Credit: LucasfilmWhile Star Wars fans continue to debate the future of the long-running franchise in the wake of several disappointing projects, one thing remains certain: an animated series featuring Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo would save the faraway galaxy.
It’s a concept that’s floated around for a while now, largely in recent years, which have seen the critically acclaimed animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) gain notoriety.
Spanning the three years between Star Wars: Episode I — Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith (2005), The Clone Wars enriches the prequel trilogy and fleshes out characters such as Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen in live action/Matt Lanter), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor in live action/James Arnold Taylor), and Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman in live action/Catherine Taber).
Though there have been many animated shows since The Clone Wars arrived (which is a remake of the 2008 2D-animated miniseries of the same), such as Star Wars: Rebels (2014), Star Wars: Resistance (2018), and Star Wars: Visions (2021), to name a few, not one of those entries lived up to the quality of the long-running prequel trilogy companion.
However, more recent years have given us shows that have continued with the same animation (and tone) as the 2008 series: all three seasons of Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021), and all three entries in the Tales of anthology series: Tales of the Jedi (2022), Tales of the Empire (2024), and, earlier this month, Tales of the Underworld (2025).
Soon, Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord (2026), a series centered on Maul (Sam Witwer), will also expand the world of The Clone Wars.
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Disney and Lucasfilm clearly recognize the enduring popularity of The Clone Wars. So why have they yet to give fans an animated series of this style featuring original trilogy characters such as Luke, Leia, Solo, C-3PO, and R2-D2, that explores the period between one of the three films, or in the aftermath of Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983)?
Many fans agree that this would be an incredibly smart move on Disney and Lucasfilm’s part, especially considering how most Star Wars content in recent years has focused on other parts of the franchise’s extensive timeline, seemingly dodging the original trilogy era.
Related: 5 Ways ‘The Clone Wars’ Could Save ‘Harry Potter’ From a Major Reset
While post-Return of the Jedi live-action Star Wars television series such as The Mandalorian (2019) and The Book of Boba Fett (2021) have featured Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and R2-D2, they’re only small, ultimately meaningless cameos.
Not only that, but much like the widely hated sequel trilogy, the “Mando-Verse”, as it’s often dubbed, which includes the TV series Ahsoka (2023), lacks any sense of overall direction. The Clone Wars, on the other hand, is a show that knew exactly where it was heading from the very beginning — just like the prequel trilogy.
To suggest that Star Wars is in need of “saving”, though, might be a stretch. While the likes of The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), Ahsoka, The Acolyte (2024), and The Mandalorian Season 3 crashed harder than the Death Star, other live-action installments on Disney+, such as Skeleton Crew (2024) and both seasons of Andor (2022), have received positive reviews from critics and have for many reinvigorated interest in the franchise.
Still, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that The Clone Wars, which ran for seven seasons, remains the godfather of Star Wars television, regardless of its format. And we think you’ll agree that a Clone Wars-style show set during or after the original trilogy is a no-brainer.
Not only would it restore faith in the IP for countless fans who’ve been left deflated and disenfranchised by a conveyor belt of wishy-washy content since Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (2017) got the ball rolling nine years ago, it would also help to airbrush some of those deep scars left behind by the sequel trilogy films, particularly with how they handled the characters of Luke (Mark Hamill), Leia (Carrie Fisher), and Han (Harrison Ford).
What do you think? Would an animated Clone Wars-style show with these characters restore your faith in the faraway galaxy? Let us know in the comments!