The 15 Best Star Wars Books Of All Time

Summary

• There are 605 Star Wars books, 359 in Legends and 246 in canon, catering to all types of readers.
• Many of these books are deep character studies, fleshing out characters from the big and small screen.
• Here are the top 15 Star Wars books of all time, ranging from the latest releases to classic Legends content.

Star Wars is far more than a film franchise, and here’s our ranking of the best Star Wars books of all time. The Star Wars Expanded Universe existed since 1976, but really came into prominence in the 1990s, with Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire launching a new generation of books to accompany the Star Wars movies and shows. Now, Star Wars books are generally divided into “Legends” (the old Expanded Universe) and canon – and both are worthy of note. Looking through, it’s staggering to see just how many Star Wars books have been published.

Here is Screen Rant’s ranking of the top 15 Star Wars books of all time, both canon and Legends. We’ve chosen stories that are masterfully written, intensely personal, and still important in terms of their impact on the franchise as a whole. We’ll be updating this list regularly as new books are released.

15 Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade by Delilah S. Dawson (canon)

The thrilling backstory of a Jedi turned Inquisitor

Why would a Jedi Knight become one of the Imperial Inquisitors? That question drves Delilah S. Dawson’s Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade, which tells the story of Iskat Akaris. This unusual novel turns a villain into a hero, and there are striking parallels between Iskat and Anakin Skywalker – even if, this time, there is no hint of redemption. Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade is dark and intense, feeling almost like a companion for Matt Stover’s novelization of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – and it’s hard to think of a higher compliment.

An intense glimpse into the dark side

Darth Vader’s Inquisitors have become an essential part of Disney canon, but it’s relatively rare to get such an intense look into a villain’s perspective. Iskat Akaris is a surprisingly compelling main character, radicalized in part because of her own dark nature and in part because of Jedi deficiencies. This is a stunning glimpse into the dark side, written with skill and flair.

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14 New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force by James Luceno (Legends)

The Avengers: Endgame of Star Wars Legends

From 1999 to 2003, the Star Wars Expanded Universe embarked on a 19-book-long epic called the “New Jedi Order.” This chronicled the galaxy’s war with the Yuuzhan Vong, an extragalactic race who worshiped pain and were immune to the Force. Matters came to a head in James Luceno’s The Unifying Force, the grand finale, which culminated in the climatic Battle of Yuuzhan’tar (the Yuuzhan Vong name for the recaptured Coruscant). Luceno is a master of continuity, and weaves the many plotlines and cast members together skillfully.

The end of the New Jedi Order

In The Unifying Force, James Luceno brings together so much of the Expanded Universe for this final installment in the longest Star Wars book series ever. Luceno is a master of referencing even obscure Expanded Universe details, and because of that, this book is an incredibly satisfying read for Star Wars book fans. One of the best finales in all of Star Wars media, The Unifying Force is a masterful must-read for fans, but probably only after they’ve read the 18 books preceding it.

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13 Kenobi by John Jackson Miller (Legends)

Obi-Wan’s Legends story on Tatooine

John Jackson Miller’s Kenobi was published long before the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ TV show was even a twinkle in Kathleen Kennedy’s eye, and it told the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine. A fan-favorite novel, Kenobi tells a very different story to the TV show, focusing more on Tatooine than other planets. It’s set during the early days of Obi-Wan’s self-imosed exile to the Dune Sea of Tatooine.

A smaller, simpler, Obi-Wan tale

John Jackson Miller’s novel focuses on Obi-Wan’s struggle to acclimatize himself to life as a hermit in the desert, and he deals with local conflicts between moisture farmers and Tusken Raiders, all the while asking what role a Jedi should have in this new galaxy. Kenobi is a much more character-driven story than the version told in canon, which makes it well worth a read. Plus this time, Obi-Wan really is centered on his charge to protect Luke Skywalker.

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12 Lost Stars by Claudia Gray (canon)

Romeo & Juliet in the Original Trilogy Era

Set over the course of 16 eventful years in the Star Wars timeline, Claudia gray’s Lost Stars tells the story of two ordinary citizens in the galaxy whose love story is torn apart by the Galactic Civil War. Ciena Ree and Thane Kyrell both grew up on the Outer Rim world of Jelucan, where they gradually fell in love before going to the Imperial Academy. There, they are exposed to the Empire’s war effort firsthand with the first Death Star; Thane leaves the Empire to join the Rebel Alliance, while Ciena stays with the Empire.

Opposite sides of the Galactic Civil War

They may end up on opposing sides in a galaxy-spanning war, but Thane and Ciena never cease thinking of one another. Their paths cross a few times as Claudia Gray masterfully weaves their tales, and they both participate in all the big events from the Original Trilogy, from Hoth, to Endor, and even beyond – at Jakku. Gray’s beautiful Lost Stars may technically be a young-adult novel, but to many readers it is of a higher quality than most other Star Wars books.

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11 I, Jedi by Michael A. Stackpole (Legends)

An X-Wing pilot becomes a Jedi

A rare case of a Star Wars book being written from a first-person point of view, I, Jedi by Michael A. Stackpole is a fascinating Legends novel. Following the Corellian pilot and later Jedi Corran Horn, I, Jedi explores what it means to be a Jedi, and inherit that mantle from one’s family. The book doubles as a partial retelling of the events of the Jedi Academy Trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson, and tells the story of Horn’s quest to free his imprisoned wife Mirax by learning the ways of the Force.

The story of a Jedi trained by Luke Skywalker

I, Jedi reads almost like a journal as readers experience Corran’s journey into training under Luke Skywalker in the first person. Training with the Jedi Master on Yavin 4 is not Corran’s first foray into action, though, as he was previously one of the main characters of the well known Rogue Squadron novel series. I, Jedi really brings together the often-separate military and Jedi sides of Star Wars books, and is a great read for any Star Wars fan.

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10 Shatterpoint by Matt Stover (Legends)

Mace Windu’s Clone Wars novel

The Clone Wars Multimedia Project ran from 2002 to 2004, and it told the story of the Clone Wars across multiple mediums (most notably in Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars series). The first novel was Matthew Stover’s Shatterpoint, a deep character study of Jedi Council member Mace Windu. The title is derived from Windu’s unusual Force power of “shatterpoint,” which allows him to perceive the weakness in any person or situation.

Master Windu’s search for his Master

Windu’s former master, Depa Billaba, is lost on a mission to Mace’s home planet of Haruun Kal. Shatterpoint takes a deep look at Mace Windu’s character, showing what it means to be a keeper of peace in a galaxy at war. Mace is relentlessly focused in his mission to find his master, no matter what darkness he must face.

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9 Victory’s Price by Alexander Freed (canon)

Alphabet Squadron’s finale

The Alphabet Squadron Trilogy is one of Star Wars canon’s crowning achievements. The three books in it are well-loved by fans of both canon and Legends, and Victory’s Price by Alexander Freed is the culmination of it all. As the third book in the trilogy, Victory’s Price finishes the story of the trilogy in a beautiful and nuanced way, exploring the difficulties that come from ending a war.

The Battle Of Jakku & the end of the Galactic Civil War

In Star Wars canon, the Galactic Civil War ends at the Battle of Jakku just a year after the Battle of Endor. But it never feels more earned than Victory’s Price, when Alphabet Squadron – named after their unconventional mix A, B, U, Y, and of course X-wings – fight at Jakku. The book takes deep, intentional strides to characterize these pilots, as their actions in the war come to the forefront of their and other minds at war’s end.

8 Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule (canon)

The High Republic begins

Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The High Republic transmedia initiative has introduced readers to the High Republic Era – a period between 500 and 100 years before the Skywalker saga. It’s proven important enough to make its way on to the small screen in the upcoming Star Wars TV show The Acolyte, and Charles Soule’s Light of the Jedi serves as a primer. Soule is the mastermind behind the whole project, and he does a great job of introducing a half-familiar galaxy.

The Jedi Respond To New Threats

Light of the Jedi begins with an immense hyperspace disaster which wreaks havoc across the galaxy. The Jedi Order respond to it in spectacular fashion, truly showcasing them at their height. This all further builds into a conflict that tests and changes the Jedi into what we see them as in the prequels. The Acolyte takes place during this same era too, so reading Light of the Jedi should be good prep for the upcoming series.

7 Phasma by Delilah S. Dawson (canon)

The First Order Captain’s backstory

Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma didn’t exactly get to do a lot onscreen in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and she met an untimely end in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Fortunately, Delilah S. Dawson’s Phasma tells her backstory and fleshes her out as a character, and it is one of the best Star Wars books ever written. One of the comparatively few novels set in the sequel trilogy era, the adventure that is Phasma absolutely blew reader expectations out of the water.

Phasma’s post-apocalyptic upbringing

Golden’s novel is framed as an interrogation by Resistance spy Vi Moradi (the star of the Galaxy’s Edge theme park). Moradi has been investigating Captain Phasma, and she’s spilling her backstory to another First Order captain, intent on taking her down. Christie explores a rough and post-apocalyptic story, putting flesh on the bones of Phasma’s character by revealing who she was before she joined the First Order. Phasma is delightfully unique, shocking, and genre-bending, while still retaining the “feel” of Star Wars.

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6 Darth Bane: Path Of Destruction by Drew Karpyshyn (Legends)

The end of the Sith

First mentioned in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Darth Bane is the Sith Lord responsible for establishing the Rule of Two. He’s one of the most important Sith Lords of all time, and his Legends story is told in Drew Karpyshyn’s Path of Destruction. The first book in the legendary “Darth Bane Trilogy,” this heavily adapts some previous comics to tell Bane’s origin and his journey to the fateful Battle of Ruusan, where everything changed for the Sith, and for the galaxy as a whole.

Bane Begins The Rule Of Two

This book is essentially an origin story for the Baneite Sith, revealing how and why the Rule of Two became necessary. It’s steeped in the dark side of the Force, making it a fascinating glimpse into the Sith philosophy. By the end of this story, the Sith Brotherhood of Darkness is gone, and the pattern that would run on to Palpatine is established. This is an essential read for any Star Wars fan who likes the dark side or the Sith.

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5 Bloodline by Claudia Gray (canon)

Princess Leia’s Darth Vader tragedy

There’s a massive time gap between the Star Wars original trilogy and the sequels. Claudia Gray’s Bloodline focuses in on Leia Organa, revealing what happened to her in the waning years of the New Republic. Before the rise of the First Order, Leia was a vocal opponent of the re-militarization of the Republic, instead encouraging individual systems to improve their own defenses. Sensing a shadowy conspiracy, Leia made a bid to become Chancellor – but her career came to an untimely end when her opponents publicly revealed that Darth Vader was Leia’s father.

The origins of the Resistance

Bloodline is a unique book, with Claudia Gray given tremendous room for world-building. It’s set six years before Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and it fleshes out the politics of the new Republic, some groundwork for what would become the First Order, and even the very beginning of the Resistance. It’s skillfully written, with Gray perfectly capturing Leia’s character, and anyone who wants to see how the galaxy of the sequel trilogy came to be really needs to check this out.

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4 Heir To The Empire by Timothy Zahn (Legends)

Grand Admiral Thrawn’s first appearance

It’s impossible to overstate how important Heir to the Empire, the beginning of Timothy Zahn’s “Thrawn Trilogy,” really is. It reinvigorated the Star Wars Expanded Universe back in 1991, and introduced characters whose impact endures to this day – most notably Grand Admiral Thrawn, who’s become a major canon villain after his live-action debut in Ahsoka. In Legends, Heir to the Empire is the story of a unified Imperial Remnant making a desperate last push to overthrow the New Republic – pretty much the same story destined to be retold in The Mandalorian era.

The EU’s Foundation & Original Trilogy’s Continuation

Released in 1991, Heir to the Empire started the formal Expanded Universe, and therefore established a lot of its iconic elements. Thrawn wasn’t the only one to be introduced; former servant of the Emperor and future wife of Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade first appears here too. Lookiing beyond the character debuts, though, Heir to the Empire captures the magic and feeling of the original trilogy in a truly special way, making it a must-read for all Star Wars fans.

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3 Revenge Of The Sith novelization by Matt Stover

The stunning companion to Episode 3

Since 1976, every Star Wars movie has been accompanied by a novelization. Most of these are absent from this list, simply because they’re technically adaptations. But Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith‘s novelization is just too good to ignore, actually improving on the movie due to the depth of its character-work. Stover worked closely with Lucas, and he takes the movie’s momentous plot and expands on it greatly. This is a truly special book.

Masterful Poetry Of The Republic’s Fall

Written in a much more mythical and flowery style than many other Star Wars books (and science-fiction books in general), this novelization makes the fall of the Republic and the Jedi Order feel truly epic. Stover focuses his narrative in on Anakin and Obi-Wan even more than the movie (he skips the Kashyyyk plot), and there’s a repeated maxim that “This is what it feels like to be Anakin Skywalker” – a line that becomes increasingly powerful as the story continues. Stover’s novelization is arguably the definitive way of experiencing the story of Revenge of the Sith.

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2 Darth Plagueis by James Luceno (Legends)

Palpatine’s Master & The Phantom Menace

Briefly mentioned in Revenge of the Sith, Darth Plagueis the Wise was Emperor Palpatine’s Sith master, whom he killed. And while never actually appearing in the films, Plagueis is one of the most important characters in the entire Star Wars universe’s grand scheme. As Darth Plagueis by James Luceno reveals, he was behind all the events of The Phantom Menace, and was incredibly important to Palpatine’s backstory.

The true beginning of the Skywalker Saga

Darth Plagueis is by James Luceno, who is a true lore-master of the old Star Wars Expanded Universe, and thus the book has so many tie-in details and Easter eggs. There’s a sense in which this book – published in 2012, two years before Star Wars canon was reset – serves as a beautiful finale to the entire Expanded Universe. Darth Plagueis, while taking place before the films, serves as the perfect, essential, capstone prequel to the entire Legends Expanded Universe. Broad strokes of the book seem to be canon too – giving it a lasting impact.

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1 New Jedi Order: Traitor by Matt Stover (Legends)

The tortured Journey of Jacen Solo

Matt Stover’s Traitor takes the first place in our list, the 13th book in the New Jedi Order series, and we consider it the best Star Wars book ever written. This tells the story of acen Solo, a young Jedi Knight and son of Han and Leia, as he is tortured and taught by the ex-Jedi Vergere at the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong. A poetic masterpiece through and through, this wrestles with the nature of the Force and the dark side, and it contains some of the best moments in all of Star Wars Legends. It is the crown jewel of the entire “New Jedi Order” series.

The most philosophical Star Wars book

As Vergere tortures and teaches Jacen, the Force and those who wield it are explored on a philosophical level like never before. The meaning of the Jedi, the Sith, the light, and the dark are all questioned, picked apart, and put back together in a way that changes the entire Star Wars universe. It certainly helps that this intense story is written by the incredibly skilled Matthew Stover, making Traitor an absolute pleasure to read. If you pick up only one book on this list, make it this one.

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