke, Leia, Chewie, and Lando rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt, and Luke returns to Dagobah to complete his training only to discover Yoda is dying. Before he dies, Yoda confirms that Darth Vader is Luke's dad and then Obi-Wan’s Force ghost reveals that Leia is Luke's sister. Meanwhile, on the Forest Moon of Endor, Han and Leia destroy the shield protecting a second Death Star with the help of the native Ewoks.

Luke surrenders himself to Vader who takes him to the Emperor, but when the Emperor cannot turn Luke to the dark side he tries to kill him. Vader, unable to watch his son die, kills the Emperor before dying of his wounds. With the Death Star unprotected, Lando and the rebel fighters destroy it and then everyone has a big party.

a woman bends down to talk to a small orange and white robot made up of two spherical parts.

Release date: December 18, 2015
Cast: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Harrison Ford

30 years later on Jakku, scavenger Rey finds droid BB-8 who claims to have a map to the missing Luke Skywalker. Along with defected stormtrooper Finn, they escape aboard the abandoned Millennium Falcon and are eventually found by Han and Chewie. Traveling to Takodana to make contact with the Resistance, Rey is captured by the First Order's Kylo Ren (actually Han and Leia's son who's been seduced by the dark side) and taken aboard Starkiller base.

Han, Chewie, and Finn try to rescue Rey, but Kylo Ren kills Han before battling Rey, who discovers she's strong with the Force. Starkiller base is eventually destroyed and Rey goes in search of Luke.

a woman holds a lightsaber and looks at it as though she has never seen such a thing in her life.

Release date: December 15, 2017
Cast: Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver

Rey finds Luke in isolation, but he's not in the mood to help the Resistance, despite reluctantly giving her some Jedi training. Kylo and Rey realize they have a Force connection and Rey goes to him, believing there's still some good inside him.

Meanwhile, during a dramatic space battle, Vice Admiral Holdo sacrifices herself to save what's left of the Resistance, who escape to Crait. Kylo's master, Supreme Leader Snoke, orders him to kill Rey, but Kylo kills him instead and becomes Supreme Leader, as Rey escapes. He then attacks the Resistance only to be stopped by Luke who shows up at the last minute. The pair battle and Luke ultimately dies, but Rey manages to save everyone else.

three people stand in a desert looking concerned there is a Wookie and a golden robot in the shape of a human behind them.

Release date: December 20, 2019
Cast: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher

Rey is continuing her Jedi training with Leia when they discover Palpatine has been resurrected. Rey, Finn, and Poe try to find him, with Kylo Ren in pursuit who eventually reveals to Rey that she's actually Palpatine's granddaughter. Meanwhile, Leia dies and feeling it, Kylo Ren finds his way back to the light side of the Force, reclaiming his identity as Ben Solo.

Rey goes to confront Palpatine, who demands Rey kill him so his spirit can transfer to her, but when she refuses he tries to drain her lifeforce. With the help of Ben, Rey eventually destroys Palpatine, but Ben dies saving her life.

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Lauren is a sci-fi and fantasy geek through and through. She's passionate about the Marvel cinematic universe (MCU), but there's few sci-fi or fantasy worlds she hasn't visited whether that's through books (Dune), TV shows (Game of Thrones) or movies (Star Wars).

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A long time ago.... - A Star Wars timeline

The complete star wars canon timeline with all releases, movies and more, in chronological order. find books, films, comics and games presented in order of the storyline..

A ‘Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise

Ultimate Star Wars Timeline

Star wars movies timeline.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Episode I: The Phantom Menace

The clone wars (movie), episode ii: attack of the clones, episode iii: revenge of the sith, solo: a star wars story, episode iv: a new hope, rogue one: a star wars story, episode v: the empire strikes back, episode vi: return of the jedi, episode viii: the last jedi, episode vii: the force awakens, episode ix: the rise of skywalker, star wars tv shows timeline.

Click on any of the Star Wars TV shows below to see it in the timline!

The Clone Wars (TV series)
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Star Wars Rebels
The Mandalorian
The Book of Boba Fett
Star Wars: Ahsoka
Star Wars Resistance
Galaxy's Edge

Star Wars Characters Timeline

Click on any of the Star Wars characters below to see it in the timline!

Jabba Desilijic Tiure

Jabba Desilijic Tiure, more commonly referred to as Jabba the Hutt or simply Jabba, and formally styled as His Excellency Jabba Desilijic Tiure of Nal Hutta, Eminence of Tatooine, was a Hutt gangster and crime lord, as well as a member of the Grand Hutt Council, who operated and led a criminal empire from his palace on the Outer Rim world of Tatooine. Jabba was a major figure on Tatooine, where he controlled the bulk of the piracy, slavery, and trafficking in illegal goods that generated most of the planet's wealth. He was also highly influential in the entire Outer Rim as one of its most powerful crime lords.

Yoda, a being belonging to a mysterious species, was a legendary Jedi Master who witnessed the rise and fall of the Galactic Republic, followed by the rise of the Galactic Empire. Small in stature but revered for his wisdom and power, Yoda trained generations of Jedi, ultimately serving as the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. Having lived through nine centuries of galactic history, he played integral roles in the Clone Wars, the rebirth of the Jedi through Luke Skywalker, and unlocking the path to immortality.

Maz Kanata was born over a millennium before the brewing war between the First Order and the Resistance. Living in an ancient castle on the planet Takodana, Kanata gained a reputation as a "pirate queen" by allowing traveling smugglers to reside in her home—as long as they honored her prohibitions against politics and war. Kanata spent centuries traveling the galaxy, collecting antiques and trinkets, which she kept inside the storehouses and vaults of her castle. One notable item was the lightsaber crafted by Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars, and later wielded by Skywalker's son, Luke, who was instrumental in toppling the Galactic Empire.

Chewbacca, known affectionately to his friends as Chewie, was a warrior, smuggler, mechanic, pilot, and resistance fighter who fought in the Clone Wars, the Galactic Civil War, and the Cold War and subsequent First Order/Resistance War. He hailed from the planet Kashyyyk and became a Wookiee military leader. During the Clone Wars, he was captured by Trandoshan slavers and held captive on Wasskah, but he worked with a fellow captive, Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano, to escape. He later commanded Wookiee forces of the Kachirho Wookiee Militia during the Battle of Kashyyyk alongside the Grand Army of the Republic, led by Jedi General Yoda. During the battle, one of the last ones of the war, Yoda's clone troopers received Order 66 from Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and, with the help of Chewbacca and his fellow Wookiee Chieftain and General Tarfful, Yoda escaped Kashyyyk and the destruction of the Jedi Order.

Count Dooku

Dooku was a Jedi Master that fell to the dark side of the Force and became the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Tyranus during the final years of the Galactic Republic. After leaving the Jedi Order, he claimed the title Count of Serenno and, during the Clone Wars, served as Head of State of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. He was the second apprentice of Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith whose plan to conquer the galaxy relied on Dooku leading a pan-galactic secessionist movement against the Republic. As such, Dooku immersed himself in the dark side and worked tirelessly to advance his and his master's plans, but ultimately forgot that treachery was the way of the Sith.

Plo Koon was a Jedi Master who served as a member of the Jedi High Council during the last years of the Galactic Republic. He served as a respected Jedi General during the Clone Wars, a pan-galactic conflict between the Republic and its splinter state, the Confederacy of Independent Systems. During the war he frequently undertook dangerous missions with the soldiers under his command, the 104th Battalion.

Sheev Palpatine

Sheev Palpatine, and also known simply as the Emperor, was a Dark Lord of the Sith known as Darth Sidious, and Emperor of the Galactic Empire, ruling from 19 BBY to 4 ABY. Rising to power in the Republic Senate as the senator of Naboo, the secretive Sith Lord cultivated two identities, Sidious and Palpatine, using both to further his political career. He orchestrated the fall of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order through the Clone Wars, and then established his reign over the galaxy which lasted until his death at the Battle of Endor. However, the dark side of the Force gave rise to powers which allowed the Emperor to return from the grave.

Jango Fett was a Mandalorian bounty hunter and the clone template of the Grand Army of the Republic. Known as the best bounty hunter in the galaxy during the final years of the Galactic Republic, Fett was proficient in marksmanship as well as unarmed combat. The Mandalorian armor that he wore featured various weapons and gadgets, including a flamethrower, dual WESTAR-34 blaster pistols, and a jetpack. His personal starship was the Firespray-31-class patrol and attack craft Slave I.

Qui-Gon Jinn

Qui-Gon Jinn, was a Jedi Master who lived during the last years of the Republic Era. He was a wise and well-respected member of the Jedi Order, and was offered a seat on the Jedi Council, but chose to reject and follow his own path. Adhering to a philosophy centered around the Living Force, Jinn strove to follow the will of the Force even when his actions conflicted with the wishes of the High Council. After encountering Anakin Skywalker, Jinn brought him to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, convinced he had found the Chosen One. His dying wish was for Skywalker to become a Jedi and ultimately restore balance to the Force.

Mace Windu was a revered Jedi Master and member of the Jedi High Council during the last years of the Galactic Republic. During his time in the Jedi Order, he once served as elected leader of the Jedi and, during the Clone Wars, as a Jedi General in the Grand Army of the Republic. He was the greatest champion of the Jedi Order and promoted its ancient traditions amidst the growing influence of the dark side of the Force in the corrupt, declining days of the Republic.

Nute Gunray

Nute Gunray served as the Viceroy of the Trade Federation and a high-ranking member of the Separatist Confederacy of Independent Systems and chairman of the Separatist Council. Gunray led the Trade Federation through its invasion of the planet Naboo, at the behest of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious—who was secretly Sheev Palpatine, the Senator of Naboo, and who had engineered the conflict to be elected Supreme Chancellor. The Federation invasion was repelled and Gunray was arrested, but he avoided punishment after four trials in the Supreme Court.

General Grievous

Grievous, born as Qymaen jai Sheelal, was a warlord who served as a commanding officer within the military forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the final years of the Galactic Republic. Despite his position as a general, Grievous held the title of Supreme Martial Commander of the Separatist Droid Army that engaged the Grand Army of the Republic in the pan-galactic Clone Wars. Noted for being ruthless and his extensive cybernetic enhancements, Grievous instilled fear throughout the entire galaxy as he traveled, invading planets and engaging the Jedi Knights of the Republic.

Saw Gerrera

Saw Gerrera was a resistance fighter who, as a leading member of the Onderon rebels, fought against the Confederacy of Independent Systems on Onderon during the Clone Wars. He and his younger sister, Steela Gerrera, were instrumental in the rebel liberation of their homeworld during the Onderonian Civil War. He later became a key member in the fight against the Galactic Empire and the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. His tactics against the Empire led him to be seen as an extremist, one whose notoriety was recognized by the Empire and, many years later, the New Republic.

Wilhuff Tarkin

Wilhuff Tarkin was a politician, bureaucrat, and military officer whose career spanned the Fall of the Republic and the Age of the Empire. Born on the planet Eriadu in 64 BBY, he was a member of the Tarkin family and the great-nephew of Jova Tarkin. During the Republic Era, Tarkin served in the Galactic Republic's Judicial Department for a time before returning to his homeworld as the Governor of Eriadu. When the Clone Wars began, he renewed his military service, becoming a commissioned officer in the Republic Navy.

Cad Bane was a bounty hunter in the galaxy during the Clone Wars. He was considered the best and one of the most experienced bounty hunters in the galaxy during the Clone Wars due to the death of Jango Fett at the First Battle of Geonosis in 22 BBY. Although his infamy grew during the Clone Wars in particular, Bane had a high standing amongst other bounty hunters, working with the likes of Aurra Sing years before the onset of the war. He even had a temporary alliance with the Sith Lord Darth Maul. He specialized in fighting Jedi and dueled with some of the most skilled Jedi during the Clone Wars, including Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. His reputation led him to be repeatedly hired by the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, working for him on numerous projects, including infiltrating the Jedi Temple to steal a kyber memory crystal containing a list of Force-sensitive children throughout the galaxy.

Jar Jar Binks

Jar Jar Binks was a military commander and politician who played a key role during the Invasion of Naboo and the Clone Wars that culminated in the fall of the Galactic Republic and the rise of the Galactic Empire. Once an outcast from Gungan society due to his clumsy behavior, he regained favor with his people by helping secure an alliance between the Gungan boss Rugor Nass and Queen Padmé Amidala of Naboo, an alliance vital in ending the Trade Federation's invasion of their shared homeworld. In the years that followed, Binks became a Junior Representative for his people in the Galactic Senate, serving alongside Amidala once she became the planet's senator.

Bail Organa

Bail Prestor Organa was an Alderaanian politician and revolutionary leader, an influential voice for peace in the Galactic Senate during the last days of the Galactic Republic, and a founding member of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Organa, the senator of Alderaan, was an outspoken member of the Senate's Loyalist Committee that pushed to maintain the ideals of the Republic during the Clone Wars. He became an architect of the early rebellion against the Galactic Empire and believed that a full-scale Galactic Civil War was inevitable if the Empire was to be toppled and replaced by a New Republic.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi, also known as Ben Kenobi, was a Jedi Master who served on the Jedi High Council during the final years of the Republic Era. As a Jedi General, Kenobi served in the Grand Army of the Republic that fought against the Separatist Droid Army during the Clone Wars. Kenobi, however, was forced into exile as a result of the Great Jedi Purge. As a mentor, Kenobi was responsible for training two members of the Skywalker family, Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker, both of whom served in turn as his Padawan in the ways of the Force.

Bib Fortuna

Bib Fortuna lived on the desert planet Tatooine. He served as Jabba the Hutt's majordomo and chief of staff for decades, handling all of the day-to-day operations at Jabba's Palace. Following Jabba's death, Fortuna assumed control of his palace as a crime lord before being killed by the bounty hunter Boba Fett.

Gial Ackbar

Gial Ackbar was a veteran soldier and strong revolutionary leader during the Clone Wars, the Galactic Civil War, the Cold War, and the war between the Resistance and the First Order. Throughout his sixty years of service, Ackbar was regarded as a brilliant tactician.

Maul, once known as Darth Maul, established himself as a crime lord during the reign of the Galactic Empire. However, he was once the Sith apprentice of Darth Sidious, and therefore, a Dark Lord of the Sith. Having trained in the ways of the Force, Maul was a formidable warrior strong with the dark side and deadly skilled in lightsaber combat. In addition, he was a scheming mastermind who plotted his return to power despite losing his place in the ranks of the Sith.

Owen Lars was a moisture farmer from the desert planet Tatooine. He was the son of Aika and Cliegg Lars, and he became the stepbrother of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker when Cliegg married Anakin's mother, Shmi Skywalker. In 22 BBY, Shmi was killed by Tusken Raiders, and Cliegg passed away soon after. Lars married his girlfriend, Beru Whitesun, and they toiled to maintain the homestead.

Hondo Ohnaka

Hondo Ohnaka was an infamous pirate and outlaw who operated throughout the galaxy. With a career spanning several decades, Ohnaka gained notoriety and often found himself involved in the tumultuous conflicts of his time. Although his exploits were primarily self-serving, he provided crucial aid and assistance during pivotal moments in the Clone Wars, Galactic Civil War, and First Order-Resistance War.

Thrawn, born as Kivu'raw'nuru with the core name Vurawn, recognized in his early military career as Mitth'raw'nuru, was an officer of the Chiss Ascendancy and Grand Admiral in the Imperial Navy during the age of the Galactic Empire. An alien Imperial officer with striking blue skin, red eyes, and an angular face, Thrawn was well known as a brilliant and ruthless strategist. He believed that in order to achieve victory in war, one must know their enemy. As such, he dedicated himself to understanding the philosophy, art, and culture of his opponents, which included the Twi'leks of Ryloth and the warriors of Mandalore. When Governor Arihnda Pryce requested a strong commander capable of defeating the rebels on Lothal, Grand Admiral Thrawn accepted the challenge, intending to dismantle the rebellion one piece at a time.

Babu Frik lived during the time of the New Republic Era and the war between the First Order and the Resistance. He maintained a workshop where he worked as a droidsmith among the Spice Runners of Kijimi. He could reprogram or modify almost any droid, regardless of its security measures. He spoke a fractured, heavily accented form of Basic known as Anzellan.

Beru Lars, born Beru Whitesun, was married to Owen Lars, the stepbrother of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, whose son, Luke Skywalker, they raised during the reign of the Galactic Empire. Lars was killed along with her husband by Imperial stormtroopers, who also burned down the Lars moisture farm. With their deaths, Skywalker left his homeworld and joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic.

Padmé Amidala Naberrie

Padmé Amidala Naberrie was a senator who represented the people of Naboo during the final years of the Galactic Republic. Prior to her career in the Galactic Senate, Amidala was the elected ruler of the Royal House of Naboo. A political idealist, she advocated for the preservation of democracy as well as a peaceful resolution to the Clone Wars. However, her secret marriage to the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker would have a lasting effect on the future of the galaxy for decades to come. She was the mother of Luke and Leia.

Mon Mothma was a politician and revolutionary leader who served in the Galactic Senate and Imperial Senate as the representative of Chandrila, the leader of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, and the first Chancellor of the New Republic. Mothma came to political prominence during the Separatist Crisis and the Clone Wars when, along with such allies as Senators Bail Prestor Organa and Padmé Amidala, she became an outspoken proponent of peace between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. She also spoke out against the increase in executive power given to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who transformed the Republic into the Empire at the war's end.

Kit Fisto was a Jedi Master during the final years of the Galactic Republic. Fisto was known as an expert swordsman, having some of the finest dueling skills in the Jedi Order. A celebrated fighter, Fisto served as a Jedi General of the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars, a galaxy-wide conflict between the Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems. He fought in various campaigns and over the course of the war was accepted as a member of the Jedi High Council.

Bo-Katan Kryze

Bo-Katan Kryze was the leader of the Nite Owls and a lieutenant in Death Watch, a terrorist group, and later during the Imperial Era, became Mand'alor. During the Clone Wars, Kryze's sister, Satine, ruled as the Duchess of Mandalore, and Kryze sought to undo her pacifistic teachings, believing that Mandalore should take pride in its martial history. After Governor Pre Vizsla of Concordia was publicly exposed as the leader of Death Watch, the splinter group was exiled from the Mandalore system. In 19 BBY, Kryze and Vizsla discovered the Sith Lords Maul and Savage Opress. With the Sith, they plotted to reclaim Mandalore, and through Maul's planning, united several criminal syndicates to form the Shadow Collective. Launching a takeover of Mandalore, Satine's rule was overthrown, and Vizsla took control of the planet.

Greedo was a bounty hunter who grew up on Tatooine in Mos Espa. During the Clone Wars, he was hired by the Trade Federation to kidnap Chi Eekway Papanoida and Che Amanwe Papanoida, the daughters of Chairman Papanoida, but was forced by the chairman to lead him and his son Ion to them. He was occasionally hired by crime lord Jabba the Hutt for various mercenary jobs, including the capture of Han Solo, who killed the luckless Rodian.

Lando Calrissian

Landonis Balthazar "Lando" Calrissian, was a smuggler, gambler, entrepreneur, and card player who became Baron Administrator of Cloud City and, later, a general in the Rebel Alliance. Born on Socorro, he was the owner of the Millennium Falcon before losing it to Han Solo in a game of sabacc on Numidian Prime. After losing the Falcon, Calrissian put an end to his days as a smuggler and became an entrepreneur, setting up a small mining operation on the planet Lothal before eventually becoming the leader of Cloud City in the skies of the planet Bespin.

Anakin Skywalker

Anakin Skywalker was a legendary character who was a Jedi Knight of the Galactic Republic and the prophesied Chosen One of the Jedi Order, destined to bring balance to the Force. Also known as "Ani" during his childhood, Skywalker earned the moniker & quot;Hero With No Fear" from his accomplishments in the Clone Wars. His alter ego, Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, was created when Skywalker turned to the dark side of the Force, during Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, pledging his allegiance to the Sith Lord Darth Sidious at the end of the Republic Era.

Grogu, known to many simply as "the Child," or "Baby Yoda" (although not Yoda's child) was a Jedi and Mandalorian foundling who belonged to the same species as Jedi Grand Master Yoda and Jedi Master Yaddle.

Ahsoka Tano

Ahsoka Tano was a former Jedi Padawan who, after the Clone Wars, helped establish a network of various rebel cells against the Galactic Empire. Tano was discovered on her homeworld of Shili by Jedi Master Plo Koon, who brought her to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to receive Jedi training. Following the outbreak of the Clone Wars, Jedi Grand Master Yoda assigned the young Tano to be the Padawan learner of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, who nicknamed her "Snips" when she joined him at the Battle of Christophsis. Whereas Tano was eager to prove herself, Skywalker had a reputation for recklessness, and they had a rather difficult start as master and apprentice. Yet they worked together to rescue Rotta, the son of crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure, and returned Rotta to his father, thus facilitating a crucial alliance between the Hutt Clan and the Galactic Republic.

R2-D2, pronounced Artoo-Detoo and often referred to as R2 (Artoo), was an R2-series astromech droid manufactured by Industrial Automaton with masculine programming. A smart, spunky droid who would serve a multitude of masters over his lifetime, R2-D2 was never given a full memory wipe (apart from a partial wipe of select information by Cad Bane during the senate hostage crisis) nor did he ever receive new programming, with these factors resulting in an adventurous and independent attitude. Often finding himself in pivotal moments in galactic history, his bravery and ingenuity saved the galaxy on numerous occasions.

C-3PO, sometimes spelled See-Threepio, often referred to as Threepio and by some as 3-So, was a 3PO-series protocol droid designed to interact with organics, programmed primarily for etiquette and protocol. He was fluent in over six million forms of communication, and developed a fussy and worry-prone personality throughout his many decades of operation. Along with his counterpart, the astromech droid R2-D2, C-3PO constantly found himself directly involved in pivotal moments of galactic history, and aided in saving the galaxy on many occasions.

Kanan Jarrus

Kanan Jarrus, born Caleb Dume, was a Jedi Knight who survived Order 66 during the Clone Wars. Living on thanks to the sacrifice of his Master, Depa Billaba, on Kaller, he met the smuggler Janus Kasmir, who taught him how to survive as a fugitive. Going into hiding, he forsook the Jedi ways for some time, swapping his blue-bladed lightsaber for a blaster. After working with the Twi'lek rebel operative Hera Syndulla during the Gorse conflict, Jarrus decided to join her nascent rebel cell.

Boba Fett was a bounty hunter whose career spanned decades, from the fall of the Galactic Republic to the rise of the Galactic Empire. Originally code-named Alpha, he was an unaltered clone of the famed Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett. Boba emulated his father and genetic donor by wearing a customized suit of Mandalorian armor. His personal starship was the Slave I, a Firespray-31-class patrol and attack craft that once belonged to Jango. Trained in combat and martial skills from a young age, Fett was one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy during the reign of Emperor Palpatine. He became a legend over the course of his career, which included contracts for both the Empire and the extensive criminal underworld.

Rex, formerly designated CT-7567, was a veteran Clone Captain, Clone Commander, and Advanced Recon Commando who commanded the Grand Army of the Republic's famed 501st Legion of clone troopers during the Clone Wars. Rex later served as a captain and commander within the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War. Rex participated in many battles over the course of the Clone Wars. As the captain of the 501st, Rex served as second-in-command to Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, whose bravery and unconventionality in battle he came to share. In addition to being a close friend of Skywalker, he also became friends with Skywalker's apprentice, Ahsoka Tano. He was close with Marshal Commander Cody, with their relationship mirroring that of their respective Jedi Generals, Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, whom Rex was also well acquainted with. Rex and his companions often worked together during the front-line campaigns against the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

"Hunter" was the nickname of a clone commando sergeant who served as the commanding officer of Clone Force 99 in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars, fought between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. He was genetically altered to have heightened senses and commanded his comrades who had their own unique mutations, in what they called the "Bad Batch." Other members of the squad included Wrecker, Tech, and Crosshair, and later, Echo.

Han Solo, known only as Han until being given the surname Solo by an Imperial recruitment officer, and formerly known as Cadet 124-329 while serving as an Imperial cadet, was also a smuggler. He became a leader in the Alliance to Restore the Republic and an instrumental figure in the defeat of the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War. He hailed from Corellia and became a smuggler, even completing the Kessel Run in just twelve parsecs with his prized ship, the Millennium Falcon, and coming under the employ of Jabba the Hutt. He was the son-in-law of fallen Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padmé Amidala, husband of Princess Leia Organa, brother-in-law of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, father of Ben Solo, rivals and close friends with fellow smuggler Lando Calrissian, and best friends with the Wookiee Chewbacca, his trusted copilot who swore a life debt to the Corellian smuggler. Solo ran afoul of Jabba after ditching a shipment of spice to avoid trouble with the Empire, owing the Hutt a great deal of money as a result. His fortune seemed to have changed when he agreed to charter Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO to Alderaan, but he became caught up in the rebellion against the Empire and, after helping Princess Leia Organa escape from the Death Star, briefly fought in the Battle of Yavin, which allowed Skywalker to destroy the superweapon. Solo fought with the Rebellion for a number of years afterward, taking part in numerous operations and battles against the Empire.

Qi'ra lived during the reign of the Galactic Empire. She grew up on the streets along with Han as part of the White Worms. Though they were at first rivals, the two scrumrats eventually became lovers. Sometime after Qi'ra was made Head Girl by Lady Proxima, Han and Qi'ra attempted to escape with a vial of coaxium, but were separated at the Coronet Spaceport, with Han getting away, though he promised to return for her.

Chopper, also known simply "Chop", was a masculine C1-series astromech droid manufactured by Industrial Automaton that was active during the Clone Wars and the early years of the Galactic Empire. He was a member of the Spectres, a rebel cell led by the Twi'lek captain Hera Syndulla and the Jedi Kanan Jarrus that fought against the Empire. He was responsible for maintaining the Ghost, a modified VCX-100 light freighter which served as the rebel cell's main base of operations.

Din Djarin, also known as "the Mandalorian" or simply "Mando," was a Mandalorian who worked as a famous bounty hunter during the New Republic Era. With his Mandalorian armor, IB-94 blaster pistol, Amban sniper rifle, and distinctive beskar helmet, Djarin was both well-equipped and enigmatic—a stranger whose past was shrouded in mystery to others. Orphaned during the Republic Era, he was raised as a foundling by the Children of the Watch, a group that had broken off from mainstream Mandalorian society. Djarin was not aware of this and believed that all Mandalorians followed the Children of the Watch's beliefs. He was trained to become a Mandalorian warrior and eventually joined the Tribe, which operated in a secret covert on Nevarro and was affiliated with the Children of the Watch. Djarin became battle-hardened, a man of few words, and a formidable hunter in an increasingly dangerous galaxy.

Hera Syndulla

Hera Syndulla was a revolutionary leader who became a central figure in the early rebellion against the Galactic Empire and the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Born the daughter of General Cham Syndulla and Eleni Syndulla on Ryloth with a brother who died young, she saw firsthand the devastation of the Clone Wars and the reign of the Empire on her homeworld. Syndulla became an expert pilot and left her homeworld and her father's planetary resistance behind, setting off across the galaxy to build her own resistance movement against the Empire aboard her starship, the Ghost. Kanan Jarrus, a Jedi who survived Order 66, joined her during the Gorse conflict and eventually became her lover and father of her son. Her crew, the Spectres, mounted an insurgency on Lothal and was eventually comprised of Mandalorian warrior Sabine Wren, Lasat survivor Garazeb Orrelios, Syndulla's life-long astromech droid Chopper, and Padawan Ezra Bridger.

Omega was an unaltered, yet enhanced clone created from the genetic template of the Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett who lived in the years following the Clone Wars. Originally created as a pure genetic replication of Fett, she was a medical assistant to Nala Se and spent her days working in Tipoca City on the clone homeworld of Kamino. When the war ended, she took an interest in Clone Force 99, who had returned from a battle on Kaller. Later, when Wilhuff Tarkin arrived on Kamino to assess the clone troopers, she joined Clone Force 99 and escaped Kamino.

R5-D4, also called "Red" by Luke Skywalker, was a red and white-striped R5 astromech droid owned by a group of Jawas on Tatooine in the early days of the Galactic Civil War. Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, the Jawas attempted to sell him to Owen Lars, but the droid purposely malfunctioned his motivator at the advice of R2-D2, so that Lars could purchase R2-D2 in R5-D4's place. The droid survived an Imperial attack on the sandcrawler soon after, and went out to find the Rebellion. R5 was still active by the time of the New Republic Era, and eventually came into the service of Mos Eisley hangar manager Peli Motto. He projected a map of Tatooine in order to assist the Mandalorian Din Djarin.

Fennec Shand

Fennec Shand was an assassin, mercenary, and bounty hunter, who worked for many of the top crime syndicates. During the early days of the Galactic Empire, when Clone Force 99 landed on Pantora, Shand took it upon herself to capture the clone girl Omega who had a bounty placed on her. She managed to gain Omega's trust, but betrayed Omega and her friends when clone commando sergeant Hunter came to rescue her. She fought off Wrecker, another member of Clone Force 99, and chased Omega to the top of a tower. Shand dropped Omega onto a hovertruck and followed her. Omega was able to escape her grasp and return to Hunter, but Shand vowed to continue her hunt for the girl.

Max Rebo was a popular Jizz-wailer musician who led the Max Rebo Band. He mainly played the red ball jett organ, which he played with his feet; he and his band often performed for criminals and gangsters.

Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker, was a legendary Jedi Master who fought in the Galactic Civil War during the reign of the Galactic Empire. Along with his companions, Princess Leia Organa and General Han Solo, Skywalker served as a revolutionary on the side of the Alliance to Restore the Republic—an organization committed to the downfall of the Galactic Empire and the restoration of democracy. Following the war, Skywalker became a living legend, and was remembered as one of the greatest Jedi in galactic history. SPOILER ALERT: Luke is the son of Anakin.

Leia Organa

Leia Skywalker Organa Solo was a political and military leader who served in the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Imperial Era and the New Republic and Resistance in the subsequent New Republic Era. Adopted into the House of Organa, the Alderaanian royal family, she was Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, a planet in the Core Worlds known for its dedication to pacifism. The princess was raised as the daughter of Senator Bail Prestor Organa and his wife, Queen Breha Organa, making her the heir to the Alderaanian monarchy. Instilled with the values of her adopted homeworld, Organa devoted her life to the restoration of democracy by opposing authoritarian regimes such as the Galactic Empire and the First Order.

Ezra Bridger

Ezra was a Jedi Padawan, a freedom fighter, and a revolutionary leader in the early rebellion against the Galactic Empire. He was born on Empire Day in 19 BBY to Ephraim and Mira Bridger. His parents' public criticism of the Empire led to their imprisonment, leaving Bridger an orphan on the planet Lothal as a child. He joined the rebel crew of the Ghost in 5 BBY and was trained in the ways of the Force by Kanan Jarrus. Bridger's abilities grew quickly, and a message of hope he broadcast in the Lothal sector inspired a number of rebel cells to begin working together to fight the Empire.

8D8 was a masculine Roche Hive 8D-series smelter droid who was lobotomized and reprogrammed to assist EV-9D9, Jabba Desilijic Tiure's chief of Cyborg Operations, in terrorizing the droid pool of the Hutt crime lord's palace on the planet Tatooine. He was temporarily deactivated after his master's demise and later worked for Boba Fett.

Temmin Wexley

Temmin "Snap" Wexley lived during the Age of the Empire and the time of the New Republic. At a young age, Temmin was separated from his parents after his father Brentin was taken away by the Galactic Empire and his mother Norra Wexley joined the Rebel Alliance. He became an independent businessman who specialized in junk dealing and rebuilt a B1-series battle droid named Mister Bones to keep him company. Following the Battle of Endor, the teenage Wexley reconciled with his mother Norra and joined forces with her to disrupt a secret Imperial meeting on the planet Akiva.

Phasma, a stormtrooper captain of the First Order, grew up as a member of the Scyre clan on the nuclear-ravaged world of Parnassos, where she became a formidable warrior, eventually becoming the clan's military leader. Seeking passage offworld, Phasma helped the First Order General Brendol Hux find his ship, in the process betraying her own brother, Keldo, and the rest of her clan. After being rescued, Phasma joined the First Order, abandoning her former life.

Armitage Hux

Armitage Hux served as a general in the military forces of the First Order during the New Republic Era. With the support of Supreme Leader Snoke, Hux took command of Starkiller Base and promoted the development of new technology that allowed the First Order fleet to track targets through hyperspace. However, Snoke's death ruined the young general's career trajectory, as did the years that Hux spent jockeying for power against his rival Kylo Ren, who seized control of the First Order as the new Supreme Leader.

Poe Dameron

Poe Dameron originally served as a member of the Spice Runners of Kijimi, before becoming a pilot in the New Republic and eventually joining the Resistance, rising to become acting General of the Resistance, during its conflict and subsequent war with the First Order. The son of Lieutenant Shara Bey and Sergeant Kes Dameron of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, Dameron followed in his late mother's footsteps in becoming a pilot, serving the New Republic Defense Fleet as the commander of Rapier Squadron, but grew disillusioned with the Republic's inaction to the First Order's violations of the Galactic Concordance. Dameron defected to the Resistance, where he became one of General Leia Organa's most trusted operatives. Dameron flew under the callsign of Black Leader while piloting his specialized T-70 X-wing starfighter, Black One.

Snoke ruled the First Order as Supreme Leader during the New Republic Era. Possibly unaware of his true nature, Snoke was an artificial genetic construct created on the planet Exegol by the resurrected Dark Lord of the Sith and former Galactic Emperor Darth Sidious. Cloned from Sidious with various genetic sciences, Snoke was designed to be a proxy that the Sith Lord could manipulate, though he possessed an independent mind and free will.

Ben Solo fell to the dark side of the Force as Kylo Ren, master of the Knights of Ren and eventual Supreme Leader of the First Order, but returned to the light side shortly before his death. He was born at the end of the Galactic Civil War in 5 ABY, when the Galactic Empire surrendered to the New Republic. His parents, General Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa, were considered great heroes of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, as was his maternal uncle, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. The heir to the Skywalker bloodline, Ben Solo possessed raw strength in the Force and had the potential for limitless power. During the New Republic Era, Solo was part of a new generation of Jedi apprentices trained by his uncle. He was seduced by the dark side through the machinations of the phantom Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious, and his creation, Supreme Leader Snoke. Sidious's son had a daughter, Rey, who was born to her mother in 15 ABY. Unknown to any at the time, Solo and Rey were counterparts as a dyad in the Force.

Rose Tico served in the Resistance as a maintenance worker during their conflict with the First Order, whom Tico had hated since she was a child. Tico's older sister, Paige, was a gunner in the Resistance. Following the Battle of D'Qar, in which her sister was killed, and during the First Order's attack on the Resistance fleet, Tico, former Stormtrooper Finn, and astromech unit BB-8 arrived on the city of Canto Bight to recruit the "Master Codebreaker," hoping he could disable the First Order's hyperspace tracker. Instead allying with criminal DJ, the four were captured before they could disable the tracker and betrayed by DJ. In the ensuing Battle of Crait, Tico saved Finn's life and, although unconscious, was among the members of the Resistance who escaped aboard the Millennium Falcon.

Finn, formerly designated FN-2187 ("Eight-Seven"), was a stormtrooper who served the First Order until his desertion and subsequent defection to the Resistance during the First Order/Resistance War. Though trained since birth to be a loyal and obedient soldier, FN-2187's conscience conflicted with the methods of the First Order. For a time he was unwilling to support the Resistance, hoping to escape the galactic conflict instead of fighting for a cause he believed was doomed to fail. As the galaxy became consumed by war, the renegade trooper was ultimately forced to decide where his true loyalties lay.

Kaydel Ko Connix

Kaydel Ko Connix lived during the era of the New Republic and the subsequent war between the First Order and the Resistance. Born on Dulathia, Connix ultimately joined the Resistance; and was stationed at their D'Qar headquarters. Serving under General Leia Organa, a veteran of the Rebel Alliance and leader of the Resistance, she worked as an operations controller in Fleet Command.

Rey Skywalker

Rey was a Jedi Master who fought on the side of the Resistance in the war against the First Order. A former scavenger from the planet Jakku, her life was changed by the tumultuous events of the last days of the New Republic Era. Her decision to help the droid BB-8 would set Rey on a course to discovering the Force that awakened within her, leading her to seek out Jedi Master Luke Skywalker for training. Yet despite her commitment to the Jedi Order and the light side of the Force, Rey felt the pull to the dark side due to her anger and the adversarial relationship she had with Ben Solo, a fallen Jedi whom she knew as the dark warrior Kylo Ren. The unique Force-bond between them was a result of their nature as a dyad in the Force. Rey was born a Palpatine, but would take the name of Skywalker, after her masters.

BB-8, sometimes spelled and pronounced Beebee-Ate and nicknamed BB, was a BB-series astromech droid who operated approximately thirty years after the Battle of Endor. He had a dome head, similar to that of R2 series astromech droids, with the bulk of his body made up of a ball on which the droid's head rolled. BB-8 was mostly white, with some silver and orange on his body, as well as a black photoreceptor. The droid belonged to Resistance pilot Poe Dameron, whom he accompanied during his flights on his T-70 X-wing starfighter.

Screen Rant

All remaining star wars tv shows & movie news expected in 2024.

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Star Wars: Every Upcoming Movie, TV Show, Game, Book, Comic, & More (2024-2027)

Everything we know about the mandalorian & grogu movie, star wars theory makes george lucas' original jedi origin canon after 48 years.

Star Wars is embarking on a busy 2024 with new movies and Disney+ shows set to explore various eras of the Star Wars timeline.
The Mandalorian & Grogu movie, Rey's New Jedi Order movie, and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew TV show are among the upcoming releases.
While no Star Wars movies will premiere in 2024, production for the next film, The Mandalorian & Grogu, will kick off this year.

Star Wars is flourishing more than ever, with plenty more content slated for the near future. Following 2023's jam-packed release schedule, Star Wars has another busy year planned for 2024. Star Wars movies are high on the priority list for the first time since the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and the global success of The Mandalorian has opened the door for many new Star Wars Disney+ TV shows to come to light - both animated and live-action.

So far, Star Wars has released three animated TV shows and one live-action series. Star Wars: The Bad Batch aired its final season, with this chapter in Clone Force 99 's story coming to a perfectly bittersweet end. Star Wars also unveiled Tales of the Empire , an animated miniseries that followed both Morgan Elsbeth and Barriss Offee in the spirit of 2022's Tales of the Jedi . As for live-action, The Acolyte finally premiered after years of anticipation, and this High Republic era show certainly shook things up for the Star Wars galaxy.

As for what viewers can expect to see next from the franchise, the upcoming Star Wars movies and Disney+ TV shows will cover several eras of the Star Wars timeline . The next project is set in what is now referred to as the New Republic era , which will further explore the time period that The Mandalorian first established back in 2019. With plenty of new reveals in store, these are all the Star Wars stories that will come in 2024.

Star Wars’ major releases across canon will be numerous in the next half-decade, from TV shows and films to books, novels, and video games.

No Star Wars Movies Are Expected To Release In 2024

Star wars will return to theaters in 2026.

Although 2024 will be another big year of Star Wars content, no movies will be a part of the schedule. The earliest release date for a Star Wars movie is 2026 , as shared at Star Wars Celebration 2023 and confirmed by Disney in 2024. Star Wars will remain on Disney+ in 2024 instead of in the theater, but at least there will be some more Star Wars movies to come, with the last premiering in 2019. These include The Mandalorian & Grogu , Rey's New Jedi Order movie , Dave Filoni's The Mandalorian movie, and James Mangold's Dawn of the Jedi project.

Although Lucasfilm has currently booked three release dates, only the first of these has been assigned to a movie. Those release dates are:

May 22, 2026 - The Mandalorian & Grogu
December 18, 2026
December 17, 2027

The Next Star Wars Movies Will Begin Production In 2024

The mandalorian & grogu.

Star Wars movies have finally become a priority for Lucasfilm again, meaning production for the next film will begin in 2024. The next Star Wars movie set to release is The Mandalorian & Grogu , a continuation of The Mandalorian and the story of Din Djarin and Grogu . The Mandalorian & Grogu was announced early in 2024, and production started at some point in July. Few details are known about the project, aside from a cast that currently consists of Pedro Pascal, Steve Blum, and Sigourney Weaver. It's due to release on May 22, 2026.

The story details that are known so far come from The Mandalorian & Grogu movie footage shown at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. One of the most notable surprises is the return of the Razor Crest ship, which was previously destroyed by Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian season 2. Another big surprise was Star Wars Rebels hero Zeb Orrelios , who previously made his live-action debut in The Mandalorian season 3. Din Djarin and Grogu look to be on an exciting adventure in this footage , proving that this Star Wars movie is making great strides ahead.

The Mandalorian's story will continue with a Star Wars movie. Here's everything we know about the project, including cast, release, and timeline.

Rey's New Jedi Order Movie

The Mandalorian & Grogu was a recent addition to Star Wars ' movie slate, and the movie originally intended to be the next release was Rey's New Jedi Order movie. This was first revealed at Star Wars Celebration in 2023, as was Daisy Ridley's return to Star Wars as Rey Skywalker to lead the movie. Since the movie has been in pre-production for so long, the New Jedi Order movie will likely still begin production in 2024 , though its release date will likely be the December 2026 window Star Wars has already claimed.

What Star Wars TV Shows Are Still Due To Release In 2024

Star wars: skeleton crew.

Skeleton Crew is a Disney+ original series set in the Star Wars universe.The series was created by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford and tells the story of four young kids that must find their way home after becoming lost in the galaxy. The story takes place during the same time frame as The Mandalorian.

This coming-of-age Star Wars show will take place in the New Republic era, following a group of kids who get lost in the galaxy following a discovery made on their home planet. The Star Wars: Skeleton Crew trailer shows the four kids, named Wim, Fern, Neel, and KB, on the day just before a big test that will supposedly alter the course of their entire lives. That night, they make a discovery that accidentally sends them on a ship into hyperspace , where they come across dangerous strangers - such as The Mandalorian season 3's pirate Vane.

Jude Law stars as the supposed Force-sensitive character named Jod Na Nawood, and the style has been compared to Amblin Entertainment - something that already seems evident in its trailer. Jon Watts and Christopher Ford are at the creative helm of Skeleton Crew , with Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni serving as executive producers. This Star Wars project will be the last to release in 2024, as it will premiere on December 3.

Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.

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Time travel
Time travel was a form of transportation through time into the past[2] or the future.[1] Although some beings sometimes wished they could travel back in time to change mistakes they made in their lives,[2][3] such a thing was still widely thought to be impossible, even during the height of the New Republic.[4] A hypothetical device for allowing so was known as a time machine.[3] Access to the ...
Time travel in Star Wars? It happened, and Ahsoka did it
This means that time travel has technically been a part of Star Wars longer than Ewoks. Speaking of Ewoks, however, perhaps the most significant time travel story up until the Ahsoka affair was a 1986 crossover between Droids and Ewoks, two comic book tie-ins to animated series of the same name.
Ahsoka: What Makes Ezra Bridger So Important?
Star Wars is much more fantasy-based than it is true science fiction, so concepts like time travel don't normally come into play. But clearly, that rule is thrown out the window where Ahsoka and ...
How Time Travel Works in Star Wars
How Time Travel Works in Rebels. The reveal of the World Between Worlds, the place where a Force user can access doorways to other times, is visually linked to the Mortis gods from The Clone Wars ...
Ahsoka Trailer Secretly Brings Back Star Wars' Time Travel
Published Apr 8, 2023. Link copied to clipboard. The first trailer for Ahsoka subtly teases the return of time travel to the Star Wars galaxy. First seen in the Star Wars Rebels animated series which also featured the titular Jedi outcast, a supernatural plane within the Force was revealed known as the World Between Worlds, a cosmic reality ...
Ahsoka Suggests Time Travel Is Coming To Star Wars
This article contains spoilers for "Ahsoka.". Sooner or later, every franchise tackles time travel. "SpongeBob SquarePants," "Game of Thrones," the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Family Guy," the ...
How the Star Wars Kessel Run Turns Han Solo Into a Time-Traveler
Topics Movies physics Star Wars time travel Underwire WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation.
'Ahsoka' Could Introduce Time Travelling With This ...
The Big Picture. Star Wars Rebels introduced time travel through the World Between Worlds, allowing characters to alter the past and future in the franchise. We saw this when Ezra went back in ...
Star Wars' World Between Worlds Explained
Time travel has been part of the Star Wars galaxy since 2018 through the World Between Worlds, and it now plays an important part in the Ahsoka Disney+ TV show. Ahsoka episode 4 ended with Ahsoka Tano, defeated and apparently killed, awakening in a strange location. There, to her intense surprise, she found herself greeted by what seems to be the Force ghost of her former mentor Anakin Skywalker.
What is the World Between Worlds? Explaining the Star Wars realm that
The Clone Wars era scenes also don't appear to be outright time travel, and more akin to a vision, since Ahsoka is her younger self but has all her older self's memories.
Ahsoka: Did the New Star Wars Series Just Introduce Time Travel?
The World Between Worlds is a tricky thing to introduce to Star Wars, because it does flirt very closely to time travel.By having Ahsoka return to her time in Rebels, Filoni avoided creating any ...
Star Wars Has Time Travel, Ahsoka Might Explore What That Means
The series from George Lucas' own Padawan, Dave Filoni, is the most important new "saga" story on the way in part because Star Wars has time travel, and Ahsoka is the show that's probably going to explore that. Ahsoka Tano is not a Skywalker, just like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Han Solo aren't. Yet, she is as tied to their saga as any character.
Does 'Star Wars 9' Trailer Hint at Time Travel in 'Rise of
The arrival of a classic Star Wars villain in the trailer of 'Rise of the Skywalker' may confirm that a massive moment from 'Star Wars Rebels' might be coming to the movies. By Rosie Knight Plus Icon
Time Travel Already Exists In Star Wars
A plot device so common in other sci-fi stories, time travel already exists in Star Wars - but it has only been used once. For one of the most creative and far-flung fantasy universes in pop culture, it's curious that elements like time travel and alternate timelines aren't so common in Star Wars. In a saga where the Force seems to dictate ...
Star Wars Timeline: Every Movie, Series And More
For the most part, this is relevant mainly to young kids - think the Star Wars equivalent of Spidey And His Amazing Friends, or Paw Patrol with tiny Jedi instead of pups. But Young Jedi ...
Here's the official slate of upcoming Star Wars movies and TV
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Coming to Disney Plus on Dec. 3, 2024. Image: Lucasfilm/Disney. Jon Watts, the director of the MCU Spider-Man trilogy, helms this show starring Jude Law and a group of ...
The 32 greatest time travel movies
Time Bandits stands the test of, ahem, time, to look and feel like a riveting children's storybook come to life. 10. Primer (2004) (Image credit: THINKFilm) In Shane Carruth's debut feature film ...
Every Upcoming Star Wars Movie and Series
Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2. Premiere Date: TBD What We Know: Early in 2024, Lucasfilm and Disney revealed they are developing a second season of Filoni's series. Presumably, stars Rosario Dawson and Natasha Liu Bordizzo will return. The encore engagements of Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati and David Tennant as the voice of Huyang are also pretty safe bets. But other actors — like Mary Elizabeth ...
Star Wars movies in order: Chronological and release
Star Wars: Episode 5 - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Star Wars: Episode 6 - Return of the Jedi (1983) The Mandalorian, season 1 and 2 (2019-2020) The Book of Boba Fett, season 1 (2021) The ...
A long time ago....
Experimental: The galactic history - With characters, lore and stories from the Star Wars universe in chronological order.Not yet fully operational, but feel free to sneak peek. The complete Star Wars canon timeline with all releases, movies and more, in chronological order. Find books, films, comics and games presented in order of the storyline.
The 10 Best Time Travel Movies, Ranked
The greatest time travel movies have complex plots and interweaving storylines, making them fun to watch and rewarding to unravel the many threads. ... Trending SR Exclusives Star Wars Marvel DC Star Trek Best on Streaming Close. The 10 Best Time Travel Movies, Ranked Movies. By Mary Kassel. Published Feb 18, 2024. Your changes have been saved ...
A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the ...
Initially known for theatrically released blockbusters for the first two decades of its existence (despite dipping its toe in TV, occasionally), the George Lucas space-opera finally succumbed to ...
Ultimate Star Wars Timeline
Star Wars Movies Timeline. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Episode I: The Phantom Menace; The Clone Wars (movie) Episode II: Attack of the Clones; Episode III: Revenge of the Sith; Solo: A Star Wars Story; Episode IV: A New Hope; Rogue One: A Star Wars Story; Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back; Episode VI: Return of the Jedi ...
Ranking Every Star Wars Movie From Shortest To Longest (And Their Runtime)
The Last Jedi - 152 minutes. The longest Star Wars film to date is, not coincidentally, the most ambitious and controversial film in the history of the franchise. Rian Johnson's stunning The Last Jedi clocks in at an impressive 152-minute runtime - over two and a half hours of Star Wars that nevertheless never once slows down or feels anything ...
All Remaining Star Wars TV Shows & Movie News Expected In 2024
Star Wars is flourishing more than ever, with plenty more content slated for the near future. Following 2023's jam-packed release schedule, Star Wars has another busy year planned for 2024.Star Wars movies are high on the priority list for the first time since the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and the global success of The Mandalorian has opened the door for many new Star Wars Disney+ TV shows to ...

Wookieepedia

Time travel

Behind the scenes [ ]

Appearances [ ]

Non-canon appearances [ ]

Notes and references [ ]

External links [ ]

How Time Travel Works in Star Wars

How Time Travel Works in Rebels

How Time Travel Works in The Clone Wars

How Time Travel Worked in the Old Expanded Universe (Legends)

Ahsoka Suggests Time Travel Is Coming To Star Wars – But This Isn't New

The World Between Worlds

How the Star Wars Kessel Run Turns Han Solo Into a Time-Traveler

A Parsec by Any Other Name

One Hour, Three Years

The Long Con

This Mysterious Place Could Introduce Time Travelling to 'Ahsoka'

‘The Acolyte’ Does What No Other Star Wars Story Has Been Brave Enough To Do

The Big Picture

How Does Star Wars' Time Travel Work?

Time Travel Is a Risky Introduction to Star Wars

Ahsoka: Did the New Star Wars Series Just Introduce Time Travel?

Everything Deadpool & Wolverine Did, She-Hulk Did Better

The Nexus of Time and Space

Its Use in Rebels

Limiting its Effect

Star Wars Has Time Travel, Ahsoka Might Explore What That Means

After Andor Season 2, Lucasfilm Only Needs This Live-Action Star Wars Show

How The World Between World Works in Star Wars

The Ahsoka Announcement Teased The World Between Worlds

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The Mandalorian & Grogu

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