It may not feel like it, but Disney has owned the rights to Star Wars for over a decade. George Lucas signed away the rights to his property in October 2012, and Disney got to work straight away on bringing more of this iconic universe to fans. The journey started with a trilogy of films that acted as sequels to the original trilogy, and then the franchise expanded onto TV with the introduction of Disney+.
As with any franchise, there have been highs and lows in the Star Wars universe since Disney bought the rights to make their own projects. However, there are only a few that fans can say are the very best of this era.
8 Star Wars Visions
IMDB Rating: 7.0
- Released: September 2021
- Animated anthology aeries
The title of Star Wars:Visions is perfect for this type of TV show. The idea behind the series is to explore more stories in the Star Wars universe. Each director uses their own animation style for their project.
Each story brings in some new and familiar faces in an effort to expand the Star Wars universe. While none of these stories have a huge impact on the overall franchise, some fans like seeing the smaller corners of this galaxy. However, the anthology approach to the series means that some of the better episodes in the series are dragged down in season reviews by some of the weaker stories.
7 Obi-Wan Kenobi
IMDB Rating: 7.1
- Released May 2022
- Showrunner: Joby Harold
- Limited TV Series
Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the most recognizable names in Star Wars. He had a big role to play in both the original trilogy and the prequels. As such, fans were excited when it was announced that the character would be getting his own Disney+ series with Ewan McGregor returning to the role.
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One of the greatest rivalries in Star Wars is between Darth Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and now it can be understood from start to finish.
The show takes place in the years after Revenge of the Sith, and follows Obi-Wan as he is in hiding on Tatooine. After Princess Leia is kidnapped, the former Jedi is sent on a rescue mission that puts him on a collision course with Darth Vader. The show worked best when focusing on the character dynamic between Obi Wan and Vader, and fans finally got to see what happened to the characters between trilogies.
6 Ahsoka
IMDB Rating: 7.7
- Released: August 2023
- Showrunner: Dave Filoni
- Live-action TV series
The character of Ahsoka Tano has been a part of Star Wars lore since the prequel era, She first appeared in the Clone Wars animated series as Anakin Skywalker's apprentice, and has showed up in several other projects in the Disney era. The character wasn't destined to remain a cartoon forever, though. Rosario Dawson took on the role in the live action series, The Mandalorian.
Ahsoka finally got to be the lead in her own Disney+ series in 2023 to some great success. Under the stewardship of Dave Filoni, the show managed to tell some of the characters' story with Anakin Skywalker, while also keeping the show relevant to the current era.
5 The Bad Batch
IMDB Rating: 7.8
- Released: May 2021
- Animated series
The Bad Batch is a spin-off from The Clone Wars, and follows a group of clones who were introduced in the final season of that show. These clone troopers are an elite force who have all been subject to some kind of mutation. These mutations meant that the group were immune to the orders given during Order 66, and get to continue to operate as a mercenary group in space.
The show is more focused on the core group of characters, although fans do get to see some of the galaxy after the fall of the Jedi. The main villain of the series is the hugely popular Admiral Thrawn from the expanded media. The show has run for just two seasons at the time of writing.
4 Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
IMDB Rating: 7.8
- Released: December 2015
- Directed by: JJ Abrams
The Force Awakens was the first Star Wars movie released under Disney. There was an enormous amount of anticipation surrounding the film, with many of the old actors from the original trilogy set to return.
Star Wars: Jakku Should've Just Been Tatooine In The Force Awakens
Rey's homeworld in The Force Awakens was basically Tatooine under a new name. The Star Wars universe would be more consistent if it was just Tatooine.
The story follows a scavenger named Rey as she is pulled into the war between the Resistance and First Order, and discovers the power of the Force in the process. This film is a simple adventure in the Star Wars universe and plays it very safe. However, this approach worked out for Disney, as fans were excited to see what the company would do next with the series.
3 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
IMDB Rating: 7.8
- Released: December 2016
- Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Rogue One is the first spin-off film in Disney's Star Wars anthology series. The idea of placing one new movie between each episodic movie did not work out well for the studio; however, Rogue One got the series off to a great start. This movie explored the group of rebels who had to steal the Death Star plans, which kicked of the events of Star Wars: A New Hope.
The film may have been set in an obvious place for a Star Wars movie, but the movie worked out well on its own as a heist movie in space. The movie was also a lot darker than fans were expecting, showing that Disney had some bold ideas for the future of the franchise.
2 Rebels
IMDB Rating: 8.1
- Released: October 2014
- Showrunners: Dave Filoni and Justin RIdge
- Animated series
Star Wars: Rebels was an animated show that ran for four seasons. It was conceived as a way to bring the newer generation on board with the franchise before the big release of the first sequel movie. Set a few years before the events of A New Hope, the show follows a group of rebels aboard a ship called the Ghost. They undertake spy missions in an effort to take down the evil empire.
The Mandalorian Season 4 Should End The Series
The Mandalorian has had a good run, but it's nearing the end of its natural run.
The show was seen as a big hit for Disney, and its legacy is still felt today. The show included some older faces in the franchise, but the main focus remained on the core group of rebels. Many of the characters in Rebels have even made the jump to live action.
1 The Mandalorian
IMDB Rating: 8.7
- Released: November 2019
- Showrunner: John Favreu
Disney had a big task ahead when launching the first live action Star Wars TV show on Disney+. Many fans were worried that the franchise demanded too high a budget to work on TV. However, every doubtful voice was silenced after the first episode of The Mandalorian aired.
The show follows a secretive bounty hunter in a series that acts like a western exploring the underbelly of the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is great premise in general, as the title character's missions see him explore both old and new locations in the galaxy. What's more, the merchandise machine of Baby Yoda did a great job of pulling in viewers for three seasons.
