10 'Star Wars' Comics That Would Make Incredible Disney+ Series

The Star Wars movies are pretty great, but one of the best things the franchise gave us was an entryway to a sprawling universe full of infinite possibilities. If you've gotten through the sequels, prequels, TV shows, novels, and video games, you've still got plenty of content to go, because the comics are jam-packed with dozens of incredible series, miniseries, and one-shots that delve deeper than ever into a galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars comics debuted about a month before A New Hope hit theaters, and the early days make for a fun read in which you can watch continuity catch up with the story in real-time as each film drops. After the Marvel era ended, Dark Horse gained publishing rights for a time, and the universe bloomed in earnest. Rights ultimately returned to Marvel, and since then, there has been a slew of comics that are just waiting to become TV shows.

Star Wars: Republic

The time during which Republic takes place ranges from prior to The Phantom Menace to after Revenge of the Sith, with the creative team changing frequently along the way. While it fleshes out a number of recurring characters from the films, like Mace Windu, Anakin Skywalker, and Yoda, it also introduces some fascinating new faces that you'll only know if you read the comics.

There are a number of must-read Republic stories, making it a series that is best enjoyed all the way through despite its lengthy run. "The Hunt For Aurra Sing" shows a small group of Jedi attempting to end the murderous rampage of the Jedi-killing Sing, while "The Battle of Jabiim" adds context to Anakin's eventual turn to the Dark Side by showing a battle in which he is stranded, Obi-Wan is presumed dead, and many of his fellow Padawan are brutally slain.

Captain Phasma

Introduced during The Force Awakens, Captain Phasma is a high-ranking member of the First Order. The Resistance ran into her during the mission at the Starkiller Base, where she was forced to lower shields which enabled the rebels to attack and destroy the ship. The comic by writer Kelly Thompson and artist Marco Checchetto follows her escape from Starkiller and goes in-depth showing how effortlessly she smoothed over any record of her involvement in its fall.

Series like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett explored the intriguing potential of an antihero in a universe where morality tends to be somewhat straightforward. Captain Phasma is a character that is fully dedicated to self-preservation. Everything from her chrome Stormtrooper armor to her cool ruthlessness hints at a greater story that has yet to fully unfold.

Doctor Aphra

It's pretty surprising that we've made it to 2022 without a live-action Doctor Aphra series. Since the character was introduced to the comics in early 2015 via the Darth Vader comic, she's been one of the most popular that the extended universe has ever produced. It's easy to see why, as the chaotic, queer, charming doctor serves as more or less an unethical Indiana Jones, which makes her an endless delight to read.

When we first meet the not-so-good doctor, she is working with Darth Vader, and the two have easily one of the most fascinating dynamics of the franchise. Traveling with a protocol droid named Triple Zero (essentially an evil C-3P0) and Krrsantan (evil Chewbacca), Aphra regularly meets up with various characters who all have valid reasons to be angry with her. Sometimes good and sometimes bad, Aphra is impossible to predict, and the story potential is limitless.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Fans of the 2003 RPG of the same name may be surprised to discover that there was a lengthy prequel series that introduced a number of all-new characters while incorporating standbys from the game. Written in its entirety by John Jackson Miller alongside a number of artists, the series kicks off with an incredible premise; a young Padawan is about to fail out of Jedi training and arrives late to the ceremony only to see a handful of Jedi Masters have slain his friends and framed him for the murders;

That's just the opening issue of a series that served as the universe flagship title for a number of years, and it's well worth your time to check it out even if it's mostly about characters that exist only within the Dark Horse era of comics. Jumping from murder mystery to political intrigue and heartfelt romance, this was a series that ran the gamut while always remaining very much a classic Star Wars tale of hope and heroism.

Purge

After the events of Revenge of the Sith and before A New Hope, there was a big chunk of time when Darth Vader was just roaming the galaxy, hunting down Jedi and killing them dead. Purge tells the story of a Jedi who seeks to beat Vader at his own game. You can guess about how well that works out for them, but the comic is great at showing the absolute terror that Vader inspires.

Out of everyone on this list, Darth Vader benefits perhaps most greatly from the focus on the trajectory of his character that the comics are able to provide. If the prequels left you feeling unsatisfied with their explanation of his turn to outright villainy, his many comic series will fill in some gaps for you. Though most Vader comics would make for excellent TV episodes, Purge makes for a great place to start.

The High Republic

Another series that introduces us to a mostly new cast, High Republic takes place a couple of centuries before the films. The series follows the exploits of Padawan Keeve Trennis, who is a far cry from the confident and even occasionally arrogant Jedi we've known. Trennis struggles and learns on the page, which is a major part of what makes this series an obvious choice for a future adaptation.

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Stationed aboard the Starlight Beacon, Trennis' story is defined by hope in the face of doubt. Overcoming pressures that she become the greatest Jedi there ever was, she instead chooses to become the best Jedi she can be and to take things one at a time. Her growth is echoed by that of the supporting cast, making this one of the most heartfelt of all the Star Wars comics.

Star Wars: Legacy

John Ostrander and Jan Duursema are two underrated champions of the Star Wars Universe, and one need look no further than their work on Legacy to see why. Over a century after the fall of the Empire, we are introduced to Luke's descendent Cade Skywalker. Though Cade trained as a Jedi, he has become disillusioned, and this series shows him working among bounty hunters.

Cade is a lot of fun, and his adventures through the galaxy as he picks up new friends and enemies is great. However, one of the greatest things about this series is the way it assures us that even without a strong leader, the Sith continue to be a major threat many several decades down the line. Introducing a number of incredible new characters, this comic just plain didn't run nearly long enough.

Chewbacca

Though Chewbacca has always been a fan favorite, the franchise has seldom allowed him to take center stage. In he 2015 Marvel series by writer Gerry Duggan and artist Phil Noto set directly after A New Hope, we see Chewbacca stranded on a remote planet while attempting to complete a mission for the rebels. Though he does what he can to get back on track, Chewbacca encounters a young girl in need, and can't turn his back on her.

Arrax is forced into indentured labor harvesting the larvae of Andelm beetles, and when he finds himself unable to pay a debt, he smuggles his daughter Zarro out so that she can avoid his fate. Zarro isn't willing to let things lie, and Chewbecca is sympathetic to her struggle due to his own experiences with the Empire. This turns into a wonderful story of friendship, and frankly, we could watch twenty seasons of these two interacting and never get bored.

Obi-Wan & Anakin

Obi-Wan and Anakin #1, cover art by Marco Checchetto

Again, Anakin is much improved by the expanded depth the comics give him, but this entry also elaborates on Obi-Wan's motivations. Early in their partnership, when Anakin is still very young, the Jedi and his Padawan are sent to a remote planet and stranded. Putting significant strain on their relationship, the two must work together to survive.

Though the action of this series can't be beat, one of the great strengths of this comic is its focus on the early relationship between its lead characters. Well before Anakin has taken his ultimate turn to the Dark Side, we see the seeds of his future dissent. He asks questions that Obi-Wan can't answer, and it casts a shroud of doubt on the Jedi and their overall effect on the universe.

Tales from Vader's Castle

Taking inspiration from classic horror tropes, this series imagines the Star Wars Universe through the lens of haunted manors, stranded spaceships, and ghosts. Utilizing a rotating cast down to an arrival right at Darth Vader's door, this series delights in turning the creepiness of uninhabited planets and dead zones of space to eleven while providing all-ages fun.

The anthology series, Star Wars Tales, from back in the Dark Horse days, would also make a great series with a rotating creative team. However, the spooky nature of Vader's Castle alongside its open-ended potential would make it an absolute winner as an animated series, particularly for horror fans.

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