My Favorite Star Wars Fan Films

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In 2006 or 7 I stumbled upon a little project called "Star Wars: Revelations". I was blown away. A group of fans had made their own mini Star Wars movie with costumes, props, special effects and all. It didn't look quite as good as the real films, of course, but it still looked great and represented an incredible level of ambition. At one point, I emailed the director and received a kind response that you can read here. The next fan film I discovered was "Knightquest", which was a few years older and had less impressive CGI, but still good. I added them both to my personal canon, which at that time they only shared with six theatrical films, three short-lived animated TV series, and three made-for-TV movies. Times have changed, and Lucasfilm's subsequent prolific output has been matched by an explosion of increasingly professional-looking Star Wars fan films. The bar on production values keeps rising as technology gets better and cheaper, and many of these newer projects wouldn't look out of place on the silver screen themselves.

For this page I've culled my favorites through the years in as close to order of release as I could figure out. The older ones are fewer, as of course many of them were crap and have understandably been forgotten. But don't discount the heart and soul that went into some of them, which makes them still worth watching all these years later. I'm grateful that quality fan films are cheaper and easier to make then ever before. Even if you don't like what Disney is doing, this is a great era to be a Star Wars fan. (But if that's not your thing, feel free to check out My Favorite The Legend of Zelda Fan Films instead.)

Hardware Wars
(October 16, 1978)

Probably the first Star Wars fan film ever made. In 1999 George Lucas said it was his favorite Star Wars parody.

TROOPS
​(July 18, 1997)

A parody of the TV show "COPS," and just as accurate in its portrayal.

Bounty Trail
(1999)

In my opinion, the weird intro kind of adds to the charm.

George Lucas in Love
​(October 7, 1999)

This parody of "Shakespeare in Love" shows a special young lady inspiring George Lucas to create the original Star Wars trilogy.

Duality
​(February 10, 2001)

Two Sith acolytes fight to the death to determine which will be the true apprentice.

Knightquest
​(October 2001)

The second Star Wars fan film I ever discovered. A Jedi Master in hiding trains siblings in the ways of the Force, but they can't avoid the Empire's notice forever.

The Formula
​(June 2002)

A loving, if snarky, homage to many of the early fan films that were too silly and, well, formulaic for me to bother including here.

The Jedi Hunter
​(August 30, 2002)

A parody of "The Crocodile Hunter" starring everyone's favorite overrated bounty hunter.

Art of the Saber
(December 2002)

The stunt work and narration of this film set it apart from more forgettable, run-of-the-mill lightsaber duels.

...Like Snow Falling on Cedars
​(2002-3?)

A strangely relaxing silent film.

Empire Recruitment Film
​(2004)

Even the Empire can't just go around drafting everybody, but this promotional film was a little too honest.

Contract of Evil
​(2004)

Darth Maul fights to become the true Sith apprentice. A great location, costumes, and choreography help this film stand the test of time.

Crossroads of Destiny
(2004?)

Another offering from the director of "Contract of Evil", this time featuring Shaak Ti and a very young Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Once Upon a Jedi
​(2004)

This story of a shy, lovestruck Star Wars nerd is just adorable, okay?

The Jedi Saga
(April 2004)

This film was a bit more ambitious than most in actually creating an alien setting and characters. It was meant to be followed by two sequels, but the director never found the time to finish them.

Jedi Heritage
​(2005)

This fan film was one of the first to forego an opening crawl and use an original score. The sets and CG work were also quite ambitious for the time. And the plot doesn't revolve around a lightsaber duel.

Revelations
​(April 16, 2005)

​The first Star Wars fan film I ever discovered, and by far the one with the most ambition and impressive production values up to that time. Though it obviously shows its age, it still blows me away today. An email response I received from the director, Shane Felux, can be read here. Chris Bouchard's soundtrack, still the best original score I've ever heard in a fan film, can be downloaded here. An archived version of the original website can be accessed here.

Revenge of the Brick
​(May 8, 2005)

Lego's first foray into the now-familiar world of comedic CGI Star Wars cartoons.

Grocery Store Wars
​(May 10, 2005)

Dishonest organic food propaganda notwithstanding, this parody is still pretty funny.

Forcery
(June 2, 2005)

A parody of Stephen King's novel Misery, starring George Lucas as he attempts to write the script for "Revenge of the Sith".

Blue Milk
​(2006)

The most adorable commercial ever.

The Injured Stormtrooper
​(February 2006)

A favorite of my middle school buddies and I, this clip pokes fun at one of Star Wars' more overlooked plot holes.

The Final Showdown
​(December 29, 2006)

This one is just kind of weird and doesn't have a lot to do with Star Wars besides the inclusion of lightsabers. But so help me, I think it's funny and I've canonized it in my book.

The Emperor's New Job
​(2007?)

If your sense of humor is as dark as mine, you'll find this hilarious.

IG-88: The Dancing Robot
​(2007)

George Lucas really missed an opportunity with his Special Editions. Something like this is what the fans really wanted to see inserted into the movies.

Last Sith Standing
​(January 29, 2007)

The CG is painfully bad, but the choreography is incredible enough for me to overlook that.

Forced Alliance
​(July 20, 2007)

A fan-made pilot for a proposed TV show that obviously never happened, but should have.

Darth Vader in Love
​(October 18, 2007)

Clips from "The Peter Serafinowicz Show". Peter, of course, provided the original voice of Darth Maul. Until I saw this I didn't know something could be so painful and hilarious at the same time.

The Long Night
(November 15, 2007)

A very underrated little fan film for its time. Young Han Solo makes an appearance.

A Light in the Darkness
​(September 20, 2011)

This is one of the more unique, compelling stories I've seen in a fan film, and the actors really gave it their all. I'd like to see a Special Edition with the improved effects it deserves.

Storm-Trippin'
(January 14, 2013)

Apparently even Imperial stormtrooper academies have standards, and one poor little guy with dreams of greatness just doesn't measure up.

Star Wars Downunder
(November 18, 2013)

One of the most overtly Australian artworks ever created, with legitimately high production values and stunning scenery notwithstanding the entire thing is a work of satire. Not a straight-up parody, though. It technically can fit within the actual Star Wars universe, so as far as I'm concerned, it does.

Ruins and Reckoning
​(March 20, 2014)

A story of betrayal and loss, starring Hannah Fierman, better known for her role in the (in)famous Legend of Zelda fan film "The Hero of Time".

Star Wars Cantina Band Auditions
(May 2, 2014)

Brought to you by CollegeHumor, who brought on board "Weird Al" Yankovic and a handful of less interesting, more dated artists.

Stormtrooper Target Practice
(January 13, 2015)

Speaking of Imperial stormtrooper standards... the Empire here decides to raise them, retraining three troopers at a time. At this rate it should only take a few centuries.

TIE Fighter
(March 24, 2015)

This amazing anime will have you rooting for the Empire. A later version by someone else swaps out the rock music for the "Rogue One" score, but I think that substantially detracts from the coolness factor.

The Twelve Parsec Stare
​(June 30, 2015)

Boba Fett stars as the silent protagonist in this very literal space Western.

Storm-Trippin' 2: A New Home
(October 12, 2015)

The first was emotional enough, but this - no. I refuse to cry at a YouTube video about Star Wars Legos. I won't, I won't, I - Sith dang it.

Dealbreakers: She's Never Seen Star Wars?!
​(November 19, 2015)

I don't feel sorry for her at all. She had more than ample time to rectify her grievous error. Still, her awkwardness is hilariously painful to watch.

The Weight of Forgiveness: The Birth of a Jedi
​(January 1, 2016)

I understand virtually none of this film, but I love it anyway. As far as I'm concerned it's the embodiment of the definition of "art". The choreography is like nothing I've seen elsewhere.

Rebel Scum
​(January 9, 2016)

An award-winning fan film set during the events of "The Empire Strikes Back".

Star Wars Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base
​(January 17, 2016)

A great sketch from "Saturday Night Live". They still produce one occasionally.

Kara
(January 19, 2016)

One of the first fan films I saw after "Rogue One" reignited my childhood passion for Star Wars and left me hungry for more. I almost couldn't believe how far amateur technology had come since "Revelations", and I knew I had a lot of catching up to do.

Darth Maul: Apprentice
​(March 5, 2016)

What can I say? This fan film will go down in history as one of the focal points that raised the bar for everyone forever. It has little in the way of plot, but much in the way of Darth Maul being a one-man death machine. This film should precede any and all proper viewings of "The Phantom Menace".

EXILE - Episode 1
​(March 13, 2016)

A slightly darker, edgier take on Star Wars, featuring an creepy but really cool-looking Inquisitor who does something with the Force that Disney certainly wouldn't approve of.

Way to the Rebellion
​(May 20, 2016)

The same team that brought us "She's Never Seen Star Wars?!" decided to get even more serious about their fandom. It creates a slight continuity error with all the Rebels in "A New Hope" being white, but that's forgivable.

Treasure of the Lost Jedi
​(July 1, 2016)

Without much of a budget, this fan film still went to the trouble of making its protagonists a (very cute) alien and a robot. The banter between them more than compensates for the lackluster setting.

Emergence
​(July 9, 2016)

Produced in the Provo/Payson area of Utah, this fan film was clearly made by Latter-day Saints (who love Star Wars). The metaphor of depression and insecurity is a bit heavy-handed but powerful nonetheless.

Quiet
(July 16, 2016)

A bit of a horror film take on the standard "Jedi in hiding from Darth Vader" trope.

TK-436: A Stormtrooper Story
​(August 1, 2016)

I love any and all attempts to humanize faceless soldiers of evil and portray the moral complexities of real war, and this fan film pulls it off like no other.

Hoshino
​(November 1, 2016)

Another fan film about a blinded Jedi apprentice, this one may have ripped off "Emergence" but the release dates are close enough together I assume it was a coincidence. I actually like this one slightly better. They're both great, though.

Han Solo: A Smuggler's Trade
(December 11, 2016)

I'm sure Alden Ehrenreich is a great guy, but Jamie Costa was hands-down a much better choice for "Solo: A Star Wars Story". At least we got him in this tragically much shorter film.

Regrets of the Past
​(February 27, 2017)

One of the rare fan films to exceed twenty minutes. It's dubbed from German (view the original here) which is a bit distracting, but I find the protagonists adorable.

Scout
​(March 22, 2017)

Set during the events of "Return of the Jedi", with some similarity to "Rebel Scum". The less-is-more approach of the sound effects during the absurdly long opening credits really pulls me in.

The Dark Reckoning
(April 24, 2017)

Adorable droid, creepy setting and decent plot twist compensate for low budget.

Destroyer
​(May 4, 2017)

X-Wings take down a Star Destroyer to liberate Cloud City, but there's a catch.

An Idiot's Array
​(May 6, 2017)

This film follows two charming original characters who would have done well in their own spinoff TV series. Also, Boba Fett.

Dark Legacy
​(July 10, 2017)

A very dark - literally - fan film that explores the neglected Sith perspective and shows them to be more than one-dimensional cartoon villains. A masterpiece of shadow and light.

Days Past
​(August 2, 2017)

Very little actually happens in this fan film, but the strength of the dialogue makes it one of the most beautiful and compelling I've ever seen. And the props are gorgeous.

The Padawan Trap
(October 10, 2017)

Another creation by Latter-day Saints in Utah, this one a parody of "The Parent Trap", in case you couldn't figure that out.

Hearts of Kyber
​(November 5, 2017)

A nice setting and a couple of alien characters.

Rey's Origin Story
​(November 30, 2017)

This one kind of contradicts what we learned in "The Rise of Skywalker", but if J.J. Abrams can retcon Rian Johnson like that, we can retcon him too. The little girl is a better actress than Daisy Ridley.

The Lost Starfighter
​(December 20, 2017)

Some people don't like the goofball humor of this film. I say those people need to lighten up about their space wizard franchise.

One day I'll become...
​(January 2, 2018)

Allegedly this was made on no budget. How, then, does it look every bit as good as the real films?

Stormtroopers
​(May 4, 2018)

Another look at the Imperial perspective, shot in a gorgeous location in Ireland.

Odyssey
​(October 24, 2018)

The creators decided to take the gritty war atmosphere of "Rogue One" and crank it up a notch. It's not overly violent or anything, but it is chilling.

Vader Episode I: Shards of the Past
​(December 20, 2018)

The guy from "Star Wars Theory" apparently watched "Darth Maul: Apprentice" and "Rogue One" and thought, "I can top that." Despite the lore and interesting plot, this episode is little more than an overpowered fanboy fantasy. And I don't care. It's freaking awesome.

Birth of a Monster
​(February 27, 2019)

Since Tales from Jabba's Palace is no longer canon, we get this alternative version of Malakili's story that's probably better than whatever Disney has in mind.

Kylo Ren vs. Darth Vader - Force of Darkness
(July 18, 2019)

I thought this would be dumb. It wasn't. And as much as I love John Williams, the score here is much better than most of his music for the sequel trilogy.

Kenobi
(December 24, 2019)

Jamie Costa of "Han Solo: A Smuggler's Trade" returns, and proves surprisingly versatile at portraying the battered Jedi Master as well.

A Blaster in the Right Hands
​(May 31, 2021)

Not one, but two non-human lead characters? I must be dreaming.