Since The Mandalorian series emerged as a runaway hit, Disney+ has doubled down on Star Wars content as its cornerstone.

The Clone Wars, an acclaimed animated series from The Mandalorian co-producer Dave Filoni, rolled out a long-awaited final season. Disney+ provided unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to their hit show with Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, hailed in an informal poll as fans’ favorite making-of series on the streamer.

And while the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has altered countless Hollywood release and production schedules, thankfully, The Mandalorian season two completed filming early this year. Disney CEO Bob Chapek confirmed recently it is on-track for October release.

Now, as of July 10, Solo: A Star Wars Story has released on Disney Plus. Several media outlets reported that “every Star Wars film” is now on the rising streaming service … but that’s not really accurate.

The following seven Star Wars films and series remain locked away in the Disney vault alongside hundreds of missing titles. While these programs are not up to the 4K technical quality of recent Star Wars titles, the stories are nonetheless legends in the larger mythic universe.


1. Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003-2005) Animated TV series

Just 25 episodes in total, some running only three minutes, Star Wars: Clone Wars may seem like a trifle. But it’s been ranked among the top 100 animated series for a reason. Samurai Jack action animator Genndy Tartakovsky brought to life a unique anime style in this micro-series. Not to be confused with Dave Filoni’s sprawling series, this early concept featured some key character moments never seen in “canon” — such as how Anakin received the scar that appears between Episodes II and III.


2. R2-D2: Beneath the Dome (2001) TV movie

This tongue-in-cheek mockumentary purports to tell the “real story” of R2-D2. While it’s a bit ridiculous, what makes it worth a watch is hearing Hollywood figures like Ewan McGregor, Francis Ford Coppola, Richard Dreyfuss, Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman, Steven Spielberg, and, of course, George Lucas dish on what the astromech droid is “really” like.


3. Star Wars: Ewoks (1985-1986) Animated TV series

One year before Disney ventured into TV animation with DuckTales — and 23 years before Dave Filoni began a new era in Star Wars animation — Ewoks and Droids paved the way. Plots in the 26 Ewoks episodes centered on four Ewok families living on the forest moon of Endor, with the second season regarded as of higher quality.


4. Star Wars: Droids (1985-1986) Animated TV series

While the “sister series” of Ewoks lasted only 13 episodes, plus an hour-long finale, it features stronger links to the larger universe — perhaps due to Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt co-producing the show. Droids includes appearances by Boba Fett and IG-88, while its villain Admiral Screed has shown up in novels.


5. Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984) TV movie

With a story by George Lucas, this gentler take on Star Wars set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi has rarely been seen. It won two Emmy Awards and has a cult following, with thousands of fans having signed a petition for both TV movies to be added to Disney+.


6. Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985) TV movie

The sequel has even stronger ties to Star Wars mythology, introducing creatures known as Blurrg—later seen in The Clone Wars and recently in The Mandalorian season one. Including both Ewok movies would help bridge the age gap on Disney Plus, between the kiddie Lego Star Wars animated series and the Star Wars films.


7. The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) TV movie

It’s the special George Lucas wished never existed — and will surely never be on Disney+ due to its poor quality. This two-hour variety show, widely available on YouTube and other online video outlets, features original trilogy stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford reprising their roles. The plot centers on Life Day, a holiday since referenced in canon Star Wars media. Aired two years prior to The Empire Strikes Back theatrical release, it also includes the first appearance of bounty hunter Boba Fett, who wields the Amban phase-pulse blaster, a weapon later seen in The Mandalorian series.


Which one of these missing titles do you hope shows up on Disney+? Is there other forgotten Star Wars content not included here? Comment below.

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Josh Shepherd

Freelance journalist Josh M. Shepherd covers culture and family entertainment for several media outlets. A graduate of the University of Colorado, he lives in the Washington, D.C. area.

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20 Comments

  1. Tom July 23, 2020

    While I expect everything but the Holday Special to eventually be added, I personally would like to see the Droids and Ewoks cartoons added.

  2. Connor Beith July 23, 2020

    One you missed was the cancelled series, Star Wars Detours. Though it never released, 39 episodes were completed before it was cancelled after the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm. The fact all these finished episodes are just sitting there in a vault really makes me want the whole series to be released despite the backlash it got back it was first revealed.

  3. andrew July 23, 2020

    I say releash them all,including the holiday special.Plus do the fans a favor and release the orginal 1977 Star Wars before it was remastered before it was episode 4.

  4. Sam July 23, 2020

    Since Disney+ has been bringing over content from YouTube, could The Star Wars Show ever be added?

    1. Peter December 10, 2020

      Probably, but it's still youtube property By The Wy

  5. Brayden July 24, 2020

    The Making of Star Wars (1977) SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Return of the Ewok (1982) Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi (1983) From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga (1983) The Beginning: Making "Episode I" (2001) Films Are Not Released, They Escape (2002) From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in "Episode II" (2002) State of the Art: The Pre-Visualization of "Episode II" (2002) Within a Minute: The Making of "Episode III" (2005) Star Wars Animated Adventures: Ewoks - Tales from the Endor Woods and The Haunted Village Star Wars Animated Adventures: Droids - Treasure of the Hidden Planet and The Pirates and the Prince Star Wars: Clone Wars - Volumes 1 & 2 Lego Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick (2005) Lego Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2 (2009) Lego Star Wars: Bombad Bounty (2010) Lego Star Wars: The Padawan Menace (2011) Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out (2012) Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles - "The Phantom Clone", "Menace of the Sith", "Attack of the Jedi" Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Crystal Crisis on Utapau Science and Star Wars series Star Wars: Forces of Destiny Volumes 1-4 Star Wars Resistance shorts Star Wars Detours

  6. Philip July 25, 2020

    I want them all to release on the service, but you also forgot, Return of the Ewok (1982), The Lego Yoda Chronicles mini series, The New Yoda Chronicles are available, but not the original ones, and also Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out (2012), Lego Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2 (2009), Lego Star Wars: The Padawana Menace (2011), and Lego Star Wars: Bombad Bounty (2010). And I would like to see them all added, Disney explicitly said that the entire Disney catalouge would be made availble on both Hulu and Disney+ which now includes, Lucasfilm, Marvel, and Fox, exceptbfor Song of the South (1946)

    1. Tom July 30, 2020

      What to remember is they said they are opening the vault and they have done that, but they never gave a timeline to when it will all be added. Most of these shows and tons of others will not have any real impact on getting and retaining subscribers. So there is no rush to add these. Expect these and other lesser known Disney and Fox titles to be added next year when their global expansion is done and their subscription numbers are even higher.

  7. Orion Logan August 13, 2020

    They're Coming To Disney+

    1. Ernesto Chacon September 28, 2020

      All but the Clone Wars micro-series.

  8. Ernesto Chacon September 22, 2020

    The ONLY one I don't think has a chance to be on Disney+ is "Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003-2005) 2D Anime Series Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky". Because literally that series is in the grey area in terms of Ownership as neither Disney nor Lucasfilm themselves never talk about it nor does the latter production company have this listed on their website, besides Cartoon Network Studios made the animation for the series so literally it's in some sort of copyright issues when compared to the other Star Wars series that have a chance on Disney+

    1. Philip October 4, 2020

      Actually, Cartoon Network only distributed it for those 2 years and no longer own the rights, a 20th Century Fox animation studio worked on it with Lucasfilm, and both are owned by Disney

      1. Ernesto Chacon November 16, 2020

        But Cartoon Network did the animation of the Clone Wars micro-series and secondly, 20th Century Fox was just the distributor of the CW Micro series. I honestly doubt we will get the series on Disney+ as it is in the grey area in terms of Ownership as neither Disney nor Lucasfilm themselves never talk about it nor does the latter production company have this listed on their website

      2. Ernesto Chacon November 16, 2020

        Wrong Cartoon Network Studios did the animation while 20th Century Fox were just the Home video distributors but they didn't own the series outrights. I honestly doubt we will get the microseries on Disney+ as it is in the grey area in terms of Ownership (Cartoon Network/Lucasfilm) as neither Disney nor Lucasfilm themselves never talk about it nor does the latter production company have this series listed on their website when compared to the 2008 CG series.

      3. Ernesto Chacon December 8, 2020

        Also, look at Lucasfilm's website the microseries is not even listed. https://www.lucasfilm.com/productions/

  9. Peter January 3, 2021

    It really sucks that Star Wars: Clone Wars isn't on Disney+. Disney add the original trilogy, prequel trilogy, Clone Wars Movie, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars The Force Awakens as first of sequel trilogy film. Sure they also include animated series like Star Wars The Clone Wars (2008), Star Wars Rebels (2014-2018), Star Wars Resistance Season 1 and Star Wars Forces of Destiny, but it's not the same. Including only one singular Mockumentary of making the original trilogy makes no sense. Who agree with me that disney should've been added this series and Two Ewok Movies?

    1. Ernesto Chacon January 5, 2021

      Tbh, I never understood Josh Shepherd and Philip's logic saying that Star Wars: Clone Wars Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky is owned by Disney when compared to the 2008 series which was independently done by Lucasfilm, this was a Co-production with Cartoon Network Studios. Besides Cartoon Network Studios made the animation for the series so literally, it's in some sort of copyright issues when compared to the other Star Wars series that have a chance on Disney+, similar to Paramount owning distribution to the first 4 Indiana Jones films.

  10. Tammy Noland February 1, 2021

    Bring back the Ewoks !!!!! I think Disney could do great things with them !

  11. Jon Potter April 11, 2022

    You know, there are valid criticisms in regards to Disney's vault content strategy, but they deserve credit for making the vast majority of these available on Disney+ since this list was written.

  12. Oliver June 1, 2022

    there isint jedi fallen order