Deciding the order in which you should watch the "Star Wars" films usually end with choosing between George Lucas' order of release or following the plot's chronological order; however, there may be a better way to watch the films and it's called "The Machete Order."
"The Machete Order" is ideal whether you're looking to reorient yourself to the franchise or introduce it to new blood. The name may sound weird but the reason it is called such is because "The Machete Order" hacks the two ways to watch "Star Wars" and rearranges it in order to give viewers the most sensible and tension-filled viewing experience.
So how does "The Machete Order" work? Watch the series in this order: IV, V, II, III, and VI. No, you didn't miss one because this order really skips Episode I.
Begin by watching "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" to establish the characters and know all about how Luke prepared for and was thrust into his journey. Then move on to "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" where Luke becomes determined to fight with the rebels and begins to train under Yoda. Leave yourself with the cliffhanger of whether Luke's father was really tempted to join the dark side. Then you can leave Luke and focus on Anakin to find out what happened to him and his own journey to the dark side.
Head on to "Episode II: Attack of the Clones" and "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" and you're still on track without losing much information, plus you've already skipped the pod races and Jar Jar Binks. The only downside of skipping Episode I is missing Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi's battle with Darth Maul but you can always just watch that scene some other time. The point is that "The Machete Order" is focused on Luke Skywalker's own adventure with an extended retelling of Anakin's backstory in order to complete his character arc.
The remaining task now is to watch Luke duke it out with Darth Vader and help his father redeem himself, which you will see in "Episode VI: Return of the Jedi."
If you're not too sure about this order, try it out even once and see if it would make a difference on how you absorb and understand the story.
Hold on! There are only 10 days left until #StarWars: #TheForceAwakens. pic.twitter.com/p8oH8gYO1f
— Star Wars (@starwars) December 8, 2015
"Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens" will be released Dec. 18 and what better way to prepare yourself for it than having a "Star Wars" marathon. That is, if you aren't already preparing to camp outside the cinemas according to "tradition."
