Personally, this is me (assuming I have to watch all the live-action, theatrical releases):
âPhase 1â
Star Wars (4K77 or Despecialized)
Empire Strikes Back (4K80 (when released) or Despecialized.)
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (octoroxxâs âSanded Downâ.)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (HAL9000âs âLabyrinth of Evilâ.)
Return of the Jedi (4k83 or Despecialized.)
âPhase 2â
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (HAL9000âs Cloak of Deception.)
Solo: A Star Wars Story (Theatrical/Bluray)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Theatrical/Bluray)
âPhase 3â
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Theatrical/Bluray)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Theatrical/Bluray)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Theatrical/Bluray)
If Iâm doing a marathon, I have a little break between phases. Phase 2 is skippable, especially since I donât like Solo at all.
Phase 1 - Star Wars
Experience the story of Luke Skywalker, his journey from farm boy, to war hero, to Jedi Knight. Witness the shattering revelation that Lukeâs own father is the dark lord Darth Vader, the man who was once Anakin Skywalker. See Anakinâs tragic fall, and his final redemption at the hands of his son.
[This is the âmain storyâ of Luke Skywalker, with a delve into the prequels to answer all the questions we are left with at the end of Empire. This is the classic Machete Order.]
Phase 2 - Star Wars Stories
How did Anakin, powerful Jedi and dark lord of the Sith, come to join the Jedi order? How did the Rebels acquire those fateful Death Star plans? How did Han and Chewie come to meet? In these films, we delve into those areas of the Star Wars universe unexplored by the central films.
[If I want to watch all the films, this is where I put the odd ones out. It effectively distances those with different tones (Solo, Rogue One) to the saga films, and it means you donât have to derail the Machete Order by watching Episode I. It also puts a bit of distance between the âmain storyâ and the Sequels, which reckon with the originals in a way that is more impactful if a bit of time is spent between 6 and 7. ]
Phase 3 - Star Wars Legacy
After the destruction of the Empire, tales of heroes and of the force have faded into myth. A new threat presents itself, and new heroes must reckon with the legacy of the old.
[I personally donât like TRoS, and can happily end with TLJ as a âand some stay the battle continues today - the light will always resist the darknessâ kind of ending. Iâm looking forward to Lifeincontextâs The Last Jedi: A ST One-Film Edit as a very promising solution to my Sequel problems.]