5 animated Star Wars shows Disney could make after The Bad Batch

Animation has been at the center of Star Wars TV since the 1980s when shows like Ewoks and Droids gave young fans that extra bit of content between trilogies. Since 2008, it's been a constant, with shows like The Clone Wars and Rebels expanding our knowledge of a galaxy far, far away. Now that the latest animated show, The Bad Batch, has come to an end after three seasons, there's a need for a new series to take its place, and there's no shortage of directions for it to go in.

The Galactic Civil War

Despite being the place where the Star Wars saga started out, there hasn't been much shown of the time around the original trilogy, Episodes IV, V and VI. There have been comics and novels, though many of these are classed as Legends now, which means they may no longer be official canon. Yet there's so much to be explored here, including further stories involving the main trio of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, as well as side characters like Wedge Antilles and Mon Mothma.

This is a time of huge importance for the galaxy as the Empire's dominance is challenged and Luke rises to become a threat to the Sith. After the prequel trilogy, The Clone Wars filled in the gaps between episodes II and III, showing the fall of Anakin, the effects of war on the Republic, and the politics that led to Palpatine becoming emperor. An animated show set between the Battle of Yavin and Battle of Endor would could give the original trilogy the same treatment, and really get into the details of the Galactic Civil War and its outcome.

Bounty hunters

Ever since 1977, when Greedo pushed his luck in the Mos Eisley cantina, both Star Wars and its fans have been fascinated by bounty hunters. Despite only having small roles in the movies, characters like Boba Fett, Bossk, and Aurra Sing have become legends, featuring in comics and shows, and even getting their own spin-offs.

The bounty hunter lifestyle captures the romanticism of the old West, as shown in movies like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. We get to see some of this in The Mandalorian, as the title character travels around looking for his next paycheck, but the problem with this show was that it soon got involved in galactic affairs with Moff Gideon and the New Republic, and the episode-of-the-week bounty hunts were put aside. An animated show could be more like the ill-fated Firefly series, featuring a small crew traveling on the fringes of civilization, making a living in the lawless Outer Rim, taking what jobs they can. A show like this could be set in any era, too, from the High Republic to the post-sequel age, as there's always been a need for people with bounty hunting skills.

Master-Apprentice show

Star Wars is a saga of master and apprentices, of the more experienced teacher passing on their wisdom to a younger pupil, and sometimes learning from them in turn. We see it time and time again with Obi Wan and Luke, Anakin and Ahsoka, and Kanan and Ezra. It's a trope that never gets old. There's plenty of potential for a show to take up this format again, but rather than focusing on big characters who hold the fate of the galaxy in their hands, it could look at the lives of an ordinary Jedi master and their padawan, similar to what we see in the Star Wars: Visions episode "The Elder."

With upcoming spinoff The Acolyte opening up the High Republic era to a new audience, there's the opportunity to spring off of that and launch an animated show set around the same time. It would be interesting to see the day-to-day life of masters and padawans. Jedi dealing with petty disputes and local crime is often mentioned, but we don't see much of it. How do they manage to operate on the fringes of the Republic where law and order don't exist? There's a practically limitless stream of stories to be told, and the best part is it can be done without having to tie in with other shows.

New Republic era show

In 2019, The Mandalorian started off a new era of Star Wars known as the New Republic. Set a few years after the fall of the Empire, the former Rebel Alliance is desperately trying to restore the Republic and establish order in the galaxy, all while dealing with the remaining Imperial holdouts and traitors in their own ranks. This is the big era for current Star Wars, as shows like Ahsoka and The Book of Boba Fett are set there, as well as the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu movie.

There's so much to be explored here, and a show looking at it from the perspective of New Republic politicians and military personnel would be intriguing, as they fight Imperial warlords, challenge the crime bosses, and try to tame the Outer Rim, similar to the premise of the cancelled Rangers of the New Republic series. It would also allow for more appearances from classic characters like Luke and Leia.

Omega spin-off show

The Bad Batch was brought to a satisfying conclusion after three seasons, with a finale that sees Clone Force 99 hanging up their blasters and settling down on Pabu for a well-earned retirement. There's always room for more stories to be told, though, and the epilogue sees Omega going off alone a few years later to join the Rebellion as a fighter pilot, setting up a possible spin-off show.

The last time we saw this era was in Star Wars Rebels, so it would be interesting to see it explored from another angle. We could see Omega grow as a character away from her protective brothers, as she decides she has to leave her family to face the growing Imperial threat. In its early days, the Rebellion was a sprawling organization, so there would be no need for it to overlap with Rebels and cause continuity errors. It's possible they'll go the live-action route like Ahsoka, but animation is still the heart of Star Wars television and deserves to keep on shining with new, exciting stories.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.