Star Wars was forever changed when George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, but since then there have been multiple successes for the franchise. Reactions have been mixed since the sale, with some believing that the Disney era of Star Wars feels directionless. With a box-office bomb and fan backlash, there hasn’t been a new Star Wars film since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker concluded the saga in 2019. Despite this, Lucasfilm has taken its time to construct what will be the next wave of Star Wars movies.
Despite the lackluster effort at the box office, Star Wars television is booming, with multiple hit animated shows and, more recently, live-action series released on Disney+. Like with any franchise, there have been some misses, but there’s also been some home runs that keep Star Wars fans happy, satisfied, and craving more. In the 11 years since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, their successes have been many, with several titles being integral focal points for the future of Star Wars.
11 Disney Hit Big With Rogue One
A Surprise Hit That Helped Round Out The Original Trilogy
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is considered by many to be one of, if not the best Disney Star Wars films. Not only did the story enrich the events of Star Wars (later retitled A New Hope), but it also introduced a grittier edge to the franchise that had been previously lacking. Audiences were given interesting characters to love in Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso, but it featured one of the most iconic sequences in all of Star Wars: Darth Vader’s hallway scene. Rouge One had a little bit of everything for every kind of Star Wars fan, and that’s one of the reasons why it was so successful.
10 The Sequel Trilogy Brought Back Iconic Characters
Star Wars Brought Back Luke, Leia, and Han
There had been talks of a sequel trilogy for years, and it ultimately happened after Lucas sold the Lucasfilm. Upon his departure, Lucas left treatments for what he thought the sequel trilogy should look like. While Disney ultimately chose not to follow Lucas’ plans, they were still able to bring back the main cast from the original trilogy, including Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, as well as other actors like Billy Dee Williams and Anthony Daniels. No matter audiences’ feelings about the sequel films, it was amazing to see these characters back onscreen so long after the original trilogy, and that itself is a major accomplishment.
9 Dave Filoni Finished The Clone Wars
The Biggest Ahsoka Tano Questions Got Answered
For many years, Ahsoka Tano’s story ended with her leaving the Jedi Order at the end of Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 5. However, when she returned in Star Wars Rebels, 15 years were missing from the former Jedi’s story. Most pressing for fans was discovering how Ahsoka survived Order 66. Dave Filoni helped bring back the canceled Star Wars: The Clone Wars for a seventh and final season, which not only told the story of Ahsoka’s escape from Order 66, but also put together some final pieces to help tie the show in with Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith.
8 The Return & Redemption Of Hayden Christensen
Anakin Skywalker’s Return Was Perfect
At the time of the prequel trilogy’s release, Hayden Christensen’s portrayal of Anakin Skywalker wasn’t as well received as it is today. When the Obi-Wan Kenobi show was announced, many hoped that Christensen would appear as Anakin, and he indeed to play both Anakin and Darth Vader. Not only did Christensen get redemption in Obi-Wan Kenobi by giving an emotional performance in the show’s final episode, but he sealed the fact that he was the right choice for Anakin Skywalker in his recent appearance in Ahsoka. Despite him being a Force ghost, there’s hope that Christensen will return as Anakin for Ahsoka season 2.
7 Darth Maul’s Story Comes To An End
Maul’s Final Stand Against Kenobi Is One of The Best Episodes of Star Wars
The Star Wars Rebels season 3 episode “Twin Suns” is considered one of the best in all of Star Wars because of the meaningful and tragic reunion between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul. The two adversaries face off for the final time, and in an amazing, yet short, duel, Maul dies at Kenobi’s blade. This episode was the epic conclusion to the former Sith Lord’s journey. After a surprising return in The Clone Wars, Maul became a beloved villain. Rebels gave Maul the ending he deserved, letting him die in Kenobi’s arms, knowing that they would all be avenged by Luke Skywalker.
6 The Mandalorian Takes The World By Storm
Star Wars’ First Disney+ Show Launches A New Era
When Disney+ was in its infancy, one of the first shows to premiere was The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars TV series. The Mandalorian follows bounty hunter Din Djarin on his adventures across the galaxy. In the final moments of the show’s premiere, the foundling Grogu was revealed, a being cutely nicknamed “Baby Yoda” that took the world by storm. For three seasons, The Mandalorian has helped establish the New Republic Era of Star Wars and brought more context to the lore of Mandalorians. The show also brought amazing villains to the screen like Moff Gideon and will culminate in a theatrical film directed by Filoni.
5 Dave Filoni Brings Back Grand Admiral Thrawn
Rebels Season 3 Re-Canonizes Thrawn
After Disney acquired Lucasfilm, they made the Expanded Universe, also called Legends, non-canon material. This meant that all EU Star Wars creations were no longer part of the official continuity, includeing the main character of Timothy Zahn’s highly popular Heir to the Empire novels. As the creators of Rebels, Filoni worked to slowly re-canonize some of the elements from Legends, and one of the biggest moves was bringing Grand Admiral Thrawn in as the main antagonist of Rebels seasons 3 and 4. Not only was Thrawn a hit in the show, but his character was so integral he recently made his live-action debut in Ahsoka season 1, set to be the main villain of the New Republic Era.
4 Andor Brings A Grittier Edge to Star Wars
The Prequel Show Highlights Andor’s Rebel Origins
Andor has been praised for its gritty style and amazing storytelling that came in three-episode arcs in season 1. The show has shied away from the mysticism of Star Wars and has instead focused on the everyday people of the galaxy. In Andor, audiences are shown blue-collar workers at almost every turn, all of which highlights not only Cassian Andor’s rebel origins, but other characters Mon Mothma and Luthen Rael. The show will continue on Disney+, as it’s been confirmed that the final episode of Andor season 2 will lead directly into Rogue One.
3 The Return Of Ewan McGregor As Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Mini-Series Helped Fill In An Almost Twenty-Year Gap
It was unclear for many years what Obi-Wan Kenobi was up to in the years between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. There had been some context clues, including Luke referring to Obi-Wan as a strange old hermit. Much of Obi-Wan’s time on Tatooine was defined in Obi-Wan Kenobi. The show centered around Obi-Wan 10 years after Revenge of the Sith and showed how a lost man found his faith and became the Jedi Master the galaxy needed again. The show creates a strong bond between a young Princess Leia and Obi-Wan, as well as brings back Christensen as Vader and Liam Neeson for a Qui-Gon Jinn cameo.
2 The Force Awakens is One of the Highest Grossing Films of All Time
The Film Made Over 2 Billion At The Box Office
There was immense build-up to the sequel trilogy, and that is truly reflected in the box office numbers. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is currently the fifth highest-grossing film of all time at the box office. In its company are films like Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, and Titanic. The film has made just shy of $2.1 billion USD, and despite its monster budget of reportedly over $500 million USD, is one of the most successful films at the box office in recent memory. The film’s biggest draw was that it connected Star Wars fans old and new, as it appealed to fans of the original trilogy and introduced characters to another generation.
1 Star Wars Makes A More Connective Universe
Dave Filoni Brought Animated Characters to Live-Action
For some Star Wars fans, the animated series have always felt a little disconnected from the live-action films; however, in recent years, Filoni and other Star Wars directors like Deborah Chow have brought animated characters to life. The best example of this would be Ahsoka Tano, who is played in live-action by Rosario Dawson. Ahsoka was already a popular character, and having her interact with characters like Luke Skywalker and Din Djarin has elevated the storytelling. Filoni used Ahsoka as a direct sequel to Rebels, ushering in a new chapter for the beloved animated heroes of the Rebellion.
Other characters to debut include Bo-Katan Kryze in The Mandalorian and the Grand Inquisitor appeared in Obi-Wan Kenobi. While some of these amazing feats seem miniscule, it has helped reshape the future of Star Wars. Disney created space for Star Wars fans of all kinds, with people who love projects like Andor for its grittiness, but others who still prefer the mysticism of the Force as seen in Ahsoka. Star Wars has changed significantly since being acquired by Disney 11 years ago, but Disney has been able to expand the galaxy in ways never thought before.
