The most successful shows have also spanned various periods in the Star Wars timeline, from the prequel trilogy era to the Dark Times to the New Republic. With that in mind, here is every animated and live-action Star Wars TV show, ranked from worst to best.
16) The Book of Boba Fett
The Book of Boba Fett, released in 2021, was sadly Star Wars’ worst TV show to date. The show was set after the events of Return of the Jedi, which meant miraculously resurrecting Boba Fett following his seeming death in that movie, but that wasn’t even the problem. The show’s pacing was slow, and it failed to keep audiences interested. This is truly a shame because Boba Fett is one of the best Star Wars characters, and Temuera Morrison is a brilliant actor. The show just didn’t come together.
15) Star Wars Resistance
Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
Star Wars Resistance is set in the sequel trilogy era, which put it in a tough spot to begin with because the sequel trilogy isn’t highly regarded by many in the fanbase (although there are, of course, those who love it as well). The fact that the show is animated also likely hurt its views, not because animation is bad, but simply because there are preconceived notions about animated shows. Ultimately, Resistance just failed to really capture audience attention and interest, so it’s one of Star Wars’ lesser-known shows.
14) The Acolyte
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The Acolyte received plenty of hate that it didn’t deserve, such as the hate directed at the show’s actors, but with that controversy and backlash aside, the show still had a host of issues. For one, it was very clear that The Acolyte ending was banking on a second season, and because the show was instead cancelled, the season 1 ending now feels rather unsatisfying. However, the show was also simply trying to do too much, and it failed to deliver on its promise of being a Sith story.
13) Young Jedi Adventures
Although Young Jedi Adventures isn’t necessarily a TV show masterpiece, that’s largely because it’s heavily geared toward much younger audiences. Yet, the show is actually a very charming one, and it explores a period of the High Republic Era that hasn’t otherwise been shown on screen. While it doesn’t really have an appeal to broader audiences, Young Jedi Adventures is nevertheless a solid Star Wars show.
12) Star Wars Visions
Star WarsVisions is something truly innovative in the Star Wars franchise, as it is not only a non-canon TV show but also an anime anthology show that explores fascinating Jedi and Sith stories. Its differences may have hurt it when it comes to viewership, particularly the fact that it’s not canon, although that is actually part of what makes Visions so interesting. Because it’s not canon, it’s been able to take interesting risks that canon shows never could.
11) Tales of the Underworld
Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
Star Wars has now put out three Tales of shows, although the least compelling one was arguably Tales of the Underworld, which centered on Cad Bane and Asajj Ventress. Although both characters are compelling in their own rightโparticularly Ventressโand there were plenty of things to enjoy about the show, it just didn’t have the same impact as its two predecessors, Tales of the Empire and Tales of the Jedi.
10) Tales of the Empire
As mentioned, Tales of the Empire is yet another Tales of show, although this one has a leg up on Tales of the Underworld. Tales of the Empire likewise centers on two characters, in this case including Barriss Offee and Morgan Elsbeth. Both characters are fascinating, and Tales of the Empire managed to explore both characters’ complexities, including Morgan’s as a survivor of the massacre of the Nightsisters of Dathomir and Barriss’ fall to the dark side, role with the Imperial Inquisitors, and ultimately her return to the light.
9) Skeleton Crew
Skeleton Crew ended up being a very charming Star Wars show, despite it falling outside of what audiences might expect. Rather than a Jedi versus Sith story or anything to do with the Skywalkers, Skeleton Crew focuses on a group of children who get lost in the galaxy and end up encountering a mysterious pirate, Jod Na Nawood, who possesses the Force. The show has an 80s flair not unlike Stranger Things, and it really is worth a watch.
8) Tales of the Jedi
Tales of the Jedi is the best of Star Wars’ Tales of Shows, as it fills in some major timeline gaps in the franchise. This show likewise centers on two characters, although these are notably much bigger characters. The first is Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, and the second is Sith Lord Count Dooku. Ahsoka’s story shows more about her past and her training under Anakin, while Dooku’s story reveals his turn to the dark side and complicated feelings about Qui-Gon Jinn, his former apprentice.
7) Ahsoka
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While Ahsoka has gotten a lot of heat for various reasons, including arguments that the titular lead isn’t the true focus of the show, it has brought viewers some incredible Star Wars moments. For one, it brought multiple Star Wars Rebels characters to live-action, including beloved Jedi Ezra Bridger, who went missing at the end of Rebels. It also brought Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker back to the screen and offered closure between former master and apprentice in the World Between Worlds.
6) Obi-Wan Kenobi
Like Ahsoka, Obi-Wan Kenobi received significant criticism. In fact, it also was criticized by some who felt the titular lead wasn’t a big enough focus. Even so, this show is much better than it frequently gets credit for. It likewise brought Christensen’s Anakin back to the screen and offered closure between Obi-Wan and Anakin/Darth Vader, and it showed a peek into little Luke and little Leia, 10 years after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Audiences also got to see a more complicated Obi-Wan Kenobi, which was important for his character.
5) Star Wars Rebels
Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
Rebels was a bit of a risk for Star Wars because it comprised almost entirely new characters, with cameos from fan-favorites like Ahsoka, Captain Rex, Darth Maul, and Lando Calrissian, among others. It also was among the first significant animated shows in the franchise. Despite the gamble, however, this show proved to be absolutely brilliant. For one, Kanan Jarrus was confirmed to be one of Star Wars’ best Jedi, but this show also offered a look into the Dark Times that audiences really hadn’t seen yet.
4) The Bad Batch
Star Wars: The Bad Batch was an unexpected addition to the Star Wars franchise, but it proved to be an excellent show. Focused on the titular Bad Batch of clones from the Clone Wars era, The Bad Batch managed to humanize the clones to an entirely new degree, and it even introduced Omega, an unaltered female clone, who became like a little sister (and, especially for Hunter, really a daughter) to the Bad Batch team. The show had serious heart, and it even had a largely happy ending, which is unusual in Star Wars.
3) The Mandalorian
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It shouldn’t come as a surprise that The Mandalorian ranks so highly among Star Wars TV shows. After all, Star Wars’ first movie in nearly seven years, The Mandalorian and Grogu, is a continuation of the show, which just shows how big an impact it has had. The show introduced Din Djarin and Grogu, two characters who are now incredibly beloved, and it managed to focus on something other than (primarily) the Jedi and the Sith in a way that worked. Yes, season 3 saw a dip in quality, but it is nevertheless still one of Star Wars’ best shows.
2) The Clone Wars
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Impressively, given that it’s one of Star Wars’ earliest TV shows, Star Wars: The Clone Wars is absolutely one of the best shows in the franchise. In fact, it is beaten by only one other. The show is set primarily between Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, although there is some overlap with the latter in the final season. This show provided so much essential context for this era, particularly regarding Anakin, and while season 1 has a slow start, it really is a Star Wars must-watch.
1) Andor
Image Courtesy of Lucasfilm
There’s little debate that Andor is Star Wars’ greatest TV show of all time. Centered on Cassian Andor, who debuted in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Andor offers a look at the boots-on-the-ground experience of Rebels battling the Empire who didn’t have a royal lineage or the Force. In that sense, it provides a perspective that is too often missing in Star Wars movies and shows, and it does so in a way that shows the evils of the Empire in much greater detail. Beautifully written, shot, and acted, Andor really is Star Wars at its best.
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