Despite that reception, The Mandalorian’s two seasons thus far have garnered almost universal praise from fans and critics alike, and it’s this that is arguably the main reason why the show has been positioned at the center of the future of the Star Wars franchise. Like The Mandalorian, Star Wars’ animated series have, at times, overridden the divisiveness that often exists in the fandom to be liked by the vast majority of audiences, which is quite a feat. This begs the question of if these animated shows are better than their live action counterparts, especially with the mixed reception to The Book of Boba Fett. The answer, though, is complex, and is not as black and white as to say that one medium is better than the other for this iconic franchise.
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The animated shows have arguably delivered some of the best moments in Star Wars history, which The Clone Wars highlights extremely well. For example, the Mortis arc of the prequel-era series had much of what makes Star Wars so amazing in the first place, with excellent character dynamics between Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka, as well as the ancient battle between good and evil. Anakin’s turn to the dark side is expanded upon greatly in this arc in particular, as it’s truly tragic to see the young Jedi Knight haunted (but ultimately forgetting, in order to maintain canon) by his future as a Sith Lord. This arc also expands Star Wars lore in a significant way, and handled extremely well by Dave Filoni and co. The live-action prequel films were criticized for expanding lore at the expense of the characters and their development, but the Mortis arc perfectly balances both responsibilities to craft a truly memorable Star Wars story.
Another example of Star Wars’ excellent animated shows is the Siege of Mandalore arc in the seventh and final season of The Clone Wars. The animation is some of the best in recent years, not just from Star Wars but the entire medium more broadly. Maul and Ahsoka’s lightsaber battle is one for the ages and has already gone down in the history books as an all-time action sequence in Star Wars history, as has the series finale. Darth Vader appeared as he picked up the lightsabers he gifted to Ahsoka when he was still Anakin Skywalker in a tragic and emotional conclusion to the Clone Wars era of the franchise.
Star Wars Rebels is the other major animated series in the franchise, and has since garnered a following similar in size to The Clone Wars, especially as both shows are inherently connected. In particular, the season 2 finale, which brought back Maul once again and saw the Inquisitors finally defeated, is held in high regard by Star Wars fans. It’s this two-part conclusion to the season that is one of the most memorable plots of the series, proving to be epic and another example of the strength and quality of these animated series.
While it’s true that the animated shows often surprise fans with their quality, the comparison of if these series are better than the Disney+ live-action series is more complicated than that. At times, The Clone Wars and Rebels’ best episodes outshine some of these live-action outings, specifically when one compares a more one-off episode of a show like The Mandalorian, like Chapter 10: The Passenger, and even some of The Book of Boba Fett.
However, the opposite can also be said, with moments of The Mandalorian proving to be some of the best Star Wars content fans have seen in years, at least in the modern era. Chapter 13: The Jedi, for example, was written and directed by Star Wars’ former animation mainstay Dave Filoni and again was an incredible episode of TV. Even The Book of Boba Fett, a mixed reviewed show as mentioned previously, had Return of the Mandalorian, an episode that felt out of place in the context of the series it was placed in but was still an incredibly enjoyable and uplifiting outing in the franchise, highlighting many of the themes that made Star Wars so popular in the first place.
Ultimately, the debate of live-action vs animated Star Wars series proves that both mediums have had their ups and downs in terms of quality, but that’s to be expected to a certain extent. Still, there’s room for both to coexist in this 40+ year old franchise, and Star Wars is better for it.
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