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This order still focuses on the story of Luke Skywalker, but I put "Solo" and "Rogue One" before Episode IV, as that is when they take place giving good context to the start of Episode IV.
I also went ahead and removed Episode I from this list as it's not imperative to watch, but, if you wanted to, it would be watched after Episode V and before Episode II.
Episode I contains very little plot progression. Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul are both dead and largely forgotten by the film’s finale (TV spin-off series notwithstanding) and all of the other characters — Anakin especially — are far more effectively introduced in Attack Of The Clones. The fact that a grown-up Padme no longer meets her husband-to-be when he’s nine also has the benefit of making that whole relationship a little less Operation Yewtree. So no Jake Lloyd (“Yippee!”), precious little Jar Jar (“How wude.”), no weird Amidala/Padme identity confusion and, crucially, no discussion of midichlorians, the introduction of which is without doubt the most egregious example of Lucas’ tampering. It also makes the ‘flashback’ shorter and less intrusive, improving the Rister model’s flow significantly.
However, it contains much that’s objectively terrible but there are also redeeming qualities. The three-way saber fight (set to the rousing Duel Of The Fates) is the saga’s choreographic high point. And, despite being entirely superfluous from a plot perspective, the podrace is an exhilarating sequence where George Lucas’ giddy youth as a teenage petrolhead really shines through. Equally, while the banishment of Binks might seem like the gods’ work, Jar Jar is an appealing entry point for younger viewers, responsible for some of the most child-friendly comic relief.
Beyond all that, however, there arenarrative points in The Phantom Menace that serve a purpose. The film sews the seeds of Senator (then Chancellor) Palpatine’s ascension to power through his manoeuvring to displace Chancellor Valorum and assume the premiership. Similarly, while widely loathed, Jar Jar is a narratively pivotal character as is he who is ultimately tricked (in Episode II) into proposing a motion to grant emergency powers to the Chancellor, paving the way for Palpatine to assume the mantle of Emperor. Without any character foundation, or understanding of his relationship with Amidala, Jar Jar’s role in the Empire’s formation loses weight.
Without Phantom, the prophecy that Anakin will bring balance to The Force is mentioned but never explained, and Anakin’s return to Tatooine in Attack Of The Clones is rendered baffling as we have no knowledge of him being a slave, who Watto is or why his mother has ‘been sold’. C-3PO’s origins also become murky but that’s hardly a major drawback.
Finally, the excision of Episode I derails Anakin’s prequel character arc entirely. Never seen as an innocent, we are introduced to him as a surly, sulking teenager with more than a touch of the Dark Side about him. Without the altruistic (if infinitely irritating) boy we first meet in Watto’s junk shop, Anakin’s rise to the mantle of Sith Lord is as unsurprising as it is undramatic. For a true redemption of the character, he needs to come full circle, so The Phantom Menace, however flawed, must remain on the menu.
Star Wars tells a single story in chronological order and the currently available versions of all movies are presented to directly support this narrative. This is Anakin’s story — the rise, fall and subsequent redemption of the boy who became Darth Vader.
Episode VII (and VIII and IX) should be watched last, with "Rogue One", "Solo" and subsequent anthologies seen either last of all or dropped in as palate cleansers at any point after "Return Of The Jedi". In this order, I put them after Episodes VII-IX to not break up the entirety of the story overarching every Episode, but they can certainly be watched after Episode VII.
While "Rogue One" is indeed a prequel to "A New Hope" (as the Han Solo movie is), there is little to recommend watching it beforehand as none of the callbacks or references would make sense. By the same token, the film’s dramatic impact is drastically reduced without a broader context or the weight of knowing what is to come.
https://www.gamesradar.com/which-order-should-you-watch-the-star-wars-movies-in-it-isnt-actually-that-obvious/
This order of watching Star Wars refocuses the story onto Obi-Wan Kenobi, relying on Ewan McGregor's performance to carry your enjoyment through the prequels. Ol' Ben is a big part of "A New Hope", and flashing back to his journey after Luke destroys the Death Star shows us how he became the wise old man we met on the sands of Tatooine. Instead of a standard hero's journey from nobody to champion, Star Wars becomes a tale of an established hero passing the torch.
Fingers crossed for plot twist reveals in "The Last Jedi"!
The same can go for "Rogue One" and "Solo" as said in previous orders: both can be watched before Episode IV, as that's when they take place, but it would ruin the start of the whole purpose of this order, so their listed at the end of the whole Episode order to give context to how it all started in the first place. Similarly to another order though, they can also be watched after Episode VI and before Episode VII. Additionally, they could be cut entirely from this order as well.
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