Best of Growing Up Skywalker
The Star Wars universe is vast — and so is the territory we cover on Growing Up Skywalker. Here’s a list of some of our favorite episodes. Or, see a full list of episodes.
Our Joint Favorites
Andor: “The Eye”
Why we love this episode: Andor presents a radical call to revolutionary action—and it does it so well. We both deeply loved this episode for its authentic admiration of grassroots rebellion, the thorny political and moral questions it brings up, and its deliciously tense atmosphere.
Jedi Temple Bombing, Part 2
Why we love this episode: This one gets to the heart of why we do Growing Up Skywalker — how a veteran fan can bring wisdom and perspective to big topics, and how a new fan can ask the right questions and bring new ideas to the table. This one is full of meaty discussions and great questions. And we laugh!
Anna’s Favorites
First Mandalore Arc
Anna: I think the First Mandalore Arc is an episode where we let our freak flags fly, as it were. Sam rabbitholed on false flag operations and neutral sovereign states, and I rabbitholed on the language of flowers and the coded messages that, as a monarch, Satine Kryze sends with her clothing (without ever having to speak a word). Plus, I maintain that Satine and Obi-Wan’s love affair is THE most romantic story in all of Star Wars history.
Nightsisters Arc
Anna: Something about the Savage Opress story just tugged at my heartstrings, y’all. I love this episode because Sam and I fundamentally disagree about whether or not Savage is a brute, and I think we both bring up strong arguments. Then we have such a thorny, in-depth conversation about female power and manipulation — how amazing it is to have so many powerful women in one episode, but how hard it is to root for them, because they’re…ya know…baddies. (In many senses of the word.) This was an instant favorite for me.
“Clone Cadets” + “Supply Lines”
Anna: “Clone Cadets” is by far the Clone Wars episode that has made me cry the hardest. I’m talking red face, puffy eyes, multiple tissues, splitting headache, 11/10 on the Cry-O-Meter. As Sam likes to remind me, this was all over a couple of cadets possibly missing their high school graduation. WHATEVER, Sam. “Clone Cadets” was the turning-point episode that made me realize that the stakes of the Clone Wars are life and death itself.
Sam: Another early episode for us. I enjoyed busting out my Jar-Jar accent, as well as calling out Anna for crying about clones failing graduation and not caring about Ima-Gun-Di literally heroically dying on screen. This one also showcases the need for chronological order.
Sam’s Favorites
Replacement Droid Arc
Sam: I love this episode for the framing of the actual fight, and the way we presented it. We also instituted the “Commit to the bit” rule in this episode, which is now a part of my life that I didn't realize I was missing. I think this one is also a great arc for the early Clone Wars. You've got the avoidance of Grievous and Anakin, Ahsoka finding herself as a character, and the big discussion on droid rights.
Count Dooku Captured Arc
Sam: A noticeable voice actor change for Jar-Jar as well as meeting HONDO OHNAKA! This one has fun action, good jokes, and choice quotes. Dooku's dark escape at the end cements his place as a very cool character, but the fact that Jar-Jar made Bae Watch in the previous episode makes this one hilarious for me.
Anakin Injured Arc
Sam: I find I refer back to this one all the time. I don't know if it's because the episodes or our take on it was better than normal, but the subject matter was so impactful I think it is just incredibly important. We do have jokes, we do have action, we do have hot takes, but more than that, this arc is incredibly important for the message I've found in this project that the Clone Wars TV series carries.