The 10 Best Star Wars Stories Set In The Sequel Trilogy Era

The Star Wars sequel trilogy ushered in a new era for the franchise, continuing the saga on the big screen while inspiring a wide array of stories set in the same era. Each Star Wars sequel trilogy film received a “Journey to…” publishing initiative, composed of several books and comics that expanded on the state of the galaxy and the backgrounds of the main characters. A few Star Wars TV shows and video games have tied into the sequel trilogy as well, and with Rey’s New Jedi Order movie set to release in the next few years, there will be even more stories to fill in the gaps between films.

The sequel trilogy era is officially known as the “Rise of the First Order” or “Age of Resistance” era, dated in Star Wars: Timelines from 28 ABY (years after the Battle of Yavin in A New Hope) to 35 ABY (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker). While the sequel trilogy era hasn’t produced as much tie-in media as the original and prequel trilogies, several outstanding tales expand on the conflict between the Resistance and the First Order. 10 Star Wars stories set during the sequel trilogy era have the most intelligent writing, beautiful artwork, and compelling narratives that perfectly complement the Star Wars movies and TV shows.

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10 Leia And The Rise Of The Resistance

Star Wars: Bloodline

Set six years before Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Claudia Gray’s Star Wars: Bloodline reveals how Leia Organa created the Resistance in response to the rise of the First Order. The novel brilliantly explores the state of the galaxy during the sequel trilogy era, from the political parties in the New Republic Senate to the problems that eventually lead to its destruction. Gray perfectly handles Leia’s character and makes her struggle personal and understandable, while Ransolm Casterfo is one of the new canon’s more complex and engaging characters. Bloodline sets up the conflict of the sequels while telling a great Leia story.

9 Ben Solo Falls To The Dark Side

Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren

While Bloodline explored Leia’s story before the sequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren by Charles Soule and Will Sliney revealed more about Ben Solo’s transformation into Kylo Ren. Soule has proven himself as one of the most capable Star Wars comic writers, skillfully juggling multiple aspects of Ben’s story in only four issues. The series offers a glimpse of life at Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Temple, explains unanswered questions from the movies, and gives readers the first significant depiction of the Knights of Ren. The Rise of Kylo Ren is a fantastic comic with gorgeous artwork and a perfect companion story to the Star Wars sequels.

8 Luke Skywalker’s “History” Before The Sequel Trilogy

Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker

Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker by Ken Liu is one of the most unique Star Wars tales because it’s not clear how accurate its stories are. Rather than definitive accounts of what happened, the book revolves around a group of characters telling stories they have heard about the legendary Luke Skywalker, with some appearing credible while others seem nonsensical. Even so, each narrative has a grain of truth, and this approach allows for various highly entertaining stories. The Legends of Luke Skywalker is a good collection for fans wanting to know more about Luke’s life between the original and sequel trilogies.

7 Rey, Finn, And Poe Before The Sequel Trilogy

Star Wars: Before the Awakening

Star Wars: Before the Awakening by Greg Rucka delves into the lives of the sequel trilogy’s trio before The Force Awakens, giving more insight into their defining choices and personal motivations. Finn’s story shows his life as a First Order stormtrooper, Rey’s follows her attempts to fix a ship that she can sell, and Poe’s reveals how Leia recruited him into the Resistance. The characters’ decisions in each story tie directly into their arcs in the sequel trilogy, but it’s also interesting to see how different their lives were before the movies. This makes Before the Awakening an essential read for fans wanting to learn more about these characters.

6 Black Squadron Takes On The First Order

Star Wars: Poe Dameron

Before he wrote exceptional miniseries like The Rise of Kylo Ren, Charles Soule’s first ongoing Star Wars comic was Star Wars: Poe Dameron, featuring art by Phil Noto and Angel Unzueta. The series follows Poe and Black Squadron before The Force Awakens before eventually crossing over with The Last Jedi, focusing on the Resistance’s struggle against the First Order. Soule and his team created a series of wildly fun adventures for Poe and Black Squadron, and First Order Agent Terex remains one of the most memorable antagonists in the new canon. Readers who follow Black Squadron in this series will inevitably become more invested in their onscreen counterparts.

5 A Search For Jedi Artifacts

Star Wars: Force Collector

Although released as part of the “Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” publishing initiative, Star Wars: Force Collector by Kevin Shinick manages to weave a tale connecting various moments throughout the Star Wars saga. Set two years before The Force Awakens, Karr Nuq Sin discovers he is Force-sensitive and sets out to collect Jedi artifacts to discover his destiny. Karr’s journey is compelling, but seeing him find objects and experience visions from the Star Wars movies and TV shows makes for a highly satisfying experience. Star Wars stories are all the more impressive when they use other media to craft something new and exciting.

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4 Inferno Squad Returns

Star Wars: Battlefront II – Resurrection DLC

2017’s Star Wars: Battlefront II featured a story campaign primarily set near the end of the original trilogy, but the Resurrection DLC expanded the game’s narrative into the sequel trilogy. Resurrection brings back Inferno Squad as the First Order launches their invasion of the galaxy, forced to risk the lives they have built to stop the return of tyranny. This results in a deeply personal story that complements the original trilogy plot while also expanding on the state of the galaxy during the sequel trilogy. Topped off by fantastic cinematics and fun gameplay, Battlefront II‘s Resurrection DLC brought Inferno Squad’s story to an emotional close.

3 Kaz Xiono’s Resistance Cell Vows To Stop The First Order

Star Wars Resistance season 1, episodes 20 & 21 “No Escape”

Star Wars Resistance is often regarded as the weakest Star Wars animated series, but it did have several outstanding episodes, and the season 1 finale is a perfect example. Set concurrently with The Force Awakens, Resistance‘s season 1 finale has Kaz Xiono and the crew of the Colossus forming a resistance cell to repel the First Order from the station, and “No Escape: Part 1” ends with Kaz witnessing General Hux’s speech and the destruction of Hosnian Prime. Having the main character witness their home planet’s destruction added incredible emotional weight to the series. Combined with the episode’s shocking betrayals, “No Escape” is a credit to the sequel trilogy era.

2 The Aftermath Of The Last Jedi

Star Wars: Resistance Reborn

The Last Jedi ended with the surviving members of the Resistance flying into hyperspace onboard the Millennium Falcon, and the immediate aftermath was shown in Star Wars: Resistance Reborn by Rebecca Roanhorse. Resistance Reborn can be enjoyed on its own but also builds off other sequel-era Star Wars stories, making it a perfect example of what a tie-in book should strive to be. The novel most significantly ties into Bloodline, bringing Leia’s story in the books full circle while reviving another fan-favorite character. It also explores how the Resistance members reacted to Poe’s mutiny in The Last Jedi, forcing him to earn their trust again while leading them to victory.

1 The First Order-Resistance War Escalates

Star Wars: Allegiance

Released as part of “Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” Star Wars: Allegiance by Ethan Sacks and Luke Ross shows more of the First Order-Resistance War. Ross’ gorgeous use of color in the artwork permeates this series, and the story presents the First Order in their most ruthless form, conquering planets without mercy and making the Empire appear tame by comparison. The conflict on Mon Cala ties in nicely with other Star Wars stories and reveals how the Resistance acquired more ships before The Rise of Skywalker. Allegiance is a short yet exciting comic and one of the best Star Wars stories set in the sequel trilogy era.