Every Star Wars TV Show Ranked From Worst To Best

Summary

• Old Star Wars TV shows set the stage for Disney+’s modern success, bringing the galaxy far, far away to the small screen early on.
• Disney+ TV shows have had an unprecedented impact on Star Wars, ensuring its lasting cultural relevance for fans old and new.
• The evolution of Star Wars TV shows has brought new depth and excitement to the franchise, with each show offering unique storytelling.

With the modern explosion of content on Disney+, it’s easy to forget that there have been Star Wars TV shows since 1985. George Lucas always knew he was building something far bigger than a film franchise. The first Star Wars tie-in novel, Alan Dean Foster’s Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, was published in 1978 – before the release of The Empire Strikes Back. When Lucas wrapped up the original trilogy with 1983’s Return of the Jedi, his attention initially turned to the small screen, where he continued to license stories set in a galaxy far, far away.

Disney has evolved Star Wars into a trailblazing transmedia franchise; the films have essentially been on hiatus since the end of the sequel trilogy, but the saga continues in high-profile Disney+ TV shows. These have had an unprecedented cultural impact, ensuring Star Wars remains a vital part of popular culture. But how do all these diifferent Star Wars TV shows compare, ranked from worst to best?

16 Ewoks

The Star Wars franchise initially seemed to be over after Return of the Jedi. Then, in 1984, viewers tuned in to watch a family-friendly feature-length adventure starring the Ewoks. Lucas believed Star Wars was principally aimed at children, and the Ewoks – never named in the Skywalker saga – were created to appeal to kids. The film sired an animated TV shows by Nelvana, the animation house behind the Care Bears.

Ewoks is an odd show, not even marketed using the Star Wars brand, and it always sat uncomfortably with the lore. The quality of character designs and animation visibly declines as Ewoks continues, although season 2 feels better-written than the first. The final episode twists away into standard Star Wars, with the Empire arriving on Endor to steal Ewoks‘ MacGuffin, the mystical Sunstar. It feels as though Ewoks suddenly remembered the galaxy it was supposed to be part of.

15 Star Wars: Droids

Ewoks may have forgotten it was part of the Star Wars galaxy, but its companion Star Wars: Droids was much more important to canon. Podracing plays a major part in the first arc, there’s a four-armed alien who feels like a proof of concept for Dexter Jettster in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, and even some planets are name-dropped in Lucas’ prequel trilogy. Modern viewers will be taken aback by the character of Kea Moll from the first episode, who bears a striking resemblance to Rey; later, there’s a space pirate with the name “Kybo Ren.”

Viewers can check out Star Wars: Droids on Disney+, with the House of Mouse making a Star Wars show available that, for years, had been almost impossible to watch. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of Star Wars, and it may well have had more of an impact on the franchise’s evolution than it seems at first glance. Unfortunately, that still doesn’t stop it feeling rather dated.

14 Star Wars: Resistance

A TV show set far later in the canon Star Wars timeline, Star Wars Resistance explores the battle against the First Order during the sequel era. The characters do grow as the two seasons progress, and there are some occasions where Resistance feels as though it adds something of real value to the ongoing narrative. Here, for example, is an explanation for the swift advance of the First Order, or a bit more detail on Hosnian Prime, the planet destroyed in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

It really didn’t feel as though Lucasfilm cared too much about this spinoff

Sadly, Resistance is undermined by an inconsistent narrative, and it really didn’t feel as though Lucasfilm cared too much about this spinoff in the Skywalker saga. This is likely because Lucasfilm kept changing their plans for the sequels, so it would have been impossible to tie Star Wars Resistance into the story. In the end, this particular transmedia experiment unfortunately failed.

13 The Book of Boba Fett

Boba Fett survived the Sarlacc, and the gun-for-hire became star of his own Disney+ TV show set after the events of Return of the Jedi. The Book of Boba Fett is another odd TV show, with the first few episodes dividing their time between a story in which Boba Fett becomes a Tatooine crime boss and flashbacks explaining why he’s become so different. The fundamental problem, though, is that it fails to make this new status quo particularly gripping; in fact, by the end of the show, it’s really not clear what Boba Fett even does as a crime boss.

Even the show’s writers seem to lose interest in their reinvention of Boba Fett, pivoting away from him and essentially turning the last three episodes into The Mandalorian season 2.5. There are character moments for Din Djarin and Grogu that really should be in their own shows. All in all, there does feel like potential, but The Book of Boba Fett fails to realize it.

12 Genndy Tartakovsky’s Star Wars: Clone Wars

It’s difficult to place Genndy Tartakovsky’s Star Wars: Clone Wars in.any ranking like this. The Emmy award-winning animated TV show is so good – and yet its cultural impact has become sadly muted over time, simply because it was rendered non-canon long before Lucasfilm was acquired by Disney in 2012. Inspired by Japanese animation, Star Wars: Clone Wars is a swashbuckling adventure in which the Jedi lead from the front in the battle against Count Dooku and his Separatists.

The villains are tremendous, with General Grievous feeling like a genuine threat to the Jedi, while the heroes’ struggle to maintain balance even in a time of conflict feels tremendously powerful. Many fans suggest this should be seen as in-universe pro-Republic propaganda, a smart way of giving Star Wars: Clone Wars continuing relevance. It will always be loved.

11 Star Wars: Tales of the Empire

Lucasfilm’s latest release, Star Wars: Tales of the Empire is a series of six animated shorts; three star Ahsoka villain Morgan Elsbeth, and another three star Jedi traitor Barriss Offee. It’s set during the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign, and there’s a powerful sense of oppression and evil running through the stories. At times they’re a little too dark; Lucasfilm Animation need to relearn how to do night and shadow without it feeling overwhelming. Still, in general, the animation is tremendous.

Tales of the Empire appears relatively low on this list because, sadly, it doesn’t quite feel complete. Although it fleshes out some of Morgan’s story, other key moments are left untouched, and her motives don’t make sense; it’s unclear just who she’s seeking revenge against in working with the Empire, for example. Meanwhile, Barriss Offee’s redemption is a little too neat, and her off-screen (alluded to) reunion with Ahsoka Tano is unsatisfying. Ultimately, the ideas are strong, but this just doesn’t quite hold together as a self-contained show.

10 Star Wars: The Acolyte

There’s a very real sense in which it’s a shame to place The Acolyte so low in this ranking; t’s made with a tremendous amount of care and love. Showrunner Leslye Headland is an old-school Star Wars fan, and that shows with a story that dovetails as well with Legends as it does with canon. Many of the ideas in play in The Acolyte are tremendously exciting, and Manny Jacinto is an absolute delight as the show’s new Sith Lord. Almost all the casting is absolutely stellar, with other standouts including Lee Jung-jae’s Master Sol and Dafne Keen’s Padawan Jecki.

The fight choreography in The Acolyte is among the best ever seen in Star Wars, and it’s impossible not to feel your heart pounding as you watch episode 5 – when the Sith Lord confronts an entire squad of Jedi. Unfortunately, The Acolyte suffers because the characters aren’t really given the time to breathe; episode lengths are so short that essential arcs are truncated. Structurally, two flashback episodes damage the sense of momentum, and also cost some of the moral ambiguity. Ultimately, The Acolyte is a show that feels like a tremendous proof of concept, just not quite fully realized.

9 Obi-Wan Kenobi

Featuring the return of Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor, the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ TV show should have been one of the biggest event series in the history of Star Wars. To be fair, it’s compellingly written, with some fascinating ideas in play and a standout young Leia Organa. It also occupies a unique space, because it’s cleverly positioned so it can be considered part of the old Expanded Universe timeline as easily as it stands in the modern Disney canon.

The problem, though, is that Obi-Wan Kenobi feels as though it had too much potential, meaning it was doomed to disappoint. CG, sets, and costumes look surprisingly cheap, and the final confrontation between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader is murky and difficult to follow. Sadly, it now looks as though Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 is unlikely to happen.

8 Star Wars: Tales Of The Jedi

The Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi series hopefully shows the future of the franchise’s animations. These shorts focus on key moments in the lives of two characters; they tell the story of Dooku’s fall to the dark side, and add more depth and detail to Ahsoka Tano’s life. They aren’t without their problems; several details sit uncomfortably with canon, reinforcing the sense that Lucasfilm Television is a law unto itself, and the final episode erases an important LGBTQI+ character from E.K. Johnston’s novel Ahsoka. Still, they’re tremendously effective and beautifully animated, with sharp and concise storytelling.

7 The Mandalorian

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of The Mandalorian for the evolution of Star Wars.The Mandalorian was a huge success for Disney+, with the first episode premiering alongside the release of the entire streaming platform; Lucasfilm had managed to keep Baby Yoda (now known as Grogu) a secret, meaning the first live-action Star Wars TV show immediately went viral. The first season of The Mandalorian was an absolute hit, justifiably so, with strong and compelling character arcs.

There have been massive flaws, however, explaining why the show doesn’t rank higher on this list. Season 2 lost momentum to fan-service, while season 3 struggled to head in a new direction, with inconsistent story arcs that meant the retaking of Mandalore lacked the emotional weight it deserved. Still, hopefully Lucasfilm’s upcoming movies set during this era will fix these problems.

6 Ahsoka

Helmed by Dave Filoni, Ahsoka is very difficult indeed to place on this Star Wars ranking. It features some of the best casting in Star Wars to date, with Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Eman Esfandi, and the late Ray Stevenson all worthy of particular praise; Rosario Dawson puts in a creditable performance as the titular character too. Helmed by Dave Filoni, this is essentially a continuation of the story he began with Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, albeit with an additional time-jump to ensure viewers new and old are on a level playing field in terms of needing to adjust.

Ahsoka is notable for taking some of the biggest swings in Star Wars history, introducing an entirely new galaxy to Star Wars, which makes it delightful for its boldness. The main problem with Ahsoka is that it feels a little incomplete after its first season; although that’s a deliberate creative choice, it means the story just doesn’t quite stand alone well enough to satisfy. There wiill be problems going forward with Ahsoka season 2, in light of the sad passing of Ray Stevenson, which will surely require a recast.

5 Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Starring Clone Force 99, a group of mutant clones created by the Kaminoans, Star Wars: The Bad Batch is set immediately after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. This group of clones refused to comply with Order 66, and they wound up on the run from the Empire. The first season struggled to establish its characters, and the second had some pacing problems; but these issues were almost all resolved for the incredible season 3.

Over the course of The Bad Batch‘s three seasons, the characters become the heart of the show. Tech’s death in season 2’s finale was shocking, and left many viewers hoping he’d be brought back through a Winter Soldier twist. The reality, though, is that the stakes really are this high. Star Wars: The Bad Batch may have stumbled a little in the beginning, but it became one of the best.

4 Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Created by George Lucas and Dave Filoni, Star Wars: The Clone Wars is set between the events of Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. It’s one of the most popular and beloved Star Wars TV shows, and for good reason, featuring tremendous character arcs and intriguing narratives. There are problems, though; animation is inconsistent, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars initially hops around the timeline with impunity, making some narratives difficult to follow.

Disney canceled Star Wars: The Clone Wars after they acquired Lucasfilm, but they clearly came to regret this decision. Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7 released on Disney+, with the final episodes set at the same time as Anakin’s fall to the dark side. Season 7 is widely considered some of the best Star Wars to date, and with good reason. It features Lucasfilm Animation’s writers and artists at their level best.

3 Star Wars Rebels

Fans of Star Wars animation are divided in the best way over Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels; there’s intense debate over which is better. Set during the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign, this stars a ragtag group (including a former Jedi and, later, Ahsoka Tano) who struggle to stand for the light. Threats escalate, with Inquisitors pursuing the Jedi and Darth Vader himself turning up to confront his former Padawan.

Showrunner Dave Filoni has learned lessons from the previous series

This ranking places Star Wars Rebels above Star Wars: The Clone Wars, simply because showrunner Dave Filoni has learned lessons from the previous series, and the storytelling is so much more confident. Star Wars Rebels is notable for what is still the best episode of Star Wars animation to date, “Twin Suns,” the final duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul on the desert sands of Tatooine. It has recently secured a legacy in live-action, which characters appearing in both The Mandalorian and Ahsoka.

2 Andor

The best live-action Star Wars TV show to date is unquestionably Andor. This live-action Disney+ TV show serves as a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, explaining how Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor became part of the nascent Rebel Alliance. It’s surprisingly mature, a politically-aware exploration of the creeping nature of fascism, and season 1 placed themes and characterization above fan-service and Easter eggs.

Andor has learned from Lucas’ prequel trilogy mistakes, somehow making politics in the Star Wars galaxy intense and evocative, and it features some of the best dialogue (and monologues) in the history of the franchise. Andor season 2 will air next year, running more quickly through Cassian Andor’s time in the Rebel Alliance, even as the Empire prepares to unleash the Death Star. Hopefully Andor has set a new pattern for Star Wars going forward, with more mature content mixed with all-ages family shows.

1 Star Wars Visions

The first non-canon show released after Disney acquired Lucasfilm, Star Wars: Visions offers fantastic reinterpretations of the Skywalker saga. The various animation styles are tremendous, the scripts are unforgettable, and there’s an odd sense in which Star Wars: Visions understands the Force better than most of the canon. Incredibly, Star Wars Visions season 2 actually exceeded the first season, with a tremendous narrative running through all the animated episodes. This delightful Star Wars show proves canonicity is not the same thing as quality, and that storytelling matters more than lore.