After Disney’s purchase of Star Wars back in 2012, the House of Mouse controversially but wisely chose to discard most of the expanded canon outside of the then two trilogies, as well as the Clone Wars animated series. With significantly less lore to keep track of, they were free to forge a new path in the Star Wars canon, for better or worse.
It certainly hasn’t been a smooth ride the entire time, but neither was the old expanded universe. That said, when something good was added to the Disney era, it’s generally really good. With so much added to the canon since the expansion in 2015, which additions emerge as the best among them?
The Force Awakens Characters (Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren)
The way the sequel trilogy unfolded might have led many to forget, but The Force Awakens was initially met with thunderous applause upon its release, and that success is owed to this central quartet. Rey, Finn, and Poe breathed a new, youthful life into the series not really seen before, even in the days of the original. They were all fun, charming, and sympathetic, while Kylo Ren’s temper tantrums and father issues feel like how Anakin should have been in the prequels.
However, what unfortunately brings them down is how their stories unfolded in the subsequent two films. While Rey and Kylo’s dynamic was fascinating to watch in The Last Jedi, Finn and Poe’s arcs are ultimately disappointing, and The Rise of Skywalker didn’t do all that much with them. Still, the four remain a joy to watch in their first outing.
Rogue One In General
While it’s kind of become a joke that Star Wars will turn any minor piece of lore into a full-blown movie or series, Rogue One remains the best film to be released since the Disney buy-out. The story of the rebel spies who find the Death Star plans shows why it’s important to stand up to government corruption and injustice.
It’s an angle never shown much before in the series, as the previous films were always focused on the never-ending drama of the Skywalker family. It proved that there are indeed film-worthy stories outside the Skywalkers, even if that success and quality still has yet to be replicated on the big screen.
The Bad Batch
A recent addition to Star Wars, the Bad Batch is a group of “subpar” clones whose personalities and physical attributes outgrew the normal parameters set by Kamino and Jango Fett. While their initial introduction in the revived Clone Wars season was underwhelming, their Mando-like adventures in their own series proved to be fantastic, giving audiences a loveable team of clone misfits.
While some of Order 66’s immediate aftermath has been detailed in other media, the Bad Batch series is the first time audiences have seen it from the clones’ perspectives, offering a rather star, yet realistic look about how disposable a government’s armed forces can be once the war is over.
The End Of Darth Maul
Darth Maul’s “resurrection” was one of the best parts of Clone Wars, but his story along with several other prominent Clone Wars characters were cut short after Disney’s purchase. But once he returned at the tail end of Rebels season 2, Maul fans erupted with joy and knew instantly that his final lightsaber clash with Obi-Wan was just a matter of time.
The fight itself is over in an instant, as Obi-Wan, elevated from his grief and naivety of the prequels, uses Maul’s inability to grow against him, easily countering the move that killed Qui-Gon so many years ago. Maul’s last breaths in Obi-Wan’s arms makes for one of the most heartbreaking moments in all of Star Wars, giving this beloved character a worthy sendoff.
Time Travel
Never before had Star Wars even flirted with the concept of time travel, but leave it to Dave Filoni’s genius to make it work. Nearing the tail end of Rebels, time travel is presented as a sort of pocket dimension of the Force, where one can pop in and out of portals across space and time, albeit with great difficulty.
Filoni is arguably at his best when he expands Force lore in mystical, psychedelic, and unhinged ways. It made for some of the best episodes in Clone Wars and Rebels, and while it may be seen as a convenient write-off of different plot elements in Rebels and the Original Trilogy, Filoni’s implementation of a well-worn sci-fi trope in the Star Wars universe is masterful, and hopefully will make a return in the Ahsoka series.
The Inquisitors
While Order 66 was devastating, surely it wasn’t absolute in its destruction of the Jedi. Enter the Inquisitors, a team of dark side Force users trained under Vader himself to hunt down surviving Jedi. While not quite Sith lords, these fanatics prove to be a deadly threat throughout Rebels, the video game Jedi Fallen Order, and probably in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
While the Inquisitors were probably created to implement more lightsaber battles into Rebels without shoving Darth Vader everywhere and cheapening his impact, they never feel cheap or convenient themselves. They’re terrifying and efficient killers that more than earn their screen time and place in the canon, and if the Obi-Wan trailers or Fallen Order sequel announcement are any indications, they’ve only just begun.
Kanan Jarrus
The mentor character of Rebels, Kanan Jarrus was only a padawan when Order 66 hit, and had to subsequently finish his training himself. As such, he begins Rebels insecure about his Jedi abilities, especially when he takes it upon himself to train Ezra. However, throughout the course of Rebels he grows into a powerful Jedi master, even as Filoni takes a page out of Daredevil’s book and turns him into a blind fighter.
One of the refreshing aspects of Rebels compared to its older sister Clone Wars is how the series focused on one group of characters rather than jump around every few weeks between whoever happened to participate in the Clone Wars. As such, Kanan became the best mentor character since perhaps Obi-Wan himself, and it’s a shame he had to meet his end at Rebel’s climax.
Ahsoka Vs. Vader
Much like how Maul’s final battle with Obi-Wan was a foregone conclusion, so was Ahsoka’s confrontation with Vader as soon as she made her return from Clone Wars into Rebels, effectively stealing the show. When the fight does finally happen, it becomes maybe the best lightsaber fight in all of Star Wars.
Ahsoka’s rise from a character as hated as Jar-Jar Binks to many people’s favorite has been fascinating to watch, and her Disney debut in Rebels was certainly a relief. However, it also signaled that this tragic fight was bound to happen eventually. While it could have been subpar fan service in other hands, Filoni executed it perfectly.
Grogu
When The Mandolorian was announced, it was sold as a smaller spaghetti western in space, a la The Man With No Name trilogy. However, at the end of the pilot, Grogu’s overwhelming cuteness made it clear this was actually going to be Lone Wolf and Cub in space.
That said, Grogu, one of Jon Favreau’s best characters, isn’t cute for the sake of it. He has his own personality and desires, simple though they may be as he’s just a child. It’s clear that he cares deeply for the Mandolorian and looks to him as a father figure. It will be interesting to see how he develops as both The Mandolorian and the Star Wars universe as a whole continues.
Din Djarin
It’s rare for Star Wars fans to reach a near-universal consensus and has been since the release of the special editions. Din Djarin, the Mandolorian himself, somehow achieves this. The bounty-hunter-turned-father-figure could have easily fallen into a stereotype, but instead has become such a rich, layered character.
His appearance in The Book of Boba Fett seemed to remind fans just how loved the character is, and how the heart of Mandolorian was missing from Boba Fett. As such, with such universal acclaim, it’s hard to imagine any other addition making the top spot, and fans should look forward to Mandolorian season 3.
