Star Warsmay be a one-of-a-kind franchise in many ways, but these 10 movies and TV shows are the best next watches for those who loveStar Warsmovies and TV shows. When the franchise began in 1977—whenA New Hopewas just titledStar Wars—no one anticipated what a massive phenomenonStar Warswould become. In fact, the original trilogy actors themselves have voiced the initial speculation they had about how successful the movie would be.
In the time since,Star Warshas become one of the biggest franchises worldwide, and it only continues to grow. Perhaps because ofStar Wars’major success, many sci-fi movies and TV shows have adopted similar themes, stories, and settings. Others pre-dateStar Warsand may even have served as inspiration for George Lucas.Of all the movies and shows that are likeStar Wars, these 10 are the very best to watch.
10Rebel Moon
This 2023 Movie Is Clearly Derivative Of Star Wars
Rebel Moonhas become quite the topic of conversation since it was released in December 2023. The movie has two parts,Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire(2003) andRebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver(2024).Rebel Moon 3also seems to be in the works, although many details have not been confirmed. Thus far, the movies have had admittedly poor reception, withA Child of Firecurrently sitting at a 22% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes andThe Scargivercoming in even lower at 16%.
Despite those numbers, theRebel Moonmovies are a fun watch, especially for those who are willing to lean into the fact thatRebel Moonis quite clearly influenced byStar Wars, for better or worse. Led by fan-favorite DC director Zack Snyder,Rebel Moonis billed as a ‘space opera,’ just asStar Warsonce was. While some viewers bristled at the similarities (which in part explains the franchise’s reception), that makes it the perfect watch forStar Warsfans.
10 Similarities Between Rebel Moon And The Star Wars Original Trilogy
Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon was once pitched as a Star Wars story, and the influence of George Lucas' work is still easy to spot in the finished product.
9Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
This “Space Cop” Movie Shares Many Themes With Star Wars
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planetswas released in July 2017, and although it was considered a ‘flop’ by many, it is worth the watch for those who loveStar Wars. Netflix describesValerian and the City of a Thousand Planetsas a"space cop"story, which is apt given the plot features two operatives who are traversing space to protect the universe. Not unlikeRebel Moon,Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planetshad a relatively poor reception, currently sitting at a 47% critic score and 53% audience score.
Even with those lower scores, though,Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planetshas plenty to offer viewers who enjoy sci-fi stories (enough to overlook some confusing plot points). After all, it’s fair to say that the originalStar Warstrilogy took a few left turns—such as Luke and Leia being siblings after kissing—yet those movies are still consideredStar Wars’best movies. Among the praises forValerian and the City of a Thousand Planetsare the special effects, the acting, and the originality of the story.
8Lost In Space
Both The Original And The Reboots Fit With Star Wars
Lost in Spacehas a decades-long history, beginning in 1965 with the original show. Since then, there has been a host ofLost in Spaceshows, most recently the series beginning in 2018 and ending in 2021. There was also a 1998 movie. Clearly,Lost in Spaceearned enough attention to have a multi-decade run, and it isn’t clear where the franchise will go next, if anywhere. This timing also meansLost in SpacepredatesStar Wars.
As the title suggests,Lost in Spacefeatures a family, the Robinsons, lost in space after someone sabotaged their ship before a space mission. In both the 1965 version and the 2018 reboot, the family must survive in an unknown environment with various creatures and dangers. Although it might not be a dead ringer for the Jedi and Sith ofStar Wars, the themes and focus of the show will undoubtedly land withStar Warsaudiences.
7Battlestar Galactica
Like many of its counterparts on this list,Battlestar Galacticais a show that has had multiple iterations across decades. The show began in 1978, although that first iteration of the show didn’t perform terribly well.The 2004 version, which ran for four seasons, proved to be much more popular, currently holding steady at an impressive 94% critic score and 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The show sees the last of humanity struggling to survive as they face attacks from the robot Cylons. In addition toStar Warsaudiences finding similar themes inBattlestar Galactica, they will also recognize some familiar faces. Katee Sackhoff, who plays Bo-Katan Kryze inStar Wars, played the character Starbuck on the show. With its stellar audience and critic scores and its multiple connections toStar Wars,Battlestar Galacticais certainly worth the watch.
Katee Sackhoff, who plays Bo-Katan Kryze inStar Wars, played the character Starbuck on the show.
6Firefly
The Space Western Has Plenty In Common With Star Wars
Yet another sci-fi show,Fireflydebuted in 2002 and ran for just one season, but it made an impact. The show was created by Joss Whedon, the creator of many popular shows during that era, such asBuffy the Vampire Slayer. The show is set 500 years in the future, in the wake of a massive universal civil war. The show currently has a 77% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, butthe audience score is considerably higher at 96%.
Clearly, the show landed with audiences, despite its single season on air. It’s worth noting, part of what does set this show apart from other inclusions on this list is that it’s billed as a space western, rather than a space opera. Those western elements do shine through in the show, butFireflynevertheless shares many themes withStar Wars, including its sci-fi elements.
5Guardians Of The Galaxy
The MCU’s Space-Traveling ‘Found Family’ Is Perfect For Star Wars
The Venn diagram ofStar Warsaudiences and fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is already very close to a circle, butGuardians of the Galaxyin particular is the perfect MCU watch forStar Warsfans. LikeStar Wars,Guardians of the Galaxyincludes plenty of travel across the galaxy, charming characters, and innovative concepts, although both franchises also share touching elements, such as the trope of found family. In fact, this is especially true ofGuardians of the GalaxyandStar Wars: Skeleton Crew.
The Venn diagram ofStar Warsaudiences and fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is already very close to a circle.
Star WarsandGuardians of the Galaxyalso share their affinity for unlikely heroes. Many ofStar Wars’best characters have fallen into that category, beginning as early asA New Hopewith Han Solo. Arguably, all the members of theGuardianscrew could be described in that manner too.
4Dune
Many Believe Dune Directly Influenced Star Wars
There has been plenty of discourse about the similarities betweenDuneandStar Wars, especially because there are a number of similarities betweenDuneandStar Warsin terms of characters, concepts, and overarching stories. However,DunepredatesStar Wars—at least in terms of the books—which has led many to argue that George Lucas actually took many of his ideas forStar WarsfromDune.Although Lucas hasn’t come out and said that’s the case, many feel the answer is clear enough.
Everything Star Wars Took From Dune
There are a number of striking similarities between George Lucas' much-loved Star Wars franchise and Frank Herbert’s seminal 1965 novel, Dune.
Whether Lucas drew inspiration for some of his ideas fromDuneor not, it’s clear that the two franchises have plenty in common, which makes theDunemovies a perfect watch forStar Warsfans. It also helps that theDunemovies have absolutely stellar casts and have gained so much acclaim. In fact,Dunehas a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, andDune: Part Twoimpressively broke the common sequel movie trend by earning an even better 95% audience score (and impressive 92% critic score).
3Stranger Things
This Action-Packed Show Is Connected To One Star Wars Show In Particular
Stranger Thingshas proven to be an incredibly popular TV show, and for good reason.TheStranger Thingscasthas comprised mainly children from the very beginning, but that hasn’t stopped the show from being brilliant. On the contrary, the kids of the show have been a major factor in why the show has worked so well.This is precisely what makesStranger Thingsfeel like such a perfect fit forStar Wars, as this was also true ofSkeleton Crew.
In both shows, a group of kids must face impossible odds, often needing to push back against the adults in their life to do what’s right. Admittedly,Stranger Thingsis quite a bit more gruesome thanSkeleton Crew, so the target audiences skew quite differently in terms of the target age demographic. Nevertheless, the shows share many themes, and those who enjoyedSkeleton Crewwill undoubtedly enjoyStranger Thingsas well.
2Avatar: The Last Airbender
Both The Animated And Live-Action Shows Are Perfect For Star Wars Fans
AlthoughAvatar: The Last Airbendermay not feel like a direct fit forStar Warsbecause it is much more fantasy than sci-fi (the two are certainly related genres, though),Avatar: The Last Airbenderprovides audiences with many of the best aspects ofStar Wars. As is true ofStar Wars, and has been from the very beginning,Avatar: The Last Airbenderis full of nuanced, compelling, and charming characters that make the story work. Both franchises are also incredibly innovative.
Avatar: The Last Airbenderis full of nuanced, compelling, and charming characters that make the story work.
Avatar: The Last Airbenderalso now has an animated version and a live-action version, both of which are brilliant. It can be difficult to bring the magic of animation to live-action and make it work—something Star Wars has experienced as well—butAvatar: The Last Airbendercertainly achieved that. This is also the perfect time for audiences to begin watchingAvatar: The Last Airbender, asthe live-action show has two seasons confirmed to be coming in the future.
1Star Trek
These Two Franchises Have Long Been Compared, And That’s Unlikely To Change
The most obvious point of comparison forStar Warsis of courseStar Trek, an equally massive franchise that has had an incredible 59-year history. The shows clearly share many themes, and both have explored their franchises in movies, live-action shows, and animated shows. Thematically, the two franchises also share plenty as well, including the idea of pushing back against oppression and standing up for what is right.
Although many fans ofStar Warshave likely already dipped their toes into theStar Trekfranchise (and vice versa), this can’t be ignored as the best franchise to compare toStar Wars. As withStar Wars,Star Trekalso has more than enough content for viewers to enjoy for quite some time.Star Warsis certainly a unique and incredible franchise, but these 10 movies and shows are nevertheless brilliant next watches for fans of the galaxy far, far away.
