13 Essential Star Wars Animated TV Show Episodes Every Fan Should Watch

Animation has always been a staple of the Star Wars franchise, but it is now more important than ever – and some animated TV episodes are absolutely essential. Each of Disney’s animated Star Wars TV series explores a different era of the Star Wars timeline. Star Wars: The Clone Wars explores the galaxy’s turmoil between the final installments of the prequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Bad Batch explores the early days of the Empire, Star Wars Rebels takes place during the Age of Rebellion, Star Wars: Resistance leads up to the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Young Jedi Adventures explores the High Republic, and Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi jumps around to unravel some of the franchise’s most intriguing Jedi characters.

Each series has something to offer, both narratively and visually, but some episodes are undeniably more important to the overall franchise than others. Since Star Wars has expanded into live-action TV on Disney+, Star Wars animation has become more vital than ever, with some of Star Wars’ new shows, like Ahsoka, acting as direct sequels to previously animated content, while others, like The Mandalorian, have pulled in pivotal characters and worldbuilding from The Clone Wars. If someone wants to understand the full scope of Star Wars storytelling but has never explored the franchise’s animated shows before, these episodes are a great place to start.

13

Tales Of The Jedi Season 1, Episode 5

“Practice Makes Perfect”

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi filled in the gaps of Ahsoka Tano’s life, from before she became a Jedi, to her time as a Padawan, and her experiences after she left the Jedi Order and survived Order 66. In this particular Tales of the Jedi episode, Ahsoka is still a relatively young Padawan, eager to show off her lightsaber skills to her peers and some of the more experienced, elder Jedi. As she fights off a training droid’s blaster bolts within a shrinking ray shield, her Master, Anakin Skywalker, devises a plan to take her training to the next level.

Instead of being attacked by training droids, Anakin had his most trusted clone troopers attack her instead, teaching her how to survive any kind of ambush, no matter the skill of her opponent. This episode is undeniably significant because it proved that, despite Anakin’s fall to the dark side during Order 66, he was still responsible for helping Ahsoka survive the massacre of the Jedi. One of the moves she learns during her training with the clones is a direct visual parallel to a move she uses in Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ final season.

12

The Clone Wars Season 3, Episodes 15-17

The Mortis arc

Though Star Wars: The Clone Wars was divided into seven seasons, those seasons were also divided into multi-episode arcs. These arcs would focus on a particular battle, trial, or political event, providing an in-depth exploration of the horrors of war and Palpatine’s cruel yet cunning manipulation. However, The Clone Wars also, on occasion, provided a much deeper look at how the Force works and the Jedi’s – and more specifically, Anakin Skywalker’s – place within it. During The Clone Wars’ Mortis arc in season 3, Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka are stranded on an uncharted planet, which they later discover is called Mortis.

On Mortis, they encounter three extremely powerful Force-wielders known as the Mortis gods: the Daughter, who is the embodiment of the light side, the Son, who embraces the dark, and the Father, who keeps the balance between the two. In the end, it is revealed that the Father lured Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka to Mortis because he is dying, and he needs Anakin to become his replacement as the Chosen One. The Clone Wars’ Mortis arc is not only essential for understanding the Force and Anakin’s destiny, but it’s essential for understanding the Ahsoka season 1 finale and Ahsoka’s upcoming second season, as well.

11

The Clone Wars Season 4, Episodes 7-10

The Umbara arc

Though the Mortis arc was all about the Force, the Umbara arc is all about the clones and the Jedi who led them. During the Umbara arc, Jedi General Pong Krell leads a regiment of clone troopers on a dangerous mission to retake Umbara for the Republic. Things soon take a turn for the worse, however, as it is revealed that Krell has turned his back on the Jedi, hoping to win Count Dooku’s favor. He leads the clones into an ambush, and many lose their lives before they eventually decide to resist Krell’s orders and take him into custody themselves.

The Umbara arc essentially foreshadowed the clones’ true purpose in the war – they were unwitting pawns in another man’s game, forced to follow orders even if they didn’t agree with them. The Clone Wars also led to the fall of a once well-respected Jedi, just as it would eventually lead to the fall of the Jedi Order as a whole. Most of all, however, the Umbara arc portrayed the clones as true individuals, with their own thoughts, feelings, and personalities, making their inhibitor-chipped fates all the more tragic.

10

The Clone Wars Season 5, Episodes 17-20

Ahsoka leaves the Jedi Order

Throughout the first five seasons of The Clone Wars, Anakin and Ahsoka became more than just a Padawan and Master duo – they became true, genuine friends. They relied upon one another, learned from each other, and Ahsoka even knew Anakin’s deepest secret – his marriage to Padmé. As such, when Ahsoka was first accused of orchestrating a bombing at the Jedi Temple, Anakin was one of the few who rushed to her defense, unwavering in his efforts to clear her name. In the meantime, Ahsoka went on the run, teaming up with former Separatist assassin Asajj Ventress, hiding away on Coruscant to find the true killer.

Anakin and Ahsoka were eventually proven right – Barriss Offee, a fellow Jedi Padawan and Ahsoka’s one-time friend, bombed the Temple in protest of what the Jedi had allowed themselves to become during the Clone Wars. But the damage had already been done – though the Jedi Council withdrew Ahsoka’s banishment, she no longer felt she belonged there, leaving Anakin and the Jedi Order behind. Not only was this a pivotal arc for Ahsoka’s development, but it was also a turning point for Anakin – the start of his fall to the dark side.

9

The Clone Wars Season 7, Episodes 9-12

Ahsoka’s Order 66 experience

Order 66 is an infamous moment in Star Wars history. It changed the galaxy forever, destroying everything the Jedi had built and stood for in one fell swoop. While Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith showed the deaths of many Jedi, other, smaller Star Wars properties have taken it upon themselves to explore the Order 66 experiences of individual Jedi, and the emotional effect that trauma had on them. Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7 focuses on Ahsoka’s experience of these horrific events, having teamed up with the 501st clone trooper Legion to capture Darth Maul on Mandalore just before Anakin Skywalker fell and Order 66 was implemented.

As Ahsoka has become such a massive part of Star Wars’ current storytelling trajectory, especially now that Ahsoka has been renewed for season 2, this is an undeniably important part of her story. She survived Order 66 because of Anakin’s training, but she was forced to fight against the clones she believed were her friends, all the while sensing Anakin’s fall from afar. The impact of Order 66 cannot be overstated, especially on Ahsoka, who was no longer a Jedi but had been targeted as one just the same.

8

The Bad Batch Season 1, Episode 1

“Aftermath”

Star Wars: The Bad Batch functions as a direct sequel to Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Rather than focusing on the Jedi, however, The Bad Batch follows Clone Force 99, an elite but rather unusual clone trooper squad, whose genetic “defects” have granted them extraordinary abilities. During The Bad Batch premiere, they get to display those abilities while on a mission with Jedi Master Depa Billaba and her Padawan, Caleb Dume (who later plays a key role in Star Wars Rebels), just before Order 66 is enacted. Most members of Clone Force 99 aren’t affected by Palpatine’s orders, except one – Crosshair, the crew’s expert sniper.

The Bad Batch helps Caleb escape, and when they return to Kamino, their whole world is turned upside down. Not only are they forced to act as though the Empire’s emergence is normal, but they also meet a young girl named Omega, another unusual clone, and the Bad Batch ends up going on the run with Omega in tow, leaving Crosshair behind for the time being. Star Wars: The Bad Batch has become a pivotal series within the franchise, exploring the early days of the Empire, the Kaminoan cloning operation, and perhaps most importantly, Project Necromancer and Palpatine’s attempts at resurrection.

7

The Bad Batch Season 2, Episode 12

“The Outpost”

Despite being an animated show, one which includes plenty of fun, adventurous episodes, The Bad Batch is also one of Star Wars’ most mature, moving, and poignant series. No episode proves this better than “The Outpost,” in which Crosshair does everything in his power to save a fellow clone’s life on a freezing ice planet, only to watch as the Empire allows the clone to die without a hint of remorse. This episode perfectly summarizes the Empire’s greed, callousness, and disregard for human life, but it’s more than that, as well.

Narratively and visually, “The Outpost” is a stunning piece of television, but it is also a perfect representation of one of Star Wars’ core themes: redemption. Despite having shown signs of reluctance before, this was a true turning point for Crosshair. Though he was still stuck within the Imperial machine, he no longer wanted to actively work for them.

6

The Bad Batch Season 3, Episode 10

“Identity Crisis”

The Bad Batch season 3 takes a closer look at Project Necromancer and Palpatine’s plans to create a Force-sensitive clone. Dr. Emerie Karr, another unusual female clone, is a scientist on that project, one who believes that she has earned the right to rise in the ranks and become the chief scientific research advisor. But, in “Identity Crisis,” she soon learns that that responsibility comes with a price. The Empire has kidnapped and been experimenting on various Force-sensitive children, and Emerie can’t hide her feelings from either the kids or her boss, Dr. Hemlock.

While this episode also speaks to Star Wars’ redemption theme, it also provides a closer look at Palpatine’s desperation. This is a quiet episode, but an important one – without it, Project Necromancer would feel much more abstract, and Dr. Emerie Karr’s role would be almost superfluous. Instead, she’s become the voice of reason within Project Necromancer’s organization, and Palpatine feels even more unhinged and bloodthirsty than ever before, despite his absence.

5

Star Wars Rebels Season 2, Episodes 21 And 22

“Twilight of the Apprentice Part I and II”

Star Wars Rebels was the first animated TV series to be produced after Disney purchased Star Wars from creator George Lucas. At first glance, Rebels may seem to be a standalone show – it focuses on an entirely new group of characters who spend most of their time on a previously unknown planet – but as the story continues, it becomes clear that Star Wars Rebels functions as a turning point for the Rebellion. In season 2, Ahsoka Tano has joined the crew of the Ghost, and she, Kanan Jarrus (formerly Caleb Dume), and his new Padawan, Ezra Bridger, travel to the planet Malachor to find an ancient dark side holocron.

Not only does Ezra discover a weakened but no less menacing version of Maul on Malachor, but Kanan is also blinded, which ultimately changes how he functions and sees the world as a Jedi. Most importantly, however, Ahsoka comes face to face with Darth Vader for the very first time, realizing that her old Master’s face hides behind that menacing mask. She (seemingly) sacrifices herself during an intense duel against him as Malachor crumbles all around them – but that’s not the end of Ahsoka’s story. In fact, one might even suggest it’s where her true destiny begins.

4

Star Wars Rebels Season 3, Episode 15

“Trials of the Darksaber”

If someone has watched The Mandalorian and wants to know more about how the Darksaber works, this is the episode to watch. “Trials of the Darksaber” sees the Mandalorian Sabine Wren, an integral member of the Ghost Crew and eventual co-lead in Ahsoka, come to grips with what it means to wield the Darksaber and how one can properly use a lightsaber without access to the Force. As Sabine trains with Kanan, she begins to confront her past and her repressed emotions, making her a stronger fighter, a better leader, and a wiser Mandalorian.

The Darksaber has played an important role, not only in Star Wars Rebels and The Mandalorian, but in The Clone Wars as well. It’s an integral part of Mandalorian history and Star Wars lore, and this Star Wars Rebels episode addresses its significance better than any other in the franchise. It is also, however, an important character study. Sabine Wren’s life is forever changed after wielding the Darksaber.

3

Star Wars Rebels Season 3, Episode 20

“Twin Suns”

At last, Darth Maul’s story comes to an end. After being resurrected, maimed, worshiped, and hidden in the shadows, Ezra Bridger, Maul, and Obi-Wan become entangled in one last showdown. Ezra finds Obi-Wan in the dunes of Tatooine, believing that he is the one that will bring an end to the Sith, while Maul has used Ezra’s good intentions to finally track Obi-Wan down and kill him once and for all. Eventually, Ezra departs, and Obi-Wan and Maul are left alone, ready to end their rivalry for good.

In what is possibly one of the most meaningful, simple, and elegant lightsaber duels of the entire franchise, Obi-Wan swiftly but purposefully wins against Maul with one killing blow. In his last moments, however, Maul finally manages to find peace. Obi-Wan assures him that the true person who will bring down the Sith – Luke Skywalker – is alive and well, and Maul finally lets go of his anger and hatred, and Obi-Wan closes his enemy’s eyes for the last time.

2

Star Wars Rebels Season 4, Episode 13

“A World Between Worlds”

“A World Between Worlds” introduced what is possibly one of the most complex but also important concepts of Star Wars’ mythology – the World Between Worlds. Essentially, the World Between Worlds is a separate dimension that connects all space and time through the Force. Ezra discovers the entrance within an ancient Jedi Temple on Lothal, and it is here that he saves Ahsoka Tano’s life, freeing her from her duel with Vader on Malachor from Star Wars Rebels season 2. That is the start of Ahsoka’s new life – she becomes something more than a former Jedi. Her destiny is far greater.

In the end, Ezra prevents Palpatine from accessing the World Between Worlds, too, giving up his chance to save his Master, Kanan Jarrus, before destroying the Jedi Temple. And yet, Ahsoka accessed this special dimension once more in Ahsoka season 1, giving her a chance to reunite with Anakin. She finally lets go of the guilt and heartache that’s been eating her up inside since she discovered the truth about what had happened to her old Master.

1

Star Wars Rebels Season 4, Episode 15

“Family Reunion – and Farewell”

Everything that happens in Ahsoka season 1 happens because of the Star Wars Rebels series finale. “Family Reunion – and Farewell” changed everything for the Rebellion, the galaxy, and Star Wars lore. Ezra Bridger used his connection with the purrgil, Star Wars’ hyperspace-traversing space whales, to liberate his homeworld Lothal once and for all, exiling both himself and Grand Admiral Thrawn, one of the Empire’s most formidable tacticians, to another galaxy entirely. This was the Empire’s first major defeat, a turning point that eventually led to the destruction of the Death Star.

Though the existence of another galaxy wasn’t confirmed until Ahsoka, it threw the Star Wars universe wide open. The Rebels finale also led to the introduction of a new type of Padawan in Sabine Wren, and it revealed the next generation of Jedi with Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla’s son, Jacen Syndulla. Star Wars Rebels may not have seemed as significant at the time, but Ahsoka and The Mandalorian arguably wouldn’t exist without it.

All of Star Wars’ animated content is available to stream on Disney+.