#9: “I Am Your Mother”
This short from Aardman Animation (UK) delivers a simple short story focusing on a young pilot recruit preparing to finish the flight academy race. While it is a standard mother-daughter relationship type episode, it is a fresh change of pace to see a story that isn’t related to The Force or the Jedi.
Force sensitives have something of an over-representation in Star Wars media. Very few such as this focus on the issues of the ordinary everyday citizen in the galaxy.
#8: “The Pit”
This one is probably the most depressing episode in terms of subject matter. Corrupt Stormtrooper commanders force slaves to mine a pit for kyber crystals solely for personal profit. Shows the corruption and appropriation of resources.
A certain amount of years go by, and a city begins to grow, possibly out of the profits of their labors. When one of the slaves escaped from the pit, he attempted to reach out for help but was caught and thrown back to his death. When the mine ran dry, the slaves were free of their restraints; the celebration was turned to dread as their left with no way out.
As great a concept as this episode is, the resolution of all the slave choir chanting “follow the light” to rally the citizens to help felt off. A rushed resolution such as this sort of drops the quality of the second half, but by no means does this make it a bad episode. All episodes are high quality.
#7: “Aau’s Song”
Coming from Triggerfish Animation Studios (South Africa), this episode is set during the High Republic era where on a distant planet prosperous with kyber crystals are corrupted by the recently disappeared Sith order
A little teddy bear-like alien discovers a way to use the force in a song that can heal once corrupted crystals. There is almost no dialogue from the main character at all. What makes this episode interesting, despite not being officially canon is how it adds to the mythology of the crystal in that they are almost sentient, guiding the wielder or those who are attuned to the force.
#6: “Journey to the Dark Head”
This is the longest episode at 20 min. Set somewhere during the Old Republic era, a student at a mysterious temple was given visions in a stone that’s tied to the temple’s statue. Believing that removing a dark sider’s statue would somehow bring The Force back into balance. She’s accompanied by a young padawan who suffers from trauma from dealing with a dark side that killed his master.
The fight scene is very flashy and well-choreographed. However, the resolution of the “Prophecy in the Stone” feels underwhelming, which may be due to the rushed nature that the latter half of the season suffers.
#5: “Bandits of Golak”
Created by 88 Pictures (India), who have previously contributed to several DreamWorks productions, this animation style is surprisingly close to The Clone Wars [TCW] in terms of detail. This time there’s a lot more effort put into the human designs, making them far more expressive than it did in TCW.
This plot follows an older brother escorting his force-sensitive sister through a train to a hidden sanctuary. This episode has a very Indian tone that wouldn’t necessarily fit Star Wars but fits the aesthetic of the episode well.
#4: “The Spy Dancer”
This episode by director Julien Chheng has a very French feel down to the accents. In this story, a dancer works with a rebel cell with her daughter to assassinate a local Imperial commander. Obviously, this episode is meant to invoke French resistance/saboteurs of World War II.
The big twist that truly made this episode something profound was the revelation that the commander was her long-lost son. Once part of a horned humanoid species, he was kidnapped and indoctrinated in the imperial ways concealing what species he was in the past. This was a potent commentary on how many colonial powers kidnapped children to assimilate them into their society culturally.
#3: “Sith”
This gem by El Guiri Studios portrays a former Sith apprentice struggling to escape the mental torment of her former master.
What makes this episode particularly unique is how the force is expressed. We’ve seen the force used in various methods, but this is the first time the force is expressed as an art form. This episode has a very “Spider-verse” art aesthetic, with low frame rates and over-saturated colors.
HEALTH NOTE: Those with Epilepsy should probably give this a skip.
#2: “Screecher’s Reach”
Made by the Irish company Cartoon Soloon this episode has a distinct “Secret of Kells” look that really fits the creepy tone. The opening at an industrial facility on an unknown planet instantly projects the harsh environment that our main characters suffer through. The episode follows Tal, a young girl working in a mine where she and her friends are guided to a cave.
She is lured by an amulet she has worn for a long time and is slowly guided by her actions. Inside the cave was a Sith ghost revealing it to be an old woman resurrected.
The big twist that made this episode was she is influenced by the dark side the whole time. We see a Sith figure appear before her, offering to take her after passing her trial. She sees a new opportunity in life, but we also know what path this leads to in the end. She’s gonna have to kill, scheme, and betray to survive. The only hope we have for her is despite being told by her master and even her friends “never to look back”, she does so right before the door closes.
#1: “In The Stars”
Made by PunkRobot (Chile), this episode takes place on one planet where The Empire has drained all the water, and its inhabitants were exterminated. The premise follows two sisters who were the sole survivors of their tribe. Both sisters have forced sensitives whose mother was killed trying to stop an imperial water factory.
The animation is somewhat of a hybrid between CGI and Claymation. Overall is an incredibly powerful sister story. There is also some ambiguity as to whether or not they survived while their mother’s star does look down, and two new stars rise, implying the family is “together again”.
