The Death Star begins construction over Geonosis. A scientist named Galen Erso designs its super laser to used kyber crystals, the same crystals that power lightsabers. Discovering what his work will do, Galen leaves the Empire. He is found and captured, his wife being killed and his daughter Jyn being left in the care of Saw Gerrara, a rebel. Galen is forced to continue to work on the super weapon. The development of the Death Star is moved to Scarrif, and the Geonosian race is nearly wiped out by the Empire.
In an attempt to draw out Kenobi, an Inquisitor kidnaps the daughter of his old friend Bail Organa. This works, bringing Obi-wan out of exile to save Leia, and results in an encounter between Darth Vader and Obi-wan. Obi-Wan defeats his old apprentice again, leaving him damaged but still alive.
Ahsoka Tano helps the rebellion, working with Bail Organa and a smaller rebel cell called Phoenix group, led by Hera Syndulla. Members of this group include a Mandalorian named Sabin Wren, a Lasaat named Zeb, and a Jedi named Kanan Jarrus and his Padawan Ezra Bridger
Ahsoka, Kanan, and Ezra travel to the Sith planet Malachor in hopes to find a way to defeat the Sith. There Ezra finds a Sith holocron, as well as Maul, who has been abandoned there after loosing control over his crime syndicate. Maul befriends Ezra at first, but ultimately turns on him and his friends, blinding Kanan in the process of escaping.
Vader, who had been hunting Kanan and Ezra, tracks them down to Malachor. Ahsoka, now confronted with her masters fate, distracts him long enough to allow Kanan and Ezra to escape.
Maul uses the Sith holocron Ezra found on Malachor to draw Ezra to him on his homeworld of Dathomir. There, he uses its power to discover the location of his old foe, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Maul tracks him down and realizes he must be there to protect something. They have a final duel, and Maul dies in Obi-Wan's arms.
Mandalore attempts to resist the rule of the Empire. Being led my Bo-Katan, they fought back against their occupiers, but could not defeat their forces. The Empire bombs the planet, in an event named The Night of a Thousand Tears.
On a mission to destroy a weapons factory, Kanan sacrifices himself to save the rest of his crew. In one final mission, Ezra Bridger removes the Empire’s presence from his home planet of Lothal, however in doing so he moves himself as well as Thrawn, a high ranking and extremely dangerous Imperial admiral, to an unknown location outside the galaxy.
Galen tells an Imperial cargo pilot that the weapon they are building is a planet killer, and sends him to Jedha with a message to warn his old friend Saw. The rebel alliance gets word of this and tracks down Jyn Erso in hopes of using her to get an audience with Saw. They see Galen's message, which reveals that he has planted a weakness in its reactor. The Death Star arrives on Jedha, and with its first test of its power it fires on its holy city, killing Saw and his partisans.
Jyn Erso and the other rebels escape. They then lead an attack on the planet Scariff, where the plans for the Death Star are being held. They manage to transfer the plans to Leia’s ship waiting in orbit, but every rebel on the ground dies in the process. Vader arrives and tries to prevent the plans from leaving the system, but it just barely slips through his fingers.
Leia attempts to bring these plans to Obi-Wan on Tatooine, but is caught by Vader. She sends the plans with her two droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO down to the planets surface in hopes that they will be able to reach him. They accidentally make their way to Luke Skywalker instead, who then brings them to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan reveals to Luke that he used to be a Jedi Knight, and that he once knew his father. He passes Anakin’s old lightsaber to his son.
After stormtroopers kill his Aunt and Uncle, Luke decides to go with Obi-Wan to learn the ways of the force and fight for the rebellion. They hire a smuggler named Han Solo to give them passage to Alderaan. The credits Han is offered is more than enough to pay off a debt he has owed the crime lord Jabba the Hutt.
After Leia refuses to give up the location of the rebel base, the Empire uses the Death Star to blow up her home planet, Alderaan, killing every being on the planet.
When the Millennium Falcon arrives in the system, it is captured by the Death Star. Luke, Han, and Chewbacca rescue Leia, but Obi-Wan sacrifices himself to allow them to escape. He is killed by his old apprentice.
The Death Star plans are finally brought to the Rebellion base on Yavin-4. The Rebellion then launches an attack on the Death Star in hopes of destroying it before it is used to destroy them. Luke is a part of this attack and uses the force to make a one in a million shot that exploits the weakness planted by Galen, destroying the Death Star. This event is called the Battle of Yavin.
Vader hires Boba Fett, the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy, and clone of his father Jango Fett, to learn the name of the one who destroyed the Death Star. He finds out that the Emperor lied to him, and that he has a son.
The Rebellion makes a new base and the ice planet Hoth. The Empire discovers and attacks the rebel base on Hoth, forcing the Rebels to scatter across the galaxy once more. Luke is met by the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi, who tells him to travel to Dagobah, where he is to be trained my Master Yoda.
Vader Hires Boba Fett yet again, this time to capture Han Solo and Leia Organa in hopes of drawing Luke to him. Han and Leia seek help from Han’s old friend Lando Calrissian. However, Boba Fett anticipates this move, bringing the Empire to Cloud City before the rebels get there. Vader forces Lando to betray Han, who gives them over to the Empire when they arrive. Han is frozen in carbonite and given over to Boba Fett, who brings him to Jabba, who put a bounty on Han’s head when he failed to repay his debt to him.
Luke senses his friends are in trouble, so he abandons his training with Yoda to go save them. He walks right into Vaders trap, loosing his hand and his lightsaber. Vader attempts to turn Luke to his side, telling him that he is his father, and that they could overthrow to Emperor together. Luke refuses, and makes a daring escape from Cloud City with Lando and Leia.
A year after the events at Cloudy City, Leia uses a disguise to sneak herself and Chewbacca into Jabba’s palace. As part of the plan, Land, R2-D2, and C-3PO were sent to the palace earlier in attempts to make the plan go by smoothly. When things go wrong for them, Luke arrives with a new lightsaber to free them all. He rescues his friends, resulting in the death of Jabba and the defeat of Boba Fett. Boba is left for dead in the dessert. His armor is stolen by Jawas, and he is taken by Tuskin Raiders. They come to respect him, accepting him into their tribe.
Luke returns to Yoda on Dagobah, confronting him about keeping the truth about his father from him. Yoda confirms that Vader is Luke’s father before becoming one with the force. Immediately after, the spirit of Obi-Wan confesses to Luke that Leia is his twin sister.
The Rebels prepare to launch their assault on the second Death Star, which orbits the forrest moon of Endor. Han and Leia lead a ground mission to destroy the shield generator protecting the Death Star, while Luke gives himself over to the Empire in hopes of bringing his father back to the light side of the force.
Luke initially is unsuccessful, but when Vader see’s the emperor torturing his own son, he turns on him. Vader throws the Emperor down a big hole in the ground, ending the reign of the Empire and redeeming himself to be Anakin Skywalker once more.
Luke attempts to save his father, but it is too late for him. He escapes right as the second Death Star is destroyed by the rebel fleet. Luke brings his father’s body to Endor, granting him a traditional Jedi burial. Leia and Han marry on the forrest moon. The New Republic is formed.