Thanks to projects like Star Wars: The Bad Batch animated series and the Jedi: Fallen Order video game from EA, Disney's Star Wars canon is doing a lot of solid work connecting George Lucas' prequel and original trilogies of films. Prior to Disney, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith ended with the rise of the new Galactic Empire, while the next episode (Lucas' first Star Wars film), simply had the Empire being in existence as the dominant power. While there's nothing inherently wrong with that and doesn't hurt the overall narrative of the Skywalker Saga, Disney's projects set in between those episodes create a seamless transition of the trilogies, adding to the saga in some pretty dynamic ways.
It's not hard to see that the Star Wars galaxy is in two very different places in each trilogy. While the prequel trilogy focuses on the fall of the Jedi Order and the corruption of the Republic Era, the original trilogy sees a subjugated galaxy struggling to fight back for their freedoms and to regain what had been lost. However, these two trilogies are split apart by 19 years, and it's really interesting to see how Disney has fleshed out this interim period with its various projects, providing new details as to how the galaxy got from point A to point B.
Focusing on Disney's post-Revenge of the Sith projects, in particular, the new animated series Star Wars: The Bad Batch is the latest source of connective material, and it's already spoken to some of the changes the galaxy had to go through such as the Empire's desire to replace the Republic's clone armies with recruited stormtroopers. Furthermore, the Empire's methods of oppression began almost immediately with the introduction of mandatory chain codes for identification, as well as how the Empire was set on eliminating any who opposed the new Emperor's rule. In that same vein, the Jedi: Fallen Order video game features a narrative that sees Padawan survivor Cal Kestis doing all that he can to navigate the darker galaxy the Empire has made it, being hunted by Imperial Inquisitors who've been tasked to kill any and all Jedi who might have survived the initial Jedi Purge of Order 66. At the same time, he's also trying to bring back the Jedi Order years before Luke Skywalker's attempt post-Return of the Jedi.
These new chapters set during the events of the first two trilogies do a great service in breaking down the gritty details as to how the Empire began, featuring some new reveals and sequences that many Star Wars fans very much appreciate. However, this isn't to say that Lucas' core films are lacking or missing anything. What Disney's new canon is doing for this time period is adding more depth and dimension to the times in between the last film of the prequels and the first film of the originals, enriching the Skywalker Saga as a whole.
Furthermore, While Bad Batch and Fallen Order are the biggest pieces of content during the post-Revenge of the Sith era, they aren't the only ones. Comics such as Marvel's Darth Vader series feature his first steps in his dark armor, revealing how he reacts to the new galaxy he helped create. The Star Wars Rebels animated series, which takes place just before A New Hope, serves as great connective tissue, as well, displaying elements from the prequel trilogy that still carry weight as the galaxy transitions into the era of George Lucas' original trilogy. Hopefully, The Bad Batch will continue to help bridge the two trilogies as it continues on Disney Plus, as well as the planned sequel to Jedi: Fallen Order when it eventually releases.
