When Disney+ launched in 2019, it was understood that the biggest attractions were the Star Wars and Marvel original series. Nearly five years later, the rollout of shows from those franchises has slowed down to a virtual crawl. However, heading into this year’s Star Wars Day, there are actually two new shows on the horizon. But we can’t guarantee anything else Star Wars-related will arrive on Disney+ in 2024.
On May 4, Disney+ is premiering the animated anthology series, Star Wars: Tales of the Empire, which follows up on some story threads from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Ahsoka. Star Wars: The Acolyte will follow on June 4, but we don’t have too many details about that series yet. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew was originally slated to arrive in 2024 as well, but since there’s been no sign of that series to date, it may slip into 2025.
In the meantime, we’ve updated our list of the best Star Wars shows on Disney+ so you can have a quick guide to each of the major series. If things get really slow on Disney+, you may want to consider watching them all again.
Star Wars: Tales of the Empire (2024)
Welcome to the dark side. Disney+’s new animated anthology Star Wars: Tales of the Empire is the thematic sequel to 2022’s Tales of the Jedi. This time, the focus shifts to two women whose lives have descended into darkness: Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) and former Jedi Barriss Offee (Meredith Salenger).
Barriss came to believe that the Jedi were evil in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but she’s about to get a glimpse of real evil as she is recruited into the Jedi-hunting Inquisitors. Meanwhile, Morgan’s story unfolds at the end of the prequel trilogy era as she is forced to turn to the Empire in order to avenge herself and her fellow Nightsisters.
Ahsoka (2023)
68%
8.0/10Ahsoka is the spiritual sequel to Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, as well as a test drive for series creator and director Dave Filoni before he helms his own Star Wars movie within the next few years. Rosario Dawson reprises her role as former Jedi Ahsoka Tano from her guest appearance during The Mandalorian season 2. And it seems like Ahsoka has her hands full with the potential return of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), as well as a fallen Jedi, Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson), whose fighting skills far surpass her own.
Preventing Thrawn’s comeback isn’t the only thing on Ahsoka’s agenda, as her former apprentice, Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), joins her quest to rescue their long-missing friend, Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi). Theoretically, they will find Ezra when they catch up with Thrawn. But will a happy reunion be in the cards?
Star Wars: Visions (2021)
Lucasfilm delivered a new spin on Star Wars with this anime anthology series that includes nine short films produced by Japanese animation studios and inspired by the beloved sci-fi saga set in a galaxy far, far away. Set throughout the Star Wars timeline — and in some cases, outside of it — the films filter the franchise through a fresh lens that also offers some fascinating new stories voiced by an all-star cast of actors.
Among the highlights in Star Wars: Visions are the Akira Kurosawa-inspired tale The Duel, and the surprising, post-Rise of Skywalker story told in The Ninth Jedi, among other great episodes. A second volume just hit the streamer with all-new tales from such highly regarded animation studios as Aardman, PunkRobot, and Cartoon Saloon.
The Mandalorian (2019)
The blockbuster series that helped Disney+ take the lead in the “streaming wars,” Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian returns after a two-year hiatus (although the character made an appearance in The Book of Boba Fett). The journeys of the Mandalorian through the Star Wars galaxy continue in season 3, which promises more action, more Darksaber fights, and more Grogu!
Once a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin has reunited with Grogu after last season’s finale. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. Future episodes promise that the Mandalorian will cross paths with old allies and make new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together to strange new worlds like Mandalore.
Star Wars: Andor (2022)
74%
8.3/10The Book of Boba Fett (2021)
Despite mostly being a background character for much of the franchise’s existence, Boba Fett has always been one of the most beloved Star Wars characters. Temuera Morrison returned in The Mandalorian season 2 to play the iconic bounty hunter, and he was finally given his own solo series in the form of The Book of Boba Fett.
And while the critical reaction to his story was fairly mixed, The Book of Boba Fett brings to light some long-awaited moments, like how he escaped the Sarlacc from Return of the Jedi. If nothing else, the series serves as a decent companion piece to The Mandalorian and will tie into the show’s third season.
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2022)
Star Wars Rebels (2014)
Even though it didn’t quite measure up to the highs of The Clone Wars, Rebels still garnered a much-deserved, positive critical reception for continuing the franchise’s success in the realm of animation. Star Wars Rebels is the natural sequel to The Clone Wars, this time largely following a new main cast of characters.
It begins 14 years into the devastating aftermath of Emperor Palpatine’s Order 66, with Jedi now endangered and actively hunted down. And while the protagonists are mostly original, it rewards longtime fans with satisfying conclusions to story arcs started in the preceding series, with thrilling appearances by characters from the original trilogy. All four seasons of Star Wars Rebels are available to stream now.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
66%
8.3/10The Bad Batch (2021)
67%
8.0/10The Star Wars saga continues in this series set after the overlapping events of Episode III — Revenge of the Sith and the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but before the events of the franchise-spawning Episode IV — A New Hope.
The series follows the members of Clone Force 99, a unique group of clone troopers whose genetic mutations during the cloning process (which earned them the nickname “The Bad Batch”) gave them specialized abilities. First introduced in The Clone Wars, the characters were a hit among Star Wars fans, and The Bad Batch explores what happened to them after the war ended and Order 66 forced many of their fellow clones to kill the Jedi they served alongside.
