Disney Era Star Wars ranked worst to best, including both movies and television shows — all of which can be streamed now on Disney+.
Disney Era Star Wars Ranked Worst to Best
With the release of Andor now upon us, let’s get ranking the best and worst of what Disney era Star Wars has had to offer.
Let it never be forgotten just how deep in the mud Star Wars was after Revenge of the Sith. As the dust settled on George Lucas’ now infamous prequels, the entire franchise had dug itself such a deep hole, it was hard to see a way out.
A decade and a $4 billion Disney deal later and while there has certainly been some turbulence along the way, it’s undeniable that Star Wars now sits at a level of prominence unthinkable a few years ago.
So, here we are, ten years, five films, and eight tv shows on and there feels like no better time than now to take stock of all the ups and downs since Disney took over.
13. THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Sigh. As the biggest victim of Disney’s Star Wars fumbling, The Rise of Skywalker brought the ‘Skywalker Saga’ to a thudding conclusion.
With J. J. Abrams back behind the camera and trying hard to undo everything interesting Rian Johnson set up, the film is an uneven, unimaginative mess that ends a once promising trilogy on a disappointing bum note.
12. THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT
After the rousing success of The Mandalorian, Star Wars’ intrepid Disney+ voyage was brought thudding back to Earth with The Book of Boba Fett.
Despite his enormous popularity and his fun cameos in Mandalorian, Boba Fett just isn’t an interesting enough character to warrant an entire solo show, and despite the best efforts of Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen, the series just doesn’t justify its existence.
11. RESISTANCE
It feels a little harsh to land Resistance so low as it’s a Disney Channel series aimed squarely at a very young audience, but as brightly animated and solidly fun as it is, this is a show that offers little to anyone but kids and Star Wars completists.
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10. REBELS
Much like Resistance, Rebels does a decent job of adding dimension to the galaxy and to demonstrate just what Star Wars animation has to offer.
Again, perhaps a show more for the completists, Rebels is nevertheless a fun ride full of likeable characters with much to offer for all ages.
9. THE BAD BATCH
With less broad appeal than the series that spawned it – The Clone Wars – casual viewers may struggle with The Bad Batch, yet its roguish brand of action offers a relatable band of characters and enough thrills to hook even the biggest Star Wars novice.
8. SOLO
Poor Solo. Between director drama, the weird decision to release it so soon after Infinity War, and the very fact that nobody really wanted a Han Solo origin story to begin with, the film felt doomed to failure from day one.
And doomed it certainly was, pulling in the lowest box office of any Star Wars live-action movie to date, yet there’s still much to enjoy with it. Although he’s certainly no Harrison Ford, Alden Ehrenreich puts in a decent performance as Solo, while Donald Glover absolutely nails his Lando, and the story itself is a rollicking space adventure that’s never less than enjoyable.
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7. OBI-WAN KENOBI
As with Solo and Boba Fett, I wasn’t entirely sure there was much story left to tell with Obi-Wan, however, it sure helps when you’ve got a star like Ewan McGregor willing to commit to a character he clearly cares deeply for.
McGregor’s absolute commitment to making Obi-Wan Kenobi work and his admiral dedication to fleshing out the Jedi’s story elevates what is otherwise a frustratingly average series.
6. THE CLONE WARS
While The Clone Wars began in the pre-Disney era, it very much ended in it. Bringing the animated series back for a seventh and final season, The Clone Wars finally got its well-deserved send off, combining stunning animation, eye-catching action, and impressively nuanced writing to prove itself the true cornerstone of the Star Wars galaxy.
5. THE FORCE AWAKENS
As mentioned, Star Wars felt well and truly in the mud following the prequel trilogy, so under such circumstances, The Force Awakens did a fantastic job of getting the franchise back on track and back into our hearts.
Although the film had quite the hill to climb to win people back, it did so, and with a huge dose of nostalgia, we were ready to believe in Star Wars once again. For all its faults, The Force Awakens did precisely what it came to do, rekindling an entire galaxy in the process.
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4. THE LAST JEDI
Well, where do we start? For some, The Last Jedi is tantamount to sacrilege, for others, it’s the breath of fresh air Star Wars sorely needed.
In a bid to distance himself from the stodgy nostalgia of The Force Awakens, Rian Johnson lobed several curveballs our way, and while not all of them land, the result is certainly refreshing and precisely what the franchise required. It’s just a shame it was all ditched by the time The Rise of Skywalker arrived.
3. THE MANDALORIAN
While there was certainly some hype for Star Wars’ first live-action television show, I’m not sure anyone expected quite this level of success.
Helping usher in both the franchise’s post-trilogy era and Disney+ itself, The Mandalorian helped (briefly) unite the Star Wars fandom at a time when it so desperately needed it, with an action-packed, beautifully crafted, and surprisingly heartfelt slice of space adventuring – that just so happened to include the cutest sidekick in the entire galaxy.
2. ROGUE ONE
Free from the mainline ‘Skywalker Saga’ (just about) for the first time, Rogue One is a surprisingly bold attempt to add some spice and shade to the Star Wars universe in a way that’s both narratively and emotionally impactful.
With an entirely distinctive look and feel to any Star Wars instalment to date, Rogue One’s intrepid approach really should be the blueprint for the franchise going forward – and if early impressions of Andor are anything to go by, this may well be the case.
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1. VISIONS
This. This is what I want my Star Wars to be.
While it may be detached from canon, Visions is nonetheless an absolute breath of fresh air for a franchise so consumed with playing things safe. Beautifully animated and incredibly creative, Visions draws influence from Japanese animation and storytelling to craft an exquisite anthology that’s as eclectic as it is enthralling.
It may not be the most prominent of Star Wars entries, yet Visions marks the high point of the franchise’s current era, and if Disney have any sense whatsoever, the series’ energy, craft, and creativity will be harnessed to blast the franchise into the future.
NEXT: Top 10 Best Star Wars Moments
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