The annual Star Wars Day is fast approaching, on May the 4th (May the Force… get it?) and while there are plenty of activities to soak in the festivities, those who want to stay home can have their own private celebration without worrying about breaking safe distancing measures.
But while all nine movies in the Skywalker Saga are available on Disney+, telling you to binge watch the Skywalker Saga is like telling you to breathe. The good news is, there are plenty of other Star Wars content on the streaming service, from The Mandalorian, to the made-for-TV Ewoks movies. Here are some shows to watch on Disney+ to celebrate May the 4th.
Star Wars: Clone Wars
Starting the list with a vintage series that young bloods may be unfamiliar with is Star Wars: Clone Wars. Not to be confused with Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Clone Wars was an early attempt to fill in the gaps in-between the live-action movies and this is done by the legendary Genndy Tartakovsky, whose visually driven 2D cartoon style focuses on the fall of esteemed Jedi, Anakin Skywalker and his subsequent transformation into the Sith Lord Darth Vader.
First released in 2003, the show was critically acclaimed and won several Emmy Awards for the best-animated program. The distinct, 2D art style was a new take for the Star Wars universe and is aesthetically different from the current or new TV shows like The Bad Batch and Star Wars: Rebels that took on a more 3D-style approach. Sadly, the events in this series are no longer regarded as canon.
Ewoks: The Battle For Endor
If one of your favourite Star Wars films is Return of the Jedi, then Ewoks: The Battle For Endor is a good movie to add into your movie marathon. Set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the movie focuses on Cindel Towani, the human girl from the first film, who after being orphaned, joins the Ewoks in protecting their village and defeating the marauders who have taken control of the Endor moon.
The 1985 movie helps viewers understand where the Ewoks came from and have a deeper appreciation of their liberation in Return of the Jedi. The movie doesn’t feature any Jedi, but it does feature the adorable, curious and masters of guerrilla warfare – the Ewoks.
Ewoks
The love for these small and furry creatures continues with the 1985 series Ewoks. Like Clone Wars, Ewoks is a vintage Star Wars series that focuses on events outside of the Skywalker saga we’ve all grown to love.
The series focuses on the adventures of Wicket W. Warrick and his friends on the forest moon of Endor, before the original events of the classic Star Wars films. Its penultimate episode, ‘Battle for the Sunstar’, links to Return of the Jedi and explains how the Empire’s colonisation of Endor began.
The Story Of The Faithful Wookiee
Not that big of a fan of Ewoks? Are the gigantic Wookies more your style? Then catch The Story of the Faithful Wookiee where fans embark on a journey with Chewbacca as he hunts for a cure to awake Luke Skywalker and Han Solo from a mysterious sleeping virus.
This vintage short story, part of the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, is a rare animated feature that voices the original Star Wars cast, and sees the first ever on-screen appearance of the galaxy’s fiercest bounty hunter, Boba Fett.
Resistance
Let’s not forget the youngins or fans of the last trilogy! Resistance is a new 2018 animated series that follows a character named Kaz who was recruited into the resistance by pilot Poe Dameron. Tasked to spy on the first order, Kaz and everyone’s favourite droid BB-8, find themselves going head to head with ace racers, pirates and struggles to keep his cover as a mechanic on a large aircraft refuelling station called Colossus.
Forces Of Destiny
Star Wars is without a doubt a diverse franchise as it features numerous species and characters across the entire galaxy. Forces of Destiny focuses on the untold stories from the heroines of Star Wars such as Rey, Princess Leia, Padme Amidala, Ahsoka Tano, Sabine Wren and Jyn Erso.
In Forces of Destiny, fans follow Ahsoka Tano as she learns how to use two lightsabers at the same time as well as follow Rey on a mission to save BB-8 from creatures who want to devour it and more.
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures
Moving away from the core heroes and heroines of Star Wars that graced the big screens, LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures sees sibling scavengers operating a salvage and repair shop on a space station when one of them – 12-year old Rowan Freemaker – discovers the ancient Kyber Saber. Together with his older sister Kordi, ace pilot brother Zander and their refurbished droid named Roger, the three siblings go on an epic adventure across the galaxy and struggle against the Empire to restore peace to the galaxy.
As the title suggests, LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures is a 3D CGI animated television series that is based on the LEGOStar Wars theme.
LEGO Star Wars: All Stars
In LEGO Star Wars: All Stars, fans meet with brand new faces to the franchise and see these newcomers team up with iconic Star Wars heroes like Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian and BB-8.
LEGO Star Wars: Holiday Special
Forget the haters, May the 4th IS Star Wars’ fans’ Christmas and is a holiday spent loving and appreciating the 40-year-old franchise and its legacy. That said, LEGO Star Wars: Holiday Special is a Disney+ original short film that sees the beloved characters during a festive called ‘Life Day’.
The special reunites Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewie, Rose and the droids and sees Rey on a new adventure with BB-8 to gain a deeper knowledge of the Force. At a mysterious Jedi Temple, she is hurled into a cross-timeline adventure through beloved moments in Star Wars cinematic history, coming into contact with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Yoda, Obi-Wan, The Mandalorian, Grogu and other iconic heroes and villains from across the galaxy.
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy, is a 2004 documentary film that documents the making of the original Star Wars trilogy and their impact on pop-culture.
Divided into five parts: the beginning of George Lucas’ career, the complicated production of the first Star Wars movie, the impact of the film and its sequel, as well as interview with Lucas himself and the cast and crew members. What better way to spend Star Wars Day than appreciating the trilogy that started it all?
And there you have it, 10 Star Wars shows to watch on Disney+ to celebrate May the 4th. Whether you’re a fan of the vintage classic series, are new to the LEGO shorts or still have more learning to do about the movies that became a global phenomenon, there’s something on this list that will be enjoyable for you.
Happy watching, and may the Force be with you!
Don’t judge a book by its cover, for behind all this makeup, is a geek just like you. To simply put it, superheroes, Star Wars, Harry Potter and all things gore and creepy makes this girly girl swoon.
Yonk
Natalie
