Inspired by the creative minds at @starwarstuff on Twitter, Small Screen Star Wars is back with more podcasting goodness. This week’s theme is Star Wars Oscars (not to be confused with Star Wars AT the Oscars, where John Williams owns). Julian and Rachel pick the best of the best from across Star Wars on film (and television of course). Who’s the best Star Wars director? What is the best lightsaber duel? The best droid? (spoilers, there’s only 1 correct answer for this. I’m sorry, but we don’t make the rules) Tune in to find what is OBJECTIVELY (subjectively) the best stuff in Star Wars!

We of course also encourage you to write in with your list! What do you think is the best of the best in Star Wars? Email us at towerofbabblepodcast@gmail.com

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and leave a kind review on Apple Podcasts, and check out Patreon.com/TowerBabbleCast to become one of our latest patrons.

Categories and Winners

Best Film

Julian:

The Last Jedi

Rachel:

Empire Strikes Back

Best Director

Julian:

Rian Johnson (The Last Jedi)

Rachel:

Dave Filoni (The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian)

Best TV Series

Julian:

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Dave Filoni and George Lucas)

Rachel:

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Dave Filoni and George Lucas)

Best Actor

Julian:

Harrison Ford (Han Solo)

Rachel:

Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan)

Best Actress

Julian:

Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa)

Rachel:

Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa)

Best Scene

Julian:

Binary Sunset (Episode IV)

Rachel:

“No I am your Father” (Episode V)

Best Performance

Julian:

James Earl Jones (Darth Vader)

Rachel:

Ray Park (Maul)

Best Lightsaber Duel

Julian:

Ahsoka vs Maul (The Clone Wars S7)

Rachel:

Maul vs Obi-Wan (Episode I)

Best Jedi

Julian:

Yoda

Rachel:

Yoda

Best Villain

Julian:

Darth Vader

Rachel:

Darth Maul

Best Score

Julian:

Binary Sunset/Force Theme

Rachel:

Duel of the Fates

Best Romance

Julian:

Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla

Rachel:

Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla

Best Friendship

Julian:

Han and Chewy

Rachel:

R2D2 and C3P0

Best Droid

Julian:

R2D2

Rachel:

R2D2

Best Planet

Julian:

Kashyyyk

Rachel:

Lothal

Best Cinematography

Julian:

The Last Jedi (Steve Yedlin)

Rachel:

The Mandalorian (Greig Fraser)

Apr 30, 2026

SSSW - Maul: Shadow Lord - Chapter 7 & 8

There's two of them now?! With the arrival of another Inquisitor things really start to escalate on Janyx. We see Maul at his lowest since probably his spider-leg days (he goes on a self-guided therapy session/vision quest that results in something quite inspiring actually!), providing us a deeper understanding of his motivations, beyond simply "revenge!". Meanwhile, Devon continues to be the most interesting character on the show as she takes two steps forward, one step back, flirting with the dark side (though bonus points for the slick ride she acquires for their getaway). On the action side, the show continues to bring the goods, with dynamic, large scale battles (heavy on LAATs which is always a treat), intimate lightsaber combat, and a special shout out to the speeder chase this week that included a new Star Wars techno track (get outta here Niamos!), which combined for a chef's kiss of a sequence. The finale is next week, dropping on Star Wars Day (May the 4th), so stay tuned to see how much the show wants to tie up and how much it wants to leave dangling ahead of season 2!

Apr 25, 2026

Episode 205 - CinemaCon 2026 + News Roundup

It's been a minute since Matt and Julian sat down to cover the latest in film and TV news. Some might say it's been dearly missed. Well wait no more folks because this week it's all news and nothing but the news so help me god! If the last few weeks (months?) of stories weren't enough, CinemaCon 2026 also just concluded which had it's own news deluge. The guys unpack it all (well most of it anyway)! Of utmost priority is the news of Michael B Jordan and Austin Butler's reboot of 'Miami Vice', which is close to Matt's heart. Plus 'Spaceballs 2' gets a title and release date, trailers for 'Dune 3', 'Clayface' and 'Street Fighter' all surprise (in a good way), and a new 'Lord of the Rings' movie is announced (and you won't guess who's writing it!). Plus, a 'Game of Thrones' movie, more 'Transformers' and is 'Avatar' over? All this and so much more on this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!

Apr 23, 2026

SSSW - Maul: Shadow Lord - Chapter 5 & 6

We’ve reached the halfway point of the season and with it comes a tonal shift back to the roots of Star Wars animation - 'The Clone Wars'. With the arrival of the Empire, the focus shifts away from Maul and his dealings and toward the pair of Jedi as they are now in the crosshairs. The noire tone takes a back seat, next to Maul, as things become more pulpy, mixed with an impending doom that is reminiscent of the final season of 'The Clone Wars'. The set-piece action sequences get an injection of scale and danger, which is exciting, and some of the early seeding of characters like Rylee start to pay off. While maybe a bit different from the previous 4 episodes, the quality and the stakes remain high (well... for every character except Maul I suppose). Join Julian and Rachel as the unpack it all in excruciating detail.

Apr 15, 2026

SSSW - Maul: Shadow Lord - Chapter 3 & 4

Now that the premiere is out of the way, the team at Lucasfilm Animation can focus on driving the story forward with authority. The pacing is much improved this week as time feel more evenly dispersed across the characters. There's a greater concentration on characters who can wield a lightsaber and it's appreciated. No shade to the crime syndicate storyline, but we've kind of seen all that already (it was quite literally a 'Clone Wars' arc). The action remains strong while taking another step forward with lightsaber duels joining the mix. Plus, the fast cutting from last week seems to have been dialed back, which is appreciated as it provides more clarity in action scenes. For example, Devon's engagements with Maul are gripping, and with the additional time provided to Master Daki, the stakes feel ratcheted up. Kevin Kinner's music remains a highlight, the illusions to the Anakin vs Obi-Wan Mustafar theme was a particular highlight. In general, there is still room for more character growth, especially with characters not named Maul, who really can't/won't change - but happy to proven wrong! This show feels like it's in full swing already, which is good because next week things look to be really heating up as we hit the half way mark. Julian and Rachel unpack it all!