These 10 Stories Prove Star Wars Doesn’t Have To Be “Canon” To Be Amazing

Canon has always been a key part of Star Wars, but some of the franchise’s best stories have been non-canon. Before Disney bought Lucasfilm, George Lucas’ Star Wars movies and TV shows were considered the highest level of canon, so other Expanded Universe stories were only canon when they didn’t contradict Lucas’ work. The Star Wars continuity was rebooted in 2014, relegating older EU stories to “Legends” and giving new releases equal canon status.

While these Legends stories may be non-canon now, they were always designed to fit into the same Star Wars universe. However, a handful of projects have been allowed to tell stories with plots and styles that would never fit in the same universe as the Star Wars movies. From fun “What If?” tales to complete reimaginings, these are the 10 best Star Wars stories that were never designed to be canon.

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10

Star Wars Detours

A series that would have been a full-blown comedy

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Star Wars Detours is fascinating because it’s the only entry on this list that has never been officially released. Created by George Lucas and developed in collaboration with Robot Chicken creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, the series would have been an animated comedy set sometime between the prequel and original trilogies. 39 episodes were completed and 62 more were written, though it’s unlikely that any will ever see the light of day.

After Disney bought the franchise, Lucasfilm decided that an absurdist comedy deconstructing Star Wars wouldn’t be wise if they wanted kids to take Episode VII seriously. The trailer and a few clips are still available on YouTube, and a six-minute segment titled “Dog Day Afternoon” leaked online in 2020. While Seth Green thinks Star Wars Detours will never be released, I would love to see the entire series, showing how wacky and weird Star Wars can be.

9

“Into the Great Unknown” (2004)

Star Wars meets Indiana Jones

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Originally published in Star Wars Tales #19, “Into the Great Unknown” by W. Haden Blackman and Sean Murphy is the only notable Star Wars/Indiana Jones crossover (not counting easter eggs, references, or shared actors). When Han Solo and Chewbacca accidentally lightspeed to the Milky Way galaxy, they crash-land on Earth. 126 years later, Indiana Jones finds the Millennium Falcon while searching for the Sasquatch, which turns out to be Chewbacca.

READ STAR WARS TALES #19

Despite how silly the premise is on paper, the comic treats it with a surprising level of seriousness, particularly at the end. Indiana Jones notes how the Falcon somehow feels familiar and knows that Chewbacca should be left alone, with his notably similar dialogue possibly suggesting that he’s a reincarnated version of Han. This balance between meta references and emotional moments shows the potential for more crossovers between Lucasfilm’s two biggest franchises.

8

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed I & II – Bonus Levels

The dark side endings create alternate versions of the original trilogy

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Two of the darkest Star Wars timelines can be found in the DLC levels of the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed games, which pick up where the dark side endings leave off. If you choose to kill Darth Vader in the first game, Starkiller becomes Palpatine’s new apprentice and hunts the original trilogy characters on Tatooine and Hoth. If you try to kill Vader in the second game, the Dark Apprentice fights the rebels at the Battle of Endor.

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Not only do these levels have extremely fun gameplay, but it’s also fascinating to see how one character’s choice creates a ripple effect across the Star Wars saga. Several iconic Star Wars characters suffer tragic fates in these dark-side endings, which we don’t normally see to this extent in canon stories. We may not have gotten Star Wars: The Force Unleashed III, but at least we have two compelling non-canon scenarios.

7

“An Apology” (2012)

An alternate history for Luke Skywalker

As a huge fan of the Star Wars Legends Expanded Universe, “An Apology” by Timothy Zahn is a personal favorite of mine. Written as a Star Wars April Fools’ Day joke, the story is narrated by Luuke Skywalker, a clone who secretly replaced the real Luke Skywalker after Mara Jade accidentally killed him at the end of the Thrawn trilogy. Zahn takes full advantage of this hilariously dark premise, integrating jokes and references only longtime fans would appreciate.

Read “An Apology” by Timothy Zahn here.

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Several controversial and seemingly out-of-character moments throughout the EU are explained as Grand Admiral Thrawn replacing everybody with clones. In addition to the short story, the post reveals Del Rey’s “epicly epic” plans for Star Wars novels, including an unending series called Star Wars: The Clone Wars 2 and a 17-part subseries called Son of Clone Wars. This is one of the most fun Star Wars stories I’ve read, and I’d love to see something similar with canon characters.

6

Star Wars: Visions (2021 – Present)

Different animation studios putting their own spin on Star Wars

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Star Wars Visions is easily the franchise’s most experimental entry, which is only possible because every episode is non-canon. Rather than telling “What If?” stories or focusing on existing characters, most Visions episodes completely reimagine the Star Wars universe in style, plot, or both. The first season consists of anime-inspired episodes from different Japanese animation studios, while season 2 contains more styles from studios around the world.

Rather than telling “What If?” stories or focusing on existing characters, most Visions episodes completely reimagine the Star Wars universe in style, plot, or both.

No other Star Wars project will give viewers the same level of variety, and there’s no limit to what kind of stories the show can tell. Of course, these different approaches mean viewers probably won’t like every single episode, hence why I put Visions near the center of the list. Even if an episode doesn’t hit me personally, I’ll always appreciate the ambition and creativity, so I can’t wait to see what Star Wars: Visions season 3 will offer.

5

“Old Wounds” (2005)

The inspiration for Darth Maul’s canon return

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Before George Lucas decided to revive Darth Maul onscreen, he returned in the non-canon comic “Old Wounds” by Aaron McBride. It was released as part of Star Wars: Visionaries, a graphic novel collection that gave concept artists from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith the freedom to tell their own tales. Maul attacks the Lars Homestead to lure Obi-Wan Kenobi, leading to an epic final duel between old enemies.

READ STAR WARS: VISIONARIES

McBride’s incredible artwork perfectly captures the kinetic energy of the lightsaber duel, and all thirteen pages are packed with tension. Maul’s design is nearly identical to how he would eventually appear in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, while the duel itself inspired Obi-Wan and Maul’s final confrontation in Star Wars Rebels season 3, episode 20 “Twin Suns.” I commend McBride for writing and drawing such an impactful story despite how short it is.

4

Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars (2014)

A hilarious non-canon Star Wars adventure

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I’ve enjoyed Phineas and Ferb ever since I was a kid, but I never imagined it would create one of my favorite Star Wars stories. Rather than retelling A New Hope like other parodies, Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars inserts its characters into the universe and shows what they were doing during A New Hope. The result is a special that lovingly pokes fun at Star Wars while embracing its adventurous spirit.

The writing is more clever than it has any right to be, explaining small moments from A New Hope and including jokes Star Wars fans will love. The opening crawl even ends with the narrator assuring the viewer that “none of this is canon, so just relax,” showing that the creators understand their audience. Now that Phineas and Ferb is returning for season 5, I would love to finally see a sequel centered around The Empire Strikes Back.

3

LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy (2024)

A completely different version of the Star Wars universe

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LEGO has also produced many hilarious Star Wars specials, but the best is undoubtedly LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy. When the “Cornerstone” is removed from an ancient Jedi Temple, the building blocks of the Star Wars galaxy are reshuffled into something new. Sig Greebling must fix his mistake by teaming up with “Jedi Bob,” navigating an alternate version of the Star Wars timeline where characters and plotlines are radically different.

I love how Rebuild the Galaxy takes full advantage of being a LEGO series, animated in the same stop-motion style as the LEGO Movie franchise. Rebuild the Galaxy is jam-packed with easter eggs and references that enhance the story without ruining the pacing, and the longer runtime allows for surprisingly heartfelt moments. While no second season has been confirmed, the finale leaves room for more, so I truly hope that Rebuild the Galaxy can continue with new episodes.

2

The Star Wars (2013–14)

An adaptation of George Lucas’ original draft for Star Wars

The Star Wars isn’t just a great non-canon story, it’s a fascinating look at what Star Wars canon could have been under different circumstances. This eight-issue comic was adapted by J.W. Rinzler and Mike Mayhew from George Lucas’ 1974 draft of what was then called “The Star Wars.” It features many of the same characters and plotlines as the final film but with key differences that make it unique.

THE STAR WARS & STAR WARS INFINITIES COLLECTION

While I can see why Lucas reworked the story into something that would work better as a movie, The Star Wars is fantastic in comic form. The artwork is gorgeous, striking a balance between a new aesthetic and classic designs that make it closer to the Star Wars readers are familiar with. Star Wars should do similar adaptations of other unused scripts and treatments, including George Lucas’ Star Wars sequel trilogy plans.

1

Star Wars Infinities (2001–04)

3 “What If…?” stories for the original trilogy

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Most non-canon Star Wars stories make changes around the movies, but Star Wars Infinities stands out for making changes to the films themselves. Each four-issue miniseries makes a single change to the original Star Wars trilogy and explores how this would alter the timeline:

Star Wars Movie	Change Made By Star Wars Infinities
A New Hope	What if… Luke failed to destroy the Death Star?
The Empire Strikes Back	What if… Luke told Han to become a Jedi?
Return of the Jedi	What if… Jabba hit C-3PO too hard?

This makes Infinities the closest thing Star Wars has ever had to a proper “What If?” series, with each alternate timeline having surprising variations for the characters. Star Wars needs to revive this series and explore changes to the other films, especially since Marvel owns the comic license and is most famous for its What If…? line. Star Wars can do so many amazing things with this kind of freedom, regardless of whether the stories are canon.

All the Star Wars movies, TV shows, and specials are available to stream on Disney Plus. Every Star Wars comic can be read through Marvel Unlimited.

Star Wars

Created by

George Lucas

First Film

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

Cast

Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal

TV Show(s)

The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions

Character(s)

Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren

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Category: Entertainment