If you love Star Wars: The Clone Wars, here’s why you should watch Star Wars Resistance

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is making its long-awaited return for its final season on Disney Plus. But there’s another gem you should be watching.

Star Wars fans across the galaxy are awaiting the arrival of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The beloved animated series, centered around the fabled Clone Wars, was unceremoniously canceled after six seasons. Now, Disney+ has revived the show for one last duel of the fates. Adults and children alike have flocked to their screens to catch the show, but there is another animated Star Wars show that has flown under the radar for many.

Lasting only two seasons, Star Wars Resistance aired on the Disney Channel in 2018 and 2019. Set before (season one) and during (season two) the events of the third trilogy of the franchise, the show featured a handful of characters from the film universe, while creating its own world full of multi-dimensional characters.

Star Wars Resistance follows the antics of Kazuda Xiono (voiced by Christopher Sean), a pilot who is inducted into the Resistance by Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) for a specific task – to be embedded as a spy onboard a refueling station called the Colossus. Kaz’s job is to report on any First Order activities he sees. To aid him in his quest, Poe asks an old acquaintance, Jarek Yeager (Scott Lawrence) to provide Kaz a cover story. And so begins Kaz’s mission to succeed as a spy and a mechanic with Team Fireball.

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Each season has one over-arching storyline revolving around the First Order’s interest in the Colossus. But most of the stories are episodic in nature, making the show a quick and easy watch. In season one, the First Order is still latent and Kaz must discover who on the Colossus is colluding with them. By season two, the Colossus is on the run from the First Order, who’ve set their sights on destroying the station and everyone on it. It’s a battle to survive throughout the series, but how will the characters succeed?

In many ways, Star Wars Resistance is far more diverse and progressive than the rest of the franchise. The cast includes numerous characters of colors, most of whom are also voiced by actors of color. Kaz makes a friend in Neeku Vozo (Josh Brener), and Aces pilot Torra Doza (Myrna Velasco). Yeager’s star mechanic Tam Ryvora (Suzie McGrath) barely tolerates Kaz. The commander of the Colossus is Captain Doza (Jason Hightower), and Team Fireball often enlist the aid of pirate Synara San (Nazneen Contractor).

The voice cast also has several celebrities attached to it, including Donald Faison as Hype Fazon, Elijah Wood as Jace Rucklin, Gwendoline Christie, who reprised her role as Captain Phasma. Lucy Lawless, Liam McIntyre, Tzi Ma, Daveed Diggs, and Joe Manganiello, among many others, lent their talents to the show.

For Star Wars fans who aren’t bothered by the concept of watching an animated show, Star Wars Resistance is the kind of feel-good story you can enjoy as a family. There are the occasional dark undertones that come with any war story, but there’s an optimism and enthusiasm to Kaz and his cohorts that is unmatched. The show has all the ingredients that make Star Wars an adored franchise – uneasy alliances turn into formidable bonds, long-standing relationships end in betrayal and trust is at a premium. The only aspect missing is romance, which makes the show even better.

In Kaz, the showrunners create a character who is believably out of his depth, yet smart and earnest enough to keep trying. Kaz doesn’t always come out on top, and from time to time, he even steps aside for other characters to bask in the spotlight. Kaz’s raison d’être is that his actions are hilarious. He is accident-prone from the first episode, a quality that gets him into plenty of scrapes. He’ll have you belly laughing throughout the two seasons.

Where Star Wars Resistance excels is in its portrayal of its female characters. Torra, Tam, Synara are integral to the story and even Kaz knows they’re far more competent than him. But the show doesn’t forget to include more female characters throughout its run. Episode after episode features imposing and larger-than-life female characters, all of whom have their own agenda. The First Order, especially, has a number of female commanders, not that anyone remarks about it on the show.

Star Wars Resistance feels like revisiting the galaxy far, far away, without all the divisiveness that the internet loves thrusting on all fans. Each episode is 20+ minutes of pure joy. Season two is even better than the first as it embraces a larger cast and subverts several more tropes.

So, while you’re all set to watch the finale adventures of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano and the rest of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars gang, take a moment to give the underrated Star Wars Resistance team a well-earned watch.

Season one of Star Wars Resistance is available on Disney+. Season two will be coming soon.