In the past decade, Star Wars has become well-known for its fantastic animated TV shows. In fact, Star Wars’ animated shows have become so popular that the franchise’s live-action series have begun to highlight, cameo, and rely on characters from animation. The Ahsoka series, released in 2023, marked a big moment of recognition for the animated side of Star Wars, as it was the first live-action series devoted to a character from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Nevertheless, Star Wars has been dabbling in animation since 1985 and has a total of ten released TV shows thus far.
Since 1985, Star Wars has also produced several micro-series and animated shorts, such as Genndy Tartakovsky’s Star Wars: Clone Wars and Forces of Destiny. As far as the full-length animated series are concerned, seven of Star Wars’ ten animated series are currently part of canon. Despite all of these series either being completed or having no set plans for more seasons, Star Wars has no shortage of animation, as new projects are still expected. However, while many of Star Wars’ animated shows have received critical acclaim, others have fallen by the wayside.
10 Star Wars: Droids
Release Date: September 7, 1985
Star Wars: Droids first released in 1985 alongside its sister series Star Wars: Ewoks, marking the beginning of the animated Star Wars franchise. Droids was set between Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope and starred Anthony Daniels as the voice of C-3PO alongside R2-D2. While the animation in Droids was nothing spectacular, the series did feature a few notable cameos, such as Boba Fett and IG-88. Each episode followed the droids' adventures, and while the series may not have been successful, it did help begin to expand the Star Wars franchise beyond the movies.
9 Star Wars: Ewoks
Release Date: September 7, 1985
Star Wars: Ewoks aired alongside Star Wars: Droids in 1985, and while it didn’t feature any major Star Wars character cameos, it starred well-known Ewoks such as Wicket W. Warrick and Master Logray. Each episode mainly dealt with the Ewoks and their rivalry with the Duloks, another sentient species on Endor. Overall, the series showed a more light-hearted and wholesome side to Star Wars. Despite no longer being canon, some elements of Ewoks have snuck their way back into Star Wars canon, and both Droids and Ewoks can still be viewed on Disney+.
8 Star Wars: Resistance
Release Date: October 7, 2018
Star Wars Resistance is one of the few animated projects set after Star Wars: The Force Awakens, during the sequel trilogy. It mainly follows Kazuda “Kaz” Xiono, who s the Resistance as a pilot to spy on the First Order. It also features cameos from notable sequel characters such as Poe Dameron, Captain Phasma, and General Hux. While the live-action side of Star Wars hasn’t referenced much from Resistance, Kaz’s father, Senator Hamato Xiono, makes an appearance in Ahsoka. Given Disney’s interest in exploring the New Republic Era, more Easter eggs and references to Resistance are likely to come.
7 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures
Release Date: May 4, 2023
One of the more recent additions to Star Wars’ animated franchise, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures began as a series of shorts but was then expanded to a full series. It’s notable for being the first Star Wars series set during the High Republic era. Young Jedi Adventures follows three Jedi Younglings, Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay, and Nubs - along with their pilot friend Nash Durango - as they explore the galaxy and train to become Jedi. With a far more child-friendly tone than the grittier series, Young Jedi Adventures is the perfect Star Wars introduction for kids.
6 Tales of the Empire
Release Date: May 4, 2024
Tales of the Empire follows in the same vein as Tales of the Jedi, though it focuses on two characters who take a darker path: disgraced Jedi Padawan Grand iral Thrawn on Corvus in The Mandalorian season 2. Though it features some great moments, reveals, and familiar faces, it's overall a bit lackluster compared to its predecessor.
5 Tales of the Jedi
Release Date: October 26, 2022
Tales of the Jedi carries on a similar animation style as Star Wars: The Clone Wars, without the need to tell stories from the Clone Wars era itself. Season 1 consists of six episodes, three of which follow Count Dooku’s fall to the dark side, while the other three show several snapshots from Ahsoka Tano’s Star Wars journey. Due to popular demand, Tales of the Jedi has been renewed for a season 2, though it's not currently clear whether Tales of the Empire was meant to serve as that second installment or not.
4 Star Wars: Visions
Release Date: September 22, 2021
Star Wars: Visions is one of the only noncanonical series Disney has worked on. For Visions season 1, Lucasfilm worked with seven different Japanese animation studios to provide a fresh and exciting view of the Star Wars galaxy. Later, Visions season 2 expanded Star Wars’ horizons even further by including episodes done by animation studios from around the globe. Each episode of Visions is steeped in a unique cultural appreciation of what Star Wars means to people around the world, making this collection one of the most unique in the Star Wars franchise.
3 Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Release Date: May 4, 2021
Star Wars: The Bad Batch serves as a sequel to The Clone Wars, following the titular "Bad Batch" group of exiled clone troopers, otherwise known as Clone Force 99, as they make their way through the galaxy and fight to survive - all while protecting the young female clone, Omega. The series exists to help bridge the gap between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, and its final season even extends a connection to the sequel trilogy. The family at the heart of this story makes it one of Star Wars' very best, second only to two other classics.
2 Star Wars Rebels
Release Date: October 3, 2014
Star Wars Rebels is beloved by fans of both the original trilogy and The Clone Wars. While Rebels season 1 began with a more lighthearted plot line than The Clone Wars, it grew into a more serious series as it went on. Not only does the show feature a plethora of cameos from The Clone Wars, such as Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex, but it also shows characters from the original trilogy, like Princess Leia and Lando Calrissian. Furthermore, Rebels boasts some character development with its original characters that rivals some of The Clone Wars’ best stories.
1 Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Release Date: October 3, 2008
The Clone Wars is one of the most influential shows for Star Wars as a whole. Not only does it boast rich characters and stunning visuals, but The Clone Wars teaches powerful lessons in each of its episodes. It helped redefine many of Star Wars’ most famous characters and changed the audience’s perception of the clones in general. While it often followed several characters, it mainly focused on developing Ahsoka Tano, who has now been given her own live-action series. All in all, the Star Wars animation franchise would not be what it is today without The Clone Wars.
