Canon has always been a key part ofStar Wars, but some of the franchise’s best stories have been non-canon. Before Disney bought Lucasfilm, George Lucas’Star Warsmovies 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.TheStar Warscontinuity 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 sameStar Warsuniverse. However, a handful of projects have been allowed to tell stories with plots and styles that would never fit in the same universe as theStar Warsmovies. From fun “What If?” tales to complete reimaginings,these are the 10 bestStar Warsstories that were never designed to be canon.
10Star Wars Detours
A series that would have been a full-blown comedy
Star Wars Detoursis fascinating because it’s the only entry on this list that has never been officially released. Created by George Lucas and developed in collaboration withRobot Chickencreators 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 deconstructingStar Warswouldn’t be wise if they wanted kids to takeEpisode VIIseriously. The trailer and a few clips are still available on YouTube, and a six-minute segment titled “Dog Day Afternoon” leaked online in 2020. WhileSeth Green thinksStar Wars Detourswill never be released,I would love to see the entire series, showing how wacky and weirdStar Warscan be.
9"Into the Great Unknown" (2004)
Star Wars meets Indiana Jones
Originally published inStar Wars Tales#19, “Into the Great Unknown” by W. Haden Blackman and Sean Murphy is the only notableStar Wars/Indiana Jonescrossover (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 theMillennium Falconwhile 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 theFalconsomehow 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 momentsshows the potential for more crossovers between Lucasfilm’s two biggest franchises.
8Star Wars: The Force Unleashed I & II - Bonus Levels
The dark side endings create alternate versions of the original trilogy
Two of the darkestStar Warstimelines can be found in the DLC levels of theStar Wars: The Force Unleashedgames, 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.
Unused Force Unleashed Story Would’ve Revealed The Last Skywalker… & A Star Wars Future I’m Still Desperate To See
Before Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was an original trilogy prequel, it nearly chronicled the life of Luke Skywalker’s descendant in the far future.
Not only do these levels have extremely fun gameplay, butit’s also fascinating to see how one character’s choice creates a ripple effect across theStar Warssaga. Several iconicStar Warscharacters suffer tragic fates in these dark-side endings, which we don’t normally see to this extent in canon stories. We may not have gottenStar 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 theStar WarsLegends Expanded Universe, “An Apology” by Timothy Zahn is a personal favorite of mine. Written as aStar WarsApril 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 Zahnhere.
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 forStar Warsnovels, including an unending series calledStar Wars: The Clone Wars 2and a 17-part subseries calledSon of Clone Wars.This is one of the most funStar Warsstories I’ve read, and I’d love to see something similar with canon characters.
6Star Wars: Visions (2021 - Present)
Different animation studios putting their own spin on Star Wars
Star Wars Visionsis 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, mostVisionsepisodes completely reimagine theStar Warsuniverse 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, mostVisionsepisodes completely reimagine theStar Warsuniverse in style, plot, or both.
No otherStar Warsproject 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 putVisionsnear 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 whatStar Wars: Visionsseason 3 will offer.
5"Old Wounds" (2005)
The inspiration for Darth Maul’s canon return
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 ofStar Wars: Visionaries, a graphic novel collection that gave concept artists fromStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Siththe 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 inStar Wars: The Clone Wars, whilethe duel itself inspired Obi-Wan and Maul’s final confrontation inStar Wars Rebelsseason 3, episode 20 “Twin Suns.“I commend McBride for writing and drawing such an impactful story despite how short it is.
4Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars (2014)
A hilarious non-canon Star Wars adventure
I’ve enjoyedPhineas and Ferbever since I was a kid, but I never imagined it would create one of my favoriteStar Warsstories. Rather than retellingA New Hopelike other parodies,Phineas and Ferb: Star Warsinserts its characters into the universe and shows what they were doing duringA New Hope.The result is a special that lovingly pokes fun atStar Warswhile embracing its adventurous spirit.
The writing is more clever than it has any right to be, explaining small moments fromA New Hopeand including jokesStar Warsfans 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 thatPhineas and Ferbis returning for season 5, I would love to finally see a sequel centered aroundThe Empire Strikes Back.
3LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy (2024)
A completely different version of the Star Wars universe
LEGO has also produced many hilariousStar Warsspecials, but the best is undoubtedlyLEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy. When the “Cornerstone” is removed from an ancient Jedi Temple,the building blocks of theStar Warsgalaxy are reshuffled into something new. Sig Greebling must fix his mistake by teaming up with “Jedi Bob,” navigating an alternate version of theStar Warstimeline where characters and plotlines are radically different.
I love howRebuild the Galaxytakes full advantage of being a LEGO series, animated in the same stop-motion style as theLEGO Moviefranchise.Rebuild the Galaxyis jam-packed with easter eggs and referencesthat enhance the story without ruining the pacing, and the longer runtime allows for surprisingly heartfelt moments. A second season,LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - Pieces of the Past, was announced at Star Wars Celebration Japan and will premiere on June 15, 2025.
2The Star Wars (2013–14)
An adaptation of George Lucas' original draft for Star Wars
The Star Warsisn’t just a great non-canon story, it’sa fascinating look at whatStar Warscanon 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 Warsis fantastic in comic form. The artwork is gorgeous, striking a balance between a new aesthetic and classic designs that make it closer to theStar Warsreaders are familiar with.Star Warsshould do similar adaptations of other unused scripts and treatments, includingGeorge Lucas’Star Warssequel trilogy plans.
1Star Wars Infinities (2001–04)
3 “What If…?” stories for the original trilogy
Most non-canonStar Warsstories make changes around the movies, butStar Wars Infinitiesstands out for making changes to the films themselves.Each four-issue miniseries makes a single change to the originalStar Warstrilogy and explores how this would alter the timeline:
What if… Luke failed to destroy the Death Star?
What if… Luke told Han to become a Jedi?
Return of the Jedi
What if… Jabba hit C-3PO too hard?
This makesInfinitiesthe closest thingStar Warshas ever had to a proper “What If?” series, with each alternate timeline having surprising variations for the characters.Star Warsneeds to revive this series and explore changes to the other films, especially since Marvel owns the comic license and is most famous for itsWhat If…?line.Star Warscan do so many amazing things with this kind of freedom, regardless of whether the stories are canon.
All theStar Warsmovies, TV shows, and specials are available to stream on Disney Plus. EveryStar Warscomic can be read through Marvel Unlimited.
