Andor has come to an end! Because of that, what better time than now to rank all of the seasons involving Star Wars that are currently on Disney Plus at the moment!
For this list, I’m going to just strictly look at the live-action Star Wars shows and not included animated ones such as The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Bad Batch, Tales of the Jedi, Visions, etc. I feel like including those would just makes this list more complicated than it already will be and that these are the main streaming series that are the driving force of Star Wars at the moment. With that being said, let’s get straight into rankings!
10.) The Book of Boba Fett
I never understood the popularity of Boba Fett as a character besides his incredibly dope armor. He was clearly meant to just be the side character that everyone remember for how cool he looked and nothing else. Not to mention, he went out like a complete wimp in Return of the Jedi. And if The Book of Boba Fett is anything to go by, it seems as tho the creators of this show seem to agree with me.
This is about as unfocused and dysfunctional of a show that I’ve seen in quite some time. It starts off by trying to explore the “human” side of Boba Fett in his old, weaker, and totally unprime form only for the title character to get completely sidelined in favor of what is basically The Mandalorian Season 2.5. It’s then we get introduced to a bunch of awkwardly inserted cameos and fan service that feel so out of place and has literally nothing to do with the show it’s based on but more of just setting up future shows and movies. At least Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen are still fun and the finale plays so much like a little kid playing with his Star Wars action figures that I couldn’t help but dig that!
When people complain about how overreliance on fan service and “easter eggs” are ruining main franchises, The Book of Boba Fett is exactly what they are talking about. It’s a show where you can tell the creators struggled to find an interesting story for it’s main lead character and trying to use fan service to save the day. If I wanted to watch The Mandalorian, I’d watch The Mandalorian. If you want to make a Luke Skywalker show, then actually make a Luke Skywalker show. Don’t do whatever the hell The Book of Boba Fett did.
9.) Obi-Wan Kenobi
Everyone wanted a new series or movie focused on Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was the main bright spot of the entire prequel trilogy and fans had been dying to see him return to the franchise in some way, shape, or form. And because Solo was a big bomb at the box office, this got turned into it’s own Disney Plus series. However, as we all should know by now, be careful what you wish for!
Much like The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi fills the need to fill in blanks that no one really asked to be filled and never finding the reason for it’s existence other than just finding an excuse to have it’s beloved main actor returning to the franchise. The directing is generally poor (which is shocking after Deborah Chow did such a good job with her episodes in The Mandalorian), little Princess Leia getting captured a million times gets old incredibly fast, there’s too much focus on Reva and not enough on Obi-Wan himself, and it feels less structured like a series and more of an overlong film. The only saving graces is a commendable performance from Ewan McGregor and some hard hitting moments between him and Hayden Christensen’s Darth Vader.
It’s not as irredeemable bad as some folks have made it out to be but there’s nothing that stands out in Obi-Wan Kenobi that makes it worth watching it either. This is only for the die hard fans of the prequels and those wanting to see Ewan as Obi-Wan again. Everyone else can steer clear!
8.) The Mandalorian (Season 3)
In many ways, The Mandalorian Season 3 was always destined to fail. Not just because it was following the well-received first two seasons which set the high bar for many fans but it had already undid it’s resolution to it’s own main story arc and set the series back to square one during The Book of Boba Fett, A.K.A. The Mandalorian Season 2.5. The fact that Season 2 had Mando and Grogu going their separate ways only for those two to be back together immediately by the start of Season 3 basically made this season doom from the start and it doesn’t get better from there.
Season 3 just feels like the notion that Jon Favreau and company have run out of ideas for Star Wars and their heart just isn’t in it anymore. This season just seems overly concern with connecting itself to the rest of the Star Wars universe than being it’s own thing, something which has been a main problem with many of the recent Star Wars content. Not to mention, it has probably the most tone-deaf cameo in recent memory with Lizzo (Jack Black is cool though). The action is still pretty damn good here and even though Bo Katan gets WAY too much focus here (Again, forgetting it’s own title character!), Katie Sackhoff is so good and awesome in the role that you almost don’t mind it (even if she should be like 60 years old in this timeline).
Season 3 as a whole basically made it clear that Disney and Lucasfilm forgot what made The Mandalorian work in the first place. It was a refreshing change of pace that had it’s own heroes go on their own adventures, explored certain corners of Star Wars that hadn’t been touched upon before, and didn’t need a million different cameos of fan-favorite characters to make the show worthwhile. Those were better and more simpler times! Now, it’s gotten worse and more complicated. That’s certainly NOT the way!
7.) The Acolyte
If there is a series on this list that would qualify as the most pure frustrating, that would be The Acolyte. On paper, this feels like the kind of thing that the Disney era of Star Wars DESPERATELY needed! A brand new era of Star Wars that takes place in it’s own distinct timeline, without any overreliance of fan favorite characters or familiar imagery and new characters and stories to tell. This was basically the chance for Lucasfilm to prove they could make an engaging new Star Wars material that help gives Disney Star Wars it’s own unique identity. Unfortunately, it rather failed.
The murder mystery that drive forwards the plot is not very engaging, most of the characters aren’t very compelling with backstories and motivations you can see coming from a mile away, and it’s connections to the other eras of Star Wars could not be any more forced. (Not to mention, the complete and utter waste of Carrie-Anne Moss!). It does get bonus points for originality and some pretty badass lightsaber fights that rank among the best in the Disney era. Plus, anything with Lee Jung-Jae is able to evaluate it’s quality by a few points.
The Acolyte had some of the best ideas and concepts that Star Wars has introduced in quite some time but unfortunately, most of it is not executed very well and did nothing but add more fuel to the toxic fire surrounding Disney Star Wars. It’s definitely not as bad as it’s haters are making it out to be but it’s unfortunately not good enough to be worthy of defenders either. What a shame!
6.) Ahsoka
The most arguably beloved female character in Star Wars aside from Princess Leia finally came into live-action during the second season of The Mandalorian and would get her own show a few years later. When viewed as a continuation of Rebels and being a nostalgic trip for those that grew up with The Clone Wars, Ahsoka does it’s job well enough. When it comes to being it’s own thing and introducing the character to the general audiences who never watched the cartoons, that’s where it falls flat.
As successful as Dave Filoni has been with animation, it still feels like he’s going through growing pains when it comes to directing live-action. There’s too much of Ahsoka that feels awkwardly staged, stiffly acted, and bizarrely paced in ways that I imagine would have fared much better in animation. It also doesn’t help that the lack of context of these characters will make casual moviegoers that didn’t do their homework beforehand feeling completely lost when it comes to the big test that is this series. As fun as it was to see these characters actually be in live-action, the World Between Worlds concept being utilized, and Hayden Christian finally getting his well-deserve due as Anakin, Ahsoka left me feeling with a state of indifference by the end.
For those that are fans of Filoni’s shows and wanted to see a proper pay off to the loose ends from Rebels, you’ll get enjoyment out of this. For everyone else, Ahsoka might so either way for you. Hopefully, Filoni will find his footing into the realm of live-action with Season 2!
5.) Skeleton Crew
Here’s a little show that came out of no year (and is literally being seen from no where) that is somehow able to be one of the better Star Wars shows that Disney has made. Labeled by some has “Goonies in space”, Skeleton Crew is a very enjoyable and charming throwback to the big bombastic family films of the 1980s to 1990s. Here we see young kinds go on wild and exciting adventures, being able to discover something about themselves that they never did before.
The child actors are all wonderful with great potential of expanding their careers, the lively coming-of-age story is able to work surprisingly well in the realm of Star Wars, there’s fun set pieces and missions for the characters to explore, and Judy Law is able to stand out perfectly as the wise mentor figure for the group of kids. Also, SM-33 might just be the best droid since BB-8.
There may not be anything here that’s too revolutionary or pushed the boundaries of Star Wars in any way but that’s perfectly okay. Skeleton Crew act as a nice, innocent little show about what it’s like for little kids growing up to big inspirations. It may not “save” Star Wars for many people but it will at least give a nice little peak at what Star Wars can be when it’s allow to tell it’s own individual stories without enormous expectations weighting it down.
4.) The Mandalorian (Season 2)
The beginning of the end of the Star Wars Disney Plus series as we know it. What started with something pure, something exciting! Then comes the mistakes, the consequences! Season 2 of Mando is basically when this show and Star Wars Disney Plus as a whole stopped being about self-contained space adventures and it’s primary focus is more on connecting the series with the rest of the Star Wars universe.
To be fair, there is still a lot to like here. It still has that episodic feel to it that the first season did, each episode still feels like the director getting to have their own flavor to it, and there’s ton of great action and character moments throughout. However, there are so many extended cameos featuring fan favorite characters that it at times comes across more as a trailer for future series. Much like Season 2 of Daredevil, it’s impossible to not to try to distinct the moments of fan service with fan favorite characters like Boba Fett and Ahsoka showing up and feeling like it’s just pure set-ups for other series that had still yet to come. And if that final sequence with CGI Luke Skywalker showing up to save the day in deux ex machina form was any indication, it was basically a sign for things to come.
It’s still entertaining throughout and it did, at least at the time, concluded the storyline between Mando and Grogu relatively well but it’s painfully obvious that Disney and Lucasfilm learned all the WRONG lessons from this season alone and the quality of shows afterwards have suffered as a result. To continue on that quote I paraphrase at the beginning of this part, we create our own demons! And I don’t think there’s something in Star Wars that first that quote perfectly than Season 2 of The Mandalorian.
3.) The Mandalorian (Season 1)
Remember when this series was literally just about a man taking care of a child and trying to get him back to his owner? Those were the simpler days! Back when a Star Wars series was free to tell it’s own stories that could stand on their own, was able to expand upon the universe instead of making it feel smaller, had a creative team that was able to bring their own stamp to the series while still feeling like a cohesive vision, created new characters that can actually carry their own show without the need for a cameo every episode, and felt like an actual television show. A lot of things can certainly change in the span of four years!
In all seriousness, The Mandalorian Season 1 is able to succeed big by playing small. It shows a distinct corner of the Star Wars universe that has barley been touched upon, the crime world that has been corrupted by chaos, while being a gold old fashioned father-and-son story by heart. Some of the new characters that are introduced are some of the best in the Disney canon, it’s western vibe is able to translate very well to Star Wars, and the action set pieces are well done and feel appropriately Star Wars. Not everything is a banger here with at least one bad episode and containing one of the most obnoxious characters ever in Star Wars, but even then, it still succeeds very well.
When I think of the kind of Star Wars I wanted to see in a post-George Lucas World, this is the first thing that comes to mind. It’s able to give a group of talent directors and writers together, have their visions be realized, and have something that feels like Star Wars but also brings something fresh and new at the same time. Sometimes going back to basics can be a good thing and The Mandalorian Season 1 is a perfect example of that!
2.) Andor (Season 1)
But yeah, this is pretty much #1 by default. While I enjoy some of the others shows on the list to a varying degree, they all feel like they would faltered when you look at them as their own thing and not as Star Wars. Andor, on the other hand, is able to succeed greatly as it’s own thing AND as Star Wars. It’s quite interesting how despite this possibly being the least anticipated upcoming series, it’s easily the very best one and up there with some of the best Star Wars not just from Disney but in all of Star Wars.
Andor just feels like it’s own thing compared to anything else that is Star Wars and has one objective on it’s mind in telling an impactful story that is set outside of the Skywalker clan. The writing is incredibly strong, with fully fletch out characters, resonate themes, and powerful dialogue that will stick with you just moments after watching it. There’s also the great performances form the entire cast, most notably Andy Serkis, it’s grittier tone, and the score that gives the show it’s own identity. Even the occasional slow pacing and set up feels warranted by the end as it’s able to serve an importance later on.
I still have no idea how in the world Tony Gilroy was able to get Disney and Lucasfilm to greenlight this show but I’m sure glad he did. It’s prove that Star Wars can in fact still do it’s own thing and survive without any big notable names if you put in the time, work, and effort to do so. You can in fact make Star Wars mean more than just the name of the IP itself. You can in fact make Star Wars something other than jiggling keys. You can in fact make Star Wars something that matches the quality with it’s quantity. You can in fact make Star Wars hopeful again. Because of all of that and more, Andor is the best Disney Plus show by a wide margin and more of my favorite Star Wars things period.
1.) Andor (Season 2)
It may have not seem possible but Andor was able to make lightning strike twice with it’s second and final season! Not is this powerful series able to end on the highest note possible but Season 2 of Andor makes it stand out as not just the best Star Wars that Disney has ever given us but also one of the best things to ever come out of Star Wars period! And to think, it came from a Star Wars prequel that literally NO ONE was asking for! Even fans of Rogue One!
Similar to the first season, it does start off in a rather slow manner, taking it’s sweet time to introduce us back to the world of the darkest corner of the galaxy with the most personal characters out of the entire Disney canon (And of course, the obvious elephant in the room that was the SA scene!). However, once the pieces are in place, Andor is able to fly high without ever crashing down. The characters remain among the most human and engaging in any Star Wars, the personal conflicts feel intimate yet timely, the dialogue remains so powerful that you couldn’t ever imagine an A.I. ever written it, and I don’t think the Empire has ever been more scary than it has been hear. And yes, it’s able to handle it’s current event subject matter in a way that first perfectly in the realm of Star Wars and blends itself to Rogue One about as smoothly as it can.
Regardless of you feel about Disney Star Wars at this point, you more than owe it to yourself to check out these two seasons of Star Wars! It’s prove that Star Wars can in fact find it’s own voice in a post-George Lucas world and have the series mean more than typical key jingling and easter egg fests. While it’s highly unlikely we will ever get a genuine work of art like this with Star Wars anytime soon, I am glad I was able to get a near perfect finale to the best live-action Star Wars show to date! Tony Gilroy, we don’t deserve you!
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