The Best Star Wars Book Reading Order
There are hundreds of Star Wars books, so how do you know which order to read them in? We’ve put together an all-encompassing guide to answer this crucial question. There are a few different methods out there, but we’ll start with the two most common for Star Wars fans.
Star Wars Books In Chronological Order
The most commonly recommended reading order for Star Wars books is chronological order, for a variety of reasons. For example, the first book in the timeline takes place literally 25,000 years before the films, so there’s a clear order to follow – just read in order!
#1: Start with the Youtini Foundational Five
The Youtini Foundational Five (there are nine books if you count the trilogies) are the books you should read first if you’re new to Star Wars. Even if you’re not new to Star Wars, these five books are the ones to start with – we’ve outlined them in more detail below.
#2: Read all the newest novels within 30 days of their release
If you miss the thrill of a midnight movie release, join Discord when the latest Claudia Gray novel is released; it’s a lot of fun to participate, and you don’t want to miss out. The Star Wars community is always excited about the newest books.
#3: Use the Youtini Ideal Reading Order
If you are set on following something, loosely adhering to our organization will provide you with a positive reading experience that will keep you hooked. We have a full breakdown of our book-by-book ranking below.
#4: Pick books based on what you like
Level 1:
Level 1 books should be your top priority because they are of the highest quality, are important to the EU, and are a lot of fun to read. If you’re looking for the best parts of Canon and Legends, these are the books to look for.
Level 2:
Level 3:
Many of these books are of varying quality and often provide an average to mediocre experience; read them if you want, because you don’t always have to be picky.
Level 4:
How can I use Youtini Collections in combination with the reading order?
Choose a theme, character, author, or era you enjoy, then look through the books in that collection, compare it to our Ideal Reading Order, and you’ll have a starting point for choosing books to read.
What order should I read comics?
A perfect order for Star Wars comics is on the way, according to a Lucasfilm spokesperson. “Youtini wants to be the source for all of your Expanded Universe guidance, and comics are part of that,” says the spokesperson.
Get out there and read some Star Wars Books
At the end of the day, there’s only one goal and one goal only: read some books. Use our order, use our guides, or ignore everything and go your own way; there’s only one goal and one goal only: read some books.
What is the best Star Wars book to read first?
If you ask any Star Wars fan what book to start with, they’ll almost always say Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy. Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command launched the Expanded Universe, which was written as the third trilogy decades before The Force Awakens.
Do you have to read Star Wars books in order?
Read in the Order You Want If you want to read the books in chronological order or in the order they were published, go ahead and do it! There is no right or wrong way to read Star Wars books.
Which Star Wars books are worth reading?
The greatest Star Wars novels
- Christie Golden’s Dark Disciple. E.K. Johnston’s Queen’s Shadow. Zoraida Cu00f3rdova’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge: A Crash of Fate. Claudia Gray’s Lost Stars. Christie Golden’s Battlefront II: Inferno Squad.
- Original Thrawn trilogy, aka Heir to the Empire trilogy.
Which came first Star Wars movie or book?
The first Star Wars film (Episode IV) was released in 1977, but the novelization came out six months earlier, in 1976, and the sixth Star Wars film (Episode III) came out in 2005.
Are rebels canon?
Rebels was the first new piece of Star Wars content created after Disney purchased the company in 2012, which is significant in and of itself, but it was also the first piece of official canon story connecting the events of the Original Trilogy and the Prequel Trilogy.
How do I watch Star Wars in chronological order?
In chronological order, here are the Star Wars films.
- Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)
- Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
- Star Wars Rebels (2014-2018)
- Rogue One (2016)
- Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
What Star Wars books are canon now?
In January 2021, Lucasfilm announced a new set of six dividing eras for all canonical content: The High Republic, The Fall of the Jedi, The Reign of the Empire, The Age of Rebellion, The New Republic, and The Rise of the First Order, as outlined in our canon timeline explainer.
Where should I start with Star Wars?
The best way to watch Star Wars is in chronological order.
- While technically the sixth film in the series, A New Hope is worth seeing first because it is the beginning of it all.
- The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Return of the Jedi (1983)
Is Dooku Jedi lost canon?
Dooku: Jedi Lost is a canon audiobook written by Cavan Scott and narrated by a full cast that follows Asajj Ventress as she delves into Count Dooku’s past to discover why he left the Jedi Order. It was released on April 30, 2019 by Random House Audio.
What are the 9 Star Wars movies in order?
How to Watch the Star Wars Saga in Order: A Chronological Guide
- #12. Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999)
- #11. Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones (2002)
- #10. Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- #9. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
- #8. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
- #7.
Are the aftermath Books canon?
Chuck Wendig’s Star Wars: Aftermath is a canon original novel set in the sequel era, published by Del Rey on September 4, 2015, as part of The Aftermath Trilogy, Journey to the Force Awakens.
How many original Star Wars books are there?
And that’s not even counting the comics! Since 2014, over 40 Star Wars novels have been published, indicating that the Expanded Universe’s collection of Canon stories is growing at a faster rate than ever.
Is the Darth plagueis book canon?
Is James Luceno’s novel Darth Plagueis considered “canon” in the Star Wars universe? No, but the character of Darth Plagueis is, as Chancellor Palpatine mentioned him on screen in Star Wars: Episode III u2014 Revenge of the Sith.