by: Chris Conkling

With the first 3 episodes of “Andor” are dropping this week on Disney+, it’s time for C4S to rank all the Star Wars television series thus far!

5. The Book of Boba Fett

On the heels of Boba Fett’s return in Season 2 of “The Mandalorian”, and coming in 5th in our ranking, is the “The Book of Boba Fett.” This show ranks the lowest on our list because compared to the others, it lacks identity. Over the show’s 7 episode run, Boba Fett escapes the Sarlacc pit, is taken in by a tribe of Tusken raiders, promptly loses his newfound Tusken family, then decides he wants to become the new Daimyo of Tatooine. On the surface this show’s premise sounds like an epic crime drama, however, its scripts do a poor job of illustrating Boba Fett’s motivations, and tragically the episodes most deem the strongest in the series don’t involve Boba at all. Instead of being a fully fledge Boba Fett show it turns into “The Mandalorian” season 2.5 around episode 5 and never quite regains its footing. There are some really fun Star Wars moments throughout (as you will find in all the shows on this list), but none of these equate to strong storytelling.

4. Obi-Wan Kenobi

At number four, we have “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” “Obi-Wan Kenobi” delivers everything you would want from a show tackling Ben Kenobi’s time on Tatooine between “Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope.” When we meet up with Kenobi (played by returning Ewan Mcgregor) he is a broken man. He has lost his faith in his religion and has failed to save those he loves. The series does a wonderful job of showing us Ben’s journey of redemption and return to his former abilities, however, it also adds a lot of unnecessary fat to the mix. Like “The Book of Boba Fett” it doesn’t quite understand exactly what it is and is beholden to the 6-episode-structure most of these early Disney+ endeavors have fallen victim to. I will say the reunion between Kenobi and Vader (played by Hayden Christensen) is quite emotional and is one of my favorite Star Wars moments of all time, however, the elements used to stretch a series that was originally meant to be a movie bog the entire project down. Unfortunately, causing this series to rank lower on our list than we would like.

3. Rebels

“Star Wars: Rebels” comes in at number three on our list. The show aired from 2014 to 2018 and was Lucasfilm’s first outing after being acquired by the House of Mouse. To give some context, “The Force Awakens” had yet to be released, and “Star Wars: The Clones Wars” had concluded its run on Cartoon Network and Netflix. Fans of the franchise were interested to see what Disney was going to do with their newly purchased property.

Unlike “The Clone Wars,” “Rebels” gave Star Wars enthusiasts their first animated glimpses into the Star Wars universe post “Revenge of the Sith”, but firmly placed in the era of the original trilogy (something people had been eagerly awaiting since its conclusion). Dave Filoni took this opportunity to not only introduce a crew of new fan-favorite characters but also continue the story of Ahsoka Tano post the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Galactic Empire. The series overall added many wonderful elements to the Star Wars mythology, a handful of which we will be seeing again in future live-action projects. However, it also introduced time travel into the universe, which if not treated with care could be narrative breaking. Overall, the show is extremely enjoyable and is an easy recommendation to any Star Wars fanatic.

2. The Clone Wars

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” is, in my opinion, the best Star Wars Animation has to offer. Spanning 7 seasons, it exposed audiences to the complexities of being a Clone in the army of the Republic, expanded on both Obi-Wan Kenobi’s and Anakin Skywalker’s character arcs in exceptionally meaningful ways, introduced one of the most popular characters in Star Wars history, Ahsoka Tano, brought back Darth Maul, AND retroactively made the Prequel Trilogy better! Dave Filoni, the showrunner, has a deep understanding of Star Wars mythology, and that love can be seen throughout “The Clone Wars” and everything else he makes within the franchise. That being said, the show isn’t without its flaws. The first season and theatrical film can be hit or miss in quality, however, once the show found its voice, it became some of the best Star Wars content available. Second only to our number one pick.

1. The Mandalorian

The best Star Wars series hands down is “The Mandalorian.” At a time when the Star Wars films were mired in controversy, “The Mandalorian” took to the small screen and reminded fans what makes the franchise great. The Star Wars universe is vast, and sometimes the best stories arise when the franchise isn’t following the Skywalker family. The Mandalorian does just that. The series follows a Mandalorian bounty hunter (Din Djarin played by Pedro Pascal) who finds himself mixed up in an Empire scheme when he takes on a bounty with very little information. Showrunner, Jon Favreau, and his creative team bring a refreshing and simultaneously familiar atmosphere back to the franchise. The show feels like a Clint Eastwood western in space, mixed with “Lone Wolf and Cub.” Speaking of which, the series has birthed what could quite possibly go down in history as the most adorable Star Wars character to ever exist, The Child/Grogu/“Baby Yoda”.

Season 2 of “The Mandalorian” does lose some of the first season’s independent charm when it starts to add familiar faces into the mix, however, the story and characters are so compelling you can’t help but keep watching. This is the way!