Star Wars TV shows Ranked

Since today is Star Wars Day (May the 4th), and because I haven't quite finished re-watching through the Star Wars films yet, I thought it would be fun to go through and rank all of the Star Wars TV shows. I enjoyed most all of these shows and all of them managed to add some depth and background to the stories in the movies. I also really liked the new characters that these shows introduced with many of them becoming as big as the characters from the movies. With all that said, here are my thoughts and ranking on the 9 Star Wars tv shows that are considered cannon.

Honorable Mentions

Before I start my main ranking, I wanted to share some honorable mentions. These are Star Wars shows that are not canon as they were made before Disney acquired Lucasfilm or are just not canon for other reasons but I still wanted to make people aware of them.

1. Star Wars: Vision

This is a newer show released on Disney+ that is basically Star Wars mixed with anime. It brings a lot of anime studios and asks them to create a little Star Wars short. None of them connect to each other nor are any of them cannon. This show just gives lesser-known studios a chance to create a Star Wars story in their style without being tied down to any preexisting universe rules. I enjoyed most of these episodes. Anime isn't really my thing but I still found a good level of enjoyment. The action in these shorts is really well done and very colorful. There are a lot of very cool lightsaber fights that showcase things that could never be done in anything other than anime. I also thought most of the stories were very interesting and managed to tell a compelling narrative in under 20 minutes. Overall, this is a very interesting show that is significantly different than anything else for Star Wars.

2. Star Wars: Droids

Star Wars: Droids is a tv show that came out in the mid 1980s. It follows C-3PO and R2-D2 years before they served in the Rebel Alliance. It ran for 14 episodes as an animated TV show. I have not seen this show but do plan on watching it to get the full Star Wars experience. From what I have heard, this features some smaller characters from the original films, (Boba Fett) as well as has a catchy theme song.

3. Star Wars: Ewoks

Star Wars: Ewoks is another animated TV show that came out in the mid 1980s. It follows the Ewoks from Return of the Jedi as they go on many adventures. This is in the same animation style as the Droids TV show and explores the world of the Ewoks on Endor, Again, I have not seen this show but it is one that I plan to watch in the future.

4. Star Wars: Clone Wars

The final honorable mention is Star Wars: Clone Wars. This is a different show than Star Wars: The Clone Wars that many fans know and love. This show aired in the early 2000s as a series of about 25 2-3 minute shorts, It follows Obi-Wan and Anakin in the events in between episodes 2 and 3. This show includes a lot of high-energy action sequences as well as a bunch of new characters. It even has some characters that are so popular that they were brought over to the recent Clone Wars show (Asaij Ventress). This show actually aired before Revenge of the Sith came out and features the first appearance of General Grievous and takes us through how Chancellor Palpatine was captured. This show has almost an anime/samurai feel to it and gives some characters, Mace Windu and Yoda, some very cool moments. Unfortunately, this show was erased from the canon with the release of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Star Wars TV Show Ranking

9. Star Wars Resistance

Star Wars Resistance is definitely the worst cannon show that has been put out. There are a few positives to this show. We get to see an introduction to how the first order came into power and how it operated before The Force Awakens. The show also does a decent job of connecting to the events of the newest trilogy and showing the effects from an outside perspective. We also get to see some insight into how the First Order operates as one of the characters actually joins the First Order. However, that is really concerning the good things about this show. The stories themselves are not great. It tries to be more of a racing series inside the Star Wars universe which just doesn't really work. The 1st season as a whole is just not good as this all takes place before the events of the films. The 2nd season improves things a little bit but basically brings this show from a D to a C. The show doesn't have any amazing stories to tell and there are not any fan favorites or memorable characters. Overall, this is a very forgettable show that doesn't do anything really bad but just supplies a bunch of mediocre characters and stories.

Score: 5/10 Grade: C

8. The Book of Boba Fett

The Book of Boba Fett is one of the weakest of the Star Wars shows . The general plot of Boba Fett becoming a crime lord on Tatooine was interesting enough. I also really enjoyed getting to spend more time with Boba Fett and seeing how cool of a character he actually is. I also really enjoyed how we got to see the return of The Mandalorian. The two episodes that featured him were the two best episodes in the show. The reason this show is so low is that it seemed so uninterested in the story it is trying to tell. For the first 4 episodes, we spend the majority of the time with Boba Fett in the bacca tank having a flashback to his time with the Tusken Raiders. When we get past that, it shifts to two episodes where The Mandalorian is the main character and Boba Fett is literally there for 5 minutes. It isn't until the final episode that we finally get to spend time on the storyline of the show. The fact that they don't even focus on the main story is just poor writing and really hurt this show.

Score: 5.5/10 Grade: C

7. Obi Wan Kenobi

Obi Wan Kenobi is a significant step up from the previous two shows on this list. It is another show from Disney+ about a fan favorite character. It was really fun to see Ewan McGregor back as Obi-Wan. He was one of the best parts of the prequel trilogy and does a great job as Obi-Wan. It was also really cool to see Darth Vader on screen again and to see a bit of a faceoff between the two characters. I also thought the action in this show was really cool. There were a couple of really fun lightsaber battles as well as the final battle on Tatooine. Finally, I thought the addition of the inquisitors was really cool. It was really fun to see them transition from animation to live-action. The main reason the show is lower on the list is the story itself. The story wasn't bad. It just wasn't the type of story I wanted or expected. I was hoping for more action with Obi-Wan through different planets instead of just a singular story about him rescuing Leia. In the end, it wasn't a bad show, it just didn't deliver the story that I wanted.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

6. Tales of the Jedi

Tales of the Jedi is another set of shorts found on Disney+. This show is a series of 6 shorts featuring Count Dooku and Asoka. I really enjoyed how the show added more depth to these characters. With Count Dooku specifically, it really allowed us to see his time as a Jedi, show his struggles with the Jedi order, and showed his overall turn to the Dark Side. This show really gave a lot to his character and actually made his character better in the films. The Asoka episodes were also interesting to see as they showed where she came from and her growth after order 66. Overall, this is a solid series of shorts that adds depth to some favorite characters.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

5. Star Wars: The Bad Batch

The Bad Batch is yet another show that is set after the events of Revenge of the Sith however this one centers on a squad of genetically modified clones. One of the best things about the show is the Bad Batch members themselves. They each have their own unique personality traits and skills and are very compelling centers for the show. I also really enjoy the family dynamic of the show as they view each other as brothers as well as grow to care for Omega and see her as an equal. Most of the stories are very interesting and exciting throughout the show. I really like how the show focuses on the transition away from a clone army and shows what happens to the clone troopers after the empire took over. It makes for a really interesting story and becomes a bit of a focal point for the second season. I also like how the show connects to other TV shows and movies in the Star Wars universe. It has a big focus on the furthering of cloning technology which plays a large role in both The Mandalorian and The Rise of Skywalker. The only real issue I have with the show is that a few of the episodes seem a bit connected from everything else and feel more like a mission of the week kind of story than a story that actually adds something to the overall show. In the end, this is another solid show and one I can't wait to see how they end it with their upcoming season.

Score: 8.2/10 Grade: B+

4. Andor

Andor was different from most other Star Wars shows as it is mostly devoid of Aliens and normal Star Wars action. Instead, it is a very grounded show about everyday people trying to live their lives in the time of the empire. It has the feel of a political thriller more so than a Sci-Fi fantasy epic. I really liked the format of the show in that it had 3 different story arcs throughout the season. My favorite part was the whole prison arc. The characters introduced there as well as the whole prison break sequence was just really well done. One thing that is important to note about this show is that it is not a fast-moving show and is quite a slow burn. This didn't really bother me but may bore some people. The only hang-up I have was that I wasn't a big fan of the Mon Mothma subplot. It felt like it slowed down the episodes and just felt a bit disconnected. Overall, this is a very good Star Wars show and I can't wait for the second season.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

3. Star Wars: Rebels

Like Andor, Star Wars: Rebels sheds some light on the times of the empire right before the events of the original film. This show has so many memorable characters in Ezra, Kanan, Satine, Hera along with many others. It also delivers standout villain performances with Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Inquisitors. All of these characters are so popular that they have made the job to live action in multiple Disney+ shows. The stories in this show are also very compelling. We get to see the rebel alliance fighting against the empire before the events of the first film. We also get to see a bit of what life what like during the reign of the empire. I also really enjoy the connection to The Clone Wars in this show. There are several characters and storylines from the Clone Wars that carry over to this show. The only thing keeping this show back is that I thought the first season was a bit too kiddish in that it didn't have a lot of strong stories and just relied a lot on low-level humor. Once the second season kicks in, this show really gets to shine. Overall, this is a great addition to the Star Wars universe with compelling stories and memorable characters.

Score: 8.8/10 Grade: A-

2. The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian is the best of the Disney+ live-action shows. What is great about this show is that it gives a new original character with an independent story. This show gives off a bit of a Western and Samurai vibe to it which is a bit different than previous Star Wars content. I also really liked how the show connects and brings in characters from other TV shows. We get to see many favorites from Clone Wars and Rebels such as Ahsoka and Bo Katan as well as give Boba Fett some time to shine. Of course, Grogu (Baby Yoda) is so much fun to watch. He has so many cute moments and provides a great dynamic with Din. I also really like the journey Din goes on with Grogu from just seeing him as a job to actually growing to care for him. I also really enjoyed the action and set pieces. The show was able to make the aliens and sets look more realistic and not so much like CGI. The action was also really exciting to watch with all of the things the Mandaloarians can do. The only things keeping this from number one are that the story connecting the episodes was a bit clunky at times. Also, season 3 was a bit of a drop in quality and hurt my score on this movie a bit. In the end, this is a great Star Wars show and something I would love to see more of.

Score: 9/10 Grade: A

1. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is definitively the best Star Wars show out there. The first season is a bit weak but once it gets going, the show is just amazing. The show establishes so many fan-favorite characters such as Ahsoka, Captain Rex, Asajj Ventress, and Bo Katan as well as builds on a ton of existing characters such as Anakin, Obi-Wan, Count Dooku, General Grevious, and Darth Maul. This show adds so much depth and backstory that it actually makes Revenge of the Sith a better movie. Because of The Clone Wars, you get to the gradual story of how Anakin turns to the Dark Side instead of it being so suddenly in the film. The show also makes Order 66 a much more emotional moment as you actually get to know the Jedi and feel sad when they die. Also, this show delivers some of the best Star Wars moments from any media, movie, or TV. To see these amazing moments, watch Clone Wars Season 5 Episode 16, The Lawless (but really all of Season 5), and Season 7 Episodes 9-12. Overall, this is an amazing show that not only is great on its own but also makes other movies and shows great. This is not only my favorite Star Wars TV show, but also one of my all-time favorite TV shows.

Score: 9.5/10 Grade: A