Whereas nowadays, Star Wars canon has maintained a steady consistency of high-quality TV shows and specials, the vintage, non-canon side of on-screen Star Wars has always been more cringeworthy and, mostly, not on the same level. Disney+, with its Vintage Collection, has given fans a shot to see so for themselves, and it is fair to say everything on there is worth watching at least once.
Whether that is because it is inadvertently hilarious and fun to look back on what non-Skywalker saga Star Wars used to be or because there is some genuine quality there, many pieces of vintage Star Wars are must-see.
Honorable Mention - Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
The infamous Star Wars Holiday Special is not on Disney+. In fact, it is not easy to get a hold of at all nowadays. Nevertheless, fans should not skip out on watching it should they get the chance.
The Holiday Special is like an experiential thing and holds a special place in the hearts of many fans. Many children nowadays and generations to come will never watch it, and only hear rumblings and rumors and witness the many references made to it. To actually be able to see it and experience the full range of emotions that come with it is something every Star Wars fan should experience.
Caravan Of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984)
Caravan Of Courage is another infamous piece of Star Wars history that fans who grew up with the original trilogy will have memories of hate, but that many of today's fans may not have seen for themselves. It sees a family of humans crash land on the Forest Moon of Endor, with the parents captured by a Gorax, leaving the children to team up with the Ewoks to save the day.
It is totally terrible but it is a piece of Star Wars history. With a group of friends or a partner or family, there are many laughs to be had at just how ridiculous the made-for-TV movie truly is and how far Star Wars has come as a global phenomenon since then. For young kids, though, there may actually be some genuine enjoyment to be had from it.
Ewoks: Battle For Endor (1985)
A year later, the then-divisive - but now beloved - Ewok race continued to get themselves on-screen, this time in Battle For Endor, another made-for-TV movie that wasn't considered any good but could be a great watch for kids and a possibly funny watch for groups of fans. It sees Ewoks, and returning characters from Caravan Of Courage, team up to defend their Ewok village.
What may make this a bit of a less-hilarious watch than Caravan of Courage, but an equally as interesting one is how dark it is. There is a surprising amount of death and stakes in the film that, arguably, make it an improvement on the 1984 special, but not by much. It is another one of those things that fans have to see to believe and understand truly.
Ewoks (1985 - 1986)
Nowadays, animated Star Wars consists of soul-crushing emotional arcs like the Siege of Mandalore from The Clone Wars or underappreciated pieces of narrative brilliance like Rebels. Back in the mid-eighties, it was Ewoks. The show follows Wicket and his adventures with his friends on the Forest Moon of Endor.
It is questionable whether or not kids could fully enjoy Caravan of Courage and Battle For Endor, but young children especially would enjoy Ewoks. It may even give adults/parents a good chuckle too on occasion. Obviously, the show does not have any serious emotional or storytelling depth, but it does provide some non-canon context to some Ewoks and to Endor and, for what it is, is far from awful.
Droids (1985-1986)
Running alongside Ewoks in the mid-eighties was Droids, another show that children could get a lot of enjoyment from. It also may be more likable for parents and longtime fans since it focuses on R2-D2 and C-3PO and the trouble that the two iconic droids get themselves into.
With Anthony Daniels returning to voice Threepio, appearances from characters such as Boba Fett, and a classic animation style that is undoubtedly nostalgic for older fans. R2-D2 and C-3PO are one of the best duos in Star Wars; great to watch in all three Skywalker saga trilogies, and seeing them together again in this show, even if only for one episode, is a must for fans.
The Story Of The Faithful Wookiee (1978)
The Story Of The Faithful Wookiee is not a film or series, rather a short that was a part of the Holiday Special back in 1978, coming in at a whopping nine minutes in length. It has since gotten released as its own entity on Disney+. It sees Chewbacca attempt to help his friends who have been infected with the sleeping virus, doing so with the help of Boba Fett.
This is a significant piece of Star Wars history as it marks the first-ever appearance of the iconic bounty hunter who went on to do some badass things in Legends and who becomes so beloved in the canon. The Story Of The Faithful Wookiee is far from the worst bit of Star Wars. It is fun to see Chewbacca continue to be his loyal self, and it is great witnessing a historic moment like Boba's debut. It does not light the world on fire and is probably better viewed as a part of The Holiday Special. However, it is readily available on Disney+, and fans should take the ten-minutes to view it.
The Clone Wars (2003)
While most of the Vintage Collection on Disney+ lacks a particular qualitative incentive for fans to watch, the original Clone Wars 2-D micro-series is pretty great. On Disney+, it is twenty-five chapters split into two one-hour-plus episodes and, much like the beloved 2008 series, follows the conflict known as the Clone Wars.
It is a wholly different animation style to the 2008 series and certainly does not have its long-term canonical impact. However, it is wildly entertaining and has some excellent stuff throughout it. Grievous is wonderful, truly a scary character. Then the likes of Anakin and Ventress remain totally badass. For fans of the 2008 series and the prequel trilogy especially, this is essential Star Wars viewing.