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?

18 Ewoks

Easily the most forgettable Star Wars TV show to date

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 ed the galaxy it was supposed to be part of.

17 Star Wars: Droids

A strange Star Wars animation that hasn't aged well

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.

16 Star Wars: Resistance

The sole TV show set during the sequel trilogy era

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.

15 The Book of Boba Fett

Temuera Morrison deserved better

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.

14 Star Wars: Tales Of The Underworld

An appetizer rather than a main course

A series of six animated shorts, Tales of the Underworld tells the origin story of bounty hunter Cad Bane and the former Sith assassin Asajj Ventress. The story choices are strange ones, because Ventress' narrative feels more like the pilot for a spinoff TV show rather than a standalone. Bane's is surprisingly strong, playing on Western tropes in quite a fun way but still nevertheless failing to feel like an important addition to the Star Wars saga.

13 Star Wars: Tales of the Empire

A strange story that somehow doesn't quite feel complete

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.

12 Star Wars: The Acolyte

The first Star Wars Disney+ TV show to be canceled

There's a very real sense in which it's a shame to place The Acolyte so low in this ranking; it'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 proof of concept, and it will never be realized.

11 Obi-Wan Kenobi

The return of Hayden Christensen & Ewan McGregor

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.

10 Star Wars: Tales Of The Jedi

An anthology TV show exploring Ahsoka and Dooku

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.

9 Ahsoka

Dave Filoni's live-action debut

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 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 will be problems going forward with Ahsoka season 2, in light of the sad ing of Ray Stevenson, which will surely require a recast.