4 Things To Watch If You Like ‘The Mandalorian;’ ‘The Clone Wars’ Just Got a Major Boost
There is no secret that one of the biggest successes to come out of Disney+ is The Mandalorian. It’s the first live-action series from the Star Wars franchise and doesn’t focus on the Jedi or the Skywalker narrative that the movies do so heavily. It’s definitely more of a Space Western whereas the Star Wars movies have been more of a Space Opera. With exceptions of Rogue One and Solo, of course.
With that said, if you’ve only seen the movies and dove into The Mandalorian, and are hooked, there is plenty more that you can embark on. The second season of The Mandalorian has incorporated so much of past series into the show flawlessly. If you want to learn more, these are the shows and movies ( and one book) you can consume to do so. [Minor spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian Season 2].
1. ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’
With the introduction of live-action Bo-Katan and Ahsoka Tano in Season 2, The Mandalorian is fully bridging the gap between strictly animated characters and live-action ones. Ahsoka is probably the most popular Star Wars character that’s ever existed only in animated form and now lives in both worlds.
Because of this, though, it’s no surprise that Star Wars: The Clone Wars saw a massive uptick in views. According to The Verge, The Clone Wars is “is over four times as popular as it was” before The Mandalorian premiered last November. This is according to Parrot Analytics.
The reason so many people are watching The Clone Wars, and you should too if you like The Mandalorian, is because it adds so much to the lore you’re seeing in the live-action series. It gets into the nitty-gritty of the war in the prequel trilogy, but it also focuses heavily on Mandalore in the latter seasons. Plus Ahsoka is a major character, so viewers get to see her full journey, making her moments in The Mandalorian all the more special.
2. ‘Star Wars Rebels’
In a similar way, Star Wars Rebels will add to your Mandalorian experience. While it’s not as long as The Clone Wars and isn’t as big of a foundation for a lot of lore, it’s still important. Plus, it gives a lot of basis on Thrawn, which is looking to be the next big frontier for a Star Wars on-screen story.
The Verge noted that Star Wars Rebels spiked on Google trends as well, which means more people are interested in learning about Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, Kanan Jarrus, and more. The show is a great companion if you like The Mandalorian because it fleshes out the world without strictly dealing with just Jedi business, which is in the vein of the Disney+ show. It’s different, of course, because it does have Jedi stuff involved, but it’s not all about the Jedi.
3. ‘Ahsoka’ the novel
If you were really enamored with Ahsoka Tano’s character in The Mandalorian’s fifth episode, and haven’t read E.K. Johnston’s novel yet, it’s a must. It starts a year after the Jedi Purge and a year after the Siege of Mandalore. Some things are a little retconned because Season 7 of The Clone Wars hadn’t come out yet (and at this point the show had been canceled), but the overall gist of the story is what matters.
It shows Ahsoka’s survivor’s guilt following the fall of the Republic and how she has to steer clear of Inquisitors, the Empire’s new way of trying to stamp out any remaining Jedi or Force-sensitive children. The audiobook is also fabulously produced with a soundtrack and sound effects and is narrated by the original voice of Ahsoka Tano, Ashley Eckstein, so it really puts in the scene.
4. ‘Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian’
This one’s a no-brainer and not necessarily about the story. It’s not going to add to an audience member’s overall understanding of Star Wars lore, necessarily (although in some cases it certainly will). But watching the Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian will give a better insight into how the show was made.
It’s technical but it’s also really interesting. If you’re into that aspect of it, there are other parts that go more how it was directed and created. It’s interesting and the Season 2 version comes out on Dec. 25.
