Star Wars animation has been around for a long time, but it didnāt become popular until The Clone Wars. However, Star Wars animation has some of the best moments in the franchise. As such, here is our list of every Star Wars animated series, ranked.
Ranking Every Animated Star Wars Series
13. Star Wars: Ewoks
Star Wars: Ewoks released alongside Star Wars: Droids in 1985 and expanded the Star Wars franchise outside of the films. Although there are notable appearances of characters from the films (apart from Wicket W. Warrick) and it doesnāt offer much to the franchise, it is a light-hearted series that’s worth touching on.
The series focuses on the adventures of Wicket and his friends and is set before A New Hope. One thing that stands out is that the Ewoks speak English (or galactic basic in Star Wars terms). Then again, it would be difficult to have series following the Ewoks if they all spoke the way they did in Return of the Jedi.
12. Star Wars: Droids
Star Wars: Droids didnāt receive that greatest reception in the ’80s and is a far cry from todayās animation. It doesnāt exactly offer much to Star Wars as a whole. Despite that, it does have its charm. The series takes place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope and follows the adventures of C-3PO (whoās voiced by Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2.
Having Anthony Daniels voice C-3PO is where the fun comes in, as there’s no one more capable of bringing C-3PO to life than him. Although it doesnāt tie into any of the films and isnāt considered canon anymore, it does have some notable cameos from Boba Fett and IG-11.
11. Star Wars: Resistance
Star Wars: Resistance is possibly one of the most slept-on Star Wars series but only made it to two seasons before it ended. It’s set during the sequel trilogy and follows Kazuda Xiono (also known as Kaz) as he helps the resistance spy on the First Order.
The series is one of the only Star Wars TV shows set after The Force Awakens, as the others all take place before the film. With that comes cameos from sequel era characters such as Kylo Ren and Poe Dameron. Unlike the other mainline animated shows, Resistance doesnāt have many references in other Star Wars media.
10. Star Wars: Tales of the Empire
Tales of the Empire is an interesting series. It follows the story of Morgan Elsbeth and Barriss Offee. While it doesnāt stand out as much as its counterpart Tales of the Jedi, it does have its moments, such as revealing how Morgan Elsbeth joined Admiral Thrawn. Itās also the first animated series that features the New Republic.
We even get to find out what happened to Barriss Offee after Order 66, and we also get to see some familiar faces and hear familiar voices. However, despite its revelations, familiar faces, and exciting fight scenes, it is a bit more bland compared to other recent Star Wars animated series.
9. Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures
Young Jedi Adventures is definitely a series for young children, both in its animation style and story. Since itās aimed at young children, it isnāt serious like most other Star Wars projects. However, it can still be enjoyed by all ages. The series follows three Jedi younglings learning the force and the way of the Jedi while they go on adventures with their pilot friend.
Related: When Does the High Republic Take Place in the Star Wars Timeline?
The series is the first and only Star Wars animated series set in the High Republic, with The Acolyte being the second Star Wars series and first live-action series set in the High Republic. So, if youāre a fan of the High Republic and youāre looking for something light-hearted, then it might be worth giving Young Jedi Adventures a watch. Plus, Yoda appears from time to time throughout the series.
8. Star Wars: Galaxy of Adventures
This series is only available on the Star Wars Kids YouTube channel and is a mini-series full of short episodes that recap the stories of specific characters and events. It has an fun and colourful art style with fast paced, action packed episodes. Itās most certainly a fun little mini-series.
While Star Wars: Galaxy of Adventures doesnāt introduce anything new to the franchise, there is a small notable cameo: Captain Rex. During the episode that recaps the Battle of Endor, we can briefly see the popular Clone. It’s a nice subtle nod to Rebels, where it was revealed that he Rex fought in the Battle of Endor.
7. Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003)
Before the well-known Clone Wars series was released, there was the 2003 micro series known as Star Wars: Clone Wars. There were three seasons in total, and each episode lasted roughly four minutes before jumping to ten minutes in Season 3. However, on Disney +, the series has been compiled into two one-hour episodes.
Although the original Clone Wars series is no longer considered canon, it was the first piece of Star Wars media that introduced characters such as Asajj Ventress and General Grievous. But it’s unfortunate that this series isnāt considered canon anymore as it depicted Anakin Skywalker’s transition from Padawan to Jedi Knight.
6. Star Wars: Forces of Destiny
Forces of Destiny is a series of short three-minute episodes. It focuses on the heroines of Star Wars such as Ahsoka Tano ā with the occasional episode that focuses on heroes like Luke Skywalker. Itās an entertaining series, as there are lots of crossovers between different areas of Star Wars. For example, there’s an episode where Sabine Wren from Rebels meets Jyn Erso from Rogue One and another where Han Solo asks Hera Syndulla for help after the Battle of Endor. All the episodes are considered canon as well, so itās fun to see extra moments of these characters lives.
To top it all off, most of the original actors came to voice the characters in Forces of Destiny, including Daisy Ridley voicing Rey, Mark Hamill voicing Luke, and so on. Forces of Destiny is a fun and entertaining miniseries, and there are two seasons to watch.
5. Star Wars: Visions
Star Wars: Visions is one of the most unique Star Wars animated series out there. Each episode has its own unique story, and although it isnāt considered canon, itās still fun to watch. For Visions, Disney and Lucasfilm collaborated with lots of different animation studios from around the world.
What sets Visions apart is the art style. Each studio got full creative control, from creating their own characters to putting in their unique art style, such as Aardmanās stop motion and clay animation. Despite the series focusing on never-before-seen characters, there were a few cameos, such as Boba Fett, Jabba the Hutt, and Wedge Antilles.
4. Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi
Tales of the Jedi was a surprise, but it was a welcome one. It was great to discover more about Ahsokaās childhood and Jedi training, as well as to see how Dooku fell to the dark side. It was also amazing to visit characters from Season 1 of The Clone Wars with Season 7ās animation style.
The series is full of cameos of beloved characters from other animated shows, such as a young Kanan Jarrus (Caleb Dume), Captain Rex, Anakin Skywalker, and much more. We even get to see Yaddle again, who hadnāt been seen on screen since The Phantom Menace. We also discovered why she didnāt appear in the rest of the prequel trilogy.
3. Star Wars: The Bad Batch
The Bad Batch is my personal favourite Star Wars animated show. It means a lot to me and has helped me through many things in my life. The series essentially acts as a sequel to Star Wars: The Clone Wars and follows a group of clones known as Clone Force 99 ā also referred to as the Bad Batch. The series focuses on the Bad Batch trying to navigate an early Empire galaxy while on the run. It also focuses on the bond between each Clone and Omega ā a young female clone they rescued from Kamino. As the show progresses, so does the bond between the Clones, and they soon become a family rather than a squad.
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The Bad Batch is full of fun and exciting episodes and its core cast of characters are some of the best in Star Wars animation. However, as the seasons progress, the themes become more tense and dark, especially in the culmination of Season 2 and the majority of Season 3. Star Wars: The Bad Batch also has one of the most heartbreaking deaths in Star Wars animation. So, this series certainly pulls at the heartstrings.
2. Star Wars: Rebels
Star Wars: Rebels is the perfect series for those who enjoy the original trilogy. It’s also a fantastic series that introduces amazing and memorable characters to the Star Wars universe. Some of these characters’ development is phenomenal, such as Ezra Bridger, who starts out as a teenager stealing from the Empire and becomes a hero on par with Luke Skywalker. All these characters have since appeared in live-action shows, such as The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. So, if you havenāt seen Rebels, itās certainly a must-watch, especially since Ahsoka is pretty much a continuation of Rebelās story.
Rebels follows the story of a group of rebels called the Ghost Crew as they fight against the Galactic Empire and help establish the Rebel Alliance. Rebels most certainly starts of light-hearted, but as the seasons progress, it becomes darker. There are many reasons to love Rebels, from all the connections to the original trilogy to the return of some of The Clone Warsā greatest characters like Captain Rex and Ahsoka Tano.
1. Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Undoubtedly, the top spot for the best Star Wars animation goes to Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The Clone Wars is a beloved series, and it even introduced some of Star Warsā most memorable characters. Without The Clone Wars, we wouldn’t have Ahsoka Tano, Captain Rex, and we wouldnāt have shows like The Bad Batch and Ahsoka. The Clone Wars certainly laid the foundation for many Star Wars projects across different from of media. Plus, it was the last Star Wars project that George Lucas worked on.
The Clone Wars is full of exciting and fun episodes, as well as dark and heart-breaking episodes. Although the original run of The Clone Wars wasnāt released in chronological order, itās still one of the best Star Wars series out there. This series is definitely a must-watch and is integral to the Star Wars universe. It gives more insight into the events of the Clone Wars and into Anakinās journey to the dark side. Without The Clone Wars, we likely wouldnāt have the Star Wars we have today.
And that’s every Star Wars animated series, ranked.
All the Star Wars series are streaming on Disney+.
Published: Sep 30, 2024 07:39 am