The Star Wars franchise has brought in fans from across the globe to see the spectacle that has emerged from the galaxy far, far away. Though the Skywalker Saga is drawing to a close, the galaxy far, far away has expanded to new reaches with new Disney+ series both currently airing and in the works, those adventures can only sustain fans for so long.
Fans looking to pick up a little something extra on the side have plenty of avenues to turn towards, but manga fans around the world have some truly incredible options to choose from. So, let’s dive right into the manga that Star Wars fans just won’t be able to put down.
10 The Collected Star Wars Manga Adaptations
This one is a pretty obvious entry point for any Star Wars fan looking to get into manga. The series follows the course of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi and The Phantom Menace. Any fan looking to relive the magic of the original trilogy in a different medium will be thrilled by this collection. And anyone looking to experience The Phantom Menace without all the annoying parts the live-action film brought with it should be pleased as well.
9 Knights Of Sidonia
Knights Of Sidonia follows the story of the Sidonia, a massive arc-like ship that carries over 500,00 humans and possibly the last vestiges of humanity itself. After Earth was attacked by beings known only as the Gauna, humanity was forced to flee its home and venture deep out into the galaxy in order to save whatever scraps of humanity there are left. Any fans of Star Wars space-faring and epic fights in the vacuum of space will fall in love with Knight Of Sidonia.
8 Ghost In A Shell
The story of Ghost In A Shell follows Major Mokoto Kusanagi, a member of section 9 as she tracks down the puppeteer, a cyber-criminal responsible for hacking into the minds of humans and using them to commit crimes.
Any fans of the Jedi’s abilities to control their opponents or anyone obsessed with the droids in Star Wars will have a great time reading through this sci-fi epic. Readers definitely should not let the recent live-action adaptation with Scarlett Johansson stop them from picking up this amazing series.
7 Space Dandy
Space Dandy is the story of Dandy, his robot assistant QT and his crewmate Meow (a feline-like friend of Dandy’s) as they travel through space collecting bounties and wreaking general havoc. While Space Dandy has a much looser continuity than Star Wars (character often being killed off, turned into zombies, etc. Often to show up the next issue perfectly fine), fans of the franchise will appreciate the zany antics of this “Dandy guy in space” along with his absurd crewmates.
6 Pluto
Pluto, by mangaka Naoki Urasawa, follows the story of Europol robot detective, Gesicht, who is trying to solve the murder of several prominent human beings and robots.
The story gets more and more complicated as Gesicht finds evidence that leads him to believe that the murders were performed by a robot, something that hasn’t happened in nearly eight. For Star Wars fans, it’s a little like imagining C-3PO was this lead investigator in a suspenseful murder mystery. The story may also remind fans of Will Smith’s I, Robot.
5 Inuyashiki
Though Inuyashiki takes place on Earth, its story is anything but terrestrial. After a pair of men, a teenager named Hiro Shishigami and a fifty-eight-year-old man named Ichiro Inuyashiki, are hit with an extraterrestrial explosion, their lives are forever changed. Though they appear to have remained human on the outside, their insides have been replaced with high tech mechanical parts.
The pair then use these new bodies for very different purposes. One quickly devolves into a homicidal maniac bent on the destruction of those around him, while the over quickly takes a more Astro Boy approach to his new body. These two will definitely clash, but they also might just save the world.
4 Last Exile
Though Last Exile is probably most recognized as an animated series, there are, in fact, a couple of volumes of manga, which take place after the conclusion of the original series. Written by Gonzo and illustrated by Robo Miyato (Last Exile: Fam, The Silver Wing) and Minoru Murao (Last Exile: Travelers From The Hourglass), the series takes place on the world of Prester.
Prester is a world filled with flying mechanisms called vanships, warring nations of Anatoray and Disith, and the quest to deliver a girl who can unite the factions. Though the manga takes place after the main series and has moved the setting to Earth after the original series conclusion, this series is still one that should not be overlooked.
3 Akira
Created by mangaka Katsuhiro Otomo, this landmark manga series is one that simply cannot be avoided by any fans trying to get into manga. The story follows several different characters from Kaneda, a simple young Han Solo-type leader of a biker gang who gets caught up in a vast government conspiracy (involving many warring factions) when his friend, Tetsuo (who is very strong in the force), accidentally stumbles into a government experiment capable of truly impressive feats of devastation.
When Tetsuo begins to display his abilities and use them to get whatever he pleases by any means necessary, it’s up to the rest of the cast to stop Tetsuo before he awakens the sleeping Akira, a young boy capable of unleashing utter havoc on the world.
2 Star Wars: Lost Stars
Star Wars: Lost Stars is another manga that should be a no-brainer for any Star Wars fans looking to get into manga. The series follows two young but ambitious pilots named Thane Kyrell and Ciena Ree as they join the imperial academy in hopes of becoming pilots for the Empire. Though the pair are both aware of the seductive nature of the empire, they join the academy in order to pursue their dreams.
After stumbling onto the true darkness that the empire typically tries to keep at bay, Thane leaves the academy in order to help the rebellion fight against them. This is a choice that will put Thane and Ciena at odds, but will their relationship survive the fight that is to come?
1 Legend Of Galactic Heroes
Though it may not take place in a galaxy far, far away, the parallels between Star Wars and Legend Of Galactic Heroes are striking. For starters, the galaxy of Legend Of Galactic Heroes is split between two warring factions, the galactic empire and the free planets alliance. Sound a bit familiar?
The Manga, which is based on novels of the same name was created Ryu Fujisaki, follows two brilliant tacticians on either side of the conflict who hope to both end the conflict and overturn the corrupt governments that have created the circumstances under which they find themselves. Star Wars fans will come for the epic space battles and stay for the engrossing tale of two men bent on reaching their goals no matter the cost.