I call this the “Skywalker Cut.” A sort of a hybrid between the narrative forms of The Godfather: Part II and The Chronicles of Narnia, I think this is the ideal order to view Episodes I-VI of Star Wars if one’s principal concern is the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker and his relationship to Luke Skywalker.

Going by this sequence, we begin with the beginning, and see precisely what the ultimate context is that we’re dealing with, namely the ancient feud between Jedi and Sith. In I and II, we witness the rise of Anakin Skywalker. Then we flash forward to IV and V to see the rise of Luke Skywalker, and during this time learn that the mysterious Darth Vader murdered our old hero Anakin at some point after the Clone Wars. This order preserves the original concealment of Vader’s true identity and gives us a solid “enemy.” Then we finally get the classic reveal in V and now want to know what in holy hell happened to Anakin. So we flash back to the end of the War to fill in the gap, learning how the so-called Chosen One had himself become that which he was prophesied to destroy. At the same time, we see Palpatine gradually take center-stage in III, discovering not only how he facilitated Anakin’s fall, but also how he ascended politically; and this goes well with the fact that when we return to VI we will see Palpatine and Vader center-stage again (i.e., unlike the linear order, we don’t see Palpatine drop off the radar between III and VI). This order also gives us a nice little “reveal” when Padmé gives birth: it turns out she has twins, and Luke’s twin sister is none other than Leia. So now we’re filled in on the position of all the pieces on the board, and stand in need of a Resolution. And so we flash forward to the “present”, Episode VI.

I think this order may have some potential to re-contextualize the significance of all the characters, old and new, and gives the overall plot a structure more like that of a complex novel in nonlinear narrative. It also presents the saga somewhat more organically, increasing the importance of each episode in view of the whole.

There are also a few nice continuities: at the beginning of IV we will instantly recognize the Lars farm, as we just saw it at the end of II; there’s also the fact that we see the schematic hologram of the Death Star at the end of II and then see the completed station straightaway at the beginning of IV. And, as I said before, when we go from III directly to VI we see Vader and the Emperor side by side and center-stage, preserving their convergence in Episode III. Another nice III/VI continuity is in Padmé’s last words and Luke’s perception, “I know there’s good in him.”

HOWEVER: in spite of all the foregoing, I must emphasize I propose this solely as what I call the “Skywalker” cut. In all honesty, if the concern is for Star Wars as a whole — where one is just as invested in all the stories and all the characters therein — then really it ought to be viewed in the order in which the films were released. The Original Trilogy, then the Prequel Trilogy, and then the back and forth of each one illuminating the other upon re-viewings (including, as per Lucas’ recommendation, I-VI straight through). For there are several aspects of the prequel films that simply cannot be fully appreciated without having first known the originals by themselves. As a case in point, what comes to the forefront of my mind in this regard is Yoda. I remember seeing Attack of the Clones in the theater. When seeing the diminutive hermit of Dagobah now commanding the clone army, the audience went wild. And when presently seeing him pull his lightsaber for the first time, soaring across a hangar bay to duel Count Dooku, the audience went completely batshit. Elements like this argue heavily in favor of preserving the original order: IV-VI, and then I-III.

I offer the so-called Skywalker Cut simply as an alternative which prompts the viewer to hone in on what Lucas ultimately intended, in the end, for Star Wars to be “about”: the rise, fall, and final resurgence of Anakin Skywalker.