A New Star Wars Animated Series Is Coming - And We Might Know What It Is

It seems that Lucasfilm is staffing up for another animated Star Wars series, as the studio just posted a job listing for a new shot production coordinator. That's not a guarantee, but it's a strong indication that the franchise's acclaimed animation run will continue very soon. For many fans, that's great news. While the live-action Disney+ "Star Wars" shows have been a bit hit or miss, the animated realm has been a non-stop string of bangers, from "The Clone Wars" and "Star Wars Rebels" all the way through "The Bad Batch," "Tales of the Jedi," and "Tales of the Empire."

Those last two shows have been miniseries, with six short episodes each. It's possible that whatever Lucasfilm Animation is hiring for is just going to be the next installment in that sub-series — another "Tales" run set somewhere else in the Star Wars timeline. But with luck, this new project is something more expansive. "The Bad Batch" just wrapped up its three-season run earlier this year, and the studio might be sketching out the next full animated series to take its place.

If that ends up being the case, there are a couple of likely candidates – Star Wars stories that fans have been clamoring for in animation for years, or those that have been hinted at in more recent content. It may be awhile before we know what Lucasfilm is actually cooking up, but these are the most likely candidates for the next animated Star Wars show.

Let's start with the show that Star Wars fans have been wanting for years: a full animated series in the "Bad Batch" and "Tales" style following Luke Skywalker between "Return of the Jedi" and "The Force Awakens." That time gap is obviously pretty big — about 30 years — which means that there's plenty of room to make a multi-season show work.

The potential upside is enormous. As the star of the original trilogy and the closest thing the franchise has to a main protagonist (sorry Anakin), Luke could create a massive wave of attention and excitement if he were to get his own TV show. That's unlikely to happen in live-action at this point, though, because Disney has simply messed with Luke too much. If he were going to be recast for that point in the timeline, it needed to happen years ago, and the CGI deepfake Muppet that's been standing in for him in the Mando-Verse just won't cut it in a leading role.

With an animated series, Lucasfilm could show us Luke in his prime without having to worry about all that. We could see some of the Kylo Ren comics adapted, showing how Ben Solo fell to the dark side, while also getting new stories about the New Republic, Leia's Jedi training, and Luke's new Order. The list goes on and on. The New Republic era would be perfect for a "Clone Wars"-style anthology series, and Disney could do repair the sequel trilogy's reputation at the same time, all while getting more casual fans invested again.

Another possible route for the new animated Star Wars series could be a long-form show set in the Old Republic era. Like the possible Luke show, it's an idea that a lot of fans have been hoping for for years. Disney has officially re-canonized the Old Republic time period, but we haven't gotten any major new stories set there yet. For fans of the old Expanded Universe, it's a gold mine of beloved characters and rich narratives, all of which Lucasfilm could tap into with a new animated series.

There's undoubtedly a lot of potential with this idea. Bringing "Knights of the Old Republic" characters like Darth Revan into the current canon would be super exciting for longtime fans, and animation is a great medium for realizing the high fantasy stylings and grand battles of the Jedi-Sith wars.

Tackling the Old Republic era in live-action would require a "Game of Thrones"-level budget and an ambitious production design, both of which might be a bit much for an era that hasn't been referenced in many years. An animated series could be a more financially safe way for Lucasfilm to test the waters, all while maximizing the visual potential of the galactic wars and magical plotlines that define the Old Republic in Star Wars Legends.

It's possible that Lucasfilm Animation's next series won't be as ambitious as an Old Republic or New Republic show. A potentially simpler option, which has been rumored since "The Bad Batch" Season 3 came out, is that Asajj Ventress could get her own animated spin-off series.

For years, it was believed that Ventress died in the canon novel "Star Wars: Dark Disciple." However, she reemerges on "The Bad Batch," very much alive and more attuned than ever to the light side of the Force. No explanation for her survival has been given yet, but Lucasfilm has promised that story will be told in future projects.

Even before her resurrection, some fans have asked for more Ventress content. And, from a production standpoint, it could make sense to pick up with her in the space between "The Bad Batch" and "Rebels," filling in more of that point in the timeline where most of the Star Wars animated series have taken place. It might be less ambitious or exciting for casual fans than other possibilities, but there's still a lot of potential in a more focused story about a former dark side user making her way through the galaxy.

It's hard to say right now which direction Disney will go in for the next animated Star Wars show, but it's certainly heartening to know that the company is maintaining this aspect of the franchise. "Rebels" and "The Clone Wars" in particular have become some of the most popular Star Wars stories over the years, and Lucasfilm Animation has hit a real stride with the last couple projects. "The Bad Batch" and the "Tales" series are visually stunning, and it's exciting to think about that style only getting better and better with time.

Of the main options fans have theorized, the New Republic era Luke show is probably the most compelling. It's exactly what Disney needs to get people interested in the sequel trilogy again, which will be necessary for the new Star Wars movie about Rey's Jedi order that's currently in development. It can also help scratch that EU itch by showing us new adventures and character arcs for Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, and the rest of the original trilogy gang. Yes, a ton of the in-between space has been filled in by novels and comics, but that's only more reason to visit it in animation. There's already rich material to play with.

Of course, another short-form "Tales" series is just as likely. Both could happen at the same time with something like a "Tales of the New Republic" title, but we'll keep our fingers crossed for something a bit more ambitious.