When people think of “Star Wars,” they picture the nine Skywalker saga films, maybe a live-action Disney+ series or two, but some of the best “Star Wars” storytelling has happened in animation (and Legends, just saying). Since 1985, the galaxy far, far away has produced 13 full-length animated series, and the format has introduced some of the franchise‘s most beloved characters, deepened the lore, and explored corners of the galaxy the movies never had time to visit.
Ahsoka Tano, one of the most popular characters in the entire franchise, was born in animation, becoming the first animated “Star Wars” character to get their own dedicated live-action series in 2023, while General Grievous was the first animated character to make the jump to live action in “Revenge of the Sith”. There’s plenty of exciting “Star Wars” projects in development, but animation remains the backbone of the franchise’s richest storytelling, utilizing characters from the big screen and vice versa with the likes of Tartakovsky’s “Clone Wars,” “Tales of the Jedi,” “Maul: Shadow Lord,” and more. Perhaps some more animated characters will cross over to live action, too.
5. Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars defined Star Wars action with almost no dialogue
Before the 2008 CGI series, there was “Star Wars: Clone Wars,” a two-season micro-series created and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, the visionary behind “Samurai Jack.” The series ran 25 episodes between 2003 and 2005, with episodes being only three minutes in length initially before expanding to 15 minutes in the final season. It bridged the gap between “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith” using Tartakovsky’s signature style: muted color palettes, sharp geometric designs, and long stretches of atmospheric silence punctuated by explosive, almost balletic action sequences.
The show is no longer part of the current canon, with Disney erasing the Legends continuity after the 2012 Lucasfilm acquisition, but its influence is undeniable. Asajj Ventress is just one of the characters the micro-series introduced, laying the groundwork for her expanded role in the 2008 series. Tartakovsky’s micro-series also featured impressively creative scenes with Jedi, including Mace Windu single-handedly dismantling an entire droid army without a lightsaber, a sequence that remains one of the most memorable displays of Jedi power in any medium.
For fans who want to see where modern Star Wars animation began, it’s essential viewing. For those following the canonical timeline, it’s a stunning detour off the beaten path, if only to see where the 2008 Clone Wars series picks up some key beats from.
4. Tales of the Jedi delivers six flawless episodes of character-driven tragedy
Released in October 2022, “Tales of the Jedi” is a six-episode anthology that splits its time between Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku. Three episodes follow Ahsoka from infancy through her early years before the Jedi Academy and her life on the run after Order 66, while three episodes chart Dooku’s gradual disillusionment with the Jedi Council and his turn toward the dark side.
The Dooku episodes are the highlight of the series, showing a principled Jedi Master horrified by the Senate’s corruption and the Council’s complacency. Within these three episodes, “Star Wars” finally shows what happened to Master Yaddle, the other Yoda-like species on the Jedi Council seen briefly in “The Phantom Menace”. Her fate is handled with the gravity it deserves. The animation is gorgeous, with the coloring and lighting in the Dooku episodes further developing the painted texture aesthetic of classic Star Wars concept art.
“Tales of the Jedi” ranks fourth because six episodes is a tasting menu, not a meal, and the Ahsoka and Dooku arcs never intersect. But what you do get is some of the most emotionally potent content to come out of “Star Wars.” The exploration of Dooku’s fall also connects to deeper Force mythology, the kind explored in how a Jedi’s kyber crystal and lightsaber are bonded to their connection to the Force.
3. Maul: Shadow Lord turns a villain into a protagonist without softening him
“Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord,” debuted on Disney+ in April 2026 and follows Maul as he rebuilds his criminal empire, the Shadow Collective, after the events of “The Clone Wars.” Sam Witwer returns as Maul alongside a cast that includes Gideon Adlon, Wagner Moura, Richard Ayoade, and Dennis Haysbert. Developed by Matt Michnovetz and Dave Filoni, the series draws from key beats in George Lucas’s original sequel trilogy treatments while staying firmly in the pre-“A New Hope” timeline. The animation builds on the visual language of “The Clone Wars” season 7 but adds a grittier, shadow-drenched aesthetic that suits the criminal underworld setting.
Two episodes were released each week, with the finale on May 4, making it a tightly paced event series rather than a slow-burn release. By centering a villain without softening him, Filoni and crew found a tone that’s darker and more morally complex than anything the franchise has attempted in animation before, and it fills a gap in the timeline that leads up to Maul’s live-action appearance at the end of “Solo: A Star Wars Story”. Just like “Star Wars” technology that’s being created in real life, this is the most authentic Star Wars has felt in years.
2. Star Wars: Rebels started small and grew into the most emotionally complete story in the franchise
“Star Wars: Rebels” had a rough start thanks to Disney greenlighting it to replace the “Clone Wars” animated series while the next series was in development, although fan demand later brought back a 12-episode final season to tie up loose ends. It also came across as a lighter, kid-friendly downgrade, but across four seasons and 75 episodes, the crew of the Ghost became one of the most beloved ensembles in “Star Wars.”
The show’s secret weapon was focus. By centering on one crew and one planet, Lothal, it built relationships that felt earned over its runtime. It also brought fan-favorite antagonist Grand Admiral Thrawn into the canon (after Legends was de-canonized) in season three, a villain who’s every bit as compelling as the heroes. “Rebels” proved animation could carry real dramatic weight, including the death of pivotal characters.
The show also expanded on the franchise’s lore, introducing the World Between Worlds, a mystical Force dimension connecting all points in time. “Rebels” also tied the show’s deepest mythology to the cosmic questions raised in “The Clone Wars,” when it highlighted the Mortis Gods painted on the Lothal Jedi Temple walls. This show had one of the most complete, emotionally satisfying arcs of any “Star Wars” series, with a beginning, middle, and well-earned ending.
1. The Clone Wars is the best Star Wars animated series
Created by George Lucas and Dave Filoni, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” ran for seven seasons and 133 episodes between 2008 and 2020, including the aforementioned hiatus, spanning the entire conflict between “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith.” It evolved Ahsoka Tano from a grating sidekick into one of the franchise’s most beloved characters. It gave Anakin the arc the prequel films never managed, showing the Jedi at their best before revealing why they fell.
The show’s highlight reel is staggering. The Mortis arc introduced the Ones, a family of Force-wielders on the ethereal realm of Mortis: the Son who embodies the dark side, the Daughter who embodies the light, and the Father who maintains the balance, with the Mother, Abeloth, potentially making the jump from legends to canon in “Ahsoka” season two.
In the season 6 finale, Yoda voyages into the heart of the galaxy to an ancient world that’s one of the wellsprings of the cosmic Force, where he undergoes difficult trials administered by the Five Priestesses, mysterious Force-wielders who hold the secret to immortality. This knowledge would later be passed down to Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, enabling them to retain their identities after death. For anyone who doubts that animation can match live-action Star Wars, “The Clone Wars” is the definitive rebuttal.
