Every major franchise creates its own history. Star Wars, of course, is no exception. The original Star Wars trilogy, released between 1977-1983, initially established the rough contours of galactic history within the Star Wars universe and gave us some hints of its past and some indications of its future. Creator George Lucas originally conceived of the original trilogy as a part of a larger saga. However, those blanks remained unfilled for several years. Between 1999- 2005, Lucasfilm released the prequel trilogy to tell us the "story before the story." Not content to stop there, Lucas later decided to delve into the Clone Wars era through a seven-season animated series. Once Disney acquired Lucasfilm, they immediately announced that there would be a sequel trilogy, set years after the original trilogy. Various other series and standalone movies have added even more content, filling in more of the gaps between the trilogies. This article will lay out the major events from the Star Wars films and television series to date.

Prequel Trilogy Era

32-0 BBY* (Episodes I- III)

*Before Battle of Yavin

Starting 32 years prior to A New Hope, the prequel trilogy era, despite some continuity questions, effectively serves as a setup to the original trilogy, covering the twilight of the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic, as well as the rise of Palpatine's Galactic Empire and the transformation of the brave Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker to the fearsome cyborg, Darth Vader.

32 BBY:

The Trade Federation, led by the Neimodians, initiates a blockade against the peaceful planet of Naboo. Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi are sent by the Chancellor of the Galactic Republic to resolve the conflict. They free Queen Amidala and escape the blockade, but are forced to land on Tatooine for repairs.

Anakin Skywalker is discovered on Tatooine by Obi-Wan Kenobi's master, Qui-Gon Jinn. He wins the Boonta Eve Podrace, giving Queen Amidala the parts needed to fix their ship. Anakin is freed from slavery and brought to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to be trained, although the Jedi Council initially refuses to train him.

Senator Palpatine is elected the new Chancellor of the Galactic Republic after the previous Chancellor was voted out due to a lack of confidence.

The Jedi encounter Darth Maul, their first Sith Lord in a millennium. Maul succeeds in killing Qui-Gon Jinn before being defeated by Obi-Wan.

The Battle of Naboo ensues between the combined armies of Gungan and Naboo against the Trade Federation. It ends with a victory over the Trade Federation.

Obi-Wan is reluctantly granted permission by the Jedi Council to train Anakin as a Jedi. (The Phantom Menace)

22 BBY:

The Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems (aka. Separatists) begins on Geonosis.

Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padmé Amidala fall in love and later marry in secret. (Attack of the Clones)

22-19 BBY:

The Clone Wars rage throughout the galaxy for three long years. The Jedi lead the Grand Army of the Republic's clone troopers against the Separatists' droid army.

Anakin is given a young Jedi Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, to help train. She later leaves the order due to being falsely accused of a terrorist attack on the Jedi Temple even though she is later cleared. She returns to lead a siege of the planet Mandalore in order to capture renegade Sith Lord Darth Maul.

Ahsoka and Maul are later targeted for elimination by clone troopers due to the initiation of Order 66. They, along with Captain Rex, who has his inhibitor chip removed with the help of Ahsoka, manage to escape the Jedi purge. (The Clone Wars series)

19-0 BBY:

Count Dooku, General Grevious, and other other members of the Confederacy of Independent Systems are killed and their droid armies are deactivated, effectively ending the Clone Wars.

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is exposed to the Jedi as the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious. Anakin falls to the dark side of the Force and becomes Darth Vader.

Order 66 causes all but a few clone troopers to turn on the Jedi and start wantonly exterminating them. Palpatine, with the enthusiastic consent of the Senate, proclaims a Galactic Empire.

Padme Amidala-Skywalker dies delivering Luke and Leia. Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi go into exile on Dagobah and Tatooine, respectively, until Luke and Leia are old enough to train in the ways of the Force (Revenge of the Sith).

A special group of clones, known as The Bad Batch, largely unaffected by Palpatine's Order 66, go rogue after refusing to kill Jedi Padawan Caleb Dume (aka. Kanan Jarrus) and a group of rebels. Along with a special clone, Omega, they escape Kamino and begin a new life as mercenaries, while evading pursuit by the Empire.

Cloning of new soldiers for the Empire ceases. The cloning facilities on Kamino are evacuated and later destroyed by the Empire (The Bad Batch).

Han Solo grows up on the streets of the planet Corellia as an orphan, eventually enlisting in the Imperial Navy. He later strikes out with Chewbacca as a smuggler, winning the Millenium Falcon from Lando Calrissian and going to Tatooine to work for Jabba the Hutt (Solo: A Star Wars Story).

The Rebel Alliance is formed with goals to overthrow Palpatine's Empire and restore freedom to the galaxy.

A small cell of rebels, led by pilot Hera Syndulla and former Jedi Padawan Kanan Jarrus, begins organizing against the Empire on the planet Lothal. Kanan begins training a young Force-sensitive orphan named Ezra Bridger as a Jedi.

Former Jedi Ahsoka Tano is revealed to be working with the Rebel Alliance and confronts her former master-turned-Sith Lord Darth Vader (Star Wars Rebels)

Original Trilogy Era

0-34 ABY* (Episodes IV- VI)

*After Battle of Yavin

Starting 19 years after Revenge of the Sith, the original trilogy era consists of not only the three original movies that initially make up the Skywalker saga but also Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a standalone which has become an immediate setup for A New Hope. This trilogy focuses on a small band of freedom fighters struggling against the tyranny of the Galactic Empire, as well as the hero's journey of Luke Skywalker, as he learns the way of the Force and the secrets of his own family.

0 BBY:

Death Star becomes operational. The plans for the battle station are stolen by a renegade group of rebels led by Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor. The plans are transferred to Princess Leia of Alderaan, who is later captured by Darth Vader and brought aboard the Death Star. The plans make their way to Tatooine contained within droids from Princess Leia's ship, where they are found by Luke Skywalker.

Luke enlists the help of aged Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and smuggler Han Solo, to return the plans to the Rebel Alliance. In the process, they wind up on board the Death Star, where they rescue Princess Leia and escape. Obi-Wan Kenobi sacrifices his life in a duel with Darth Vader in order to ensure their escape.

The rebels, facing annihilation by the Death Star, launch a last-ditch starfighter attack on the Death Star. Luke Skywalker is able to exploit a fatal flaw in the Death Star, placed there by Death Star’s designer Galen Erso. The Death Star is destroyed. (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, A New Hope)

3 ABY:

Darth Vader hunts the rebels in search of Luke Skywalker. The rebels evacuate their base on the planet Hoth and scatter throughout the galaxy.

Darth Vader's fleet pursues Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3P0. They are later captured on Bespin. Han is frozen in carbonite to be delivered to Jabba the Hutt by Boba Fett.

Luke travels to Dagobah and is trained by Yoda in the ways of the Force. Luke later unsuccessfully duels Vader on Bespin and unexpectedly learns that Darth Vader is his father. (The Empire Strikes Back)

4 ABY:

Luke hatches a plan to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine. Boba Fett is trapped in the Sarlacc pit and crime lord Jabba the Hut is killed in the ensuing chaos.

The rebels launch an attack on the newly constructed second Death Star, which Emperor Palpatine is visiting.

Luke surrenders to Vader and is brought aboard the Death Star. Vader and Palpatine attempt to turn Luke to the dark side. Instead, Darth Vader turns back to the light and is fatally wounded when he turns on his former master and throws the Emperor down the reactor shaft.

The rebels succeed in blowing up the second Death Star, shattering the Galactic Empire, and leading to the formation of the New Republic.

Leia learns of her shared family heritage with Luke. (Return of the Jedi)

5-9 ABY:

Boba Fett escapes the Sarlacc pit and is taken in by a tribe of Tusken Raiders on Tatooine.

The Force-sensitive child Grogu is discovered by a Mandalorian bounty hunter, Din Djarin. Din learns of Grogu's special nature and pledges to return him to his kind. Din Djarin locates Ahsoka Tano, who is seeking information regarding the whereabouts of Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger, who are both lost in space.

Din is targeted by the Imperial remnant due to their mysterious plans for Grogu. Imperial Moff Gideon later captures Grogu and destroys Din's ship.

After returning Boba's armor to him, Din allies himself with Boba Fett and assassin Fennec Shand in order to rescue Grogu.

Grogu draws the attention of Luke Skywalker through the Force, who takes Grogu away to be trained in the ways of the Force.

Boba Fett returns to Jabba's Palace on Tatooine, kills Bib Fortuna, and claims Jabba's criminal syndicate on Tatooine for himself. However, Boba soon finds his power challenged by the Pyke Syndicate. Din agrees to help Boba in his fight against the Pykes. (The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett)

Sequel Trilogy Era

34-35 ABY (Episodes VII- IX)

The sequel trilogy era begins in 34 ABY and focuses on a new generation of freedom fighters coming together with the main characters of the original trilogy in their fight against the First Order after the cataclysmic destruction of the New Republic.

34 ABY:

New Republic pilot Kazuda “Kaz” Xiono goes undercover as a Resistance spy at the Colossus Outpost on the orders of Resistance pilot Poe Dameron. (Star Wars Resistance)

The Resistance and the First Order search for the whereabouts of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, who went missing several years earlier.

The seat of the New Republic is attacked and destroyed by the First Order with their new superweapon, Starkiller Base.

A young scavenger Rey comes into contact with a Resistance droid BB-8 on the planet Jakku. She and an ex-Stormtrooper Finn attempt to return BB-8 to the Resistance. With the help of Han Solo and Chewbacca, the Resistance attacks and destroys Starkiller Base.

Rey's previously latent Force sensitivity begins to awaken and she is captured by the mysterious Force-sensitive dark warrior Kylo Ren, who is later revealed to be Han and Leia’s son Ben Solo.

Kylo kills his father, Han, and is seriously injured in a lightsaber duel with Rey.

Finn is severely injured by Kylo during his encounter with him. (The Force Awakens)

Following the destruction of Starkiller Base, the Resistance flees their base on D'Qar and is relentlessly pursued by a massive First Order fleet that can track them through hyperspace. Finn recovers from his injuries. He and a Resistance technician Rose Tico works on a solution to disable the First Order's tracking system.

Rey locates Luke on the planet Ach-To and convinces him to train her in the ways of the Force. Rey begins to build a connection through the Force with Kylo Ren, created by Kylo's master, Snoke. Rey eventually leaves Ach-To to try to convince Kylo to turn against the First Order.

Kylo kills his master, Snoke, and teams up with Rey to kill his guards. However, he refuses to turn against the First Order. Instead, Kylo declares himself the new Supreme Leader.

The Resistance regroups at an abandoned base on Crait. Shortly thereafter, the First Order lands and prepares for assault with orders from Kylo to show no quarter.

Luke projects himself halfway across the galaxy to distract Kylo Ren and the First Order long enough for the Resistance survivors to escape. Luke dies and passes into the Force, leaving Rey as the last Jedi. (The Last Jedi)

35 ABY:

Emperor Palpatine mysteriously re-emerges after several decades, threatening the galaxy with an imminent and devastating assault by a fleet of planet-killing Star Destroyers.

Leia dies making one final effort to turn Kylo back to the light.

Rey learns from Kylo that Palpatine is her grandfather. She then leads the Resistance fleet to find Palpatine’s hidden base on the Exegol. She and Ben, who has renounced his ties to the First Order, confront Palpatine while the Resistance fleet attempts to destroy the massive fleet of planet-killing Star Destroyers.

Rey ultimately defeats Palpatine. The fleet of Star Destroyers is permanently grounded and destroyed by joint forces of the Resistance and civilian fleet.

Rey takes on the symbolic surname of Skywalker for herself and settles on Tatooine. (The Rise of Skywalker)