4. The Clone Wars (TV series)
The Clone Wars are an ongoing cartoon series, currently on The Cartoon Network. The series premiered in 2008, and is currently in its fifth season. It will likely move to Disney XD after this season, due to Disneys recent acquisition of all things Star Wars. The series tells the story of the Clone Wars, which took place between Episodes II and III. We see political struggles in the Old Republic, battles between clone troopers and droids, and tensions among the Jedi as they adjust to their new wartime roles. Were introduced to a plethora of characters. And the heroes of the prequels are here as well: Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padme, R2D2 and (sigh) Jar-Jar Binks. Fans of the movies will obviously be familiar with much of this series, and most have likely seen at least an episode or two. The Clone Wars sheds much light on the EU as well. We see many new planets. We learn more about General Grievous. Most importantly, we get a sense for why the Republic fell: the decay of political trust, ethical issues surrounding the use of clones as soldiers, and the Jedis mission creep. For Star Wars fans who were horrified by the amateurish nature of the prequels (like
me), The Clone Wars almost redeems them. The overwrought CGI of the filmswhich made them look like cartoonsis forgotten when when were watching animated features. The cartoonish dialogue and poor acting on screen fits in acartoon. And parts of the prequels that didnt really make sense are explained. Id make this a required stop on your tour of the EU while waiting the next Dark Horse comic to come out. (Note: I've seen some exclude this from the EU, but for argument's sake let's put it in)