Overlooked Star Wars Show Is Releasing New Episodes On Monday

Most viewers think of Star Wars as a film franchise, but it’s always been so much more than that. Over the last six years, the franchise has expanded relentlessly on the small screen in a range of live-action and animated Disney+ TV shows. Meanwhile, a phenomenal transmedia initiative has explored the High Republic Era, centuries before the Skywalker saga. The Young Jedi Adventures TV show has been a blend of both, an animated series set during the golden age of the Jedi that is aimed at younger viewers but has some increasingly mature subplots.

Young Jedi Adventures Season 3 officially releases on Monday, bringing the story of Jedi Younglings Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay, and Nubs to a triumphant end. We’re moving into a much darker period of galactic history, too, because Season 3 is concurrent with the first phase of the High Republic initiative – a time when ruthless pirate activity is on the rise. Season 2 featured a major tie-in involving Grandmaster Yoda, meaning these Younglings are on the front lines.

Young Jedi Adventures is the Perfect Introduction to Star Wars

Young Jedi Adventures is something quite unique among the various Star Wars TV shows. The prequels never showed the Jedi Order at its best, with George Lucas deliberately subverting expectations by revealing the Jedi had declined long before they were destroyed by the Sith. In contrast, Young Jedi Adventures is set during the golden age of the Jedi and the Republic, at a time when the galaxy seemed ablaze with hope, and the Jedi stood as champions of the light. They did not go unopposed, but their confidence in the light led them to one triumph after another.

It’s easy to underestimate TV shows that are aimed at younger viewers. But Young Jedi Adventures has a surprising degree of maturity to it, especially to audiences who are familiar with the High Republic Era. The first season introduced a space station known as Starlight Beacon, a key Jedi base at this point in the Star Wars timeline, and anyone familiar with this time will know that Starlight Beacon is destined to fall. The galaxy is about to get a lot darker for the heroes, but they are clearly going to stand in the light regardless.

For younger viewers, Young Jedi Adventures has been a symbol of Star Wars’ Disney+ era. It represents the potential of streaming, in that new shows can bring in new audiences, a fresh generation who will carry the franchise on into the future. With Star Wars pivoting back to the big screen again next year, it seems fitting that we get one last hurrah.

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