Star Wars Timeline Explained: How Many Years Pass Between Episode I and Episode IX?
The Star Wars saga may feel like a story that stretches across countless generations, but the actual timeline of the Skywalker saga is surprisingly compact. Across nine main episodes, audiences witness the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker , the birth of Luke and Leia, the collapse of the Republic, the rise of the Empire, and the final confrontation with Palpatine. But exactly how much time passes from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ? The answer may be shorter than you expect. How the Star Wars Calendar Works Before looking at the timeline, it is important to understand how years are counted in the Star Wars universe. The main reference point is the Battle of Yavin , the major event involving the destruction of the first Death Star in A New Hope . Events that happen before the Battle of Yavin are marked as BBY , meaning Before the Battle of Yavin . Events that happen afterward are marked as ABY , meaning After the Battle of Yavin . Using this syste...