Star Wars

Star Wars isn't a brand we discovered — it's one we were born into. The lightsaber hum, the TIE fighter scream, the binary sunset: this is the language a whole generation of dads speaks fluently, and now we're handing it down to the next one.

The Animated Era is, for us, the beating heart of the franchise. What Dave Filoni built with The Clone Wars, Rebels (our pick for the greatest animated series ever made), The Bad Batch and Maul: Shadow Lord (our show of the year) are genuine masterpieces that, frankly, out-class most of the new live-action output. If you only take one recommendation from us, it's this: watch the animated shows.

But the Live-Action Era has its own towering peak — and it's not where most people expect. Andor is the best-written Star Wars ever made, and the binge of Andor → Rogue One → A New Hope is our single favourite live-action experience in the whole galaxy. Add the superb Ahsoka series (do your animated homework first) and the original trilogy, and the live-action side is far from an afterthought.

We don't grade Star Wars on a curve. The Original Trilogy is untouchable, the Prequels are better than their reputation (especially next to The Clone Wars), parts of the Sequels squandered the gift — and Timothy Zahn's Thrawn novels are essential reading for any Rebels fan. A 10 here means perfect for what it set out to do, never "good because it has the logo." Use the links below to dive into each corner of the galaxy.