Which Star Wars next?
November 30, 2020 10:53 AM Subscribe
We've seen all the Star Wars movies and we're enjoying The Mandalorian. Should we watch The Clone Wars or Rebels next? Or something else? In what order?
My husband and I are low-key Star Wars fans. Our first date was a marathon of the original trilogy, so it has a special place in our hearts. We have seen all the movies but none of the animated series. Having just watched a really great episode of The Mandalorian, we are itching to watch more Star Wars TV.
What should we watch next? Clone Wars? Rebels? Resistance? There are a lot of choices and I don't know much about them.
I read something about how Clone Wars is better watched in sequential order rather than release order. Is it worth the effort? It would be sort of nice to just watch through in release order rather than having to stop and consult a list between each episode. But if it makes a lot more sense that way, or if it makes for a more satisfying story to mix it up then we can do that.
Is there a Machete Order equivalent for the series?
My husband and I are low-key Star Wars fans. Our first date was a marathon of the original trilogy, so it has a special place in our hearts. We have seen all the movies but none of the animated series. Having just watched a really great episode of The Mandalorian, we are itching to watch more Star Wars TV.
What should we watch next? Clone Wars? Rebels? Resistance? There are a lot of choices and I don't know much about them.
I read something about how Clone Wars is better watched in sequential order rather than release order. Is it worth the effort? It would be sort of nice to just watch through in release order rather than having to stop and consult a list between each episode. But if it makes a lot more sense that way, or if it makes for a more satisfying story to mix it up then we can do that.
Is there a Machete Order equivalent for the series?
Yes, Clone Wars and Rebels are both good. You're fine skipping the Jarjar-centric Clone Wars episodes though. They're not plot-crucial, IIRC.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 11:36 AM on November 30, 2020
posted by EndsOfInvention at 11:36 AM on November 30, 2020
I'm gonna say first watch Clone Wars (2003). It's a micro TV series by the guy who did Samurai Jack. You can watch it all at once like like a movie. It's brilliant and artistic action without all the bloviating and scenery chewing. Also great sound design. Of course some people watch SW for the bloviating, so YMMV.
posted by SaltySalticid at 11:41 AM on November 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by SaltySalticid at 11:41 AM on November 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
I've never watched any of the TV shows, take this with a grain of salt...
The Lego Star Wars games for PS2 are excellent, and really enhanced my enjoyment of the Star Wars OG and prequel trilogies. (Played them before the new trilogy came out.) I don't know anything about video games--not sure if these are available on other consoles. But you can probably get the games super cheap on ebay if you have access to the machine.
Those two games did more for me loving Star Wars than any of the new movies, and I liked 7 and 8 a lot.
posted by phunniemee at 11:42 AM on November 30, 2020
The Lego Star Wars games for PS2 are excellent, and really enhanced my enjoyment of the Star Wars OG and prequel trilogies. (Played them before the new trilogy came out.) I don't know anything about video games--not sure if these are available on other consoles. But you can probably get the games super cheap on ebay if you have access to the machine.
Those two games did more for me loving Star Wars than any of the new movies, and I liked 7 and 8 a lot.
posted by phunniemee at 11:42 AM on November 30, 2020
Watch Clone Wars before Rebels - there’s a lot of background that will appear in Rebels that really needs some context, as well as some repeat characters. You might also have some fun figuring out where each episode fits in the wider chronology, since the tangled web is so complicated and interesting (also, some episodes of the Clone wars are not sequential).
A lot of people say “meh” about resistance but it’s fun. Just not as deep and lore-heavy (yet) as the other two.
Take notice of the different art direction styles for each series. This is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the three for me - the fact that animation allows them to do beautiful things, in a range of styles and color palettes.
posted by media_itoku at 12:02 PM on November 30, 2020
A lot of people say “meh” about resistance but it’s fun. Just not as deep and lore-heavy (yet) as the other two.
Take notice of the different art direction styles for each series. This is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the three for me - the fact that animation allows them to do beautiful things, in a range of styles and color palettes.
posted by media_itoku at 12:02 PM on November 30, 2020
They're both great. Clone Wars takes place between Episodes II and III, and does a (IMHO) much better job than the movies of characterizing Anakin and helping you see how complex a character he is and why he fell to the Dark Side. It also introduces Ashoka Tano, who's my absolute favorite Star Wars character.
Clone Wars was intended to be a callback to the episodic serials (Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, etc) that ran before movies in the 30s and 40s, so they're by-and-large very episodic, often dropping you into the middle of a story. The good news there is that you can pretty easily skip over storylines featuring characters you don't like (such as Jar Jar, as mentioned above.)
Rebels takes place just before A New Hope, and has more long story arcs. Most of the characters will be new to you, although Vader and Maul appear as villains, and Ashoka reappears for a while. The first season is mot my favorite, but it picks up in Season 2.
posted by chbrooks at 12:11 PM on November 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
Clone Wars was intended to be a callback to the episodic serials (Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, etc) that ran before movies in the 30s and 40s, so they're by-and-large very episodic, often dropping you into the middle of a story. The good news there is that you can pretty easily skip over storylines featuring characters you don't like (such as Jar Jar, as mentioned above.)
Rebels takes place just before A New Hope, and has more long story arcs. Most of the characters will be new to you, although Vader and Maul appear as villains, and Ashoka reappears for a while. The first season is mot my favorite, but it picks up in Season 2.
posted by chbrooks at 12:11 PM on November 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
I agree with the recommendation to watch the Clone Wars in chronological order (the recently released Season Seven isn't included on that list you posted, but it all comes at the end chronologically). Follow it up with Rebels (which doesn't jump around time-wise and can just be watched in order).
Clone Wars can be pretty uneven. There are some definitely-skippable Clone Wars episodes, mostly the ones that are most strongly aimed towards young kids - Jar Jar-centric episodes and episodes centered on R2 and 3PO being the biggest culprits. (There are also some pretty heavy episodes which will make you wonder how on earth they could be considered aimed at kids at all.) If you'd like to trim out all the fat and just watch the most important episodes, here's a spoiler-y breakdown of what episodes are most important and why.
Rebels, in comparison to Clone Wars, is a lot more consistent overall. The earlier seasons are clearly aimed at a younger audience but the show matures very nicely and some of the later episodes contain some truly incredible moments. It's a traditional one-continuing-storyline show as opposed to Clone Wars' pastiche of distinctly separate story arcs and one-off episodes, so it doesn't make as much sense to try and skip any episodes.
I haven't watched Resistance and haven't heard anything about it that makes me think I'm missing out. It seems pretty tilted towards a younger audience, but then again, Rebels started out that way too, so we'll see how it develops.
Forces of Destiny is a series of cute shorts, usually just 2-3 minutes each, that basically assumes you've already watched all of the above and all the movies (including the most recent trilogy) and know who everybody is already. They're a mixed bag but mostly fun and they take almost no time to watch.
The Tartakovsky Clone Wars that SaltySalticid mentions has some great animation and visually stunning moments, but like everything else pre-Disney except the movies, became non-canon when Disney bought it all; might still be worth a watch but I'd recommend watching the whole thing either before or after the Disney Clone Wars series to cut down on confusion.
posted by mstokes650 at 12:12 PM on November 30, 2020
Clone Wars can be pretty uneven. There are some definitely-skippable Clone Wars episodes, mostly the ones that are most strongly aimed towards young kids - Jar Jar-centric episodes and episodes centered on R2 and 3PO being the biggest culprits. (There are also some pretty heavy episodes which will make you wonder how on earth they could be considered aimed at kids at all.) If you'd like to trim out all the fat and just watch the most important episodes, here's a spoiler-y breakdown of what episodes are most important and why.
Rebels, in comparison to Clone Wars, is a lot more consistent overall. The earlier seasons are clearly aimed at a younger audience but the show matures very nicely and some of the later episodes contain some truly incredible moments. It's a traditional one-continuing-storyline show as opposed to Clone Wars' pastiche of distinctly separate story arcs and one-off episodes, so it doesn't make as much sense to try and skip any episodes.
I haven't watched Resistance and haven't heard anything about it that makes me think I'm missing out. It seems pretty tilted towards a younger audience, but then again, Rebels started out that way too, so we'll see how it develops.
Forces of Destiny is a series of cute shorts, usually just 2-3 minutes each, that basically assumes you've already watched all of the above and all the movies (including the most recent trilogy) and know who everybody is already. They're a mixed bag but mostly fun and they take almost no time to watch.
The Tartakovsky Clone Wars that SaltySalticid mentions has some great animation and visually stunning moments, but like everything else pre-Disney except the movies, became non-canon when Disney bought it all; might still be worth a watch but I'd recommend watching the whole thing either before or after the Disney Clone Wars series to cut down on confusion.
posted by mstokes650 at 12:12 PM on November 30, 2020
Watch ROGUE ONE immediately.
posted by nkknkk at 3:31 PM on November 30, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by nkknkk at 3:31 PM on November 30, 2020 [5 favorites]
Clone Wars is so good! I am currently watching Rebels, which is also good but a lot of my enjoyment is coming from things I only understand because I watched Clone Wars prior to this. I watched CW in release order so I was a bit confused at the start but got into it really fast.
It's a great show and did so much to deepen my understanding of Star Wars - I am not someone who grew up immersed in SW, I only got into it recently and I would say that it took CW for me to really engage with it emotionally because of the depth it brings to characters and relationships. Ahsoka is a wonderful character who grows and evolves so much, you can't help but exit the series deeply attached to her.
I really wouldn't have cared much about Anakin Skywalker if I'd only watched the prequel trilogy, but it was as a result of watching Clone Wars that I GOT IT. His fall is illustrated so beautifully and it's all just gut-wrenchingly sad and complex. His relationships, especially with Ahsoka, Padme and Obi-Wan Kenobi, are beautifully fleshed out. Forgive me a fan moment but... ugh my heart.
posted by unicorn chaser at 2:39 AM on December 1, 2020
It's a great show and did so much to deepen my understanding of Star Wars - I am not someone who grew up immersed in SW, I only got into it recently and I would say that it took CW for me to really engage with it emotionally because of the depth it brings to characters and relationships. Ahsoka is a wonderful character who grows and evolves so much, you can't help but exit the series deeply attached to her.
I really wouldn't have cared much about Anakin Skywalker if I'd only watched the prequel trilogy, but it was as a result of watching Clone Wars that I GOT IT. His fall is illustrated so beautifully and it's all just gut-wrenchingly sad and complex. His relationships, especially with Ahsoka, Padme and Obi-Wan Kenobi, are beautifully fleshed out. Forgive me a fan moment but... ugh my heart.
posted by unicorn chaser at 2:39 AM on December 1, 2020
I just started watching the Clone Wars series with my kids and watching it in episode order seems fine.
I made a fanfare talk post to ask if anyone else wants to watch it and discuss, should you be interested.
One thing I didn't know at all until reading some fanfare discussion is that there is a Clone Wars movie (on disney plus, but for me it was well hidden). Watch that first because it introduces the characters (Ahsoka Thano!) and situation.
posted by medusa at 4:55 AM on December 1, 2020
I made a fanfare talk post to ask if anyone else wants to watch it and discuss, should you be interested.
One thing I didn't know at all until reading some fanfare discussion is that there is a Clone Wars movie (on disney plus, but for me it was well hidden). Watch that first because it introduces the characters (Ahsoka Thano!) and situation.
posted by medusa at 4:55 AM on December 1, 2020
Like you, I've also been on a Star Wars kick thanks to The Mandalorian. I finished watching Rebels a month or so back, and I enjoyed it tremendously. Despite not watching The Clone Wars, I still felt like I was able to follow the action and characters, though I expect I'd have appreciated some moments or appearances more if I had the background. What I really dug with Rebels is the terrific ensemble/found-family vibe, which I'm a sucker for.
I am planning to watch The Clone Wars next. I know it's a different flavor from Rebels, but Dave Filoni (who's involved with The Mandalorian and Rebels) has earned some cred.
The 2003 Clone Wars miniseries is a visual treat, but for me it felt a little hollow: no character development or lore, and there's not enough time spent in any one setting. Your mileage may vary. It's only two hours, so at least it's not a big commitment.
posted by xenization at 6:34 AM on December 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
I am planning to watch The Clone Wars next. I know it's a different flavor from Rebels, but Dave Filoni (who's involved with The Mandalorian and Rebels) has earned some cred.
The 2003 Clone Wars miniseries is a visual treat, but for me it felt a little hollow: no character development or lore, and there's not enough time spent in any one setting. Your mileage may vary. It's only two hours, so at least it's not a big commitment.
posted by xenization at 6:34 AM on December 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
I have tried and failed to get with Clone Wars a couple different times. I have no nostalgia or love for the prequels, and thusly do not care about any of the characters in CW. No offense meant to those of you who love it, I just don't grok it.
Rebels, however, is fantastic and I highly recommend it. It leads nicely into Rogue One and Original Trilogy stuff and has that Original Trilogy flavor. It truly makes you understand why Darth Vader is feared. He is a force of nature. The found family vibe is great, as mentioned above.
Rebels also takes lots of inspiration from the original Ralph McQuarrie artwork, which tickles my inner nerd.
posted by Fleebnork at 12:01 PM on December 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
Rebels, however, is fantastic and I highly recommend it. It leads nicely into Rogue One and Original Trilogy stuff and has that Original Trilogy flavor. It truly makes you understand why Darth Vader is feared. He is a force of nature. The found family vibe is great, as mentioned above.
Rebels also takes lots of inspiration from the original Ralph McQuarrie artwork, which tickles my inner nerd.
posted by Fleebnork at 12:01 PM on December 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
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posted by lovecrafty at 11:21 AM on November 30, 2020 [2 favorites]