9 Underrated Star Wars Media Worth Rediscovering

A lesser-known Dave Filoni project, the light-fare animated series "Star Wars Resistance" kicks off its first season just before the events of "The Force Awakens." Its second deals with some of the events of the later sequel trilogy movies; although, due to Abrams' seat-of-his-pants production, it turned out to be a difficult endeavor to tie this in as much as Filoni wanted. For fans looking for more Oscar Isaac — as one should — he's back as Poe Dameron as the story opens, guiding a new hotshot pilot with about as much good sense as himself into a role as a Republic spy on a remote installation. Affectionately, Kazuda Xiono is a twerp, and his hapless innocence is a refreshing opening to a story that gradually enters some dark places.

The same "fans" that hated "Star Wars Rebels" and anything else a little too kiddie fight hard to get you to believe this is a bad show. They're wrong, and Filoni's fight to make the sequels feel like part of "Star Wars" as a whole begins here. That alone makes this charmer worth a fan's time. Refueling base Colossus is also home to as many wild side characters as "The Mandalorian," and they're all ready to stand up for their freedom in the face of Captain Phasma and her sidekicks. Well, almost all of them ... and here, the classic rip-your-heart-out Filoni special begins.

It seemed like every time you went to the bookstore back in the 1990s, there were at least three new novels for sale about Jedi and the bounty hunters who hate them. Today, there's still a hefty amount of new reading material every few months. That can make the bookshelves feel overwhelming, and it may cause a fan to miss a crucial moment in figuring out the new lore. One great "Star Wars" book that's easy to miss is the sequel-era canon novel "Shadow of the Sith," by Adam Christopher.

The prose is workmanlike, even rough in a few places. But that's not what we're here for. This book is one guy's Alexandrian Knot-style triumph over the hot mess of lore tangled up in the sequels. From Max von Sydow's archaeologist character to what's up with the dead Sith everyone was strangely obsessed with in "The Rise of Skywalker," this book finally makes the details legible. It won't turn you into a fan of the movies, but if you want to find the bedrock that creators like Dave Filoni are going to use to make the new era fun again, this is where to start digging.

Nicked by critics for being slight, compared to its "Rogue Squadron" predecessors, "Star Wars: Squadrons" is still a lot of fun for gamers looking for a heady fix of high-speed space combat. With a switching viewpoint showcasing both sides of the Imperial vs. Rebel conflict, it's also a nice treat for "Star Wars Rebels" fans. While Hera Syndulla is set to be a part of "Ahsoka," "Squadrons" also highlights her in the Rebel fleet command role she deserves.

Lore fans will also find amusing throwaway lines about classic faves, and almost all of the NPCs are fun to talk to between sorties. The combat itself is slick and relatively easy to handle, even for flight game novices — no "Ace Combat" skill is required. Released a year after Cal Kestis' introduction in "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order," and given a lot less plot than it deserved, it's easy to see how "Squadrons" has slipped under the wire since release. But it remains a good time for "Star Wars" fans looking for something to do between Disney+ series.

Three collections, dozens of stories, and an all-new way to think about the events that made "Star Wars" a classic. Each edition of "From a Certain Point of View" encompasses one of the original trilogy movies. The "A New Hope" anthology brings "Kenobi" writer John Jackson Miller back to Tatooine to see Luke's search for Obi-Wan through a Tusken Raider's eyes. Kieron Gillen uses Doctor Aphra to make a stormtrooper empathize with the destruction of Alderaan. And Pablo Hidalgo himself shows how Tarkin and Orson Krennic's fates both hinge on a father's anger.

The "Empire Strikes Back" collection gives Wedge Antilles time to shine in a story by Jason Fry. Delilah S. Dawson, author of "Star Wars: Phasma," puts us inside a tauntaun's viewpoint as the Imperial siege of Hoth begins. Even Darth Sidious gets a little time for empathy in a story by Mike Chen, showing us an irritable old man, unfulfilled by the gifts of the dark side. All of these stories are framed as discoveries of The Whills, mysterious entities that comprise the conscious energy of the Force.

The trailer for the video game "Star Wars Outlaws" has your hardcore friends screaming the name Kyle Katarn, and, while there's no firm evidence that's really him hiding behind the name Jaylen, they've got good reasons to hope. Kyle Katarn is as seminal to many Legends fans as Starkiller, Vader's secret apprentice, or Timothy Zahn's Mara Jade. Katarn is the star of "Jedi Knight," a series that started with "Dark Forces" in 1995, and which also made Moff Gideon's Dark Troopers the terrors they are.

Katarn begins the series as a fairly ordinary space mercenary, but things escalate fast in this galaxy, and it's not long before he's gotten himself tangled up in the Rebellion's efforts to stymie the Death Star project. Handling a bit like the older "Wolfenstein" games, the series uses its shooter-styled elements to slowly build your palette of abilities over time. Eventually, Kyle Katarn earns his ultimate mastery of the Force, and by then, he's become a teacher. The "Jedi Knight" games are old, and not as pretty as the new Respawn offerings, but their fun gameplay, Legends-era storyline, and likable charisma of Katarn keep them worthy of a "Star Wars" fan's time.