Star Wars: A Complete Timeline Of Disney's Canon

Summary April 25, 2014 marked the birth of new Disney Star Wars canon, with all content now considered equally important in the saga.

The success of Disney's Star Wars canon was highlighted in 2015 with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, grossing over $2 billion worldwide.

2018 saw a setback for Lucasfilm with the box office failure of Solo: A Star Wars Story, leading to a shift towards TV shows on Disney+ and a focus on future series.

Disney's Star Wars canon is officially 10 years old - and here's a timeline of how the saga has grown over the last decade. Disney acquired Lucasfilm in October 2012, and it took the House of Mouse just under two years to decide the franchise's future direction. Finally, on April 25, 2014, Lucasfilm confirmed that the old Star Wars Expanded Universe was now officially classed as "Legends" - because canon was beginning again.

The new policy was subtly different. Previously, George Lucas' Star Wars movies and TV shows had been the highest tier of canon, with all other content expected to orbit around it. Now, though, Lucasfilm announced that everything was equally canon, from movies to computer games, from TV shows to comic books. Since then, the new Star Wars continuity has expanded at a staggering rate. Here's a timeline pulling out all the most important milestones.

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2014

The new Star Wars canon is born

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Date Key Events April 25, 2014 Disney canon officially begins September 2, 2014 A New Dawn by John Jackson Miller is published - the first Disney canon novel October 3, 2014 Star Wars Rebels season 1, episode 1 airs

The story of Disney's Star Wars canon begins on April 25, 2014, when Lucasfilm officially announced the end of the old Expanded Universe and the beginning of new canon. Through a quirk of timing, the first story in Disney canon was technically published just a couple of days before the announcement - part one of a two-part tale published in Star Wars Insider (later celebrated on the official Star Wars website). A few months later, John Jackson Miller's A New Dawn became the first original novel created as part of this new continuity.

The main focus was on the launch of Star Wars Rebels in October 2014, which brought the franchise back to the small screen after Disney's cancelation of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. A New Dawn is itself a prequel to this animated series, and Lucasfilm published several other books - aimed at younger audiences - that supported it as well. Disney's canon had officially begun.

2015

The Star Wars sequel trilogy is launched

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Date Key Events January 1, 2015 Marvel Comics publish Star Wars #1, by Jason Aaron and John Cassaday July 7, 2015 Christie Golden's Dark Disciple tells an important unfinished story from Star Wars: The Clone Wars September 4, 2015 Chuck Wendig's Aftermath trilogy begins, exploring the aftermath of Return of the Jedi November 15, 2015 Star Wars: Battlefront released November 18, 2015 Vader Down #1 (by Jason Aaron and Mike Deodata Jr.) launches the first Star Wars comic book event December 18, 2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens releases

Disney's Star Wars canon was technically born in 2014, but it wasn't until 2015 that it really became notable for its cultural impact. This began in January 2015, with Star Wars #1 by Jason Aaron and John Cassaday breaking comic book sales records for the last 20 years. In November, Marvel launched their first annual Star Wars event, and "Vader Down" is one of the best events of the last decade. Meanwhile, Lucasfilm Publishing went from strength to strength, with some vitally important books released.

Although criticized for overplaying the nostalgia card, The Force Awakens is generally seen as a tremendous success.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens released on December 18, 2015, grossing $2.071 worldwide. This leaped forwards decades into the timeline, introducing viewers to new heroes and new villains. Although criticized for overplaying the nostalgia card, it was generally seen as a tremendous success.

2016

Rogue One hits cinemas accompanied by a bold transmedia initiative

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Date Key Events January 6, 2016 Obi-Wan & Anakin #1, by Charles Soule & Marco Checchetto, marks Marvel's prequel era debut October 11, 2016 Ahsoka, by E.K. Johnston, is published November 15, 2016 Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel by James Luceno kicks off a major transmedia initiative ahead of the movie's release December 7, 2016 Doctor Aphra #1, by Kieron Gillen, Kev Walker, and Salvador Larroca is the firist Marvel Star Wars comic of this era starring an original character December 10, 2016 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story released at theaters

Marvel Comics continued to expand through 2016, and Lucasfilm Publishing released an ever-expanding line of books - including a second adapting an unfinished story from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Towards the end of the year, Lucasfilm Publishing launched a staggeringly impressive transmedia initiative centered on the next movie release; James Luceno's Catalyst and Alexander Freed's novelization of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story remain the gold standard for transmedia tie-ins to a theatrical release.

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was intended to be the first of a range of anthology movies, a step removed from the main Skywalker saga. Although production had been troubled, it was a tremendous success, grossing $1.057 billion in the worldwide box office. Sadly, the release was overshadowed by the passing of Carrie Fisher on December 27; she would be missed.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Set in the weeks leading up to Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story provides additional context for the Rebellion's plan to destroy the Death Star. Rogue One follows Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) as she enlists the help of Rebel Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) to locate her father, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), after the Empire kidnaps him. Director Gareth Edwards Writers Tony Gilroy , Chris Weitz Cast Felicity Jones , Diego Luna , Ben Mendelsohn , Donnie Yen Mads Mikkelsen , Alan Tudyk , Jiang Wen , Forest Whitaker Budget $200–265 million

2017

The Star Wars fanbase begins to fracture (again)

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Date Key Events February 21, 2017 Chuck Wendig's Aftermath: Empire's End brings a close to a trilogy set after Return of the Jedi April 11, 2017 Celebrated Star Wars Legends author Timothy Zahn returns with Thrawn, his first canon book November 17, 2017 Star Wars: Battlefront II released December 15, 2017 Star Wars: The Last Jedi released at theaters

2017 was an exciting year for lovers of the old Expanded Universe, with Legends author Timothy Zahn returning to tell canon adventures of Grand Admiral Thrawn, one of his greatest Legends creations. In November, Star Wars: Battlefront II's story mode complemented Chuck Wendig's "Aftermath" trilogy, and even featured a subtle tie-in to the sequel trilogy. Unfortunately, the game received a mixed reception.

The Star Wars fanbase has seldom been notable for its unity, and 2017 was sadly the year when it really began to break apart in explosive fashion. Although Star Wars: The Last Jedi was a financial success - it grossed an impressive $1.333 billion in the global box office - but viewers were left divided by the plot. Director Rian Johnson's Luke Skywalker plot came in for particular criticism.

2018

Star Wars' first box office failure leaves Disney in disarray

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Date Key Events March 5, 2018 The final episode of Star Wars Rebels is released May 25, 2018 Solo: A Star Wars Story opens in theaters October 7, 2018 Star Wars: Resistance premieres on the Disney Channel

2018 was a difficult year for Lucasfilm, as the studio struggled to figure out how to respond to the Star Wars: The Last Jedi backlash. Matters worsened in May, when Solo: A Star Wars Story became the first Star Wars movie to fail to break even at the box office. There's still intense debate over what exactly went wrong; some blame a lackluster marketing campaign (the first trailer dropped only three months before the film's release), while others point to an uninspiring concept. Lucasfilm seem to blame the recasting of Han Solo.

Lucasfilm began to pivot away from the big screen, prioritizing working on future shows.

The box office failure of Solo led to Lucasfilm abandoning other anthology projects. This coincided with a new focus on TV shows for Disney+, the streaming service that would launch next year; Lucasfilm began to pivot away from the big screen, prioritizing working on future shows. Many anthology projects would ultimately be repurposed as movies.

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2019

The sequel trilogy ends... and Star Wars is reborn on Disney+

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Date Key Events April 16, 2019 Claudia Gray's novel Master & Apprentice reveals the text of the Chosen One prophecy at last May 31, 2019 Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens at Disneyland November 12, 2019 The Mandalorian season 1, episode 1 premieres alongside the launch of Disney+ November 15, 2019 Jedi: Fallen Order released December 16, 2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens at theaters

2018 had been relatively quiet for Star Wars, but 2019 was an explosive one. Galaxy's Edge opened at Disneyland, with Lucasfilm confirming the theme park was canon and even publishing tie-in comics and novels. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker released in December, bringing an end to the Skywalker saga. Unfortunately, the sequels were generally seen as ending not with a bang, but a whimper.

The launch of Disney+ on November 12, 2019, was a milestone event for Star Wars. The Mandalorian season 1's premiere went viral in large part because Lucasfilm had somehow managed to keep the introduction of Grogu secret (the character was initially named The Child, but he was swiftly given the nickname "Baby Yoda" online). Although the movies had stumbled, The Mandalorian marked a new dawn for Lucasfilm; the beginning of an era where Star Wars was principally a TV franchise.

The Mandalorian The Mandalorian is set after the Empire's fall and before the First Order's emergence in the ever-growing Star Wars universe. The series follows the travails of a lone gunfighter named Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic. Acting as the first live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian has become incredibly popular on Disney+, partly due to Mando’s relationship with Grogu, which the internet dubbed “Baby Yoda” upon his introduction in season 1. Cast Werner Herzog , Emily Swallow , Pedro Pascal , Nick Nolte , Omid Abtahi , Gina Carano , Carl Weathers , Giancarlo Esposito Showrunner Jon Favreau

2020

The Clone Wars return

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Date Key Event February 21, 2020 Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7 premieres on Disney+ June 10, 2020 Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge launches on YouTube, featuring Ahmed Best as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq October 30, 2020 The Mandalorian season 2 premieres on Disney+

2020 was a difficult year, and not just for Lucasfilm; the coronavirus pandemic affected the whole world, and seriously disrupted production of Hollywood movies and TV shows. This meant a slower roll-out to the various Star Wars Disney+ TV shows than Lucasfilm had probably hoped for - but the two TV shows that dropped, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian season 2, were both massive events. Oddly enough, both involved fan-favorite character Ahsoka Tano.

Ashley Eckstein returned to voice Ahsoka Tano once again in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7, which completed the story Disney canceled after acquiring Lucasfilm (and, consequently, rewrote the continuity of some tie-ins that had been intended to wrap things up). Rosario Dawson played the live-action Ahsoka in The Mandalorian season 2, however, and the fan reaction convinced Lucasfilm to double down on plans ignoring the character. Even better, The Mandalorian season 2's ending saw Mark Hamill reprise the role of Luke Skywalker, delighting viewers.

2021

The High Republic Begins

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Date Key Events January 5, 2021 Charles Soule's Light of the Jedi begins the Star Wars: The High Republic transmedia initiative May 4, 2021 Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 1 premieres on Disney+ September 22, 2021 Star Wars: Visions season 1 premieres on Disney+ December 29, 2021 The Book of Boba Fett premieres on Disney+

Looking back, 2021 was one of the most important years since Disney purchased Lucasfilm - and not because of the small screen. Charles Soule's Light of the Jedi introduced readers to the High Republic Era, in a saga set centuries before the Skywalker saga. This would swiftly prove to be Lucasfilm's boldest transmedia initiative of all time, and the story is still ongoing. The High Republic Era has even been incorporated into live-action and animation, appearing in Young Jedi Adventures and the upcoming series The Acolyte.

Star Wars animation flourished in 2021, with Star Wars: Visions stepping beyond the bounds of canon for the first time - allowing different art houses to imagine their own versions of Star Wars. Meanwhile, Star Wars: The Bad Batch served as the spiritual successor to The Clone Wars, featuring Clone Force 99 as they tried to survive the Dark Times of the Empire's reign. There's often a tendency to look down on animation as somehow lesser, but both these shows demonstrate how foolish that is.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Star Wars: The Bad Batch is an action-adventure animated series set after the events of The Clone Wars, following Clone Force 99 (a.k.a. the Bad Batch.) Finding themselves immune to the brainwashing effects of Order 66, the Bad Batch become mercenaries for hire while outrunning the empire, now seeing them as fugitives of the law. Cast Dee Bradley Baker , Michelle Ang , Noshir Dalal , Liam O'Brien , Rhea Perlman , Sam Riegel , Bob Bergen , Gwendoline Yeo Showrunner Dave Filoni

2022

The return of Ewan McGregor & Hayden Christensen

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Date Key Events March 1, 2022 Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser opens May 22, 2022 Obi-Wan Kenobi brings Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen back to Disney+ September 21, 2022 Andor premieres on Disney+ October 26, 2022 Tales of the Jedi releases on Disney+

Lucasfilm Television's output had slowed down because of the coronavirus pandemic, but recovered in 2022. Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen made their triumphant return in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ TV show, and the delighted response of the fandom showed how dearly the prequels have come to be loved. Equally exciting, though, was the premiere of Tony Gilroy's Andor in September; this would prove to be the most critically-acclaimed Star Wars story to date.

Andor Diego Luna stars as Cassian Andor in Andor, a Disney+ exclusive series set five years before Rogue One. The series follows the titular character as he transitions from a humble thief to a revolutionary icon of the rebellion against the empire. Cassian, a man who tries to keep himself out of confrontations post the destruction of his world, is shoved into the central conflict as he naturally slots into the role of leader. Andor will explore the rebellion's burgeoning days and highlight pivotal events in the Star Wars Franchise before the construction of the Death Star. Cast Genevieve O'Reilly , Adria Arjona , Diego Luna , Kyle Soller , Alan Tudyk , Stellan Skarsgård , Denise Gough , Forrest Whittaker Showrunner Tony Gilroy

Tales of the Jedi was another success for Lucasfilm, but the year wasn't entirely positive: the launch of the ill-fated Galactic Starcruiser was met with a raised eyebrow from fans due to the price, rather than excitement. Although the story told at Galactic Starcruiser is canon - and important, featuring Rey and Kylo Ren - the low number of visitors would mean it closed by September 2023. It remains to be seen what Lucasfilm will do with the site.

2023

The Star Wars universe expands again

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Date Key Events March 1, 2023 The Mandalorian season 3, episode 1 releases on Disney+ March 28, 2023 Adam Christopher's Shadow of the Sith explores essential sequel trilogy setup April 28, 2023 Jedi: Survivor releases on consoles and PC July 18, 2023 Delilah S. Dawson's Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade becomes one of the few Star Wars books focusing on the dark side August 22, 2023 Ahsoka premieres on Disney+

2023 should really be seen as one of Lucasfilm Publishing's best years to date. Star Wars: The High Republic continued to go from strength to strength, while Adam Christopher's Shadow of the Sith and Delilah S. Dawson's Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade number among some of the best Star Wars books ever published. Set at very different points in the timeline, both books shine a light on the dark side itself.

The Mandalorian season 3 attempted to reorient itself around Mandalore rather than Din Djarin, and receiived a mixed reception. More positive, though, was Dave Filoni's Ahsoka; bold and imaginative, which dared to expand Star Wars beyond the boundaries of the galaxy itself. It opened up whole new territories that are simply begging for exploration.

Ahsoka Ahsoka is a Sci-Fi television series based in the Star Wars universe developed by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. Starring Rosario Dawson, this series follows Ahsoka Tano as she works with Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), her trusty droid Huyang (David Tennant), and Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) to prevent the return of the villanious Grand Admiral Thrawn. Ahsoka acts as a live-action continuation of the animated series Star Wars: Rebels. Cast Rosario Dawson , Natasha Liu Bordizzo , Hayden Christensen , Eman Esfandi , Ivanna Sakhno , Mary Elizabeth Winstead , Ray Stevenson , Genevieve O'Reilly , Lars Mikkelsen , Diana Lee Inosanto Showrunner Dave Filoni

2024 so far

The opening of 2024 has been dedicated to Star Wars animation

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Date Key Events February 21, 2024 Star Wars: The Bad Batch's final season begins on Disney+

So far, with the exception of Lucasfilm Publishing and ongoing comics, 2024 has been all about animation. Star Wars: The Bad Batch's final season began on February 21, and is still ongoing. Looking forward, the best is yet to come with The Acolyte, which will introduce the High Republic Era into live-action and cement the transmedia initiative's legacy in an entirely new medium. What's more, off-screen , there are reports new Star Wars movie production will finally begin in June - meaning it won't be long until the franchise returns to the big screen.