We weren’t even two weeks into 2024 when we got some of the biggest news of the year: The Mandalorian and Grogu are headed to the big screen! But while we wait to find out what the Clan of Two is up to next, there were plenty of exciting stories, bittersweet send-offs, and other announcements, anniversaries, and releases in the Star Wars galaxy. We said goodbye to Clone Force 99 in Star Wars: The Bad Batch and said hello to Kay Vess in Star Wars Outlaws. It was a year that brought not just one, but two (!!) new live-action series to Disney+. The LEGO Group put a fresh spin on the LEGO Star Wars galaxy with Darth Jar Jar and we celebrated the debut of the original Gungan 25 years ago in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Always two there are, right? And the Empire loomed over New York City for one unforgettable evening. As we count down to the end of 2024, here are our favorite Star Wars reveals, releases, and moments that made us excited to be a part of the galaxy far, far away.

The Mandalorian and Grogu and Ahsoka 2 were announced!

Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have completed production on The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first Star Wars theatrical release since 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and we couldn’t be happier to see Din Djarin and Grogu fire up a jetpack and head to theaters. The feature film will star Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver, and the glimpse we got at D23 promises other familiar faces including Zeb Orrelios and a gaggle of Anzellans. Sorry, 2024, but we’re already eyeing May 22, 2026.

A sketch from Dave Filoni teasing the follow up to Ahsoka season 1.

And as if that wasn’t enough good news, soon after Filoni revealed that he’s hard at work on Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2 once again starring Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano. After the cliffhanger that (spoiler!) returned Ezra to Hera Syndulla only to strand some of our other favorite rebel heroes in a galaxy far, far, faaaar away, and brought Grand Admiral Thrawn to live-action, we can’t wait to see where Ahsoka’s next adventure takes her — and us. - Kristin Baver

Wim, Fern, Neel, KB, and Jod look at a map.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is taking us on a new adventure in the New Republic.

We’re just at the mid-season mark with Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, but you can count us among the citizens of Neel Nation. (Hey, you can be scared and brave. Two things can be true!) The latest Star Wars series starring Jude Law as Jod Na Nawood, Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Wim, Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Fern, Kyriana Kratter as KB, Robert Timothy Smith as Neel, and their droid pirate SM-33 voiced by Nick Frost, has us feeling like kids again. Remember the first time you watched Star Wars and immediately wanted to be a part of the hero’s journey? This series has all the joy of discovering the galaxy for the first time woven through a perfect story for the whole family. - Kristin Baver

The Acolyte brought the High Republic era to live-action.

In many recent Star Wars stories set in a post-Order 66 galaxy, Jedi characters have been a rarity. That all changed with The Acolyte, set about 100 years before the prequel trilogy, where the guardians of peace and justice are at the center of the action. The series is filled with new characters (plus a shout out to the fans who founded the Yord Horde, Sol Patrol, and Jecki Jam), dazzling fight sequences, a mysterious witch coven, and a new dark side threat in the Stranger. In addition to the thrill of seeing Kelnacca the Wookiee Jedi in action, The Acolyte’s twin characters Osha and Mae gave fans a fascinating look at how even the well-intentioned actions of a Jedi can lead to harmful consequences. - Amy Richau

The series finale of Star Wars: The Bad Batch gave Clone Force 99 a touching send-off.

The third and final season of The Bad Batch was jam-packed with tension, emotions, and action as the members of Clone Force 99 fought to protect their fellow clone troopers and civilians targeted by the Empire. Still reeling from the loss of Tech (I’m talking about me, not just the characters in the show here) a reunion early on in the season between Omega, Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair was a welcome relief, even though Omega’s high M-count continued to make her a target for the Empire’s Project Necromancer. Season 3 of The Bad Batch was a fitting end, providing closure for Clone Force 99, returning Asajj Ventress and more zillo beast chaos to our screens, and giving us a glimpse into the future (spoiler!) with an epilogue showing Omega leaving her squad to work with the Rebel Alliance. - Amy Richau

And Star Wars: Tales of the Empire dropped.

All holidays should feature General Grievous in some way. This year, Star Wars Day fulfilled that brief with the release of Star Wars: Tales of the Empire. The six-part animated anthology created by Dave Filoni focused on the stories of Nightsister Morgan Elsbeth and fallen Jedi Barriss Offee. In three short stories each, we got incredible added depth and context for two characters who are simultaneously complicated and sympathetic, but undeniably villainous in many of their actions. We experienced the harrowing circumstances that led to Elsbeth’s rise to power and loyalty to Thrawn, with stunning visuals that connected to her introduction in Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian. And the anthology showcases the ultimate redemption of Ahsoka Tano's former friend Barriss, which had us holding back tears as we watched. - Jade Fabello

A graphic of the New York City skyline during Imperial March

Imperial March put the “Empire” in Empire State Building over the New York City skyline.

For one night this past spring, the iconic Empire State Building hosted a dynamic light show to kick off “Imperial March,” a celebration of Star Wars villainy through toys, collectibles, and more leading up to May the 4th. The main event was a dazzling display of unforgettable Star Wars moments presented on the building's impressive facade and illuminating the night sky, a spectacular event kicked off by none other than Anakin Skywalker himself, Hayden Christensen, who reflected on his journey in a galaxy far, far away.

Observing from a skyscraper across the way, Christensen was as wowed as the passersby who watched the spectacle live on the streets of New York. The Empire State Building served as a massive screen to classic scenes like the trench run from Star Wars: A New Hope, the lava of Mustafar in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and a giant-sized Han Solo frozen in carbonite from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. As the familiar face of a determined Anakin flashed across the 1,250-foot-tall building, Christensen smiled, pointed, and said, “I know that guy.” He’ll always be the Chosen One to us. - Jenn Fujikawa

LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy officially introduced Darth Jar Jar and LEGO Star Wars turned 25.

Lovingly inspired by how kids (and, yes, even adults) like to play with Star Wars toys, LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy debuted with a twisted taste of a very, very different galaxy far, far away. Following Sig Greebling on an adventure through space and time as he encountered a wild reimagining of some of our favorite Star Wars characters, locations, ships, and moments in LEGO bricks, the four-piece special held nothing back—from the Dark Falcon to Jedi Vader, Ackbar Troopers to the Landolorian, fans experienced an alternate reality tour through the Star Wars galaxy. But most importantly, the true “phantom menace” was revealed — longtime fan-theory favorite Darth Jar Jar! (Also, a shout-out to Nubs Nation…Darth Nubs!)

The homage was a perfect way to celebrate the collaboration between our favorite space opera and the famed brick-building brand, which originally launched with tie-in merchandise for the release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 1999. Twenty-five years later, LEGO Star Wars continues to inspire fans young and old, proving the Force of creativity and storytelling is truly timeless. - Dustin Diehl

The Ghost crew (and their ardent fans) celebrated the tenth anniversary of Star Wars Rebels.

Since its debut ten years ago, Star Wars Rebels has cemented its legacy in the Star Wars mythos, with many of the characters introduced appearing in other media and stories. There’s Ezra Bridger, the young, wise-cracking, Force-sensitive orphan from the planet Lothal first introduced in the TV movie, Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion on Disney XD, who more recently returned to our screens during the events of Star Wars: Ahsoka. And we can’t forget his fellow Rebels with a cause: former Jedi Kanan Jarrus, Twi’lek pilot Hera Syndulla, explosively talented Mandalorian Sabine Wren, Lasat warrior Garezeb “Zeb” Orrelios, and ~~war criminal~~ spunky astromech droid C1-10P (known to his friends, and some of his enemies, as “Chopper”).

Ten years (and one epic HasLab Ghost playset) later, Rebels remains a poignant example of the magic of Star Wars storytelling. Here’s to the next decade of rewatching Ezra and his found family. - Brandon Wainerdi

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary art by Matt Ferguson

We celebrated the 25th anniversary of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace!

Every saga has a beginning...and this year we celebrated 25 years since the release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Episode I was a breakthrough production for Lucasfilm, the Star Wars fan community, and the film industry overall. As the first movie to include more than 2,000 visual effects shots (not to mention more miniatures than possibly any other film in history), it showcased innovations that would continue to change how films are made in every facet of production. The release of The Phantom Menace delivered a new chapter for longtime fans who had waited over 15 years since the Endor celebration closed out the original trilogy, and a new generation of fans emerged to enjoy their first Star Wars cinematic experience. In 2024, the enduring love for this Star Wars entry proves it is now a bonafide classic.

Most of all, The Phantom Menace was the beginning of George Lucas' quest to complete his mythic tale of heroism, tragedy, sacrifice, and redemption. In a movie landscape of blockbuster thrills and action-packed spectacles, Lucas brought us a story with a profound insight: evil does not begin as such; we all have a unique life experience, and although some things are within our control and others are not, we are each presented with choices that will come to shape the course of our lives. - Lucas Seastrom

A gameplay screenshot from Star Wars Outlaws

Star Wars Outlaws gave us the opportunity to be scoundrels.

The open-world adventure of Star Wars Outlaws introduced us to outlaw Kay Vess and her adorable partner, Nix, as they made a big impression on the galactic underworld. Kay immediately fit right into the galaxy far, far away, whether she was sitting at the sabacc table with Lando Calrissian or doing a favor for Crimson Dawn’s Qi’ra. We fell for the characters who joined Kay on her journey, including the commando droid ND-5 and the explosives expert Ank.

In the same year, Star Wars: Hunters officially launched us into fierce player vs. player team battles at the Grand Arena on Vespaara with gladiators from across the Star Wars galaxy, each one with a personality, abilities, and strategies uniquely their own. (Two words: Ewok. Grenadier.)

And although it’s not a story in the Star Wars galaxy, we have to tip our brown fedora to another member of the Lucasfilm family. Earlier this month, we got to step into the shoes of a legendary (and, yes, slightly scruffy-looking) archaeologist when Indiana Jones and the Great Circle arrived. If you squint, he kind of looks like that scoundrel Han Solo. - Kelly Knox

Ahsoka, the Mandalorian, and Cassian joined Star Tours.

Urgent transmissions from rebel allies and a thrilling barrel roll among floating space whales are among the newest features dazzling riders at Star Tours - The Adventures Continue, courtesy of the creative minds at Walt Disney Imagineering, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound. Building on the already abundant 250 (!) possible storyline combinations available, Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, and Disneyland Paris have introduced new transmissions from Ahsoka Tano, Cassian Andor, and the Mandalorian and Grogu, as well as a new destination — the cloud-filled skies above Seatos, as seen in the Disney+ series, Ahsoka. Once arrived, riders are flung into the migration path of the peaceful but massive purrgil, following Ahsoka in her T-6 starship as she attempts to evade enemy fighters. With C-3PO and R2-D2 piloting your Starspeeder (ok, it’s probably just Artoo), we jump headlong into the fight to lend Ahsoka an assist, evening the odds and finishing in a flourish with a celebratory victory roll (a most impressive ride simulation courtesy of the ingenious engineers at Imagineering). - Pete Vilmur

Music By John Williams arrived in an explosion of happiness.

If you haven’t watched it yet, the award-winning Disney+ documentary Music By John Williams follows the maestro from childhood through his storied career for an emotional journey through some of the soundtracks that define modern movie history. Through the lens of music, Williams’ work is explored like never before thanks to Steven Spielberg’s personal behind-the-scenes footage and insights from longtime friends and collaborators. In the documentary, Gustavo Dudamel of the Los Angeles Philharmonic describes Williams’ performances at the Hollywood Bowl as “an explosion of happiness,” and we can’t think of a better description for the beloved composer’s entire body of work. - Kelly Knox

In Star Wars publishing, Star Wars and Darth Vader ended their historic 50-issue runs, and The High Republic continued with exciting and unexpected stories that brought us closer to next year's epic conclusion!

Two historic Marvel comic runs came to an end in September this year with Star Wars #50 by writer Charles Soule and artist Madibek Musabekov and Darth Vader #50 by writer Greg Pak and primary artist Raffaele Ienco, closing a chapter in between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Both series brought readers new adventures and challenges for the likes of Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Darth Vader, with super-sized final issues that brought a close to this era of Star Wars comics with a bang!

But there are always more Star Wars stories to read. Among the many books and comics arriving this year was the continuation of Phase III of Star Wars: The High Republic, which further explored the Jedi Order in its prime. The evil Nihil are winning, the monstrous Nameless continue to attack, the carnivorous plant creatures the Drengir have returned, and more Jedi have fallen in battle. The middle grade novel, Escape from Valo by Daniel José Older and Alyssa Wong, kicked off the year reuniting us with Padawan Ram Jomaram, Tessa Gratton amped up the tension for Jedi Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann in Temptation of the Force, and Tears of the Nameless followed Jedi Knight Reath Silas on an investigation into the terrifying creatures. And that’s just the beginning. It’s all leading up to the final battle between the Jedi and the Nihil. But it's always darkest before the dawn, and the golden age of the Jedi will not be snuffed out easily. - Paige Lyman

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