1. WhatCulture! Order
The Order: IV - I - II - III - V - IV To my knowledge this viewing order hasnt been properly put forward before, so I thought wed name it after this very site. A variation of the Flashback Order, this way has you watching the prequels much earlier and in fact ruins the twist I was so quick to champion as a key thing to preserve earlier, but for a seasoned viewer this is the way to try. You kick off with A New Hope, which tells its own enclosed story and gets you involved in the world. Once youre already hooked, instead of continuing Lukes story we go back and expand upon Obi-Wans words with the prequels. As were invested in the world, but not the ins and outs of the story, the prequels quality is less of an issue here and, only one film in, the tonal differences are less of an issue. Once thats over and were up to speed, we return to Lukes story and enjoy all the dramatic irony that comes with it. Knowing the twist is less of an issue here as weve had the shock of it naturally through the narrative. Theres no real downsides here, beyond it not being too conventional. You start and end where the Original Trilogy did and get the prequels out of the way quickly. If you try only one order from this list, Id suggest this one.
What's your preferred order for watching the Star Wars films? Will you be trying out any from this list? Let us know in the comments below.