If you’ve dived into the Star Wars lore, you’ve likely seen the acronyms “BBY” and “ABY” and wondered what they mean. These terms are used in reference to when events occur, which can be confusing since they’re not even an official dating system. We dive into the confusing way time is measured in Star Wars and why BBY and ABY are used below.
What do BBY and ABY mean in the Star Wars dating system?
Surprisingly, neither Lucasfilm nor Disney have ever established an official dating system for the Star Wars franchise. Instead, fans rely on the terms BBY and ABY to explain how events relate to each other.
The two acronyms mean:
- BBY = Before the Battle of Yavin
- ABY = After the Battle of Yavin
You can think of BBY and ABY as working like BC and AD (or BCE and CE) work in the real world. The Star Wars timeline focuses on the Battle of Yavin, which was seen at the conclusion of Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope.
Almost any reference to time in Star Wars is measured in BBY and ABY, which is pretty simple to understand if you just remember how long events occurred before or after A New Hope.
For example, here’s where the TV shows and movies fall on the timeline:
- 132 BBY: The Acolyte
- 32 BBY: Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace
- 22 BBY: Star Wars: Episode 2 – Attack of the Clones
- 22-19 BBY: Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- 19 BBY: Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith
- 10 BBY: Solo
- 9 BBY: Obi-Wan Kenobi
- 5 BBY-1 BBY: Andor
- 5 BBY-1 BBY: Star Wars Rebels
- 0 BBY: Rogue One
- 0 BBY: Star Wars: Episode 4 – A New Hope
- 3 ABY: Star Wars: Episode 5 – The Empire Strikes Back
- 4 ABY: Star Wars: Episode 6 – Return of the Jedi
- 9 ABY: The Mandalorian
- 9 ABY: The Book of Boba Fett
- 9 ABY: Ahsoka
- Around 9 ABY: Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
- 34 ABY: Star Wars: Resistance
- 34 ABY: Star Wars: Episode 7 – The Force Awakens
- 34 ABY: Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi
- 35 ABY: Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise of Skywalker
