Serial dependence (SD) is a pervasive contextual bias in which current visual estimates are systematically pulled toward stimuli encountered in the recent past. Although both selective attention and visual working memory (VWM) have been implicated in modulating SD, their distinct contributions remain unclear. Across three orientation reproduction experiments, we investigated how active maintenance and prioritization within VWM affect serial dependence compared to simple attentional prioritization. We found that requiring active VWM maintenance and prioritization of a stimulus amplifies its serial dependence effect on subsequent trials, with stronger attractive biases emerging after longer retention intervals. By contrast, simple attentional prioritization without VWM maintenance requirements did not modulate SD magnitude. Together, these findings demonstrate that serial dependence is shaped by active maintenance and prioritization processes in visual working memory beyond simple attentional selection.