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Summary

  • Star Wars: The Clone Wars was released out of order, but a chronological viewing enhances the storytelling experience.
  • Certain arcs like the Mortis trilogy and The Siege of Mandalore are crucial for understanding the overall narrative.
  • The story expands beyond the TV show into books, comics, and story reels through a multimedia project called "The Clone Wars Legacy."

Star Wars: The Clone Wars isn't told in chronological order, and the Disney+ episode listing reflects this - but, fortunately, there is indeed a way to view the show according to the timeline. Created by George Lucas and overseen by Dave Filoni, Star Wars: The Clone Wars had something of an unusual release schedule. Episodes were organized by story arc rather than timeline, with multiple arcs explored in each season. While this made it easy to identify major themes, it caused notable problems for viewers - particularly when characters who had just been killed suddenly returned, signaling a jump back in time.

Thankfully, it is possible to "normalize" the timeline, although this doesn't quite resolve all the issues - in part because the show was canceled after Disney bought Star Wars in 2012. Several stories were then adapted into Star Wars tie-in comics and novels before Disney finally commissioned Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7 for Disney+. Still, factoring these problems in, the best viewing order helps to set out the flow of the Clone Wars and thus improves the animated show. Here's how to watch the Clone Wars in chronological order.

Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn from Star Wars The Phantom Menace, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker from Star Wars A New Hope, Daisy Ridley as Rey from Star Wars The Force Awakens
Related
Star Wars Movies In Order: How To Watch Release Order, Chronologically & With The TV Shows

What's the best way to watch Star Wars? Here's everything you need to know to watch in release or timeline order, and how to include the TV shows.

How To Watch The Clone Wars In Chronological Order

  1. Season 2, episode 16, "Cat and Mouse"
  2. Season 1, episode 16, "Hidden Enemy"
  3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (the theatrically released movie)
  4. Season 3, episode 1, "Clone Cadets"
  5. Season 3, episode 3, "Supply Lines"
  6. Season 1, episode 1, "Ambush"
  7. Season 1, episode 2, "Rising Malevolence"
  8. Season 1, episode 3, "Shadow of Malevolence"
  9. Season 1, episode 4, "Destroy Malevolence"
  10. Season 1, episode 5, "Rookies"
  11. Season 1, episode 6, "Downfall of a Droid"
  12. Season 1, episode 7, "Duel of the Droids"
  13. Season 1, episode 8, "Bombad Jedi"
  14. Season 1, episode 9, "Cloak of Darkness"
  15. Season 1, episode 10, "Lair of Grievous"
  16. Season 1, episode 11, "Dooku Captured"
  17. Season 1, episode 12, "The Gungan General"
  18. Season 1, episode 13, "Jedi Crash"
  19. Season 1, episode 14, "Defenders of Peace"
  20. Season 1, episode 15, "Trespass"
  21. Season 1, episode 17, "Blue Shadow Virus"
  22. Season 1, episode 18, "Mystery of a Thousand Moons"
  23. Season 1, episode 19, "Storm over Ryloth"
  24. Season 1, episode 20, "Innocents of Ryloth"
  25. Season 1, episode 21, "Liberty on Ryloth"
  26. Season 2, episode 1, "Holocron Heist"
  27. Season 2, episode 2, "Cargo of Doom"
  28. Season 2, episode 3, "Children of the Force"
  29. Season 2, episode 17, "Bounty Hunters"
  30. Season 2, episode 18, "The Zillo Beast"
  31. Season 2, episode 19, "The Zillo Beast Strikes Back"
  32. Season 2, episode 4, "Senate Spy"
  33. Season 2, episode 5, "Landing at Point Rain"
  34. Season 2, episode 6, "Weapons Factory"
  35. Season 2, episode 7, "Legacy of Terror"
  36. Season 2, episode 8, "Brain Invaders"
  37. Season 2, episode 9, "Grievous Intrigue"
  38. Season 2, episode 10, "The Deserter"
  39. Season 2, episode 11, "Lightsaber Lost"
  40. Season 2, episode 12, "The Mandalore Plot"
  41. Season 2, episode 13, "Voyage of Temptation"
  42. Season 2, episode 14, "Duchess of Mandalore"
  43. Season 2, episode 20, "Death Trap"
  44. Season 2, episode 21, "R2 Come Home"
  45. Season 2, episode 22, "Lethal Trackdown"
  46. Season 3, episode 5, "Corruption"
  47. Season 3, episode 6, "The Academy"
  48. Season 3, episode 7, "Assassin
  49. Season 3, episode 2, "ARC Troopers"
  50. Season 3, episode 4, "Sphere of Influence"
  51. Season 3, episode 8, "Evil Plans"
  52. Season 1, episode 22, "Hostage Crisis"
  53. Season 3, episode 9, "Hunt for Ziro"
  54. Season 3, episode 10, "Heroes on Both Sides"
  55. Season 3, episode 11, "Pursuit of Peace"
  56. Season 2, episode 15, "Senate Murders"
  57. Season 3, episode 12, "Nightsisters"
  58. Season 3, episode 13, "Monster"
  59. Season 3, episode 14, "Witches of the Mist"
  60. Season 3, episode 15, "Overlords"
  61. Season 3, episode 16, "Altar of Mortis"
  62. Season 3, episode 17, "Ghosts of Mortis"
  63. Season 3, episode 18, "The Citadel"
  64. Season 3, episode 19, "Counter Attack"
  65. Season 3, episode 20, "Citadel Rescue"
  66. Season 3, episode 21, "Padawan Lost"
  67. Season 3, episode 22, "Wookiee Hunt"
  68. Season 4, episode 1, "Water War"
  69. Season 4, episode 2, "Gungan Attack"
  70. Season 4, episode 3, "Prisoners"
  71. Season 4, episode 4, "Shadow Warrior"
  72. Season 4, episode 5, "Mercy Mission"
  73. Season 4, episode 6, "Nomad Droids"
  74. Season 4, episode 7, "Darkness on Umbara"
  75. Season 4, episode 8, "The General"
  76. Season 4, episode 9, "Plan of Dissent"
  77. Season 4, episode 10, "Carnage of Krell"
  78. Season 4, episode 11, "Kidnapped"
  79. Season 4, episode 12, "Slaves of the Republic"
  80. Season 4, episode 13, "Escape from Kadavo"
  81. Season 4, episode 14, "A Friend In Need"
  82. Season 4, episode 15, "Deception"
  83. Season 4, episode 16, "Friends and Enemies"
  84. Season 4, episode 17, "The Box"
  85. Season 4, episode 18, "Crisis on Naboo"
  86. Season 4, episode 19, "Massacre"
  87. Season 4, episode 20, "Bounty"
  88. Season 4, episode 21, "Brothers"
  89. Season 4, episode 22, "Revenge"
  90. Season 5, episode 2, "A War on Two Fronts"
  91. Season 5, episode 3, "Front Runners"
  92. Season 5, episode 4, "The Soft War"
  93. Season 5, episode 5, "Tipping Points"
  94. Season 5, episode 6, "The Gathering"
  95. Season 5, episode 7, "A Test of Strength"
  96. Season 5, episode 8, "Bound for Rescue"
  97. Season 5, episode 9, "A Necessary Bond"
  98. Season 5, episode 10, "Secret Weapons"
  99. Season 5, episode 11, "A Sunny Day in the Void"
  100. Season 5, episode 12, "Missing in Action"
  101. Season 5, episode 13, "Point of No Return"
  102. Season 5, episode 1, "Revival"
  103. Season 5, episode 14, "Eminence"
  104. Season 5, episode 15, "Shades of Reason"
  105. Season 5, episode 16, "The Lawless"
  106. Season 5, episode 17, "Sabotage"
  107. Season 5, episode 18, "The Jedi Who Knew Too Much"
  108. Season 5, episode 19, "To Catch a Jedi"
  109. Season 5, episode 20, "The Wrong Jedi"
  110. Season 6, episode 1, "The Unknown"
  111. Season 6, episode 2, "Conspiracy"
  112. Season 6, episode 3, "Fugitive"
  113. Season 6, episode 4, "Orders"
  114. Season 6, episode 5, "An Old Friend"
  115. Season 6, episode 6, "The Rise of Clovis"
  116. Season 6, episode 7, "Crisis at the Heart"
  117. Season 6, episode 8, "The Disappeared"
  118. Season 6, episode 9, "The Disappeared: Pt. II"
  119. Season 6, episode 10, "The Lost One"
  120. Season 6, episode 11, "Voices"
  121. Season 6, episode 12, "Destiny"
  122. Season 6, episode 13, "Sacrifice"
  123. Season 7, episode 5, "Gone With A Trace"
  124. Season 7, episode 6, "Deal No Deal"
  125. Season 7, episode 7, "Dangerous Debt"
  126. Season 7, episode 8, "Together Again"
  127. Season 7, episode 1, "The Bad Batch"
  128. Season 7, episode 2, "A Distant Echo"
  129. Season 7, episode 3, "On the Wings of Keeradaks"
  130. Season 7, episode 4, "Unfinished Business"
  131. Season 7, episode 9, "Old Friends Not Forgotten"
  132. Season 7, episode 10, "The Phantom Apprentice"
  133. Season 7, episode 11, "Shattered"
  134. Season 7, episode 12, "Victory and Death"

Why Clone Wars Episodes Are Out Of Order