The Star Wars saga has always been defined by its massive theatrical blockbusters, dating back to the release of Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977. But over the last two decades, television has become an unexpected canvas for expanding the galaxy far, far away. Particularly, Disney+ series offer a format where complex characters can truly evolve over the course of multiple seasons, politics (both on the Empire and Rebellion’s side) can be explored in greater and sometimes gruesome detail, and the mystical elements of the Force can be given the time to fully flesh out the lore, giving the most important pillar of the saga the depth it deserve. These series have evolved beyond simple space adventure or pure fan service, and instead give fans complex storytelling that forces them to think about the gray areas of morality, the cost of war, and the heavy burden of destiny.
These series are mature and creative, giving the showrunners and writers the freedom they would not have with a two-hour runtime of a theatrical release, ultimately delivering series that hit fans on a deep level and leave a lasting impact on the saga’s lore.
10) Exploration of the Brutal Fallout of Order 66
The serial format of television (or streaming) storytelling allowed viewers to witness the immediate, brutal aftermath of Order 66 from numerous perspectives, moving beyond the brief montage in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series sowed the seeds of betrayal over the course of multiple seasons, culminating in the final season where the chaos and fallout of Order 66 is shown in its full glory, particularly through Ahsoka Tano’s point of view and desperate attempts to survive. Star Wars: The Bad Batch focused on the confused, terrifying transition from Republic to Empire and the fate of rogue clones who no longer had a purpose, as they were created for the Clone Wars.
Rebels then picked up years later—beginning 5 years before A New Hope—illustrating the final, broken state of Jedi survivors and the rise of the early rebellion among people who remembered the Republic. Kanan Jarrus, one of the main protagonists of the series, was a young Padawan during Order 66 and witnessed his trusted brigade of clones turn against him and his master, ultimately leading to his master’s sacrifice to allow Kanan (then Caleb Dume) to escape and survive. Kanan’s survivor’s guilt, reluctance to step back into the role of a Jedi, and slow reconnection with the Force explore the true toll the slaughter had on everyone, particularly the young and terrified Padawans. This slow, deliberate storytelling of different experiences across multiple shows provided a more impactful, emotional, and comprehensive look at the galaxy’s darkest day.
9) Returning to Practical Effects vs. CGI
The first massive success for Disney+ Star Wars streaming was Star Wars: The Mandalorian. Led by Pedro Pascal as the titular hero, viewers were instantly transported back to the lived-in feel of the original trilogy, before digital effects took away an element of the theatrical magic. By using practical props, sets, and especially the sophisticated Grogu puppet, the series achieved a level of realism and connection that pure CGI sometimes struggles to match.
The Mandalorian’s commitment to a practical authenticity gave the world grounding weight and realness. The tangible textures of the costumes and environments, combined with the groundbreaking StageCraft LED volumes for realistic virtual backgrounds, resulted in a visual style that paid homage to the franchise’s roots while pushing technology forward.
8) The Expanded Character Building in Tales of the Jedi
This short-form anthology was a masterclass in elegant, efficient storytelling, using six focused episodes to fill in crucial character backstories and moments of conflict. While other unrelated series in the same anthology have since been released—Tales of the Empire and Tales of the Underworld—the originating series stood out. By focusing on three stories of Ahsoka Tano and three others of Count Dooku, the series gave deeper context for vital character development, such as Count Dooku’s fall to the dark side and Ahsoka Tano’s earliest memories as a baby and survival post-Order 66 thanks to her lessons with her master, Anakin.
By focusing on specific, personal, pivotal events rather than a broad arc where viewers have to follow multiple storylines with a cast of characters at once, Tales of the Jedi allowed for concentrated character expansion. The show allowed viewers to empathize with Dooku’s disillusionment with the Jedi Order and understand why he took the steps he did to distance himself, as well as showcased Ahsoka’s inner strength, which is a cornerstone of who she is at her core. Tales of the Jedi enriched the overall personal stakes of the prequel era in just minutes.
7) Introducing the Inquisitors in Star Wars Rebels
The Inquisitors were a terrifying, effective new class of antagonist that bridged the gap between the Clone Wars and the Emperor’s eventual use of Darth Vader. They were the main antagonists for the Star Wars Rebels team, particularly Kanan Jarrus and his apprentice Ezra Bridger. With the Inquisitors’ singular goal of killing any remaining Jedi or Force-sensitives, their creation/introduction upped the stakes for the Ghost crew, and by extension all remaining Jedi in the galaxy, without needing to use Vader constantly.
Their introduction expanded upon the Empire’s internal structure, showing a ruthless dark-side hunting organization and the dark underbelly of a government posing as a savior to the “corrupt” Republic. The Inquisitors’ lightsaber designs and specialized hunting techniques were brand new and aesthetically captivating, allowing the action sequences to rise to new heights while exploring a dark, previously unseen element of Imperial power. After Rebels canonically introduced the Inquisitor, Charles Soule provided important context for the origin of the organization in his seminal Darth Vader comic run, making the Inquisitors even more complex than before.
6) The First Confrontation Between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan After Mustafar in Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi delivered a rematch between the two former “brothers” that was far more emotionally devastating and heartbreaking than the climax of Revenge of the Sith, which was an impressive feat considering the tragedy of Episode III. Through Obi-Wan’s eyes, viewers saw the full weight of his guilt over not fighting harder to save Anakin’s soul and bring him back to the light, contrasting with Vader’s simmering, broken rage over their ten years apart.
This second duel was completely different from the first, as Obi-Wan’s heart was not in it; all he could think about was how sorry he was that he failed someone he loved the most in the world. The moment Vader’s mask cracked (which was a live-action adaptation and homage to the 2016 long-awaited climactic battle between former master and apprentice, Ahsoka and Vader, on Malachor in the two-part climicatic Season 2 finale of Rebels), allowed teh real Anakin’s voice and eyes to surface and gave Obi-Wan a glimpse of a raw, painful visual representation of their broken bond that could never be mended.
5) The Essential Lore Established in Star Wars Rebels
Rebels took bold steps in expanding the metaphysical and political boundaries of the Star Wars galaxy in a way that makes the series arguably one of the most important pieces of Star Wars content. It introduced the World Between Worlds, a transcendent realm that demonstrated the non-linear, temporal nature of the Force itself, completely changing how the Force was understood up until that point.
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The introduction of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a brilliant, non-Force-sensitive strategist famously created by author Timothy Zahn in his Legends novels, brought a level of intellectual and military sophistication to the Imperial threat never seen in the Star Wars universe. Thrawn was not a Jedi or Sith. He wielded no special powers or relied on tricks. Instead, he was pure brilliance incarnate, making him one of the most formidable foes Star Wars has ever seen. This commitment to both deep mythology and high-stakes strategy elevated the entire franchise’s lore, and the ripples from Rebels are now finding their way into live action.
4) The Intricacies of the Force in Star Wars: Ahsoka
The reunion between Anakin and Ahsoka in the World Between Worlds in Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 1, Episode 5, “Shadow Warrior,” was not just an emotional moment for Ahsoka but a philosophical turning point for her development as an adult and somewhat wayward Jedi. It was a concentrated journey through her past trauma as a child during the Clone Wars, with a Force manifestation of Anakin guiding her, all while allowing her to process her guilt and the burden of her former master’s fall.
The World Between Worlds was introduced in Star Wars Rebels, but Ahsoka was the first time the concept was introduced in live-action to a broader audience. It is a spiritual realm of the Force that not many can access, but that forced Ahsoka to confront the truth: that Anakin Skywalker died a long time ago, and she was not responsible for the rise of Darth Vader. This realization gave her the peace and clarity to fully accept her path as a Jedi master in the way Anakin would have wanted for his apprentice.
3) The Mandalorian’s Western Theme
The Mandalorian masterfully embraced the tropes of the Western genre, creating a space for self-contained adventures that felt more like the viewer was transported to the Wild West and not a fictional space world. By focusing on Pedro Pascal’s masked bounty hunter Din Djarin and his unexpected ward, the unequivocally loveable Grogu, the show captured the spirit of a lone gunman riding into the unknown frontier.
This aesthetic choice anchored the show in simplicity, focusing on survival, loyalty, and a strong personal code, like any good cowboy story. The episodic structure allowed for fantastic world-building and introduced memorable, rugged characters reminiscent of classic Western film archetypes, including the dastardly Moff Gideon, moving away from high-stakes space opera.
2) The Clone Wars Expanded Character Development
Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series opened the door for characters like Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to shine, giving them time to grow far beyond their portrayals in the prequel films. Anakin, in particular, was given his time to shine and display his true personality, showing his heroism, his humor, his laudable competence as a general, and his deep affection for his apprentice. Anakin was no longer a one-dimensional tragic hero whose questionable actions in the films were only examples of his ultimate fate.
This beautifully written exploration into all the facets of Anakin’s personality, moral code, and personality in general made his eventual fall to the Dark Side infinitely more tragic and understandable. Anakin was a man who loved his master, apprentice, and wife deeply; who always did what he believed was the right thing, even if the outdated, rigid Jedi Code said otherwise. The show also meticulously built the bonds between the Jedi and the clone troopers, adding significant emotional weight to what the troopers were forced to do during Order 66 and their realization that they were all created as pawns in a larger game that they truly had no stake in.
1) Andor’s Mature Tone
Andor was a standout work with themes and grit that Disney or Lucasfilm never dared to dip their toes into. But the payoff was an extraordinary piece of storytelling that stands at the pinnacle of Star Wars content. Andor played the titular character, Cassian Andor, in a fraught, grounded, and intensely political thriller completely unlike any other Star Wars project. It left behind the typical fantasy tropes for a dark, espionage-focused story that dealt with the heavy sacrifices and moral compromises required to ignite a genuine rebellion.
Luthen Rael, the mastermind in the shadows behind the burgeoning Rebellion, made merciless choices that sent devoted agents to their deaths or required the sacrifice of innocents. But in showing that this was the only way to fight the oppressive bureaucracy of the Empire, the show delivered a level of realism and character depth that not only connected with a modern audience but created some of the most impressive pieces of Star Wars content to date. It was a mature deconstruction of heroism, which is a must-watch for any Star Wars fan.
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