20 Essential Star Wars Stories Outside The Movies & Live-Action TV Shows

As Star Wars continues to expand through its live-action projects, it is essential to remember the franchise’s best stories outside the movies and TV shows. Star Wars may be a film franchise at its core, but books have helped shape the franchise since 1978’s Splinter of the Mind’s Eye by Alan Dean Foster was nearly adapted as the first Star Wars sequel. The books and comics of the 1990s rejuvenated widespread interest in Star Wars, while the animated TV shows brought the galaxy to the small screen long before a live-action series was thought of.

Disney and Lucasfilm made all Star Wars stories relevant by announcing a new canon in 2014, but the former Expanded Universe, now known as Legends, continues to shape new projects. The upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows will take heavy inspiration from past books and comics, and the current live-action series have already brought back fan-favorite characters. With the growing number of references and easter eggs, viewers may be curious about stories outside the live-action movies and TV shows, and 20 Star Wars stories stand out as the most compelling and essential.

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20 Dawn of the Jedi (Legends)

The story of the Je’Daii Order

Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema proves why fans should be excited for James Mangold’s upcoming “Dawn of the Jedi” movie. Set over 25,000 years before the Star Wars films, Dawn of the Jedi focuses on the Je’Daii Order on the Force-rich world of Tython. Unlike their Jedi descendants, the Je’Daii believed in a sacred balance between Ashla, the light, and Bogan, the dark, seeking to walk the line between them. This offers a fascinating change to the standard Jedi philosophy and allows for greater exploration of each side of the Force.

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Despite receiving only 15 issues and a tie-in novel, the Dawn of the Jedi era quickly became one of the most engaging parts of the Star Wars Legends timeline. The Je’Daii are given a rich and detailed history spanning thousands of years before the start of the series, adding new information to the lore while maintaining a sense of mystery. The characters face deadly enemies previously alluded to in other Star Wars media, and the Je’Daii view on balance puts a unique spin on the traditional pull between the light and dark sides.

19 The Knights of the Old Republic Games (Legends)

A choice between the dark side and the light

The Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic video games remain critically acclaimed after 20 years, and with good reason. Set 4,000 years before the movies, KOTOR allows players to navigate a Star Wars galaxy that is familiar yet fresh and exciting, full of countless options while exploring each planet. Rather than relying solely on action, the KOTOR games are story-driven, debuting iconic characters like Darth Revan and locations like the Star Forge. Every decision made pushes the player to the light or dark side, affecting key moments and the ultimate ending of the game.

18 The High Republic Era

The most daring transmedia initiative in Star Wars history

Star Wars is a trailblazing transmedia franchise, having launched several outstanding multimedia projects that tell a single story across multiple platforms. The most recent undertaking, Star Wars: The High Republic, is the franchise’s boldest transmedia initiative, with countless books and comics released across three phases. The High Republic created a new Star Wars era 200 years before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, showing the Jedi and the Republic at their height in a time of hope and prosperity. The synergy between stories has led to some of the best characters and story arcs of modern Star Wars.

17 The Darth Bane Trilogy (Legends)

The Sith Lord who created the Rule of Two

Darth Bane only appeared briefly in Star Wars canon but received a detailed backstory in Legends. The Darth Bane trilogy by Drew Karpyshyn follows Bane’s rise to power, revealing how he became the last surviving Sith Lord and why he created the Rule of Two. Karpyshyn expertly incorporates elements of the hero’s journey into Bane’s story, having him grow from a simple miner to a legendary Sith Lord and perfectly explaining why he chose the dark side. The Darth Bane trilogy is a spellbinding origin for the Sith of the prequel era and an exceptional story in its own right.

16 Darth Plagueis (Legends)

The tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise

Few Star Wars stories can weave together elements from other media as seamlessly as James Luceno did in Star Wars: Darth Plagueis. Spanning several decades and culminating in the events of The Phantom Menace, Darth Plagueis chronicles the machinations of Plagueis and his newly appointed apprentice, Darth Sidious, as they work to undermine the Jedi and take control of the Republic. Plagueis’ obsession with saving himself from death and Palpatine’s skillful political manipulation make them a formidable Sith duo. The number of mysteries addressed makes Darth Plagueis an essential companion to the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

15 Clone Wars 2D Micro-Series (Legends)

The first animated Clone Wars show

Genndy Tartakovsky’s Star Wars: Clone Wars 2D micro-series seamlessly bridged the gap between films leading up to the release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Using a similar art style to Samurai Jack, another show by Tartakovsky, Clone Wars had no limits to what it could do and always went big with each short. Despite being primarily action-oriented, Clone Wars succeeded in developing Anakin Skywalker, showing his continued struggle with the dark side and the toll the war takes on him. Other characters, including General Grievous and Commander Cody, debuted in Clone Wars.

14 Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Clone Wars becomes a full-length CG show

Created and executive produced by Lucas, Star Wars: The Clone Wars is the franchise’s most essential animated series. On top of developing existing Star Wars characters between films, The Clone Wars introduced several new characters that have become fan favorites, namely Ahsoka Tano. The stunning animation, multi-episode story arcs, and the mixing of genres allowed The Clone Wars to tackle an impressive variety of plotlines and take the Star Wars universe to new heights. Alongside Lucas’ Star Wars films, The Clone Wars forms the foundation of the current Disney canon and Legends.

13 The Clone Wars Legacy Project

The unfinished Clone Wars stories

The Clone Wars was canceled prematurely following Disney’s acquisition of the Star Wars franchise, leaving many storylines unresolved. Because Dave Filoni and the crew never expected to return for more seasons, several unproduced episodes of The Clone Wars were adapted as books, comics, and story reels, offering fans a glimpse of what could have been. While The Clone Wars eventually returned for 12 more episodes on Disney+ in 2020, The Clone Wars Legacy is a crucial bridge between seasons 6 and 7, answering questions the show didn’t have time to address.

12 Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Clone Force 99 vs. the Empire

Star Wars: The Bad Batch has cemented itself as a direct follow-up to The Clone Wars and the definitive account of the early days of the Galactic Empire. Following the adventures of Clone Force 99, made up of genetically enhanced clones with unique abilities, The Bad Batch boasts the same animation and expert filmmaking as The Clone Wars. Focusing the story on a core group of characters, rather than taking the anthology approach, creates a gripping narrative that develops over three seasons. The show also ties heavily into the larger Star Wars, making it essential viewing for any fan.

11 The Jedi Video Games

Cal Kestis’ journey to rebuild the Jedi

Star Wars took a break from story-driven games for many years after the Disney acquisition, making Star Wars: Jedi – Fallen Order what fans needed in 2019. The game and its sequel, Star Wars: Jedi – Survivor, pick up after Revenge of the Sith and follow Cal Kestis’ quest to rebuild the Jedi Order. With fun Jedi combat, gorgeous graphic design, and an adventure to several worlds, the Jedi games perfectly capture the spirit of Star Wars. The games complement each other to tell a grand story, and the upcoming Jedi 3 could make this the best Star Wars video game trilogy.

10 Star Wars Rebels

The beginning of the Rebellion

Star Wars Rebels is a perfect prequel to the original trilogy, showing how the Rebel Alliance came together to fight the Empire. The show wisely remains standalone in its first season, following a small band of rebels and winning over viewers on its own merits. The following seasons gradually incorporate elements from other Star Wars projects while having the various rebel factions unite as one movement. Rebels‘ fast-paced editing, light-hearted tone, and animation inspired by the artwork of Ralph McQuarrie capture the style of the original trilogy better than any other Star Wars project since 1983.

9 Infinities (Non-Canon)

A Star Wars “What If…?” series

The comic series Star Wars: Infinities is similar to Marvel’s “What If…”, with each installment making a single change to an original trilogy film and exploring how that would radically change the story:

• What if Luke failed to destroy the Death Star?
• What if Han’s search for Luke on Hoth ended differently?
• What if Leia’s rescue took a sharp turn at Jabba’s palace?

This gives readers three unique versions of the original trilogy with unexpected twists and turns. Star Wars: Infinities would make a perfect animated series, allowing Lucasfilm to explore “what if…” scenarios for every movie and TV show.

8 Lost Stars

Romeo and Juliette in Star Wars

Romance has always been an integral component of the Star Wars saga, and nowhere is it handled more effectively than Claudia Gray’s Star Wars: Lost Stars. The story centers on childhood friends Ciena Ree and Thane Kyrell, who grow up to join the Empire and the Rebellion, respectively. Torn between love and duty to their respective factions, Lost Stars is essentially Romeo and Juliette in the Star Wars galaxy, which Gray uses to highlight the tragedy of Ciena and Thane ending up on opposing sides. The story crosses over with the original trilogy, showing iconic moments from a new perspective.

7 The Aftermath Trilogy

What happened after Return of the Jedi

As the title implies, the Star Wars: Aftermath trilogy by Chuck Wendig covers the year following the Empire’s defeat at the Battle of Endor. Wendig’s unusual writing style admittedly takes some getting used to, but he had honed it by the second book, and the trilogy has a great deal to offer. Every character is memorable with a clear arc, including Temmin “Snap” Wexley, who first appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The books also explain the purpose behind the Battle of Jakku, setting up the origins of the First Order and hinting at Palpatine’s eventual return.

6 The Thrawn Trilogy (Legends)

The beginning of the modern Expanded Universe

Star Wars would not be what it is today without Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy, which launched the modern Expanded Universe and kept interest in the franchise alive before new movies were announced. Several fan-favorite Star Wars characters debuted in the Thrawn trilogy, including Mara Jade, the Solo twins, and Grand Admiral Thrawn. Zahn perfectly captures the tone and pace of the original trilogy, faithfully adapts each character, and allows the new characters to flourish. With the Star Wars movies and TV shows setting up a canon adaptation of Thrawn’s invasion, the Thrawn trilogy is more essential than ever.

5 The Dark Empire Saga (Legends)

Palpatine also returned in Legends

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was not the first story to resurrect Palpatine, as the Emperor returned in the comic series Star Wars: Dark Empire by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy. Dark Empire‘s other bold storytelling choices included World Devastators, the return of Boba Fett, and Luke Skywalker turning to the dark side. Kennedy’s use of watercolors gives the series a distinct style and tone that sets it apart from most Star Wars comics and enhances the darker storyline. The undeniable similarities to The Rise of Skywalker and the detailed explanation of Palpatine’s survival make Dark Empire a must-read.

4 The Jedi Academy Trilogy (Legends)

The beginning of Luke’s Jedi Order

Star Wars canon has not yet shown how Luke found all his Jedi students, but it was covered in the Jedi Academy trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson. While Luke begins training Jedi at his temple on Yavin 4, Han discovers a secret Imperial superweapon that threatens to destroy the New Republic. Every one of Luke’s Jedi has a distinct personality and character flaw, making it rewarding when they excel in their training and tragic when some fall to the dark side. Either way, the Jedi Academy trilogy is enjoyable and one of the best portrayals of Luke Skywalker.

3 Shadow Of The Sith

The perfect backstory for the sequel trilogy

The Rise of Skywalker raised several questions about the time between the original and sequel trilogies, most of which the movie didn’t have time to answer in detail. Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith brilliantly incorporates Luke and Lando Calrissian’s search for answers, the lives of Rey’s parents, and Ochi of Bestoon’s mission to hunt them down. Christopher used these plotlines to address mysteries and craft a thoroughly engaging narrative that does justice to all the characters. Shadow of the Sith is a must-read for sequel trilogy fans and viewers with a burning desire for answers.

2 Bloodline

Why Leia formed the Resistance

As Shadow of the Sith did for The Rise of Skywalker, Claudia Gray’s Star Wars: Bloodline expands on Leia’s story in the years before Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The novel delves into New Republic politics, creating engaging debates between the Centrists, who believe in more centralized authority, and the Populists, who believe in more independence. Leia’s struggle with a declining government makes it easy for readers to empathize when her former allies turn against her. Bloodline perfectly sets up the need for the Resistance and how the fall of the New Republic was inevitable.

1 Legacy (Legends)

The far future of the Star Wars galaxy

Star Wars: Legacy by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema is one of the franchise’s best-written comics, boasts gorgeous artwork, and celebrates everything fans love about the saga. Set over 130 years after Return of the Jedi, Legacy follows a Jedi turned bounty hunter named Cade Skywalker, who must face former Jedi allies, Darth Krayt’s One Sith army, and Luke Skywalker’s Force Ghost. The series maintains the spirit of Star Wars while setting it in a brand-new era, and its storyline feels like the culmination of the entire Expanded Universe. Legacy is unquestionably an essential, non-live-action Star Wars story.