Star Wars: Best of 2023

StarWars.com’s writers celebrate the year’s biggest announcements, releases, and favorite moments.

Fifteen years after her debut in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Ahsoka Tano became the star of her own acclaimed series this year. But first, we returned to Mandalore for Season 3 of The Mandalorian. And that’s just the live-action offerings. The Star Wars galaxy is always brimming with new stories and exhilarating news, from the heart wrenching second season of The Bad Batch and the series premiere of Young Jedi Adventures continuing to build on our love of Star Wars animation, to the return of Cal Kestis in the eagerly-awaited video game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and the launch of the final phase in Star Wars: The High Republic books and comics, there was something for everyone! Plus, when we gathered in London for Star Wars Celebration Europe in April, we learned about plans for new films, got a glimpse at the future of Andor, met a new Wookiee Jedi from The Acolyte, and so much more. As we count down to the end of 2023, here are our favorite Star Wars announcements, releases, and moments from another banner year!

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 made us cry in the best way.

“When have we ever followed orders?” It’s a moment that haunts my dreams and consistently makes me cry with every rewatch. And it’s an example of why The Bad Batch continues to be one of my personal favorite Star Wars stories. After meeting Clone Force 99 in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the Batch was forever changed when Order 66 was declared — as seen in the opening scene of the spinoff series premiere. The introduction of Omega made the crew more of a Dad Batch as they adopted their sister and tried to carve out a new life for themselves. But Season 2 was all about heartbreak. Echo leaving to help Rex. Finding a community on Pabu only to have nature threaten to destroy it all. Tech…well, you know. And that cliffhanger season finale? With Season 3 coming next year, we can’t wait to find out what happens next. – Kristin Baver

The Mandalorian took us back to Mandalore in Season 3 of the Disney+ series.

The beloved found family of Din Djarin and Grogu returned this year, setting off on a new quest to redeem the Mandalorian for the transgression of willingly removing his helmet. The Armorer tasked him with bathing in the Living Waters beneath the Mines of Mandalore in order to end his exile and that undertaking reunited him with Bo-Katan Kryze and took fans along for the journey to the storied planet. With a closer-than-ever look at life in the burgeoning New Republic, the reveal of a pivotal moment in Grogu’s past, and the return of an old enemy in Moff Gideon, plus dazzling guest stars and an unexpected new beginning for the survivors of Mandalore, Season 3 of The Mandalorian told a can’t-miss story for Star Wars fans. – Kelly Knox

Ahsoka arrived — and she brought along some familiar friends in Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, Ezra Bridger, and more!

For those who have followed Ahsoka Tano, the former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker originally introduced in 2008’s animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, seeing her lead a live-action series was reason to celebrate. Led by series star Rosario Dawson, who once again deftly brings a more experienced version of the character to life, a calm sage who can still get rough and tumble when need be, the story also brought many of our favorite characters from Star Wars Rebels into live action and continued that beloved show’s story, with Sabine Wren played by Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Hera Syndulla played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Ezra Bridger played by Eman Esfandi. But it was Ahsoka’s surprise reunion with Anakin Skywalker that will go down as an all-time great Star Wars moment, a shining example of Ahsoka’s strength in its meditations on friendship and teaching. These are long-running Star Wars themes, and Ahsoka creator Dave Filoni explores them at great length here — not just as plot points, but inviting viewers to examine their role in our lives, an exercise in forgiveness and understanding for ourselves and others. As Filoni himself was mentored by George Lucas, one can read Ahsoka as a deeply personal statement, layered with thrilling lightsaber action and the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Either way, Ahsoka delivered a payoff to Rebels fans, cleared a path for future stories, and had something to say. That’s quite a hat trick. – Dan Brooks

We returned to Star Wars Celebration Europe!

For the third time, Star Wars Celebration crossed the pond to London to celebrate everything and anything Star Wars. During four days in April, fans gathered from around the world to cosplay their favorite characters, attend (and host!) panels, shop exclusive merchandise, and just talk Star Wars with friends new and old. In addition to the news of three new Star Wars films, new trailers debuted for Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Skeleton Crew, The Bad Batch, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. (Yes, we know that last one isn’t Star Wars, but Indy will always get an honorable mention here!) We can’t wait to get together at Star Wars Celebration Japan in 2025! – Amy Richau

We got hyped for all the big announcements: three new films, two new live-action series, and other stories to discover!

The Skywalker Saga films ended in 2019, and while we’ve loved the deluge of new series, books, and games keeping us enthralled in the years since, there’s something special about going to see a new Star Wars film on the big screen. This year, Daisy Ridley surprised us all announcing she’ll be back as Rey in one of three new films currently in development. In the meantime, we’re counting down the days until the premiere of the High Republic in live action with The Acolyte next year, Diego Luna’s return in Andor Season 2, Jude Law’s debut in Skeleton Crew, and a second season of Tales of the Jedi. – Kristin Baver

Cal Kestis returned with the release of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and we met Kay Vess with the announcement of Star Wars: Outlaws.

In 2023 Jedi: Survivor reunited video game fans with the crew of the Stinger Mantis! Five years after Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Cal Kestis and his trusty friend BD-1 were back and still taking the fight straight to the Empire. The fugitive Jedi introduced us to new characters, including mercenary Bode Akuna and the colorful cast of Pyloon’s Saloon on Koboh. And during his journey, Cal unwittingly revived a villain from the High Republic era — the first appearance of this era in video game form. But even if you’ve completed your playthrough, there are more Star Wars games on the horizon. This past summer, Star Wars video game fans were treated to their first look at the upcoming open-world game Star Wars: Outlaws, starring scoundrel Kay Vess, her merqaal companion Nix, and the hotly anticipated ND-5. We can’t wait to join them for a new adventure! – Kelly Knox

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi marked 40 glorious years!

Released in theaters on May 25, 1983, Return of the Jedi marked its 40th anniversary earlier this year. To commemorate the occasion, the team at StarWars.com curated with a special series of articles, “Jedi at 40.” The real Ewok celebration of all things Return of the Jedi included a deep dive with Ben Burtt and Randy Thom into the sounds of the film, a closer look at the rancor pit sequence with Dennis Muren and Phil Tippett, and a look back with fashion illustrator Marilee Heyer. The 40-year celebration wasn’t just online. From the anthology collection From a Certain Point of View to the return of Return of the Jedi in theaters for the first time in 26 years, it was the perfect time for fans to rediscover the exciting conclusion to the original trilogy. – Paige Lyman

Star Wars: The High Republic Phase II ended and Phase III arrived.

The High Republic tales continued to unfold in 2023 with the end of Phase II of the publishing event, Quest of the Jedi, and the beginning of Phase III: Trials of the Jedi. Fans of the High Republic learned more about the Path of the Open Hand and the mysterious creatures called the Nameless while following the adventures of Jedi and civilians exploring the Outer Rim frontier during a time of galactic expansion. The summer anthology Tales of Light and Life included short stories focusing on characters from Phases I and II as well as introducing characters new to Phase III, and a short story by the newest author to join the group, Alyssa Wong. This fall saw the beginning of Phase III with the release of the Marvel comic miniseries Shadows of Starlight and the novel The Eye of Darkness — a return to the characters of Phase I — about a year after the destruction of Starlight Beacon. And the stories are far from over. With the Nihil victory, the Jedi will truly be put to the test. – Amy Richau

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures birthed Nubs Nation!

Star Wars is no stranger to adorable, cuddly creatures, and the premiere of Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures is no exception. While the animated Disney+ series set in the era of the High Republic is aimed at a younger audience, fans of all ages have enjoyed meeting Jedi younglings Kai, Lys, and their pal Nubs! The trusty Pooba youngling has become a fan favorite. From his love of food to his dedication to his friends, it’s no wonder Nubs has earned himself a loyal following as a highly relatable youngling. It also doesn’t hurt that veteran voice actor and Star Wars mainstay Dee Bradley Baker gives life to Nubs’ impossibly cute dialect. We can’t wait to see what our favorite Pooba and his friends get up to next. – Dustin Diehl

Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 dropped.

This year’s Star Wars Day delivered a bounty of captivating stories in the form of Star Wars: Visions Volume 2. In 2021, the first volume of the animated anthology series brought us nine fantastic stories from Japanese studios. But this year’s rendition broadened the perspective even further with entries from animation houses in Japan, India, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Chile, France, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States. It’s incredibly special to see the Star Wars galaxy expressed through the lens of creatives across the globe, telling stories imbued with centuries of history, cultural context, and artistic inspiration. The series is a true testament to the versatility of the Star Wars galaxy and a good chance to find your next favorite Star Wars story. – Jade Fabello

HasLab’s the Ghost
Hasbro’s HasLab is bringing the Ghost to our toy shelves.

In celebration of the Ghost’s appearance in Ahsoka, the team at Hasbro announced plans to turn the iconic ship into an enormous 3.75”-scaled toy for The Vintage Collection. Through their HasLab crowd-funding program this year, Hasbro gave collectors the opportunity to bring home the fan-favorite ship, one of the largest vehicles that the company had ever produced. The toy-making team worked closely with the crew behind Ahsoka, including Doug Chiang and the wizards at Industrial Light & Magic, to make their version as close to its on-screen counterpart as possible. In addition to the incredibly detailed interior with cockpit, crew quarters, and more, the Ghost is packed with extras, including a detachable Phantom II, special mural cardbacks for figures of Hera Syndulla, Kanan Jarrus, Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios, and Ezra Bridger, and even a little Loth-cat. Over 20,000 fans will receive their Ghost in the fall of 2024. Impressive. Most impressive! – Brandon Wainerdi

Dark Droids and Tales from the Death Star brought horror to the galaxy.

Star Wars has explored horror before, but never quite like this. Dark Droids, the latest Marvel Star Wars comics crossover event, has introduced a new kind of threat known as the Scourge: a droid that can assimilate other mechanical beings throughout the galaxy and use them to kill and devour. The brainchild of writer Charles Soule, it’s a terrifying idea that’s immediately effective; the Scourge’s easy takeover of a Star Destroyer in Dark Droids #1 illustrates just how dangerous it is. When the Scourge gets loftier ambitions, we know to take it seriously. In Dark Droids, no one is safe… and for horror fans, that’s a good thing. But that wasn’t the year’s only terrifying tale. Cavan Scott continued his annual tradition of scary Star Wars stories with Star Wars: Tales from the Death Star, a frightfully fun anthology released during the Halloween season. An all-ages original graphic novel from Dark Horse, it spun yarns of ghost squadrons, creatures hiding in the depths of the Death Star, and more. What horrors await us next year? We can’t wait to find out. – Dan Brooks

Harrison Ford reclaimed his hat as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny arrived.

In recent years, Star Wars fans have enjoyed a plentiful array of new stories, but one only needs to go back a couple of decades to recall a time when we had to wait years for new tales from the galaxy far, far away. That’s something Indiana Jones fans know all too well. And after 15 years passed since our last big screen adventure with Henry Jones, Jr., we at last were treated to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny this past summer. Harrison Ford’s last performance as cinema’s great archaeologist was well worth the wait, and Indy fans around the world relished the opportunity to celebrate the occasion. The film’s release was a significant milestone not only for the cast, crew, and audience, but for Lucasfilm itself. The Indy stories originate in our earliest history as a company, right alongside the development of Star Wars. Over the decades, these two sagas have shared distinct similarities that make up the core elements of the Lucasfilm spirit. – Lucas Seastrom.