5 Best Star Wars Legends Comics, Ranked

When George Lucas released "Star Wars: A New Hope" in 1977, he started a franchise that quickly exploded in popularity and size. Over the years, more films joined the first, as did multiple television series, video games, tie-in novels, and a hefty number of excellent comic books. The comics significantly outnumber all else, as there have been dozens of great series covering the era of the Skywalkers, as well as thousands of years prior. Over time, the Star Wars franchise blossomed into something truly epic.

Then, the dark times came, when the House of Mouse scooped up the franchise and shoved almost all of it into the firmly non-canon Star Wars Legends. That's where the bulk of Star Wars comics now reside, relegating their characters and story arcs to a place where they no longer have meaning. When it acquired LucasArts, Disney forever changed the Star Wars franchise, but it also has slowly tapped into Legends to bring forth excellent characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Looking back at the Legends comics, there are plenty of characters and stories to revive in canon. Over time, some might yet make the leap. Others won't escape Legends, as their storylines contradict Disney's plan for the franchise. Still, you can't deny a great comic book series just because Disney decided it's no longer relevant. Of the many Star Wars Legends comic series, these are the best. We've ranked them by their overall popularity to the fandom, and by how well their art and writing set them apart from the competition.

While Disney released an outstanding series of shorts under the title "Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi," it took that title from a classic comic book series. "Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi" is a 35-issue comic that ran from October 1993 until November 1998, published by Dark Horse Comics. It tells eight different story arcs set from 5,000 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) to 3,986 BBY, covering a great deal of galactic history. Most of it was scripted by the late Tom Veitch, who created a groundwork that still shapes the Old Republic.

Six of the stories are set during the Great Sith War, which saw the Sith attempt to gain dominance over the entire galaxy. The central figure during these stories is former Jedi Knight-turned-Sith Lord Ulic Qel-Droma. It also includes the fallen Jedi Exar Kun, who instigates a massive, galaxy-wide conflict against the Jedi. Much of what was written in this series was used as an inspiration for "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic," which remains regarded as the best Star Wars video game ever made.

Overall, the series is an excellent primer for the history of the Jedi Order and the Sith, when both clashed across the galaxy millennia long before Darth Sidious established the first Galactic Empire. That makes "Tales of the Jedi" a foundational series that many fans of the franchise can enjoy, as it doesn't rely on previously-established characters. Instead it offers an entirely new setting, conflict, and resolution that builds towards the franchise as it's known today.

Of all the Legends series, "Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi" is the most recent, having premiered in February 2012. Written primarily by Jon Ostrander, it continued until March 2014 with a total of 15 issues, covering a time period previously unexplored in the franchise. The bulk of the series is set in 25,972 BBY, establishing the roots of the Force as it's used throughout the galaxy. The Jedi Order doesn't exist, nor does the Sith, as the Force has yet to be balanced into its distinct duality.

The primary focus of "Dawn of the Jedi" is the Je'daii Order on the planet Tython. The Je'daii, as the name implies, is the predecessor of the Jedi Order, and the whole series takes place before the dawn of the Republic. Like "Tales of the Jedi," "Dawn of the Jedi" also prepares ancient foundations, offering insight into the beginning of what would ultimately become the power players of the galaxy.

It centers around three Je'daii Journeyers who find themselves in a conflict brought forth by Daegen Lok, who wishes to overthrow the Je'daii Order, establishing the schism that ultimately leads to the creation of the Sith. Granted, that doesn't happen until around 5,000 BBY, but it all begins in this series, which details the Star Wars galaxy in a way that hadn't been seen previously. Director James Mangold used "Dawn of the Jedi" as the working title for his Star Wars movie, though it's unclear if this project will ever make it to the final stage.

In 2003, LucasArts and Bioware released the landmark video game, "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic," taking its inspiration from "Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi." The game's success and popularity spawned a sequel, but it also led to a comic book series that serves as a sequel to "Tales of the Jedi" and a prequel to the game. Also called "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic," it ran for 52 issues between January 2006 and February 2010, covering the period between 3,964 and 3,963 BBY. The series, written by stalwart franchise writer John Jackson Miller, focuses primarily on Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick.

After he's framed for a massacre, Carrick works to clear his name while exposing the Jedi Covenant, a secret society of Jedi who work tirelessly behind the scenes to prevent another uprising of the Sith — a concept that recently came up in the canon TV series "The Acolyte." The comic is filled with well-crafted characters and story arcs that keep the plot going throughout the entire run, making for incredibly compelling reading for any fan of the franchise. "Old Republic" expanded on "Tales of the Jedi," while also filling in the gaps that ultimately make the video game's story even more engrossing.

It also expanded on the Mandalorian Wars and other elements referenced in the Bioware games, significantly growing the franchise lore. Interest in the game and its sequel helped fuel readers to flock to the comics, and vice versa, keeping the Old Republic era alive for decades after the game's initial release.

Ask a random Star Wars fan what their favorite book series is, and there's a good chance they'll respond with "Star Wars: Heir to the Empire" by Timothy Zahn. The trilogy introduces Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Chiss tactician who jumped out of Legends to become the big bad of the "Star Wars Rebels" animated series. He's appeared in live action since, played on "Ahsoka" by Lars Mikkelsen (who voiced him in "Rebels"). In sum, he's a pretty big deal to the franchise.

Zahn's books spawned a six-issue comic adaptation by Mike Baron, which is just as impressive as the source material. "Star Wars: Heir to the Empire" arrived in comic book stores between October 1995 and April 1996. The story is set in 9 ABY (after the Battle of Yavin), five years after the events of "Return of the Jedi," and the remains of the Imperial Starfleet are hiding from the New Republic. Han Solo and Leia Organa are married and expecting twins, while Luke Skywalker is operating as a Jedi Knight.

Luke also eventually marries none other than Mara Jade, one of the most beloved Legends characters that fans still hope will make the leap to canon. Unfortunately for the former Rebels, one powerful and masterful tactician survives: Thrawn. The Grand Admiral — and the remnants of a secret science program that inspired portions of "The Bad Batch" and "The Mandalorian" — will prepare a new heir to the Empire, one way or another. It's an excellent adaptation, and while Zahn didn't pen the comics, his words inspired what became one of the best Star Wars comic book series to date.

One of the most featured characters in Legends comics is Luke Skywalker, and there's a reason you won't see many of those stories in a Star Wars movie. They often deviate from what Disney planned, and chief among these is Tom Veitch's "Star Wars: Dark Empire," which is set in 10 ABY, six years after the events of "Return of the Jedi." The six-issue miniseries was published between December 1991 and October 1992, and it focuses primarily on Luke and his fall to the dark side. Once Vader died, Luke strapped on his father's armor and stood beside none other than a resurrected Darth Sidious.

The Emperor managed to survive by transferring his consciousness into cloned bodies, cheating both death and the Rebels out of their victory. The comic also features the return of fan-favorite character Boba Fett, who escaped from the Sarlacc to continue as the galaxy's coolest-looking bounty hunter. While the main storyline couldn't work in canon, many elements of "Dark Empire" have very recognizably made it out of Legends.

The cloning of Palpatine is a major storyline in "The Mandalorian" and explains the franchise's most despised movie line, uttered by a depressed Oscar Isaac: "Somehow, Palpatine returned." The comic also inspired the return of Boba Fett (helped by Patton Oswalt's "Parks and Rec" monologue, of course), and other elements, making "Dark Empire" one of the most influential Legends comics. Dark Horse Comics published "Dark Empire," and it was one of the first series under the publisher's banner, which helped establish the indie company as the de facto publisher of Star Wars comics. In a way, they were the heir to the Empire — until somehow, Marvel returned.