Everything You Need to Read or Watch Before Rogue One Arrives

Posted on by Jacob Burdis

The premiere of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is less than 3 months away. It’s time to start planning how you will get ready for the big release. This post will guide you to make the most out of your Rogue One preparations, no matter your level of fandom.

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I’m a Star Wars fan. Like, a really big one. When Episode VII: The Force Awakens was announced, I immediately started planning an epic Star Wars marathon to prepare. This eventually matured into a 6-month challenge where I spent roughly an hour a day experiencing the entire saga (movies, books, TV series, etc.) in chronological order beginning with Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I can confidently say that I was among the most prepared fans to step foot into the theatre on the night of release. And I was rewarded with what I believe to be the best Star Wars Episode to date.

Now I realize that there may only about a dozen other zealots like me out there willing to devote so much time to prepare for a Star Wars film. So I’ve prepared this post for all levels of fans, from the youngling to the Jedi master. There will be no judgment in this post. Choose your own path, “It is your destiny.”

Youngling

youngling

If you are new to the Star Wars universe or if you consider yourself just a casual fan, may I first applaud you for finding your way to this post and reading this far! Your challenge is to watch the Star Wars Episodes in chronological order. “These are your next steps.”

Your adventure awaits. This marathon will be best enjoyed if done within 2-3 days of December 16th when Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will premiere.

Jedi Padawan

ahsoka

The next level is for those of you who consider yourselves Star Wars fans, but have never seen, read, or played any of the Star Wars media other than the Star Wars films. As I said earlier, there is no judgment here, but your challenge is to get your feet wet with additional Star Wars Canon. You will add at least 4 episodes of the animated Clone Wars TV series featuring the backstory of Saw Gerrera (played by Forest Whitaker), and the new novel being released in preparation for the movie.

Now you will take the next step into the Star Wars universe beyond the films. This will take a bit of planning as the novel won’t be released until November 15th, one month before the film is released. I suggest a weekend marathon of the prequels and Clone Wars episode on the 12th and 13th before starting the novel on the 15th.

Jedi Knight

kenobi

This level is for those of you that have watched the movies multiple times, catch yourself humming the imperial march from time to time, and own at least one Star Wars t-shirt. It is time for you to take your love of Star Wars to the next level. Your challenge is to add a few more relevant Clone War episodes that preface order 66 and Tarkin’s first adventure with Anakin, the Rebels TV series, and one more novel about Tarkin and his rise to oversee the construction of the Death Star. This challenge will take some serious planning, working around the release dates of the novels and Rebels Season 3, so I’ve added recommended dates so you can pace yourself.

You will be surprised at how well the pieces begin to fit together in ways you never knew before as you fill in parts of the back story.

Jedi Master

yoda

You eat, drink, and breathe Star Wars. You’ve repeatedly asked your doctor to test your midi-chlorian level during blood tests and then attempt to force choke him or her when told Star Wars isn’t real. There isn’t a room in your home without at least one piece of Star Wars paraphernalia. You are prepared to do whatever it takes to have the ultimate Rogue One: A Star Wars Story experience. Below is a high-level list of the challenge, including the films, TV series, comics, novels, and junior readers. I will be doing this challenge in chronological order using the schedule found through the link below.

Click here for a schedule with all of these items listed in detail in chronological order.

“Remember, your focus determines your reality.” If you will persevere, you will be rewarded with a once-in-a lifetime Star Wars cinematic experience. “May the force be with you.”

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Author: Jacob Burdis

Co-founder and COO at http://EmmersionLearning.com / Learning Enthusiast (PhD) / Language Guru / Star Wars Nut / Keyboardist / Husband and father of 3

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2 Replies to “Everything You Need to Read or Watch Before Rogue One Arrives”

  1. 16 Connections Between Rogue One and the Star Wars Canon – The Star Wars Report says:
    December 28, 2016 at 2:09 PM

    […] get ready for Rogue One, I read, watched, and listened to the entire canon in chronological order preceding the story of Rogue One. I watched it twice within 12 hours of its […]

  2. Everything You Need to Watch, Read, and Play to Prepare for Episode VIII: The Last Jedi – The Star Wars Report says:
    May 4, 2017 at 5:28 AM

    […] created and participated in marathon challenges for Episode VII: The Force Awakens & Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which have made my cinematic experience on opening night nothing short of spectacular. […]

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