The Proper Way To Introduce Someone To Star Wars

Star Wars is an integral part of any self-respecting geek or geek-wannabe’s upbringing, and since I have a daughter now, I have to think about these things. I also periodically come into contact with someone at work or elsewhere who has somehow managed to not see any of the Star Wars movies. The problem arises when I try to come up with the best way to introduce them to this epic series.

There are generally two schools of thought: Episode Order and Release Order.

Episode Order states that you should start with Episode I and move chronologically through the series. There is some logic here, since that’s how they’re named. Unfortunately, this method requires you to suffer through Episode I and still have a desire to watch more, which is nearly impossible and a sure-fire way to lose anyone’s interest.

Release Order states you should watch the movies in the order they were released to the public – starting with Episode IV, V, and VI, and then kicking back to Episode I. This makes slightly more sense, but again, has some major downfalls, the biggest of which is the fact that you would then know that Darth Vader is Luke’s father before you get around to going back to Episode I.

A man by the name of Rod Hilton, however, has finally proposed what he’s calling the Machete Order, and I honestly think it makes the most sense. You can read Rod’s full explanation here.

Machete Order states that you would watch Star Wars IV first, followed by V, II, III, and ending with VI. You’ll notice that Episode I is completely missing – that’s a good thing. It’s easily the worst Star Wars movie, plagued by virtually no plot and the painful experience of Jar Jar Binks having more than about 5 lines.

It also maintains the Darth Vader mystery until the end while still introducing you to Episodes II and III, which admittedly fill in quite a bit of backstory.

What do you think? What order do you prefer to watch Star Wars in?