With so many new Star Wars releases every single year, across all different types of media, not many pieces will be remembered in the same way that the original trilogy has been remembered. Whether it’s in the mainline movie saga, a television series on Disney+, a video game released by EA, or even one of the newest Star Wars comic books, we are living in an age where it can be quite easy to start experiencing Star Wars fatigue. Sometimes it just feels as if there is always something new coming out in the galaxy far, far away, and it can even feel too difficult to keep up with all of it.
However, with all of these different pieces of media being thrown at our faces, there are a few releases that stand out above the rest as truly great Star Wars content. These few releases that do stand out have a chance of being mentioned in the same regard as the original trilogy one day, as they hope to be lasting pieces of one of the biggest media franchises that our world has come to know. Here are 10 modern Star Wars releases that are likely to be considered classics in the future.
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10 Obi-Wan Kenobi
Disney Platform Distribution
This is a tough one, as Obi-Wan Kenobi could be more dependent on future seasons being released in order to truly be considered a classic. The first season of the show was alright, with a decent enough story to bring Obi-Wan out of hiding. However, the clear shining star of the show and some of the best bits of Star Wars that we’ve seen on the screen in a while is the moments between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader.
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Not only are the fight scenes between the two gratifying both emotionally and action-wise, it adds even more depth to a relationship between two characters that have been around since 1977 when the original Star Wars was released. If there is to be another season, and it includes more of the Obi-Wan/Vader relationship as well as more of Qui-Gon Jinn as a force ghost, this series is more than capable of becoming an all-time classic in the future.
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9 Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Lucasfilm / Disney
After 10 years without a mainline Star Wars film, The Force Awakens triumphantly brought viewers back into the galaxy far, far away as well as brought back some of our favorite characters after being gone since Return of the Jedi. While the story holds many similarities to A New Hope, with a planet-destroying weapon and a future Jedi found on a sandy planet, The Force Awakens is pure Star Wars fun for all viewers. Even though the story feels like it has been done before, this first entry into the sequel trilogy will definitely become a classic Star Wars film in the future.
8 Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The Last Jedi has certainly been one of the most divisive pieces of modern Star Wars media to be released, as viewers have come to either love or hate the direction that Rian Johnson took the franchise in. Regardless of what you think of the film right now, the intense discourse that surrounds this movie is more than enough to keep it in the public conversation for a long time, long enough to even consider this film a classic down the line.
Even if the story is not the most beloved that the main saga has ever produced, the film is still cinematically beautiful and explores deeper themes not usually touched on in other pieces of Star Wars media. And they brought back puppet Yoda too, how can you not love that?
7 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Lucasfilm, Electronic Arts
Probably the closest you could get to actually experiencing what it is like to train to become a Jedi, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is one of the very best Star Wars video games to be released in recent memory. Not only is the gameplay super satisfying as you wield both a lightsaber and numerous different Force powers as Padawan Cal Kestis, but the story that develops while you are playing keeps you coming back. Not only that, but you fully explore five different planets, such as the Wookiee planet of Kashyyyk. With a sequel reported to release later this year, this game will be remembered as one of the best Star Wars video games in our modern times, and hopefully the sequel will be as well.
6 Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1
Marvel Comics
When one of the greatest villains in media history finally gets his own comic book, it is certainly going to be some of the best Star Wars media as well as some of the best comics released in recent memory. The very first volume of the comic, we see the Empire’s side of the galactic war against the Rebels, as Darth Vader embarks on his own solo adventures directly after the events of A New Hope. This first volume is a great jumping off point into the rest of the comics and is a great jumping off point to Darth Vader getting his own, fleshed out story.
5 Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Disney+
The first animated Star Wars shows to find its way onto this list, The Bad Batch takes a group of elite clone troopers and sends them on mercenary missions after the events of The Clone Wars. However, this show is intended for the more seasoned Star Wars fan who knows more about the Clone Wars lore and the Star Wars universe as a whole.
Even if this show is not entirely meant for a beginner Star Wars fan, the show still answers a lot of questions that fans were left with as well as provides another entertaining look into the lives of clone troopers. With a second season currently releasing, The Bad Batch is certainly capable of becoming a Star Wars television show that will be remembered for a long time.
4 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Walt Disney Studios
On paper, Rogue One is a film that was made simply to provide more context to A New Hope and how the Death Star plans were acquired. Despite this, Rogue One is a film not only with a great crew of characters, but has some of the most exciting moments that the Star Wars franchise has seen.
First, the final act of the film will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time, but also watching the tragic demise of the Rogue One crew is heartbreaking to watch, even if they did accomplish their ultimate goal.
Second, Rogue One has arguably the best Darth Vader scene that has been put to film. Watching Vader tear apart Rebel troops at the very end of the film is just so satisfying to watch, and that scene alone is enough to make Rogue One a classic piece of Star Wars media.
3 Andor
One of the newest releases to be added to the list, Andor follows Cassian Andor, a Rebel spy that we originally see in Rogue One. The show has been praised for its espionage and political thriller themes, with many saying that it is one of the most mature Star Wars releases to date.
While the show has had one of the strongest starts for a Star Wars show, showrunner Tony Gilroy expects to release a second season, which could either make or break this show’s place as a Star Wars classic. Even if the second season does end up flopping though, this first season will still be remembered as some of the absolute best pieces of modern Star Wars entertainment to date.
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2 Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7
Lucasfilm Ltd.
It’s a little hard to consider the entirety of The Clone Wars as a modern release, as the first six seasons were released before The Force Awakens came out. However, when The Clone Wars story was completed in 2020 with the release of season seven, and has received nothing but praise from critics and fans alike. The show did an excellent job at not only wrapping up the overarching Clone Wars story, but also did an amazing job of making the Star Wars universe better as a whole.
The Clone Wars in general, but mainly the seventh and final season is not only some of the best animated Star Wars content, it is some of the best Star Wars storytelling that the franchise has seen. It will certainly be remembered as an animated classic in the future.
1 The Mandalorian
Disney Platform Distribution
One of the most highly regarded pieces of Star Wars media in recent memory, The Mandalorian will be remembered as one of the absolute best Star Wars television series to be released. The unlikely friendship between Din Djarin and little Grogu is what propelled the series to the peak of popularity it is at now, and fans are anxious for the third season to be released already.
The action of the show as well as expanding the world of Star Wars has also made the show as popular as it is, along with the inclusion of fan-favorite characters like Ahsoka Tano in live action for the first time, Luke Skywalker, and the official return of Boba Fett. There is no doubt that The Mandalorian will be considered a Star Wars classic and the show is likely to only get better as we learn more about the ways of the Madalorian as well as the direction the story is going.
