Every Dave Filoni Star Wars Project, Ranked Worst To Best

For almost twenty years, Dave Filoni has been a major creative force behind Star Wars. Now, as he expands his role at Lucasfilm, it’s a good time to look back at all his work. Meanwhile, Kathleen Kennedy is leaving her position as President of Lucasfilm. She’ll be succeeded by Dave Filoni, who will oversee creative development, and Lynwen Brennan, who will manage the company’s finances.

Dave Filoni has always been a key figure at Lucasfilm, but his new role as the creative leader for all things Star Wars makes him more crucial than ever. He’s now in charge of the direction of every future Star Wars film and series, essentially deciding their quality. Fortunately, his past work gives us a good indication of how successful he’ll be with the franchise.

Dave Filoni has created some of the most beloved Star Wars shows, and he’s been involved in a large number of them overall. While not every project he’s worked on has been a success, they all demonstrate a certain quality. His work clearly shows his skill as a storyteller and a visual creator. Even his less successful projects have moments of brilliance, and his best work sets a high standard for what Star Wars can be today.

Dave Filoni’s Star Wars Projects
Title Year Role
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 2008 Creator/Director
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 2008-2020 Creator/Director/Writer
Star Wars Rebels 2014-2018 Creator/Director/Writer
Star Wars: Forces of Destiny 2017-2018 Executive Producer
Star Wars: Resistance 2018-2020 Creator/Writer/Producer
The Mandalorian 2019-2023 Director/Writer/Producer
Star Wars: The Bad Batch 2021-2024 Creator/Writer/Producer
The Book of Boba Fett 2022 Director/Writer/Producer
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi 2022 Creator/Director/Writer
Ahsoka 2023 Creator/Director/Writer
Star Wars: Tales of the Empire 2024 Creator/Director/Writer
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew 2024 Executive Producer
Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld 2025 Creator/Writer/Producer

13. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)

Dave Filoni’s initial Star Wars project, and so far his only movie, wasn’t his strongest work. Released in 2008, the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars served as a starting point for a highly successful animated series that fans adore. However, the movie itself hasn’t held up well over time. The animation looks dated, the plot relies too heavily on action, and overall, it’s a fairly forgettable experience.

12. Star Wars: Forces of Destiny

Despite being Dave Filoni’s least impressive Star Wars project, Forces of Destiny is far from a failure. The series wasn’t particularly innovative, largely re-telling familiar stories or adding minor details for a younger audience. However, it remains an enjoyable watch. The animation is visually appealing, the short episodes are fun, and the new additions to Star Wars lore are at least interesting.

11. Star Wars: Tales of the Empire

Image via Disney+

The second installment in Dave Filoni’s “Tales of” series, Star Wars: Tales of the Empire, was the weakest of the three. Similar to the other two entries, it featured two stories focusing on minor characters within the Galactic Empire – one with a tendency towards good, and one towards evil. While Barriss Offee’s story brought back a fan-favorite character, it didn’t really go anywhere with her. The storyline featuring Morgan Elsbeth had a few exciting moments, mainly thanks to appearances by Thrawn and Grievous, but was otherwise unremarkable and easily forgotten.

10. The Book of Boba Fett

So far, Dave Filoni’s The Book of Boba Fett is his weakest live-action series. After decades of anticipation, the show failed to deliver for longtime Boba Fett fans, offering a lackluster story of redemption, disappointing action, and a confusing overall direction. Ultimately, The Book of Boba Fett felt like a spin-off of The Mandalorian and it’s hard to imagine how good it could have been if it had been developed independently.

9. Star Wars: Resistance

While Dave Filoni oversaw it, Star Wars: Resistance is often considered the weakest of his shows due to issues stemming from the larger Star Wars sequel trilogy. The series felt heavily connected to The Rise of Skywalker and suffered from being canceled after only two seasons. This prevented it from developing its own unique story and allowing its characters to become fully realized beyond simple ‘resistance fighter’ roles.

8. Ahsoka

Like The Book of Boba Fett before it, Ahsoka didn’t quite live up to expectations, largely because it felt constrained by what came before. The show essentially functioned as a continuation of the Rebels animated series, prioritizing existing storylines and characters over forging its own path. Instead of fully embracing its own narrative, Ahsoka spent too much time dealing with the fallout from a previous, stronger show. Adding to the disappointment was a weak and uninteresting search for a place called Peridea, ultimately making the series feel flat.

7. Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld

Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld marks a turning point in Dave Filoni’s work on Star Wars, moving him from projects that were generally okay with occasional bright spots to truly exceptional storytelling. While the episodes featuring Asajj Ventress feel somewhat like a setup for a future series and rely heavily on nostalgia, the story arc centered on Cad Bane is a remarkable origin story and a thrilling space Western. Tales of the Underworld demonstrates that even lesser-known Star Wars characters can become the heart of incredible stories when handled by Filoni.

6. Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi

The first installment of the “Tales of” series is widely considered the best. “Tales of the Jedi” shares previously untold stories from the lives of Count Dooku and Ahsoka Tano. While Ahsoka’s story isn’t as strong, it still features memorable action and heartfelt moments, giving fans more insight into her character. Dooku’s storyline, however, really elevates his character, portraying him as a complex and tragic figure, and adds valuable context to the larger story we already know and love.

5. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

Dave Filoni’s latest show, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, feels like his most unique and self-contained work yet. Though not entirely his original idea, Skeleton Crew delivers a playful, exciting, and captivating story designed for younger audiences, but enjoyable for fans of all ages. While it doesn’t directly advance the main Star Wars storyline, it seamlessly blends into the franchise with its familiar themes, visuals, and spirit of adventure.

4. Star Wars: The Bad Batch

So far, The Bad Batch is the only Star Wars sequel show created by Dave Filoni that truly stands on its own, rather than relying too heavily on past stories and nostalgia. While it continues the story from The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch develops its own unique narrative and introduces memorable, emotionally resonant characters. It also expands on the established story of Order 66 and connects to the events leading up to Palpatine’s return in The Rise of Skywalker. The show expertly balances providing background information for dedicated fans with telling a compelling story for everyone.

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2026-01-07 00:22