Star Wars spin-offs: Every show and film that expands the universe

The Star Wars saga kicked off in 1977 with George Lucas pulling off what was basically a space western epic. It just expanded into movies, animated series, novels, comics, and games. Here, the galaxy is packed with oddball aliens and dramatic politics, be it Jedi versus Sith, the Rebellion versus the Empire, and, more recently, the Resistance versus the First Order.

It is a mix of ancient legends and laser-blasters, and it rewired pop culture’s brain forever. Now, spin-offs form an integral part of this whole canon. If you want to know what that background droid in a cantina was up to, there’s probably a show or comic about it. These extra stories fill in the gaps, elevate the drama, or just go nuts with some random character you never expected to care about.

OG fans keep coming back, and there’s always some new show tempting fresh meat who have never watched Luke whine about power converters. Flash forward to 2025, and the spin-offs (animated, live-action, miniseries) each one is seasoning the Star Wars stew with new takes while always tying back to the original saga.

When you actually pile it all up, Star Wars has released over 30 spin-offs. The “galaxy far, far away” isn’t just about Luke and Vader anymore. It’s everything from those Ewok movies from the ‘80s all the way up to new Disney+ shows like Skeleton Crew.

So, let’s dive into the Star Wars rabbit hole and check out how they matter.

---

List of Star Wars spin-offs

As of 2025, the spin-off galaxy includes (but is definitely not limited to) animated adventures, live-action journeys, and TV movie experiments. It also features shorts, some micro-series, game shows, and a whole graveyard of projects that were cancelled before their debut.

Animated Series: Ewoks (1985–1986), Droids (1985–1986), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2020), Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018), Star Wars Resistance (2018–2020), Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021–2024), Star Wars: Visions (2021–present), Star Wars Tales (Tales of the Jedi, Tales of the Empire, Tales of the Underworld) (2022–present), Young Jedi Adventures (2023–present).

Animated micro-series and shorts: Clone Wars (2003–2005), Star Wars: The Resistance Rises (2015), Star Wars Blips (2017), Forces of Destiny (2017–2018), Galaxy of Adventures (2018–2020), Roll Out (2019–2020), Galaxy of Creatures (2021–2023), Galactic Pals (2022), Zen – Grogu and Dust Bunnies (2022), Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord (2022), Star Wars: Ronin – A Visions Novel (2022), Fun with Nubs (2024–present).

Live-action series: The Mandalorian (2019–2023), The Book of Boba Fett (2021–2022), Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), Andor (2022–2025), Ahsoka (2023–present), The Acolyte (2024, canceled after one season), Skeleton Crew (2024–present).

TV movies (Ewok films): Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984), Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985)

Game Show: Jedi Temple Challenge (2020)

Documentaries: Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian (2020–2023), Vehicle Flythroughs (2021), Biomes (2021), Galaxy of Sounds (2021), Disney Gallery: The Book of Boba Fett (2022), Disney Gallery: Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return (2022).

Abandoned/canceled projects: Star Wars: Underworld (live-action series planned but never produced), Star Wars Detours (unaired animated parody series), Rangers of the New Republic (canceled live-action series planned to tie into The Mandalorian), Star Wars: Lando.

Theatrical spin-off films: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).

Animated films/specials: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) and Star Wars: A Droid Story (2023).

---

Essential Star Wars spin-offs (chronological order)

Prequel era (Before and during Episodes I–III)

For the uninitiated, the prequel era is your ticket to the old days right before and during The Phantom Menace (Episode I), Attack of the Clones (Episode II), and Revenge of the Sith (Episode III).

Imagine a shiny Jedi Council, a Republic that looks polished on the outside but is rotting inside, and some sneaky Sith making big moves in the shadows. And let’s not forget Anakin, the golden boy who had the worst luck and even worse choices. This is where you see him turning into Darth Vader.

If you have watched Episodes I-III, fill in the blanks with the spin-offs listed below:

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2020): This animated gem actually made people care about Anakin’s tragic backstory. Fills in the blanks between prequels, adds a ton of depth to Obi-Wan.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021–2024): It is basically a ragtag bunch of clone misfits refusing to toe the Imperial line. Kind of like the A-Team, if they were genetically-engineered soldiers running around post-Clone Wars. It connects the prequels and the rise of the Empire neatly.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2022–present): Anthology setup, wherein sometimes you get a cool Jedi origin story, other times it’s Dooku being all moody pre-Sith. Set in the prequel era. Good for quick bites of lore if you are bored.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022): Disney finally gave the people what they wanted: Ewan McGregor looking sad in the desert between Episodes III and IV, with a healthy dash of lightsaber nostalgia and existential brooding.

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire (2024): Another anthology, this time focusing on the Empire’s less shiny moments between the prequel and OG trilogies. Gives more villain backstory and moral ambiguity.

Original trilogy era (Episodes IV-VI and immediate aftermath)

The Original Trilogy Era is the chunk of Star Wars that most people think of when someone hums the theme tune. We're talking A New Hope (Episode IV), The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V), and Return of the Jedi (Episode VI)—the classics. It’s all about the Rebel Alliance’s fight against Imperial forces, with Darth Vader actually showing he’s got a heart in there somewhere, and everything feeling hopeful again.

You can fill the gaps with the spin-offs listed below:

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016): It’s about the rebels risking everything to snatch Death Star plans right before Episode IV goes down. The fate of the galaxy is at stake in this one.

Andor (2022–2025): Ever wondered how Cassian Andor got his rebel groove? This show is all about his sketchy early days in the Rebellion, slowly building up to where Rogue One kicks off.

Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018): While it is animated, don’t sleep on it. It ties the gap between the prequels and OG trilogy, with a crew kicking up dust in the early rebel scene.

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018): Han Solo’s rookie years. You get the origin tale, a bit of swagger, some questionable life choices, and it is set right before he shoots Greedo (or does he??).

The Mandalorian (2019–2023): Set after Episode VI, Mando and everybody’s favorite little green meme, Grogu, are wandering the galaxy, dodging trouble after Return of the Jedi.

The Book of Boba Fett (2021–2022): It takes off from The Mandalorian, but it's Boba Fett’s time to shine and, well, run a crime syndicate.

Ahsoka (2023–present): It picks up with Ahsoka Tano after her Rebels adventures and runs alongside The Mandalorian’s timeline.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (2024–present): A new squad of misfits during the New Republic, happening at the same time as Mando and Ahsoka.

Others (peripheral or anthology)

Star Wars Resistance (2018–2020): This show dances around the edges of the original trilogy. It’s set just before and around all the big happenings, but it’s a bit off to the side.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (the 2008 movie) and Star Wars: A Droid Story (2023): These are animated flicks that tie into their own corners of the franchise. They matter for their series, but you’re not missing the galaxy’s biggest secrets if you skip.

---

Unless you are a hardcore fan itching to soak up every corner of the Star Wars galaxy, most of these extra spin-offs are optional. If you just want to stick to the must-watch stuff, go through the key spin-offs. May the Force be with you!