7 Forgotten Star Wars Projects That Are Nearly Perfect

3 days ago 6

THE ACOLYTE), LEE Jung-jae as Master Sol, 'Revenge/Justice', (Season 1, ep. 102, aired June 4, 2024). photo: Christian Black /©Disney+/Lucasfilm /Courtesy Everett Collection

Published Feb 8, 2026, 9:49 AM EST

Remus is a writer, editor, journalist, and author with an eye for detail and an extremely active imagination. He is an enthusiast of everything to do with the graphic medium, whether it's Western comics and their adaptations or manga and anime. Remus is also the author of the sci-fantasy novel Once Upon a Time in Hyperspace and several works of short fiction in the mystery, comedy, and horror genres.

Since the 1977 premiere of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, the Star Wars franchise has evolved into a massive multimedia entity that includes numerous shows, movies, books, and games, inspiring the adoration of countless fans around the world. However, while most Star Wars projects get a lot of attention both before and after their release, the franchise also has some underappreciated entries that are tragically underrepresented in discussions about the series. And when you consider the sheer scale of the franchise, with new titles hitting the market every year, it’s easy to see how even the most perfect Star Wars projects can become forgotten with the passage of time.

Some of these projects, particularly the ones that are part of the franchise’s Expanded Universe, were acclaimed at the time of their release but have faded from popular memory in the years since, whether it’s due to a less-than-stellar fan reception, non-canonical status, or other factors. Others are projects that simply failed to reach a wide enough audience when they premiered, flying too far under the radar to be recognized by all but the most dedicated fans. Whatever the reasons may be, all of these projects deserve a lot more attention than they’ve received, which is why we’ve put together this handy guide to some of the best forgotten Star Wars projects that are near-perfect in execution, even if they haven’t gotten the credit for it.

7 ‘Star Wars: Legacy’ (2006–2010)

Cade Skywalker in an illustration from the Star Wars Legacy comics

In the 1990s, Dark Horse Comics became the licensed publisher for Star Wars comics, taking over from Marvel. Unlike Marvel, Dark Horse’s Star Wars titles were more closely tied to the canon of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and during this time, the publisher released several popular comics that further developed the franchise’s world. Written by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema, Star Wars: Legacy is often hailed as the best of the comics made in this era, following Luke Skywalker’s descendant Cade as he fights against a reborn Galactic Empire over 130 years after the events of the original trilogy.

Published from June 2006 to August 2010, Star Wars: Legacy was widely praised by fans and critics and had consistently high sales during its run. It’s arguably the best story of the Expanded Universe and a worthy successor to the original Star Wars trilogy, with interesting characters and expansions of the lore. Unfortunately, the entire Expanded Universe was rendered non-canon when Disney took over the franchise, which has led to the series being largely sidelined and forgotten by all but the most dedicated fans.

6 ‘Star Wars: The Force Unleashed’ (2008)

Developed and published by LucasArts, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is an action-adventure video game that’s part of the wider The Force Unleashed multimedia project. Set between the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy, the game introduces Dark Vader’s secret apprentice, Starkiller, tasked with hunting down Jedi survivors as part of a secret plot to overthrow the Emperor. The game was followed by a sequel, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, in 2010.

Another bright spot in the now non-canon Expanded Universe, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was an ambitious gaming project that pushed the franchise’s lore and mechanics to the limit. While it does have some technical issues, the game was still generally well-received by critics and fans, becoming a bestseller and earning several accolades. The lead character, Starkiller, is easily one of the most popular non-canon characters in the Star Wars franchise, and he’s still a fan-favorite today, even though the game itself isn’t as talked-about as it used to be.

5 ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ (2024–2025)

Jude Law and the young cast of Skeleton Crew

Created by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is a Disney+ Star Wars series set around the same time as The Mandalorian. The series follows four children who become lost in the galaxy and try to find a way back to their home planet with the help of an enigmatic Force-user. Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, and Robert Timothy Smith star as the children, with Jude Law as the Force-user, Jod Na Nawood.

Technically, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew hasn’t been around long enough to be completely forgotten, having had its Disney+ premiere in 2024. However, despite receiving positive reviews and 17 nominations for Children's and Family Emmy Awards, the series is still sorely underrated and underwatched within the greater Star Wars franchise. Though it might not have the popularity of its fellow Disney+ Star Wars shows, the series is a fun, family-friendly adventure that takes inspiration from classic children’s movies, particularly the nostalgic favorite The Goonies.

4 ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ (2024)

Amandla Stenberg in a cloak with a river behind her in The Acolyte

Another recent Star Wars series that has been unceremoniously buried away, Star Wars: The Acolyte was created by Leslye Headland and is set in the franchise’s distant past, specifically the High Republic era. The show stars Amandla Stenberg as a former Padawan and Lee Jung-jae as her former teacher, following their investigation into a series of murders. The series also features Charlie Barnett, Dafne Keen, Rebecca Henderson, Jodie Turner-Smith, Carrie-Anne Moss, Manny Jacinto, and more in key roles.

Though it only premiered in 2024, The Acolyte has been effectively ignored by the franchise since its release. Despite receiving generally positive reviews from critics, the show was subjected to a review bombing campaign by certain segments of the fanbase, who were allegedly incensed by the show’s “wokeness." The series isn’t without its flaws, but it certainly does not deserve the outright hatred it has received, and it’s actually a well-crafted story that introduces some layered characters, adds greater depth to the lore, and takes the franchise in interesting new directions.

3 ‘Star Wars: Visions’ (2021–Present)

Úrsula Corberó as Lola in Star Wars Visions Season 2, "Sith"

Arguably one of the most underappreciated Star Wars projects in recent years, Star Wars: Visions is a non-canon animated anthology series that consists of original short films that each follow a self-contained story. Produced by acclaimed international animation studios, the series includes shorts produced by iconic animation powerhouses like Production I.G, Studio Trigger, Aardman, Studio Mir, and more. The first volume consists entirely of films produced by anime studios, with the second and third volumes expanding to include creative teams from around the world.

Though the series isn’t as widely talked about as it deserves to be, Star Wars: Visions is arguably the most creative project the franchise has ever attempted, and it has appropriately received near-universal acclaim. While its non-canon status may make it less attractive to hardcore fans, that’s also the factor that allows the show to get genuinely experimental with its concepts and designs, leading to some truly amazing stories that are far beyond anything previously imagined in the franchise.

2 ‘Star Wars: Clone Wars’ (2003–2005)

Not to be confused with the later series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the original Star Wars: Clone Wars is an animated series developed and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky. Also known as Star Wars Vintage: Clone Wars 2D MICRO-SERIES, the show was the first project to explore the titular event, which happens between the prequel trilogy films Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. The series stars Mat Lucas, James Arnold Taylor, Tom Kane, Grey DeLisle, Anthony Daniels, Corey Burton, André Sogliuzzo, Richard McGonagle, and Nick Jameson as its voice cast.

In its day, Star Wars: Clone Wars was a critically acclaimed hit that earned several accolades, including three Emmys and an Annie Award. The series is also notable for introducing the iconic character General Grievous, and it’s still a niche favorite among dedicated franchise fans. However, the show was ultimately overshadowed by its 3D CGI-animated spin-off, which ended up replacing the original as the definitive portrayal of the titular conflict.

1 ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ (2018)

Directed by Ron Howard and written by Jonathan and Lawrence Kasdan, Solo: A Star Wars Story is a prequel spin-off film set 10 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. Exploring the origin stories of Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian, the film follows Han and Chewie as they join a risky heist on behalf of a sinister crime syndicate. Alden Ehrenreich stars as Han Solo and Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, with Donald Glover as Lando, leading a supporting cast that also includes Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Thandiwe Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Paul Bettany.

Despite being a high-budget production (one of the most expensive ever) and receiving largely positive reviews from critics, Solo: A Star Wars Story has the disappointing distinction of being the first Star Wars movie to bomb at the box office. The film’s failure can largely be attributed to the fact that large segments of the fanbase were simply not interested in seeing anyone other than Harrison Ford play Han Solo. But though the movie has been more or less buried in the franchise’s footnotes, it’s actually a pretty entertaining film with a fun, feel-good heist story, and while it isn’t perfect, it deserves a lot more recognition for what it does get right.