Star Warshas embraced animation for decades now, spanning all the way back to the mid-80s with shows likeDroidsandEwokson ABC. However, the animated series ofStar Warshave become increasingly central to the franchise over the last two decades. This is largely a result of the various shows from the creative mind of Dave Filoni. Beginning with the 3D-animatedClone Warsseries on Cartoon Network, which Filoni producedalongside George Lucas, much of the deepest world-building of theStar Warsgalaxy has come from these shows.
For a while, the animated side ofStar Warsexisted in its own space, separate from the live-action films. Shows likeThe Clone WarsandRebelsalways had a dedicated fan base, but the shows were still seen as supplementary to the films and unnecessary viewing for casual fans. However, the lines between these animated and live-action stories have been blurred to a degree over the last several years, most of all with theAhsokaseries currently airing on Disney+.
There have been many references, both big and small, to the animatedStar Warsshows in both the live-action Disney+ shows and feature films. These range from brief mentions of specific battles to plucking a character like Saw Gerrera out ofThe Clone Warsand working him intoRogue One. Here are some of the most notable:
10Ahsoka Tano
Right off the bat, one of the most obvious elements ofStar Warsanimation that has made the jump to live-action is the character of Ahsoka Tano. After originating as a main character inThe Clone Wars, Ahsoka also appeared in several seasons ofRebelson Disney XD. However, during the second season of the very first live-actionStar Warsseries,The Mandalorian, Ahsoka transitioned from one medium to another.
Played by Rosario Dawson, Ahsoka first appeared in live-action in bothThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fett, before receiving her own eponymous series on Disney+. While many elements ofStar Warsanimation have been brought into live-action in recent years, the introduction of Ahsoka is the most substantial and crucial of all.
9The Inquisitors
Although they first originated inStar Wars Legendsmaterials,the concept of the Inquisitorswas first introduced into the current canon with the debut ofRebelsin 2014. These former-Jedi were recruited by the Empire and trained by Darth Vader in order to hunt down any Jedi that had survived Order 66. The Inquisitors were central to much of the story ofRebels, though they have gone on to appear in several other projects as well.
In addition to theJedi: Fallen OrderandSurvivorvideo games, the Inquisitors have also appeared in live-action in both theObi-Wan KenobiandAhsokashows. They factored much more heavily intoObi-Wan, as numerous Inquisitors were recurring characters, and the central antagonist, Reva, was also a member of the Inquisitorius.
Related:Obi-Wan: How the Star Wars Series is a Prequel Fan’s Dream Come True
8Darth Maul Lives
In what is likely a shock to anyone only familiar with the Skywalker SagaStar Warsfilms, Darth Maul did not actually die at the end ofEpisode I – The Phantom Menace. Maul returned to play a key role in the later seasons ofThe Clone Wars, and he was also featured extensively in the second and third seasons ofRebels. While this return transformed Maul intoone of the most tragic charactersin all ofStar Wars, it remained contained solely to animation for a while.
That is, until the character returned to live action briefly at the end ofSolo: A Star Wars Story. Unfortunately, that specific story has not been followed up in any way in live action. However, his presence was once again felt recently in theAhsokaseries, as a flashback to theClone Warsfinale briefly showed Maul’s super commando Mandalorian militia, complete with the Sith’s black-and-red color scheme and horns atop their helmets.
7The World Between Worlds
One of the most mythological concepts introduced intoStar Warshas been the realm called the World Between Worlds fromRebels. This realm exists within the cosmic Force and operates as an intersection between space and time. It factored into the final episodes ofRebels, as Ezra Bridger explored it and was able to witness key events fromStar Wars’ past and future. After its use inRebels, it appeared once again in episodes four and five ofAhsoka, though it served a much different purpose in that show. Instead of operating asa form of time travel, theAhsokashow used it as a way for Ahsoka to confront her own past, including her former Master, Anakin Skywalker.
6Bo-Katan, the Darksaber and Mandalore
Considering the show is calledThe Mandalorian, it’s no surprise that many of the Mandalore-centric elements from bothClone WarsandRebelshave carried over into the most famousStar WarsDisney+ series. The character of Bo-Katan Kryze, who appeared briefly in the live-action show’s second season before being upgraded to a series regular in season three, first appeared inClone Warsand was central to many of that show’s major arcs, including the finale. She reappeared in the fourth season ofRebelsas well, factoring into Sabine Wren’s Mandalorian-centric story.
In both shows, she was voiced by Katee Sackhoff, who also now plays her in live action. Beyond Bo-Katan, much of the Mandalorian culture seen inThe Mandalorian, ranging from the city of Sundari to the famous Darksaber blade, is directly continued from the animated shows as well.
One of the most unexpected deep-cut references toThe Clone Warsin recent years has been the inclusion of the droid Huyang as a main character inAhsoka. The droid is an architect that has spent millennia teaching and training Jedi, specifically in how to construct their lightsabers. Although it hasn’t been mentioned outright inAhsoka, Huyang is one of the oldest characters inStar Wars, at over 25,000 years old.
His appearance inAhsokahas been a pleasant surprise, as he was previously only featured in a single three-episode story arc inThe Clone Wars. While he has been mentioned offhand in a couple other novels, Huyang has never been given the spotlight like this before. In bothThe Clone WarsandAhsoka, he is voiced by famedDoctor Whoactor David Tennant.
4Rebels Characters
Instead of giving Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, Chopper, Zeb, Ezra Bridger, Thrawn and the rest of the main characters fromRebelstheir own spots on this list, we’ve grouped them all together into a single entry for brevity’s sake. The first of these main characters to make the jump to live-action was actually the droid Chopper, as he can be seen briefly in the background of a shot from 2016’sRogue One, long before he returned inAhsoka. The titular Rebels’ ship, the Ghost, can also be seen briefly inRogue Oneas well as inEpisode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.
Beyond that, Zeb showed up for a short cameo in the third season ofThe Mandalorian, before the rest of the leadRebelscharacters made their live-action debuts inAhsoka. Even the supportingRebelscharacter of Ryder Azadi makes an appearance in the first episode ofAhsoka, played by Clancy Brown, who had also voiced the character in animation.
Related:Star Wars Rebels: The 11 Best Episode Arcs, Ranked
Filoni’sClone Warsanimated series is famous for expandingStar Warsin essentially every possible direction. One arena that got a lot of attention was the criminal underworld of gangsters, bounty hunters and spice smuggling. While many famous characters, such as Boba Fett and Jabba the Hutt, appeared in these stories, even more new characters were introduced. One of the most famous is the fearsome Duro bounty hunter, Cad Bane.
Through numerous appearances inClone Wars, Bane established himself as one ofthe most deadly and effective bounty huntersin all ofStar Wars. Fittingly, he was introduced into live action in theBook of Boba Fettseries, as a rival to that show’s lead character.
2The Purrgil
ThroughoutRebels, the Jedi Ezra Bridger was frequently shown to have a deep connection to animals and other life through the Force. One of the most clear examples is with his connection to the star-whales called Purrgil. These hyper-space-faring whales first appeared in the second season ofRebels, before factoring heavily into the show’s finale in its fourth season.
After a brief reference to them inObi-Wan Kenobiand a visible silhouette shown in theMandalorianseason three premiere, these space whales have now been fully introduced into live-action through numerous appearances and interactions with them inAhsoka.
1Voices in the Force
Finally, this list would be incomplete without including the sequence at the end ofEpisode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, in which Rey hearsthe voices of many different Jediduring her duel with Darth Sidious. While many of the most famous Jedi from the live-action films, such as Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and more, are given the spotlight, they aren’t the only voices that Rey hears. Included in the crowd of voices are both Ahsoka Tano and Kanan Jarrus. Ahsoka needs no explanation, but Kanan is one of the central Jedi characters inRebels,who tragically sacrifices his life in that show’s final season.
This sequence marked the first occasion in which lead characters from bothRebelsandClone Wars(not including Anakin and Obi-Wan) had been specifically included in a live-action film. Even if they aren’t actually seen, this remains as the only instance in which the Skywalker Saga acknowledges the existence of these characters, and, in turn, the wider stories that they come from.
