Have you ever wondered how long Han and Leia were on the run during The Empire Strikes Back? What to know how much time passes while Rey is training with Luke Skywalker? Or just how long Jar Jar Binks led the Gungan Army on Naboo? The Star Wars saga of movies spans 67 years, but we only see pieces of at least 63 days. But much more time passes during and between the movies. Here is exactly how many days pass in Star Wars.
How Much Time Passes in the Star Wars Movies?
Spanning 67 years, approximately 63 days pass during the Star Wars movies. However, that does not account for time not shown on screen. This includes hyperspace jumps and other gaps in the storyline.
The Prequel Trilogy is set over 13 years, while the Original Trilogy spans 4. About one year passes during the Sequel Trilogy. There are 19 years between the Prequels and the Original Trilogy. The Sequels are set 30 years after the Original Trilogy and 49 years after the Prequels.
Here is a list of how many days pass in each Star Wars movie:
| Movie | Estimated Number of Days | Potential Time That Passes |
| Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) | 9 | 8 or 9 days |
| Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) | 8 | 8 to 13 days |
| Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) | 7 | 6 to 10 days |
| Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) | 7 | 7 days to several weeks |
| Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) | 6 | 5 or 6 days |
| Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) | 6 | 4 to 6 days |
| Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) | 4 | 4 days to 6 months |
| Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) | 4 | 4 to 6 days |
| Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015) | 5 | 4 to 7 days |
| Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017) | 3 | 3 |
| Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) | 4 | 4 days to several weeks |
Spoiler Warning: The following descriptions include a day-by-day breakdown for each movie, including spoilers about key plot points. Please read with caution.
Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
The first of the Star Wars Prequels, 9 days pass during The Phantom Menace. It is set in 32 BBY.
On day one, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi arrive at the Trade Federation Blockade. Day two starts with the Jedi landing on Naboo and ends with them escaping from Naboo with Queen Amidala.
On day three, they meet Anakin Skywalker. The Boonta Eve Classic podrace takes place on day four. They arrive on Coruscant on day five for Anakin’s test with the Jedi Council.
On day six, they return to Naboo and form an alliance with the Gungans. The Battle of Naboo takes place on day seven. The Jedi Council arrives on day eight, ending with Qui-Gon’s funeral pyre. And day nine is the celebration parade.
The movie could take as few as 8 days, assuming the Jedi’s arrival at the blockade and the escape from Naboo happen on the same day.
Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Attack of the Clones is set 10 years after The Phantom Menace in 22 BBY. It takes place over a minimum of 8 days.
The assassination attempt on Senator Amidala takes place on day one. More than likely, the meeting with the Chancellor and Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s assignment to protect Padmé Amidala occur on day two.
On day three, Anakin and Padmé leave for Naboo while Obi-Wan begins searching for the bounty hunter. Obi-Wan visits the cloners on Kamino on day four as Padmé and Anakin settle on Naboo.
Day five starts with Anakin’s nightmare and their eventual departure for Tatooine while Obi-Wan tracks down Jango Fett. That same day, Anakin rescues his mother from the Tuskins, and Obi-Wan investigates what is happening on Geonosis.
On day six, Obi-Wan calls for help, and Anakin returns to the Lars homestead before leaving with Padmé for Geonosis. Count Dooku captures Obi-Wan, and the Senate gives Chancellor Palpatine emergency powers.
Padmé and Anakin arrive on Geonosis on day seven, only to get captured. Count Dooku and the Trade Federation plan to execute the prisoners only for the Jedi and the Clone Army to arrive. Dooku narrowly escapes to Coruscant.
Day eight has the Jedi and Chancellor Palpatine surveying the Clones while Anakin and Padmé marry on Naboo.
However, many more days could pass during the story.
It’s perfectly reasonable to assume that Obi-Wan’s trip to Kamino only lasted one day. But his storyline is intercut with Anakin and Padmé’s. And Padmé changes hairstyle and outfits five times while they are on Naboo.
Ultimately, anywhere from 8 to 13 days could pass during the movie.
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Revenge of the Sith is set in 19 BBY, 3 years after Episode II. The last of the Star Wars Prequel films, a minimum of 7 days pass on screen.
Day one starts with the Battle of Coruscant, where Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker rescue Chancellor Palpatine. It ends with Anakin’s nightmare about Padmé.
On day two, Anakin joins the Jedi Council. After the session, Obi-Wan asks Anakin to spy on the Chancellor. Later, Anakin meets with Palpatine and learns The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise.
The Battle of Kashyyk starts on day three. Obi-Wan travels to Utopu and destroys General Grievous. Anakin learns that Palpatine is a Sith, and Mace Windu confronts the Chancellor. Anakin falls to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader, and Palpatine issues Order 66, causing the clones to turn on the Jedi.
On day four, Yoda and Obi-Wan return to Coruscant with Senator Bail Organa. Anakin arrives on Mustifar to kill the remaining Separatist leaders. Obi-Wan and Yoda infiltrate the Jedi Temple while Palpatine reorganizes the Republic as the Galactic Empire. Obi-Wan asks Padmé for help in finding Anakin, and she departs for Mustifar.
Padmé and Anakin reunite on Mustifar to start day five. Obi-Wan confronts Anakin, while Yoda confronts Emperor Palpatine. On day six, Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Padmé arrive on Polis Massa. Along with Bail, they decide what to do with the children.
The seventh and final day is the funeral for Padmé, Bail taking Leia to Alderaan, Obi-Wan taking Luke to Tatooine, and Vader and Tarkin overseeing the Death Star.
That said, some of the events are debatable. The events of day six could actually take place on day five. Conversely, the events of day seven could happen on separate days. So a range of 6 to 10 days is possible.
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Solo: A Star Wars Story takes place over approximately 7 days spread out over three years. Most of the movie is set 10 years after Episode III and 10 years before Episode IV.
All the events related to Han and Qi’ra’s escape from Corellia take place over day one in 13 BBY.
Day two flashes forward to 10 BBY, with Han now part of the Imperial Infantry on Mimban. The day ends with Han and Chewie joining Tobias Beckett’s crew.
On day three, they plan the coaxium heist on Vandor-1 and Han gets his iconic blaster. The heist takes place on day four. The day concludes with Han striking a deal with Dryden Vos. Day five starts with Han and Qi’ra recruiting Lando and departing for Kessel.
Day six is action-packed, starting with them infiltrating the mines. They then make a daring escape through the maw to Savareen to process the coaxium. They broker a deal with Enfys Nest and deal with Dryden Vos. Han shoots first, taking out Beckett, while Qi’ra contacts Maul and leaves Han behind.
Finally, on day seven, Han wins the Millennium Falcon from Lando in a game of sabacc.
While it is impossible to tell for sure, days or weeks could pass between the events of days six and seven. During that time, Han and Chewie need to travel from Savareen to Numidian Prime without a starship.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
The first Star Wars standalone film, 6 days pass in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Most of the film takes place in 0 BBY, with the prologue flashing back to 13 BBY. It is set 10 years after Solo, 20 years after Episode III, and immediately before the start of Episode IV.
On day one, Orson Krennic tracks Galen Erso, with Jyn escaping to be rescued by Saw Gerrera. The story then jumps forward 13 years.
Jyn Erso is now in prison and Cassian Andor learns about the Death Star on day two.
Day three starts with dawn on Jedha and defector Bodhi Rook looking for Saw. Then Cassian and K-2SO rescue Jyn, taking her to the Alliance base on Yavin IV. Andor then questions Jyn about her father.
On day four, Cassian, Jyn, and K-2 depart for Jedha to find Saw. Saw questions Bodhi, then Krennic and Tarkin oversee the construction of the Death Star.
Day five starts with Jyn’s dream about her past. They then meet Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus in Jedha City before getting captured by Saw’s men. Jyn gets her father’s message before escaping the blast from the Death Star. The day ends with Krennic visiting Darth Vader on Mustafar and the Rebels attacking Eadu.
A small group of Rebels invades Scarif on day six. It eventually turns into a large-scale battle, with Jyn and Cassian beaming the plans for the station to the Rebel Fleet. Princess Leia Organa escapes with the plans before Tarkin destroys the Scarif installation with the Death Star.
Some sources consider the events of days four and five as a single day. While this is possible, the placement of the sun throughout the Jedha scenes suggests at least two days pass.
Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
The events of A New Hope begin almost immediately following Rogue One in 0 BBY. The first Star Wars film, most fans believe that 6 days pass over the course of the movie.
On day one, the Empire captures Leia’s blockade runner. She hides the plans in R2-D2, with the droids escaping to Tatooine and being captured by the Jawas.
Day two starts at the Lars homestead. Luke Skywalker cleans the droids and sees part of Leia’s message. That night, R2 wanders off to find Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Luke searches for R2-D2 on day three. Obi-Wan Kenobi rescues them from the Sandpeople and learns about R2’s secret mission. Tarkin and Darth Vader discuss the missing plans.
Luke and Obi-Wan find the slaughtered Jawas before ultimately agreeing to go to Alderaan. Vader tortures Leia for information about the secret Rebel base. Obi-Wan and Luke go to Mos Eisley Spaceport, where they hire Han Solo and Chewbacca.
On day four, they arrive in the Alderaan System. Captured by the Empire aboard the Death Star, they develop a plan to rescue the princess and deactivate the tractor beam. Obi-Wan duels Vader, sacrificing himself so the others can escape.
Day five sees Leia, Luke, and Han arriving at the Rebel base on Yavin IV. The Rebels then begin their assault on the Death Star. Luke destroys the station with Han’s help. The medal ceremony takes place on day six.
That said, it is possible that days four, five, and six take place over a single day. In that case, the film would take place in as little as 4 days.
Also, the destruction of the Death Star signifies the change from BBY – before the Battle of Yavin – to ABY – after the Battle of Yavin – in the Star Wars timeline.
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Empire Strikes Back takes place three years after Episode IV. Set in 3 ABY, at least 4 days pass over the course of the film.
On day one, Luke Skywalker is attacked by a wampa. He later escapes and sees a vision of Obi-Wan. The day ends with Han finding Luke and setting up a shelter for the night.
Day two begins with them being rescued. The Empire then attacks the Rebel base. Han and Leia escape in the Falcon and hide in an asteroid field. Luke goes to Dagobah to find Yoda.
On day three, Han and Leia travel to Bespin and meet Lando Calrissian. Luke trains with Yoda but has a vision of Han and Leia in pain. Ignoring both Yoda and Obi-Wan, he rushes off to save them.
Day four sees Han is frozen in carbonite. Luke arrives on Bespin and duels with Darth Vader. Leia, Chewie, and Lando rescue Luke and regroup with the Rebel fleet. Luke gets a new hand while Lando and Chewie leave to find Han.
While it could happen in as little as four days, it could take place over weeks or months. Still, it’s hard to determine exactly how much time passes.
Day two could easily take place over two or more days.
Day three could be split into weeks or even months. Han and Leia need time to make it to Bespin without lightspeed. Luke trains with Yoda for an unknown period of time, suffering several setbacks.
Also, day four could be split into at least two days, with the Bespin events on the first and Luke recovering on the second.
Most fans consider three weeks the minimum amount of time shown in the movie. However, you can argue that it lasts as long as six months.
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
Return of the Jedi takes place in 4 ABY, between six months and a year after Episode V. It is set 30 years before The Force Awakens. The last of the Star Wars Original Trilogy, a minimum of 4 days pass in the movie.
It starts on day one with Darth Vader landing on the Death Star. Leia Organa goes to Jabba’s Palace to rescue Han, only to get captured.
On day two, Luke Skywalker goes to Jabba’s Palace to rescue Han and Leia. That night, he returns to Dagobah to complete his training. Yoda passes away, and Obi-Wan appears to Luke.
Day three has Luke rejoin the Rebels. They plan the assault on the Death Star II and leave for the forest moon of Endor. After narrowly avoiding being cooked by the Ewoks, they have a small celebration. Luke sneaks off into the night to surrender to Vader.
The Battle of Endor takes place on day four. Han and Leia take charge of the ground attack while Lando Calrissian leads the assault on the Death Star. Luke and Vader duel, with Vader returning to the light side of the Force. The Rebels then celebrate their victory on Endor.
Some sources split the events of days two and three into two days each. This means that as many as 5 or 6 days could pass over the course of the story.
Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
The first sequel-era film, The Force Awakens is set in 34 ABY, approximately 30 years after Episode VI. About 5 days pass in the first Star Wars Sequel Trilogy film.
Day one takes place at night, with the First Order capturing Poe Dameron and massacring a village on Jakku.
The second day starts with Rey scavenging the Star Destroyer. She then rescues BB-8 and watches the sunset at her home in the AT-AT wreckage.
On day three, Poe and Finn escape the Star Destroy and crash on Jakku. Finn then meets Rey and BB-8, who flee the planet in the Millennium Falcon. Han and Chewie then capture the Falcon and agree to take Finn to see Maz on Takodana.
The Falcon makes it to Maz Kanata’s castle on day four. The First Order attacks, capturing Rey while Leia Organa rescues Han and Finn. Rey uses her Force powers to escape while the Resistance destroys Starkiller Base.
The final day, day five, sees Rey leave to find Luke on Ahch-To.
However, some fans believe that as many as eight days pass in the film. It is possible that the events of day three and day four could be split into two days each.
Since it is unclear what time it is in the village, it is possible that the events of days one and two are actually the same day. Poe’s meeting and the First Order raid could easily take place hours before dawn.
For those reasons, the total amount of time that passes in the film could be anywhere from 4 to 7 days.
Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
The Last Jedi is set in 34 ABY and picks up shortly after Episode VII. A total of 3 days pass during the movie.
On the first day, the First Order attacks the Resistance base on D’qur, with the fleet jumping to lightspeed. Also, Rey finds Luke, and he reluctantly agrees to train her in the morning.
The second day begins with Rey’s training. Low on fuel, the Resistance fleet stays just ahead of the First Order. Kylo Ren attacks, killing most of the Resistance leadership and nearly killing his mother, Leia Organa. Admiral Haldo takes command of the fleet.
A lot happens on the third day. Rey surrenders to Kylo Ren. Despite orders to kill her, Ren kills Snoke instead. He then asks Rey to join him and they fight over the Skywalker lightsaber.
Finn and Roe look for a master codebreaker, recruiting DJ and ending up on a First Order ship. However, DJ betrays them after they get caught.
Nearly out of fuel, Haldo orders the crew to use evacuation transports to escape to an old Rebel base on Crait. She then turns around and jumps to hyperspace, flying through the First Order flagship.
In the chaos, Finn, Rose, and Rey escape. The Resistance makes it to Crait, but they are unable to get reinforcements.
Kylo Ren assumes the title of Supreme Chancellor and orders them to attack Crait. Luke Skywalker arrives to duel Ren, buying time for Leia and the Resistance to escape.
Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Set in 35 ABY, The Rise of Skywalker takes place about one year after Episode VIII. The most recent Star Wars movie to date, about 4 days pass on screen
Day one starts with Kylo Ren’s massacre on Mustifar. Then Rey trains under Leia, while Finn and Poe get information from a First Order spy.
With just 16 hours until the Final Order attacks, there is a lot packed into the second day. Rey, Finn, and Poe go off to find a Sith wayfinder. They visit Pasanna, Kijimi, and the Endor moon of Kef-Bir.
After battling Kylo Ren one more time, besting him, Rey steals his ship and leaves for Exogol. Ren turns back to the light side of the Force, becoming Ben Solo again.
Poe and Finn track Rey to Exogol, calling for reinforcements from the galaxy. Rey takes on Palpatine, with Ben Solo arriving to help. The Resistance fleet destroys Palpatine’s Final Order.
Day three begins with depictions of the Final Order Star Destroyers falling across the galaxy. The Resistance celebrates at their secret base on Ajan Kloss.
On day four, Rey goes to the Lars homestead on Tatooine. When asked, she says her name is Rey Skywalker.
However, it is unclear if day three immediately precedes day four. Rey’s injuries seem to suggest a passage of time, but she could have just used her Force powers. The Falcon has also been repaired.
But there is no way to definitively determine exactly how much time passes between those days. It could be as little as a few days or significantly longer.
Frequently Asked Questions About How Many Days Pass in Star Wars
How Much Time Passes in the Star Wars TV Series?
Well, it’s a lot. From The Clone Wars to The Acolyte, there are a lot of episodes to review and track. And hopefully, someone decides to do that someday. It might even be us but for now, the focus was the movies.
Also, there is an expectation that the TV shows take place over a longer time. You know each episode might span several days, meaning weeks or months will pass in each season of a limited series.
Why Is It Hard To Tell How Many Days Are in Each Movie?
It’s hard to be specific about exactly how many days are in the movies because we really just don’t know. The Empire Strikes Back is a perfect example.
We know Luke is training with Yoda, while Leia and Han are repairing the Falcon. But nothing on screen indicates exactly how much time passes from scene to scene.
Similarly, Revenge of the Sith, Solo, and The Rise of Skywalker all have epilogues of sorts. Those could take place the next day or even weeks later.
How Does Hyperspace Impact Time in the Star Wars Movies?
Hyperspace also makes determining how much time passes in Star Wars difficult. Lightspeed travel is inconsistently portrayed throughout the saga.
In A New Hope, we see time passing while they travel from Tatooine to Alderaan. Luke trains with Obi-Wan, and the droids play Dejarik with Chewbacca. But later, Luke, Leia, and Han seemingly travel to Yavin IV instantly.
In The Rise of Skywalker, Poe and Finn’s lightspeed skipping seemingly takes as long as Rey’s journey to Exogol. And surely traveling to a lost Sith world is a much greater distance.
You see similar situations throughout the Saga. Hyperspace is depicted when it’s convenient for the story.
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