(Image Source: Marvel Comics / Clay Mann)
Even before the first movie came out, the Star Wars comics helped establish the franchise. They also kept fans interested long after the Original Trilogy left theaters and until the release of the Prequels. Indeed, much of the lore codified in later films and television series started with the comics continuing the adventures of Leia, Luke, Han, and other beloved heroes. While some of these stories are now part of the Legends continuity they are still good books worth reading. So are some of the new wave of comics exploring a galaxy far, far away.

Best Star Wars comics as of 2026

In a stroke of luck, Marvel Comics secured the rights to make comics based on Star Wars before it redefined American cinema. These comics are credited by some with saving Marvel from bankruptcy. Other publishers would handle the franchise, with Dark Horse being the most famous and popular. However, the franchise returned to Marvel in 2015, after both it and Lucasfilm were acquired by Disney. The list that follows offers a chronological look at some of the best comics from every era and publisher.

The Star Wars

George Lucas’ first-draft script for Star Wars is almost entirely different from the story he ultimately filmed apart from some story beats. The protagonist is named Annikin Starkiller, and his mentor is Luke Skywalker. (There is no Obi-Wan Kenobi here.) They still seek to protect Princess Leia, but they take a different path to get there. Dark Horse Comics published Jonathan Rinzler and Mike Mayhew’s interpretation of the script, and it’s a fascinating read for franchise fans curious about what could might been.

Star Wars (1977)

The first Star Wars comic launched in April 1977, one month before the first movie was released in theaters. The first six issues were a direct adaptation of A New Hope, written by Roy Thomas with art by Howard Chaykin. However, it quickly became its own thing, as well as one of the best-selling comic series of the 1970s.

This first Marvel Comics Star Wars series was many fans’ first exposure to the Star Wars Expanded Universe. They are notable today for how they helped establish the template for future Star Wars comics. Moreover, they also proved there was a substantial market for Star Wars stories in other media. They are also fascinating for some of the decided non-canon stories they relate, such as the first image of Luke’s father before The Empire Strikes Back changed everything regarding Anakin Skywalker.

Dark Empire Trilogy

The Dark Empire Trilogy is one of the most influential Star Wars comic miniseries ever. Published by Dark Horse Comics in the early 1990s, it consists of Dark Empire, Dark Empire II, and Empire’s End. It was written by Tom Veitch, with art by Jim Baikie & Cam Kennedy.

Dark Empire takes place six years after Return of the Jedi. The story centers on Emperor Palpatine’s return from the dead through cloning technology. He rebuilds the Empire with a new fleet of massive Super Star Destroyers and World Devastators. The plot follows Luke as he attempts to destroy the Dark Side from within. Meanwhile Leia and Han try to keep Luke from following his father’s fate.

Dark Empire II finds Luke trying to rebuild the Jedi Order. Somehow, Palpatine is reborn again, and this time he seeks to possess the body of Leia’s newborn son, Anakin Solo. The story also explores the ongoing war between the New Republic and Imperial forces, while Luke continues to grapple with the Dark Side’s influence.

Empire’s End finds a dying and desperate Palpatine taking control of a new planet-killing weapon. However, his goal is not revenge on the galaxy, but the destruction of the next generation of Jedi. This sets up a final confrontation with Luke Skywalker for the fate of The Force.

Decades before the Sequel Trilogy, the Dark Empire Trilogy courted controversy by bringing Palpatine back from the dead. However, they were still quite popular upon release and helped trigger a resurgence in the franchise’s popularity. Today, they are today considered classics of the Star Wars Legends line.

Star Wars Infinities

Have you ever wondered what would’ve happened if Luke hadn’t blown up the Death Star? How about if Leia was the one Yoda trained to face Darth Vader? Or if Leia, Luke, and Lando didn’t rescue a carbonite-frozen Han from Jabba the Hutt? These are some of the questions explored in Star Wars Infinities.

Originally published by Dark Horse Comics over a dozen issues (three miniseries with four parts each) Infinities did for the Star Wars Expanded Universe what What If? did for Marvel Comics. Naturally, the three stories are considered non-canonical. Indeed, each miniseries presents a wildly different outcome based on key events playing out differently. Each volume is its own story, with no shared continuity or outcomes between them. This series will appeal to those fans who are curious about how little changes wind up influencing the big picture of the Original Trilogy.

Star Wars Legacy

Star Wars Legacy is set over a century after the events of A New Hope. The series follows Cade Skywalker, a descendant of Luke Skywalker. Describing Cade as a reluctant hero would be putting it mildly. Indeed, he rejects his Jedi powers to become a bounty hunter. However, he soon finds himself thrust into the middle of a new galactic civil war and facing another Sith Lord on the Imperial throne. While some fans were skeptical about a series set this far in the future of the franchise, it became one of the highest selling comic series ever published by Dark Horse.

Star Wars: Darth Vader

How did Darth Vader feel when he discovered he had a son? The 2015 Star Wars: Darth Vader explores this question. Written by Kieron Gillen, with art primarily by Salvador Larroca, the first volume was published by Marvel Comics from February 2015 to October 2016. The first volume was set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back and focuses on Darth Vader and pivotal moments not told in the original trilogy. Later volumes are set in the other gaps between the movies.

The story starts with Vader in the aftermath of the Death Star’s destruction, where he finds himself in a precarious position with the Emperor. Vader secretly begins building his own power base, operating outside normal Imperial channels. Gillen manages to keep Darth Vader enigmatic, but still takes the reader on an emotional journey with the infamous villain. Everything in this series is canon, so you can trust that it stays true to the original lore.

Star Wars: Vader Down

Vader Down was the first crossover between the various Star Wars comics Marvel published immediately after reacquiring the license. The story finds Darth Vader attempting to capture Luke Skywalker. Instead, he is confronted by the entire Rebel army and fleet and shot down. Most would consider this certain defeat. However, Vader is not most people. Indeed, when he is informed he is surrounded, he replies “All I am surrounded by is fear and dead men.” This sets up a battle that compares favorably to the infamous Vader fight in Star Wars: Rogue One.

How we chose the best Star Wars comics

The best Star Wars comics succeed at what the medium does uniquely well. That is, intimate character exploration that films can’t always provide. With that in mind, this list focused on stories that developed popular and well-known characters. However, attention was also paid to stories that, while not canon, offered a new perspective on what Star Wars can be. Most importantly, these stories were considered based upon how accessible they are to newcomers.