Star Wars

Star Wars is an American media franchise created by George Lucas. The space opera saga began with the original Star Wars film (1977) and quickly became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. It has expanded into various films and other media, including television series, video games, novels, comic books, theme park attractions, and themed areas, comprising an all-encompassing fictional universe. Star Wars is one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

The original film, later retitled Episode IV: A New Hope, was followed by the sequels Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), forming the original Star Wars trilogy. Lucas later returned to the series to write and direct a prequel trilogy, consisting of Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005). In 2012, Lucas sold his production company to Disney, relinquishing his ownership of the franchise. This led to a sequel trilogy, consisting of Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), and Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

All nine films, collectively referred to as the "Skywalker Saga", were nominated for Academy Awards, with Oscars going to the first three releases. Together with the spin-off films Rogue One (2016) and Solo (2018), the combined box office revenue of Star Wars theatrical live-action films equals over US$10 billion, making Star Wars the third-highest-grossing film franchise in cinematic history.

Premise

Further information: Universe of Star Wars

The Star Wars stories take place in a galaxy far, far away, long before our time. In this galaxy, humans live together with many different kinds of aliens, droids (robots), and travel between planets using special technology called hyperspace. The planets in this galaxy have many different kinds of places, from busy cities to quiet deserts, and they are full of interesting creatures.

One special part of the Star Wars universe is the Force, a powerful energy that connects everything and everyone. Some people, called Jedi, use the Force for peace and helping others, while others, called Sith, use it for anger and power. They often fight over this special power. The stories also include big battles, space rays, and many exciting adventures with spaceships and heroes.

Films

Main article: List of Star Wars films

The Skywalker Saga

The Star Wars film series follows three trilogies called the "Skywalker Saga". These nine films were made in different orders, starting with the original trilogy from 1977 to 1983. Next came the prequel trilogy from 1999 to 2005, and finally the sequel trilogy from 2015 to 2019.

Each trilogy focuses on a generation of the Skywalker family and their battles against the Sith lord Palpatine. The original trilogy shows Luke Skywalker becoming a Jedi and fighting against Palpatine's Galactic Empire. The prequels tell the story of their father, Anakin, who turns to the dark side and becomes Darth Vader. The sequels follow Leia's son, Ben Solo, and Rey, and their fight against Palpatine after the Empire falls.

Original trilogy

In 1971, George Lucas wanted to make a film based on Flash Gordon but couldn’t get the rights, so he created his own space opera. After making American Graffiti, he wrote a short story for Star Wars. The film was released on May 25, 1977, first called Episode IV: A New Hope. The huge success led to more films. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back came out in 1980, and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi in 1983.

Prequel trilogy

Plans for a prequel trilogy started while making the original films. In 1999, Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released, followed by Episode II: Attack of the Clones in 2002, and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith in 2005. The first two got mixed reviews, but the third was liked more.

Sequel trilogy

Lucas once planned many sequels but later handed the franchise to others. In 2012, Disney bought Lucasfilm and announced Episode VII for 2015. The sequel trilogy ended the stories from the Expanded Universe. Episode VII: The Force Awakens came out in 2015, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi in 2017, and Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. The first two were big hits, but the last one got mixed reviews.

Standalone films

Some Star Wars films were made separately from the Skywalker Saga. In 2008, The Clone Wars animated film was released. After Disney bought Lucasfilm, new films began development. The first was Rogue One in 2016, telling the story of rebels stealing the Death Star plans. Solo came out in 2018, showing Han Solo’s early life. A new film, The Mandalorian & Grogu, is set for May 22, 2026.

Upcoming films

In 2023, three new Star Wars films were announced, each in different time periods. One will be about the early Jedi, another during the New Republic era, and a third about a new Jedi Order. More films are in development, including Star Wars: Starfighter set for May 28, 2027.

Television

Main article: List of Star Wars television series

Animated series

The first two animated series, Droids and Ewoks, were produced in the 1980s. They were followed by the Clone Wars animated micro-series in 2003 and the 2008 The Clone Wars. After Disney bought Lucasfilm, all animated series made before 2014, except the 2008 series, were no longer part of the main Star Wars story. Newer animated series include Rebels, released in 2014; Resistance, released in 2018; and The Bad Batch, released in 2021.

Since Disney bought Lucasfilm, they have also released several short animated stories. At a big Star Wars event in Japan in April 2025, they announced a new animated series called Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, which will start in April 2026. This series will show what happens after the Clone Wars, when Maul tries to rebuild his old group of criminals.

Live-action series

Star Wars also has several live-action TV shows. The first one, The Mandalorian, came out in 2019 on Disney+ and takes place between the original and newer Star Wars movies. Because it was so popular, it led to more shows set in the same time, like The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew. These shows tell the story of the New Republic and its friends as they fight against what’s left of the old Galactic Empire.

There was also a story about Obi-Wan Kenobi, which was planned to be a movie but became a TV show instead after another movie called Solo didn’t do well. This show came out in 2022 on Disney+ and is set between the movies that show the events before and after the original Star Wars films. It was followed by another live-action show called Andor in the same year.

The Acolyte is a new series made by Leslye Headland. It’s set at the end of the High Republic time, before the big events of the Skywalker Saga, and it follows an investigation into some mysterious murders of Jedi teachers.

Films and specials

Fictional timeline

See also: Star Wars in other media § Legends fictional timeline

The Star Wars story takes place in many different times, called eras. These eras help organize the many movies, TV shows, books, and games.

Some of the main eras are:

• Dawn of the Jedi: The very first Jedi uses the Force.
• The Old Republic: The Galactic Republic is created, and the Jedi Order forms to protect it.
• The High Republic: The Republic enjoys a peaceful time, with many stories in books and shows.
• Fall of the Jedi: The bad leader Palpatine starts a big war, ends the Republic, and stops the Jedi.
• Reign of the Empire: Palpatine's Empire rules, and hunts any remaining Jedi.
• Age of Rebellion: People fight back against the Empire, and Jedi return.
• The New Republic: After the Empire is defeated, the galaxy tries to heal.
• Rise of the First Order: Some bad people from the old Empire return, but are stopped.
• New Jedi Order: A new Jedi Order is created.

There are also many other stories that don't follow the main movies, called Legends. Fans enjoy creating new names and stories inspired by Star Wars.

Other media

From 1976 to 2014, the term Expanded Universe (EU) was used for all officially licensed Star Wars storytelling material outside the films, including novels, comics, and video games. Lucasfilm kept these stories connected to the films until April 25, 2014, when they announced that all EU works would stop being made. Existing works were rebranded under the Star Wars Legends label, with only downloadable content for the massively multiplayer online game The Old Republic remaining as Legends material. The Star Wars canon was restructured to include only the six feature films, the animated film The Clone Wars (2008), and its companion series. All future projects would be overseen by a story group to keep the franchise's storytelling consistent.

Print media

Star Wars in print started before the first film, with the November 1976 novelization of Star Wars, initially subtitled From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker. Credited to Lucas, it was ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster. The first "Expanded Universe" story appeared in Marvel Comics Star Wars #7 in January 1978, with Foster's sequel novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye following the next month.

Novels

Further information: List of Star Wars books

After the novelization of the original film, Foster wrote the sequel Splinter of the Mind's Eye (1978). Novelizations of The Empire Strikes Back (1980) by Donald F. Glut and Return of the Jedi (1983) by James Kahn followed, along with The Han Solo Adventures trilogy (1979–1980) by Brian Daley, and The Adventures of Lando Calrissian trilogy (1983) by L. Neil Smith.

Timothy Zahn's bestselling Thrawn trilogy (1991–1993) renewed interest in the franchise and introduced popular characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn, Mara Jade, Talon Karrde, and Gilad Pellaeon. The first novel, Heir to the Empire, reached #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. Other notable series include the Jedi Academy trilogy (1994) by Kevin J. Anderson and the 14-book Young Jedi Knights series (1995–1998) by Anderson and Rebecca Moesta.

Del Rey took over Star Wars book publishing in 1999, releasing the 19-installment novel series The New Jedi Order (1999–2003). In 2019, a new prequel novel featuring Qui-Gon and young Obi-Wan was published by Del Rey under the title Star Wars: Master and Apprentice.

Comics

Marvel Comics published a Star Wars comic book series from 1977 to 1986. Original Star Wars comics were serialized in the Marvel magazine Pizzazz between 1977 and 1979. In the late 1980s, Marvel dropped a new Star Wars comic, which was picked up by Dark Horse Comics and published as the popular Dark Empire series (1991–1995). Dark Horse launched many series set after the original film trilogy, including Tales of the Jedi (1993–1998) and X-wing Rogue Squadron (1995–1998).

After Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, it was announced that the Star Wars comics license would return to Marvel Comics in 2015. The first three publications were titled Star Wars, Darth Vader, and the miniseries Princess Leia.

First announced as Project Luminous at Star Wars Celebration in April 2019, the Star Wars: The High Republic publishing initiative was revealed in February 2020. This new era, set 200 years before the Skywalker Saga, was explored in various books and comics.

Marvel Comics will publish a one-shot comic book on September 4, 2024, titled Star Wars: The Acolyte – Kelnacca, focusing on Kelnacca, the Wookiee Jedi introduced in The Acolyte.

Audio

Soundtracks and singles

Further information: Music of Star Wars

John Williams composed the soundtracks for the nine episodic films. He also created themes for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Han Solo. Several other composers worked on different soundtracks, including John Powell, Michael Giacchino, and Ludwig Göransson.

Audio novels

Further information: The Story of Star Wars and List of Star Wars books

The first Star Wars audio work was The Story of Star Wars, an LP using audio samples from the original film and a new narration, released in 1977. Most printed novels were adapted into audio novels, usually on cassette tape and later CD.

Radio

Radio adaptations of the films were also produced. The first was written by science-fiction author Brian Daley and directed by John Madden, broadcast on National Public Radio in 1981, adapting the original 1977 film into 13 episodes. Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels reprised their film roles.

Video games

The Star Wars franchise has spawned over one hundred computer, video, and board games. Some are based directly on the movies, while others rely on the non-canonical Expanded Universe. Star Wars games have gone through three development eras, marked by changes in leadership among developers.

Early licensed games (1979–1993)

The first officially licensed electronic Star Wars game was Kenner's 1979 table-top Star Wars Electronic Battle Command. In 1982, Parker Brothers published the first Star Wars video game for the Atari 2600, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, followed by Star Wars: Jedi Arena.

LucasArts and modern self-published games (1993–2014)

Main article: LucasArts

Lucasfilm founded its own video game company in 1982, LucasArts. In 1993, LucasArts released Star Wars: X-Wing, the first self-published Star Wars video game and the first space flight simulator based on the franchise. The Rogue Squadron series was released between 1998 and 2003.

Dark Forces (1995), a hybrid adventure game, was the first Star Wars first-person shooter. It introduced Kyle Katarn, who would appear in multiple games, novels, and comics.

EA Star Wars (2014–present)

Following Disney's acquisition of the franchise, video game rights were reassigned to Electronic Arts. Games made during this era are considered canonical. In November 2015, Star Wars: Battlefront was released, followed by a sequel in November 2017. A single-player action-adventure game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, was released in November 2019.

Theme park attractions

Main article: List of Star Wars theme parks attractions

In addition to the Disneyland ride Star Tours (1987) and its successor, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (2011), many live attractions have been held at Disney parks, including Where Science Meets Imagination, Hyperspace Mountain, a walkthrough Launch Bay, and the night-time A Galactic Spectacular. An immersive themed area called Galaxy's Edge opened at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in mid-2019. A themed hotel, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, operated from 2022 to 2023 at Walt Disney World.

Multimedia projects

A multimedia project involves works released across multiple types of media. Shadows of the Empire (1996) was a multimedia project set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi that included a novel, a comic book series, a video game, and action figures. The Force Unleashed (2008–2010) was a similar project set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope that included a novel, a 2008 video game and its 2010 sequel, a graphic novel, a role-playing game supplement, and toys.

Merchandising

The success of the Star Wars films made the franchise one of the most merchandised in the world. By 1987, the first three films had made US$2.6 billion in merchandising revenue. By 2012, the first six films produced approximately US$20 billion in merchandising revenue.

Kenner Products made the first Star Wars action figures to coincide with the release of the original film. Since the 1990s, Hasbro has held the rights to create action figures based on the saga. Star Wars was the first intellectual property licensed by Lego. Lego has produced animated parody short films and mini-series to promote their Star Wars sets. The Lego Star Wars video games are critically acclaimed bestsellers.

In 1977, the board game Star Wars: Escape from the Death Star was released. A Star Wars Monopoly and themed versions of Trivial Pursuit and Battleship were released in 1997, with updated versions in subsequent years. The board game Risk has been adapted in two editions by Hasbro.

Star Wars Trading Cards have been published since 1977 by Topps. Many cards have become highly collectible.

Themes

Star Wars uses many ideas from old stories and history. It includes ideas like knights and heroes from old tales. Characters often follow a path where they learn important lessons, like forgiving others or facing their mistakes.

The story also uses real-world history. Fights between groups in the movies remind us of real battles from the past. The way some characters look and dress is inspired by old soldiers and leaders. These ideas help make the Star Wars universe feel real and full of meaning.

Cultural impact

Main article: Cultural impact of Star Wars

The lightsaber and the blaster are iconic elements of the franchise.

The Star Wars saga has had a big effect on popular culture. Phrases like "evil empire" and "May the Force be with you" are now commonly used. The first Star Wars film, released in 1977, was enjoyed by many people and helped make science-fiction films more popular. Because of this, many funny parodies and homages were made, such as Hardware Wars, Spaceballs, The Family Guy Trilogy, and Robot Chicken: Star Wars.

In 1989, the Library of Congress chose the original Star Wars film to be kept for its importance. Later, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were also chosen. In 2025, a painting from 1977 that introduced Star Wars sold for a record price.

The original Star Wars film helped 20th Century Fox become a successful company. It changed Hollywood movies, leading to more special effects and big blockbuster films. It also started the idea of making trilogies and showed that toys and other items related to a movie could make even more money than the movie itself.

Many filmmakers have been inspired by Star Wars, and it has been used in schools to help students learn and have fun.

Fan works

The Star Wars saga has inspired many fans to create their own stories and short films. In 2002, Lucasfilm started the first annual Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards to recognize these creators. At first, only certain types of fan films were allowed, but later, stories set in the Star Wars universe were also accepted. Lucasfilm allows fans to make these creations as long as they do not sell them for profit.

Academia

Teachers have used the films to help students learn. For example, some students acted out scenes and made props, while others built model lightsabers to learn about science. The films have also been used in university classes to discuss different ideas.