- Every few months,
the planet erupts into Jedi-fueled pandemonium.
Whether it's a new movie, a new Disney+ series,
or a new video game, the Star Wars fandom is capable
of dominating pop culture conversation for weeks,
even months at a time.
Who among us doesn't remember 2019
as the year of Baby Yoda?
- Stop touching things.
- Still, for folks who haven't been following
this space-centric saga over the last 40-plus years,
either because they didn't grow up with it,
weren't interested until recently,
or, like me, were just hugely intimidated
by the size of it all...
- I can't. It's too big.
- Size matters not!
- This cycle can spew FOMO on an intergalactic level.
But here's the thing.
Star Wars is for everyone,
and you should be able to get in
on this amazing storytelling universe whenever you want.
- You're in this life for good.
To help you get started
on that galaxy far, far away,
here are five beginner Star Wars questions answered.
Number one: What order
should I watch the Star Wars movies in?
There are two popular approaches
to watching Star Wars movies.
We'll talk about watching Star Wars TV shows in a minute.
You can either watch the movies in the order
they were released,
starting with "A New Hope," released in 1977,
and ending with the "Rise of Skywalker," released in 2019,
or you can watch them in their episodic or narrative order.
See, after the original Star Wars trilogy
starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher,
and Harrison Ford dominated the late '70s
and early '80s,
Lucasfilm doubled back for a prequel trilogy,
starring '90s and early aughts stars
like Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, and Ewan McGregor.
The most recent trilogy, the sequel trilogy,
starring Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver,
didn't start up until 2015 and just ended in 2019.
Personally, I like to watch the movies
in the order they were released.
So originals, then prequels, then sequels.
The reason I don't go with narrative order is
that the prequels aren't exactly my favorite.
- Excuse me.
I'm in charge of security here, my lady.
- So starting with that can mean mission failure
on my marathon.
That said, the real key here is
to watch whatever interests you most.
All of the trilogies work on their own,
so if you want to watch just the newest films,
that's "The Force Awakens," "The Last Jedi,"
and "The Rise of Skywalker,"
that'll make perfect narrative sense.
Same goes for the original trilogy:
"A New Hope," "Empire Strikes Back,"
and "Return of the Jedi."
It'll make sense on its own
with or without sequels and prequels.
Or you could try out one of the franchise's
three standalone films, completely separate
from the Skywalker saga covered in the main movies.
There's the 2008 animated film, "Clone Wars,"
and live action flicks "Rogue One" and "Solo,"
released in 2016 and 2018 respectively.
"Rogue One" seriously rocks.
With or without prior Star Wars knowledge,
you should definitely check out that movie.
Number two: Do I need to see the Star Wars movies
before watching "The Mandalorian?"
Amazing news.
You do not need to be familiar with Star Wars at all
to enjoy "The Mandalorian" on Disney+.
Yes, there are scenes and moments that reference the films
and reference other parts of the Star Wars universe,
but you don't need any of those touchstones
to appreciate the narrative for what it is.
At present, there are two seasons
of "The Mandalorian" available
on Disney+, and even more Star Wars TV series
reportedly headed our way.
We'll be covering it all on Mashable,
so if you ever get confused,
or just want to bat around some theories,
check out our coverage with explainers on the website.
Number three: Do I have to keep track
of all the planets and aliens and robots?
The simple answer is no.
Chances are, you know
a Star Wars fan or two who is really, really into Star Wars.
Not only can they tell you every alien species
that's ever been in the franchise,
they can recite whole movies from memory,
share starship specs with you,
and even tell you ancient lore.
- Well, what do you know?
- You never have to reach that level of fandom,
unless, of course, you want to.
Star Wars, like lots of great storytelling,
follows some pretty easy to grasp principles.
You've got good guys, bad guys,
folks in between, and lots and lots of tension.
The rest is all science fiction set dressing.
The other nice thing?
Star Wars has permeated our culture so much,
that you're likely already pretty familiar
with some of the characters involved.
Darth Vader, he's a bad guy.
Luke Skywalker, he's a good guy.
R2-D2 is adorable.
See, you'll get there in less than 12 parsecs.
Number four: Why was everyone so upset
about "The Force Awakens" and then "The Last Jedi?"
And then also, "The Rise of Skywalker?"
Long explanation made short:
People really, really care about Star Wars,
and the sequel trilogy let some fans down,
but plenty of audience members, myself included,
really enjoyed it.
See, whenever anything happens in the Star Wars universe,
whether it's something obviously huge
like a character death, or something more subtle,
like the introduction of a new narrative device,
fans tend to have big reactions.
With "The Force Awakens," audiences
were divided on sequel trilogy hero, Rey,
played by Daisy Ridley.
But conversations about her character
took a turn for the sexist
when "some critics," a.k.a. just a whole bunch
of toxic trolls, started bashing her
for being a female hero.
Then "The Last Jedi" received backlash
from fans for all sorts of different reasons.
Yes, some viewers still didn't like Rey,
but others had complaints
about the pacing, the narrative consistency,
the perceived commercialism of Disney.
You name it.
Finally, "The Rise of Skywalker"
just kind of didn't make sense.
I still really enjoyed it.
Arguably it's my favorite
of the three from the sequel trilogy,
but there were just some plot holes
I will never recover from.
TL;DR: When navigating Star Wars drama,
just avoid the dark side.
This is a fun storytelling universe,
so enjoy it with fun, considerate, sensitive people,
who will keep their discourse just as light.
Just never let Star Wars turn into a source of stress.
Number five:
What if I'm still feeling overwhelmed?
Believe it or not,
you are totally ready to get started on Star Wars.
- I've become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.
- And all of the movies are on Disney+,
right for the streaming.
Just remember these three tips.
Number one: Pace yourself.
Star Wars wasn't built in a day and you can take your time.
Number two: Make sure to find an ally.
You'll definitely have more fun
discussing your reactions with someone
who is also seeing Star Wars for the first time,
or has enjoyed the franchise in the past.
And number three: Have a freaking blast.
You are entering a world that will make you smile, cry,
scream, gasp, pretend to wield a laser sword.
Star Wars is the best party I have ever come late to.
And if you're meant to enjoy it,
I'm absolutely positive you will.
Now go forth and Star Wars with reckless abandon.
And of course, may the force be with you.