Why is the ‘Star Wars’ timeline so difficult to understand?

George Lucas’ Star Wars is undoubtedly a pioneer entertainment franchise, redefining space dramas and sci-fi in an unprecedented way.

In fact, it continues to do so with its ever-expanding universe of stories and world-building, which in turn has become more of a grandeur thanks to the development of VFX technologies. And to still have Darth Vader and his character’s legacy survive in modern cinema is a testament to its quality and appeal among fans. But, the franchise itself has faced tough times. From poor reception to some of its stories to a significant canonization problem after Disney acquired Lucasfilm, there’s been confusion about how Lucas’ stories are continuing – or spreading out – under the new management.

The studio killed off several potential storylines when Disney took control of Star Wars. It removed a few animated shows and comic books from the canon. And while the new writing teams have kept the essence of the originals alive, placing them at the right spot within the timeline is somewhat complex, and we’re still trying to figure out why this timeline concern lingers even after years of continuity filters and new ventures.

Star Wars Events Leap Around a Strictly Narrow Timeline

The Rise of Skywalker is the final entry in the Star Wars franchise, or at least the Skywalker Saga. Technically, the first entry in the main saga, for now, is The Phantom Menace before The Acolyte makes its way to Disney Plus. Most of the content fits in the timeline between the former two. And the most famous small screen Star Wars productions, such as The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, are set in between. It becomes necessary for one show to reference other events or characters, who are often crossing over to other productions. Moreover, it further becomes complex when the narrow timeline leads to confusion over the actual period of occurrence, as there is a risk of overlapping and errors.

For instance, Obi-Wan Kenobi takes place right between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, while we already have Andor taking place five years before A New Hope. Then there is Rogue One unfolding right before the first Star Wars. These events are bound to overlap with Star Wars Rebels at some point because they all occur in close proximity. The same can be said of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Since most of the new content is episodic, it’s hard to trace the actual placement of their events in the official timeline.

Things were relatively more straightforward with films, as all three trilogies were produced at least a decade apart. But then, the expansion of those storylines, unraveling events that happened in between, leaves writers with limited space on the timeline and a mandatory instruction to reference the coinciding or past events to maintain continuity. It will be something afresh and interesting to see how The Acolyte – which is set at the end of the High Republic Era and takes place a hundred years before The Phantom Menace – gives it a vast space to tell a new story, probably unrelated to the events set within The Skywalker Saga.

The Odd Dating Method for Mapping Star Wars

Star Wars events are bifurcated between two time periods. BBY, i.e. Before the Battle of Yavin and ABY, i.e. After the Battle of Yavin. The Battle of Yavin was a deciding conflictbetween the Empire and the rebels which resulted in the destruction of Death Star at the end of A New Hope and established a strong alliance against the Galactic Empire.

Now, it’s a widely accepted and used method of dating. The most recent reference was in Andor, which gave viewers a specific period to place it on the timeline. And it’s been used extensively in novels, comic books, and other tie-in materials to give viewers a better understanding of the more profound lore of Lucas’ universe. But this dating system is heading towards a near collapse, given the rapid expansion of the franchise and the unraveling of more and more in-universe events. The further the franchise gets from the original saga, the more difficult it would be to put a time stamp on everything. Moreover, some entries are spread across eight periods; if we exclude the literary works right now. Hence, the BBY-ABY mapping of events will gradually become more challenging.

Let’s see if The Acolyte or Skeleton Crew will address the system as Andor did. Then we’d know if Disney plans to continue using the method from thereon.

Complex Understanding of Placement of Shows and Films in Real Time

Andor is set during the Galactic Empire, and the original trilogy is set during the growing rebellion movements. The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett are set during the New Republic Era. In contrast, Obi-Wan and The Bad Batch take place after the prequels. Right before prequels is Tales of the Jedi, and Star Wars: Resistance is set before and during the events of the sequels. Confusing, right?

The fans’ understanding of events – and even the BBY-ABY dating system of the universe – is based upon major political conflicts and their results, and why not? After all, these major events have brought change to the narrative and developed characters throughout the franchise. Whatever the harsh scenarios or peaceful outcome that has come forth in Star Wars is a result of a political shift in the galaxy.

However, we are witnessing these events from our screens, comics, or novels from this dimension. At any given time, there is a Star Wars show, film, or literary work in production or publishing mode, with each story, set before, after, or between the Skywalker Saga. For us, it’s all happening everywhere and all at once. Hence, it’s quite a task to consume it all and simultaneously keep a live track of everything happening across so many periods of the timeline.

The Dilemma of Eras of Republic, Empire, and Order

The confusion, as mentioned above, of political eras gets more confusing when two series are set only a little apart from each other. Let’s say Andor and The Mandalorian are set a decade apart, but in two different eras. Similarly, the Revenge of the Sith and Obi-Wan Kenobi are also a decade apart and ushered in two different ages, and the list goes on if we discuss The Clone Wars and Resistance.

In 2021, Disney updated the Star Wars timeline and separated events based on political changes. The Fall of Jedi comprised the prequels. Reign of Empire included the likes of Solo, The Bad Batch and Andor, with the latter leading up to the Age of Rebellion. But, given that so many stories are added to the timeline, and more projects are incoming, it takes time to place the actual occurrence of events. While the major live-action projects are pretty comprehensive, lore’s canonization can be challenging.

Events through Cross-Media Ventures

Star Wars saw much live-action work in production at the end of the new sequel trilogy. George Lucas made the original films and then more than a decade later, decided to continue his saga with the prequels. However, after Disney’s acquisition, the studio completed the story without Lucas.

To keep its legacy intact, Lucas approved and helped publish numerous novels and comic books set in his universe, while also giving the green light to The Clone Wars animated show. Later, with the proper budget, and the growing audience of streaming television, Disney Plus sanctioned multiple live-action television shows, further expanding the franchise. At the same time, the literary works on Star Wars stories continued under Marvel Comics.

Still, the franchise is well known for a more encyclopedic canon, but probably more so because of management reshuffles and the fact that Lucasfilm transitioned into a whole new team of producers, writers, and executives, leaving Star Wars canon to suffer. And after the Mouse House’s official de-canonization of certain materials, things have gotten more confusing for the hardcore fans who are deeply involved in unraveling the lore.

Star Wars has many lead and notable characters, with their stories spanning several years and eras. At the same time, the in-universe events intertwine at many points. In this tightly constructed and interwoven franchise, the limitation of exploring stories within the Skywalker Saga makes it difficult to place everything correctly. The Acolyte, Skeleton Crew, and the upcoming films may take the fans further across the galaxy with new characters and somewhat unrelated stories, effectively taking Star Wars into a new phase.

Till then, here’s a glimpse at the timeline order in which Star Wars unravels in chronological order across film and television:

• Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
• Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars [2008 movie]
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars
• Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
• Star Wars: The Bad Batch
• Solo: A Star Wars Story
• Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Star Wars: Rebels
• Andor
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
• Star Wars: A New Hope
• Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
• Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
• The Mandalorian [seasons 1 and 2]
• The Book of Boba Fett
• The Mandalorian [season 3]
• Star Wars Resistance [season 1]
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi
• Star Wars: Resistance [season 2]
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker