What started as one little fantasy film way back in 1977 grew to become one of the biggest pop culture franchises in the universe. Star Wars spun off into a trilogy and eventually a trilogy of trilogies. But after the credits rolled on the original movie, fans had no idea if or when they would see the story continue. Luckily for us, it did. Even so, the time between movies was long. Fans’ appetite for all things long ago and far away could not wait 3 years between films. There was no streaming internet or on-demand video to re-watch the films. Star Wars didn’t even get released to home video until the mid-1980s.
Fans had to look for other places to find out more about the battle between the Rebellion and the Empire. Creator George Lucas knew fans wanted more. Soon, there were comics and books telling new stories. Later, there were video games and cartoons. Now, in the year 2021, fans are about to get more Star Wars than they ever dream imaginable with Disney producing several new live-action and animated series. While we are all waiting for the next chapter, here is a look back at some of the best stories not told in the original 9-film ‘Skywalker Saga‘
Star Wars: Darth Vader
Comic books have been part of Star Wars from the very beginning, before actually, as Marvel’s first issue hit stands over a month before the movie arrived in theaters.
Star Wars was a natural for the comic book medium. The spectacular visuals of the space opera were much easier to produce in comics than in any other format. The early comics (which hold a special place in my heart) could generously be called primitive compared to the stories we are used to now.
The original Marvel comics series ran from 1985 through 1991 with 107 issues. There were also annuals and a 4 issue mini-series for the adaptation of Return of the Jedi. (The Empire Strikes Back adaptation appeared as part of the ongoing series.) In 1991, Dark Horse Comics obtained the rights and produced some amazing comics. They told stories set in all eras of the Star Wars saga, including the early Republic era which was set thousands of years before the first movie, through a period roughly 100 years after the original theatrical trilogy. When Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2015, Marvel regained the comic license and decided to consider all of Dark Horse’s stories (except direct adaptions) to be classified as Legends.
The new era of Marvel has created some amazing comics. Great art telling great stories. Some of the best stories appear in the Star Wars: Darth Vader series. The series, written by Kieron Gillen, explored Vader and his life during the Empire, paralleling the story of the original film and the Marvel Star Wars title from 2015. The series features the debut of Doctor Aphra, the morally ambiguous archeologist for hire that became a fan favorite, along with her 2 droids, BeeTee-One and 0-0-0.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Before I get too into this, I will preface it by saying I am not a big video gamer. My last video game system I owned was the Mattel Intellivision. I loved to play the original Star Wars arcade game (in actual arcades), and I played all the early PC fighter games, like X-Wing and Tie Fighter. Star Wars games where you play as a character never clicked for me. Using a lightsaber was not a natural thing to do with a joystick or control pad. Then I saw Jedi: Fallen Order. It blew me away.
From story to visuals to gameplay, it changed all my preconceptions about Star Wars video games. The rich story and amazing cast are led by Shameless and Gotham actor Cameron Monaghan as former Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis. The strong ensemble and story truly make it feel like a part of the Star Wars canon and is more than just a 3rd person shooter/fighter game.
I may just have to buy an Xbox of my own so I can play it more.
Splinter of the Mind’s Eye
Alan Dean Foster ghost wrote the novelization of Star Wars in 1976. When he wrote it, he created a follow-up story at George Lucas’ request. See, when Star Wars first came out, Lucas knew he might not be able to make the sequel he wanted but would be offered another film with a lower budget.
He had Foster write Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, a sequel that he could adapt for a film on the cheap. It had to have limited locations and Han and Chewie don’t appear in the story (Harrison Ford had not signed on for sequels in his original Star Wars contract.) Set on the misty jungle world Mimban, where Luke and Leia have crashed, they discover a secret Imperial mining operation, and meet new allies, like the Force-sensitive Halla, the alien Yuzzem, Hin, and Kee. Most importantly, we find out about Kaiburr, a crystal that focuses the Force. While searching for the crystal, Darth Vader arrives in the jungle world.
Of course, Star Wars was a huge hit, and Lucas went with his original plan. But Splinter of the Mind’s Eye was also a huge success. While it has been removed from canon, it made its mark on the Star Wars universe. Kyber Crystals have since been revealed as the energy source behind lightsabers and the Death Star’s planet-killing laser. Yuzzem and Mimban have also appeared in other stories.
It was also turned into a 6 issue comic by Dark Horse in 1996.
Star Wars: Droids
In 1983, the original trilogy ended with Return of the Jedi. Soon after, Star Wars Droids arrived.
Set before the events of the original trilogy, it followed the droids as they moved from master to master. It could have been seen as a way to extend the success of the Star Wars toy line from Kenner. (Despite being set before Star Wars, the cartoon featured ships like the A-Wing and B-Wing, both of which did not appear until Return of the Jedi and had just arrived on toy shelves.) But it was not just a long-form toy commercial. The series focused on telling good stories with fully realized characters. Its stories were ambitious. The series was episodic, but elements carried over the whole season (a rarity for a Saturday Morning cartoon.) It also featured appearances of Boba Fett!
Droids had a companion series, The Ewoks, which ran for more episodes. It was also well-received, but it didn’t expand the Star Wars mythos much beyond the edges of the Sanctuary Moon of Endor.
Star Wars: Droids had an amazing theme song written and performed by Stewart Copland, the drummer of The Police. Just try to get it out of your head.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Series)
The first CGI Star Wars cartoon series had a rocky start. It was a spin-off of the less than stellar Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated feature film. The series benefited from being able to build its own long narrative following Obi-wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and young Padawan Ashoka Tano through the events of the eponymous conflict. Other Jedi Masters like Mace Windu and Yoda had significate roles as well.
The series explored many of the Jedi characters that we only saw for fleeting moments in the prequel films. Kit Fisto, Plo Koon, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Shaak-Ti among many others. It gave the Clone Wars a richer, more dramatic resonance and made Order 66 and the events of Revenge of the Sith much more poignant.
Two of the most popular characters the animated series introduced were Ashoka and Mandalorian Death Watch leader Bo-Katan Kryze. Both characters returned in the follow-up animated series, Star Wars Rebels. They then transitioned to live-action. Appearing in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, Katee Sackhoff reprised the role she created in the Clone Wars and Rosario Dawson played the older Ashoka Tano, ahead of her getting her own series in 2022
Some may think the series deserves to higher on the list. That’s fair. Make your own list.
Heir to an Empire (Thrawn Trilogy)
In 1991, Star Wars was pretty much dead, or so it seemed. It had been years since anything substantial had been done with the property. So it was a surprise when Lucasfilm partnered with Bantam Books to produce Heir to an Empire by Timothy Zahn. It was the first book in a new trilogy taking place roughly 5 years after the events of Return of the Jedi. It also kickstarted the creation of a new Expanded Universe.
Zahn’s novel breathed new life into the Star Wars universe. It introduced several characters who became fan-favorites. Not the least of which was the series main villain Grand Admiral Thrawn, the tactical genius from the planet Csilla. He would go on to be a major villain in Star Wars Rebels. Other characters who debuted here were Mara Jade, the Emperor’s Hand, and smuggler Talon Karrde.
At the same time as Heir to an Empire was hitting book stores, Dark Horse Comics also began producing new Star Wars content beginning with Dark Empire. Suddenly it was a good time to be a Star Wars fan again.
Star Wars Rebels
Star Wars: Rebels followed up on the success of The Clone Wars series. Launched in 2014, it was the first original story produced by Disney after purchasing Lucasfilm 2 years earlier. Taking place in the seldom-used gap between the prequel and original trilogies, the series showcases the origins and struggles of the Rebel Alliance, with a completely original cast of characters rooted in the Star Wars tradition. It has that same lived-in look that made Star Wars different from other sci-fi of the period.
The series was a hit from day one with fans and critics alike. It would go on to win Emmy awards and the first-ever Saturn Award for Best Animated Series on Television in 2015.
While all the characters were original, they were familiar to fans. Several character appearances were based on artist Ralph McQuarrie’s original designs for Star Wars. Zeb, the Lasat pilot and Honor Guard leader, is based on the original concept art for Chewbacca. Chopper (C1-10P), the spunky astromech droid, is based on early designs for R2-D2. These design choices connect the series with the origins of the entire Star War Universe.
Clone Wars (2003)
The 2003 Clone Wars animated series was the first Star Wars series since Ewoks went off the air back in 1986. Clone Wars was something completely new. Action driven, the story follows the same idea as its successor, but it seldom stops to take a breath. The episodes are short. Some as short as 2 minutes. Later episodes could run as long as 12 minutes. When it originally aired on the Cartoon Network, it screened immediately before the popular ‘Fridays’ programming block. (It also appeared on both the Cartoon Network and Star Wars websites.)
While the CGI Clone Wars series is great, it is also dense and sometimes trips over itself. This series, from Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky, is relentless. The show’s animation style is not as polished as the CGI look of the second series. It is, however, a kinetic tour de force. The character designs are simple yet effective. The Jedi ripple with power. Seeing Kit Fisto and Mace Windu take on entire battalions of droid armies demonstrate the potential power of a single Jedi and how they could maintain the peace of the entire galaxy without the help of an army. Villains like Dooku, Durge, and General Grievous practically reek of evil. Sith apprentice Asajj Ventress makes her debut in the 6th episode.
Sadly when Disney acquired Lucasfilm this series joined other aspects in the ‘Legends’ category.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
One of the things that Disney set out to do after they purchased Star Wars was to create stories that could stand alongside the “Skywalker Saga.” Sadly, the success of Rogue One set the bar pretty high for others to follow.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story tells the story of how the Rebellion gets the plans to the Death Star. Did we need to know to that to enjoy Star Wars back in 1977? No. But it tells it in a way that seamlessly fits in the Star Wars universe. At the same time, it created something completely different from anything we had seen in Star Wars to this point. A strong cast and amazing visuals tell what is essentially an honest-to-god war movie. It stresses the values needed of comrades in arms, trust, perseverance, and willingness to sacrifice yourself for the greater good. It reminds us that soldiers have to make the hardest choices in times of war.
We will get to return to the early days of the Rebellion when Andor, a new series set before the events of Rogue One, comes to Disney+ sometime in late 2022.
Before we get to Number 1, here are a few of the worst Star Wars spin-offs:
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Movie – As great as the Clone Wars series that follows it, this Clone Wars film is quite uninspired.
The Ewoks: Battle For Endor – The made-for-TV movie following the teddy bear fighters of Endor have their fans. I am not one of them.
Star Wars: Masters of Teras Kasi – This may be the game that put me off of Star Wars games. Made for the original Playstation, it was clunky, slow, and its graphics don’t hold up. It was hard to play and hard to look at.
The Crystal Star – Most of the items on this list of bad spin-offs do have their fans. But not Vonda McIntyre’s The Crystal Star. It may be the most hated of all the books, comics, and other media set in the Star Wars universe. Another story with Han and Leia’s kids getting kidnapped (yawn) and another former Imperial commander (Zzzzzzz).
The Mandalorian
The Mandalorian could have played it safe and aped the success of Boba Fett’s popularity. But series creators Jon Favreau and David Filoni knew Star Wars fans would not have sat for that.
The first live-action television series set in the Star Wars Universe had a lot riding on it. It was the first original scripted series ordered for Disney’s new streaming platform Disney+. The Mandalorian owes so much of what came before it. It connects to the Clone Wars and the Rebels animated series as well as the original trilogy films, while at the same time forges its own identity. Like the Star Wars Saga of films, each chapter is an episode that can stand alone but also adds up to an even bigger story.
Pedro Pascal does an incredible job of connecting to the audience through his beskar helmet, all the while appearing next to the pop culture phenomena that is Baby Yoda/Grogu. The Mandalorian has given new life to the franchise and has already set up three other spin-offs that will come in the next year or so (The Book of Boba Fett, Ashoka, and Rangers of the New Republic).
What do you think? How did your favorite Star Wars spinoff fare on our list? Let us know in the comments. And make sure to enter into our This is the May Giveaway before May 14th to win some great Star Wars Prizes.
