Star Wars is arguably the most successful space fantasy series of all time. It has all of the lightspeed travel, laser guns, and starship dogfights of a great space opera, but the magical powers of the Force and the way old Jedi Masters turn into Force ghosts give it the elements of a fantasy classic. However, while this is not commonly talked about, Star Wars also uses elements of a third genre: horror.
Dark things lurk out in the black of space. Unknown terrors and monstrous creatures await on every planet. The carnivorous rancor in Jabba's dungeon, the many-toothed sarlacc pit, and the cybernetically augmented Force-wielding Dark Lord of the Sith are just some of the horror elements in the original trilogy, but the best Star Wars horror stories can only be found in the comics.
10 The Screaming Citadel
Disney acquired the rights to Star Wars in 2012. Shortly thereafter, they re-launched their own new canon universe of Star Wars comics through Marvel (their other favorite property.) These comics were written and drawn by some of the greatest names in the business and instantly won fans over.
In “The Screaming Citadel,” Han, Luke, Leia, and the new fan-favorite character Doctor Aphra find themselves in the clutches of evil insectoid aliens, the Abersyn symbiotes, a truly frightening enemy unlike anything the heroes have encountered before.
9 Dark Times
This Legends comic takes place shortly after the Jedi Purge of Order 66. It follows a group of Jedi and civilian refugees on the run from the Empire. While this could have turned out as a simple survival story, it truly takes a turn into the perverse realms of horror.
One character, trying to save his family from slavers, learns they have been cannibalized by a wealthy merchant. A Jedi Knight abandons the honor that once meant so much, losing their very sense of identity. Each character is transformed by the horrors they must face, horrors which surpass anything they encountered in the Clone Wars.
8 Invasion
The Yuuzhan Vong are very likely the greatest threat Luke, Leia, or any of the other characters ever faced. These alien invaders traveled across the void of space from their own galaxy, besieging one planet after another as they reached the main Star Wars galaxy.
The Vong’s bioengineered ships and weapons make them truly alien… even in a cosmos filled with aliens. Because they exist outside of the Force, Jedi cannot sense them. These entities know only hate. They destroy or alter all they come into contact with. The Vong cannot be stopped… something the Invasion series makes very clear.
7 Darth Vader And The Ghost Prison
Darth Vader is a perfect horror character. His mechanical body and mastery over the dark side of the Force make him an unstoppable enemy whose shed his very humanity.
Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison takes place during the early days of the rise of the Empire. When a group of Imperials try to overthrow Palpatine, only Vader and a couple of people loyal to him survive. With the Emperor on death’s door, the future hangs uncertain in the balance, and Vader will confront the darkest parts of his past to save the future of the Empire.
6 Rebellion #15-16
The Star Wars: Rebellion series is pretty much exactly what one would expect – a collection of stories about the Rebels trying to triumph in their fight against the Empire. However, the last two issues of the series take a very different tone.
The Rakghoul plague that once decimated the planet Taris returns and begins infecting the Rebels, while a Jedi from millennia past is possessed by the consciousness of an ancient Sith Lord. Old ghosts and mutated zombie outbreaks set to work to destroy the Rebels in a way the Empire never could.
5 Doctor Aphra: The Catastrophe Con
Introduced during Kieron Gillen’s run of Darth Vader, Doctor Aphra is a roguish archaeologist-turned-thief who tries to steal, con, or lie her way out of every situation (though if a beautiful woman is involved, she is willing to flirt her way out). Aphra is a charming coward and opportunistic fool.
In “The Catastrophe Con,” she finds herself trapped in a situation she cannot escape, even as she has to confront the ghosts of her past, both literal and metaphorical. Everyone she loves is hurt, while those she wronged finally have their shot at vengeance, leaving her at the mercy of sadistic entities with a grudge to settle.
4 Dark Empire
With a name like Dark Empire, it is no surprise that this book is filled with elements of terror and despair. Several years after the Battle of Endor, the Emperor returns to life, transferring his consciousness into a clone body.
Luke must contend with this powerful reborn Emperor, someone he could never have defeated without the help of his father. Outmatched, Luke falls to the dark side, even as the Emperor’s new super-weapon begins destroying the Rebels on Mon Cala.
3 Dark Empire 2
The sequel to the original Dark Empire continues the story of the Emperor’s return. If the first part of this story showed just how powerful Emperor Palpatine was, this next installment shows that the Rebels are truly helpless to stop him as their entire fleet and leadership are wiped out.
There is no hope here. The heroes cannot win. At best, they can survive, but even that is unlikely against such a foe.
2 Darth Vader: Dark Lord Of The Sith
Dark Lord of the Sith begins immediately after the end of Revenge of the Sith and tells the story of how Anakin Skywalker transformed into Darth Vader. While Anakin might have fallen from grace, here he is truly transformed into the indomitable monster fans know.
Like a car wreck, one cannot help but watch the devastation he inflicts as he tortures, maims, and destroys not just lives, but hope. However, his final confrontation with the ancient Sith Momin pits him against forces he could hardly conceive of and rips a hole open in reality.
1 Lando
Of all the stories to come out of the new post-Disney era of Marvel Star Wars comics, none is as heart-stoppingly powerful as Charles Soule and Alex Maleev’s Lando.
When Lando Calrissian learns about a big score he can get for himself as part of a lucrative heist, he acts immediately and assembles a crew. However, it turns out he is stealing one of Emperor Palpatine’s personal ships. This would be bad enough in itself, but the dark side artifacts aboard the ship begin warping the minds of his teammates. Even Lando can’t charm his way into escaping the horrors of the ancient Sith.