How to stream all the Star Wars TV shows in order
This article has been updated by Rory O'Connor.
Travel far enough back, and to a galaxy far enough away, and you’ll find a host of Star Wars TV series to enjoy. After Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, the Mouse House began to explore Lucas’ beloved universe on their streaming platform, Disney+. With everything from animated shorts to live-action epics on offer, there are now a host of small screen adventures for Star Wars fans of all ages to enjoy.
Given that some series began before the Disney acquisition, there is still some debate over what should and should not be considered canon in Lucas' Star Wars universe. It's also up to the viewer to decide whether the shows should be watched by their release dates or in chronological order, based on when they happen in the official timeline. In the interest of plot, we’ve decided to go chronological here, as the release dates speak for themselves.
Of course, we recommend that you watch the movies first, so as to properly immerse yourself in the universe and lore before fleshing those stories out with these small screen offerings. Read on to discover more about each series and use the guide below to find out where to stream them on Disney+ and (in some cases) elsewhere.
The Acolyte is one of the most recent shows to be produced by Disney but its story is actually the earliest we’ve seen on screen so far. This is a show that draws on the Star Wars universe’s affinity with samurai and martial arts movies while also working as a more typical serialised mystery, so if you’re a fan of Kurosawa classics like Roshoman or the fight choreography in Shang-Chi, this is one you might be into.
The story is set a Century before the events of The Phantom Menace and follows a padawan and her former Jedi master as they investigate a series of crimes that begin to suggest the dark-side’s resurgence.
The Star Wars live-action series were not the franchise’s first foray into TV. As steadfast fans will know, two long-running animated series paved the way for them. In 2008, Star Wars: The Clone Wars arrived and has since provided fans with 133 episodes of non-stop adventures across the galaxy. This is one that the whole family can enjoy, particularly fans of shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender—another story directed at young people that dealt with mature themes, such as war.
The story charts the three years between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, following Obi Wan, Anakin and his padawan, Ahsoka. With some seasons arriving before the Disney acquisition, not everything in the show is considered canon, but given Ahsoka’s recently established link to the main Skywalker saga, at least everything from 2014 onwards now is.
The Bad Batch focuses on Clone Force 99, a group of soldiers whose political loyalties and unique abilities have made them outcasts and fugitives from the Galactic Empire—and if you like stories set in space about rag-tag teams operating just outside the law (think Firefly or Guardians of the Galaxy), you might well be into this one!
This is another animated show from the Star Wars universe, so younger viewers will likely warm to it. The story takes place just after the events of Revenge of the Sith, with the Empire assuming true power and tightening its grip.
In more recent years, the Star Wars TV output has gone from strength to strength in their live-action offerings, especially with Ewan McGregor’s long-awaited return in Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is one that even casual fans of the movies can appreciate. It also deals with themes more often found in dystopian sci-fi—so if you’re a fan of Children of Men or Logan, you might recognise the approach here.
This story is set on Tatooine about ten years before the events of A New Hope (keep an eye out for McGregor’s cute attempt at impersonating Alec Guinness) and follows Obi-Wan as he comes out of hiding to help save a young Princess Leia.
Star Wars Rebels was released in 2014 and was immediately praised by fans and critics for its intricacy, how it interweaved new and familiar characters, and for its beautiful animation style. This is another show like Bad Batch in that it follows a rag tag group, only this time with some younger and less experienced characters—so again, we can reference The Last Airbender animated series, but also the more recent Skeleton Crew.
The story is set five years before A New Hope and focuses on the early, disorganised days of the Rebel Alliance.
Speaking of the early days of the Rebel Alliance, no Star Wars story has done more to delve into the details and sacrifices of that world than Andor, a brilliantly considered political thriller that’s both as worryingly topical as the best Black Mirror and as exciting as anything in the Star Wars canon—it’s also written by Tony Gilroy, so if you liked the political intrigue he brought to the Bourne movies and Michael Clayton, you will absolutely love this.
The series tells the story of how Casian Andor rose up to be a crucial part of the Rebellion, but just be warned, this one deals with political ideas that will probably only resonate with slightly more mature audiences.
The new-age of small-screen Star Wars adventures started with The Mandalorian in 2019, a show that delighted fans by returning to the original movies’ roots. This is a series that takes its influences from classic, roving gunslinger westerns—imagine what a blend of Star Wars and Clint Eastwood movies (think Fistful of Dollars or The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) would look like and you’ll have an idea of what to expect.
The story, which is set five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, follows the various quests of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), a Mandalorian bounty hunter, and his adorable companion Grogu. It’s become the most successful Star Wars TV series and will, next year, get the big screen treatment with the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu.
If you are keeping to the chronological order here, watch the first two seasons but leave the third till after…
In 2021, Lucasfilm released the interconnected series The Book of Boba Fett, which followed another bounty hunter, the legendary Boba Fett, on his adventure to conquer familiar realms. This is one that mega-fans of Return of the Jedi will love, as it gives viewers the long awaited opportunity to see Fett in full action.
It frankly wasn’t the best received of the live-action shows, but if you enjoy the space western antics of shows like Firefly and Cowboy Bebop, you might be into it.
In 2023, Clone Wars fan favourite Ahsoka got to have her live-action moment with the release of her eponymous limited series. Set after the events of Return of the Jedi, the show follows Ahsoka as she attempts to stop Grand Admiral Thrawn from uniting the scattered remnants of the Empire.
Given that this one deals more with the spiritual and magical elements of Star Wars (the battle between good and evil, the lore of The Force etc.) than other live action shows of its ilk, it will probably appeal more to fans of shows like The Witcher and Foundation.
Focusing on a group of children who escape suburbia to go on an adventure only to get lost in space, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is the kind of thing that fans of Stranger Things or the ‘80s coming-of-age movies that influenced it (like The Goonies and Explorers) will love.
It’s one of the best looking Star Wars shows to date, but it's also created by Jon Watts—the director behind the most recent Spider-Man trilogy, so if you like those movies you'll probably appreciate the vibe here.
It’s also got Jude Law as a space pirate, which is probably worth the entry alone.
