As we head into the new year, don't be expecting new episodes of one particular fan-favorite Star Wars show. Disney Plus has unfortunately continued its recent tradition of prematurely ending (or outright cancelling) projects related to the beloved franchise. And it's left fans feeling understandably upset about it.
Star Wars has been a force to be reckoned with for decades (no pun intended!) but that galaxy so far, far away's reach has extended to the Disney Plus streaming service in recent years. Unfortunately, as Lucasfilm and Disney collaborate on bringing the space adventures back to the silver screen, a number of the saga's shows have been either stalled or dropped. Although this one might not be for the same reason, it's clear that fans were caught off-guard by the lack of general announcements about the show's impending end.
Young Jedi Adventures unexpectedly ends with third season
If you watched Young Jedi Adventures season 3 and thought that the season finale felt very, well, final... that's because it was. The episode, titled "Making Friends" was the series finale, bringing the adventures of the young Jedi Knights in training to an end. To be honest, it was a good end to the series, but you would be forgiven for asking some questions - particularly as the third season was simply billed as Young Jedi Adventures season 3 - not the final season.
Now, if you had watched the trailer, you might have been able to read between the lines. As pointed out by The Direct, the caption on the official Star Wars account's share of the season 3 trailer does say: "Follow your friends one last time." However, it proceeds to refer to the then-upcoming season as the third season instead of final season. Looking back now, the caption left fans confused as a number of them commented "Last time?". Unfortunately, the official release of the season subsequently confirmed that it would be the final season for the beloved animated series.
Something else that was a little eyebrow-raising was the fact that the third season only had seven episodes. While a smaller episode count isn't uncommon for general live-action TV shows these days - especially Star Wars ones - the first season of the series had 25 while the second had 23. Seven looks pretty peculiar on that front. Perhaps we should have seen the writing on the wall.
Although it's unclear why Young Jedi Adventures ended somewhat prematurely, it now joins multiple other Star Wars projects to get a somewhat abrupt ending on the Disney Plus streaming service. The Acolyte was cancelled after just one season despite having one of the most-watched premieres of 2024 while Andor - the critically-acclaimed Rogue One spinoff - concluded after two seasons instead of a planned five (although that was a creative choice).
Meanwhile The Mandalorian has somewhat of an uncertain future as Disney and Lucasfilm decided to take the titular character to the silver screen instead, with The Mandalorian and Grogu set to arrive in movie theaters this May. It's unclear if season 4 will happen at this point. Although spinoff Ahsoka will return for a second season this year, it's not clear whether that will also bring that show to an end.
The future of the Star Wars franchise looks like it will be where it all started: At the movies. While that has resulted in the scaling back on Star Wars-themed TV shows on Disney Plus, it's not likely the reason for Young Jedi Adventures' unexpectedly premature conclusion after that shortened third season. Even so, it would have been nice for fans to know that it was the final season heading into it - and it would have taken more than a vague tweet to ensure that happened!
Farewell to the Younglings of the Star Wars universe! What an adventure their journey has been.
All three seasons of Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures are now streaming on Disney Plus.