This Deep-Cut Star Wars Horror Story Still Gives Fans Chills (and You Should Read It)

From thrilling lightsaber duels to epic starfighter battles, Star Wars is best known for its daring action and dazzling sci-fi adventures. Yet while its signature style leans toward heart-pounding excitement, that’s not the only way the galaxy delivers compelling content to its fans. Indeed, Star Wars stories have occasionally ventured into horror — a genre that’s well suited to a universe where the supernatural, the occult, and “magic and sorcery” are just as plausible explanations for the inexplicable as advanced technology or the marvels of human and alien biology. Now, Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories — Dark Horse Comic’s simpler, more accessible entry point into the franchise — revives this fascinating yet rarely explored facet of Star Wars storytelling.

George Mann and Michael Atiyeh’s Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories – Tides of Terror tells the story of one Jedi mission to Torbus, an ocean planet that is home to a controversial underwater research laboratory that Jedi Masters Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, and Padawan Nahdar are sent to investigate. However, during their investigation, the laboratory, which is completely isolated in its underwater home, is attacked by strange and unforeseen forces, forces that even Windu and Fisto are at a loss to comprehend. As the title suggests, the situation quickly descends into true terror.

Even Jedi are Afraid of the Unknown

On the one hand, Tides of Terror contains all the elements of a classic Jedi tale. It starts with a team of Jedi sent to a remote location to investigate troubles beyond the scope of traditional Galactic Republic expertise. Upon arrival, the team of Jedi is immediately forced to confront a challenge they never expected. In this case, rather than the standard military, criminal, or insurrectionist-based threat, the story quickly veers into horror, a tone rarely explored in Star Wars but one that fits the narrative perfectly.

On the other hand, Tides of Terror also embodies all the hallmarks of a classic horror story. There’s the claustrophobic isolation of the underwater laboratory, the shadowy threat of unknown creatures lurking in the depths, and the psychological toll the menace takes, even challenging the understanding of seasoned Jedi like Windu and Fisto. Then there are the grotesque, unnatural forms of the monsters, which seem to know more about the Jedi than the Jedi do about them.

Finally, there are the existential stakes: the creeping sense that the attack is not random but tied to some past transgression — in this case, perhaps Nahdar’s earlier, senseless killing of a creature that had assaulted the team when they arrived. The vibe is tense, but not in the typical Star Wars story way. There’s a deeper level of uncertainty and dread that even the Jedi Masters struggle to conceal.

What Tides of Terror demonstrates is that horror is not incompatible with Star Wars storytelling. Rather, it’s a genre that can stay true to the spirit of the Jedi while inviting a new audience, one not typically found within the franchise’s traditional fanbase.

There’s More to Star Wars‘ Dark Side Than the Sith

While action and adventure dominate most Star Wars storytelling, it’s still surprising that more horror-themed stories—like Tides of Terror—haven’t emerged. Despite all the lightsaber battles, political intrigue, and dazzling technology, Star Wars offers a perfect setting for horror.

First, there’s the ever-present dark side of the Force. While it’s often framed through the conflict between Jedi and Sith, its influence is much larger than that. It’s a tormenting, corruptive force that can break, twist, and corrupt people into committing unspeakable acts. And that torment isn’t immediate or overt; in classic horror fashion, it haunts, horrifies, and harasses its victims, slowly eroding their will and sanity. More than just a power, the dark side serves as a metaphor for inner demons, madness, and evil incarnate— core elements found throughout horror history, from Dracula to Event Horizon. So, as stories like Tides of Terror have shown, it wouldn’t take much to fully embrace these horror roots in a galaxy far, far away.

Second, the Star Wars landscape itself is a rich setting for horror. The galaxy is filled with uncharted territories, remote planets, battlefields littered with corpses, gloomy abandoned ships, and isolated outposts. Even bustling planets like Coruscant have their own horrors, from dark alleys to torture chambers. These places provide the perfect backdrop for a terrifying story.

We Need More Horror in Star Wars

Beyond the physical landscape, as the Tides of Terror illustrates, the universe is also teeming with monsters, spirits, and sorcerers. From the Nightsisters of Dathomir to the Witches of Brendock, these supernatural creatures are compelling elements of horror. Their talents are often wasted in stories about war and politics, as their true strength lies in their ability to scare. Finally, the technology of the Star Wars universe is another great source of horror. In a world where droids are sentient and technology is integrated into every aspect of life, there are endless opportunities for tech to become the source of a nightmare.

While horror-themed stories have enjoyed a bit of a renaissance in the comic book universe, its impact has been mixed. Much of that arises from the difficulty of converting stories with no basis in horror into horror tales. This is not the case with Star Wars, however. Star Wars is built on a framework that’s intimately attuned to horror storytelling. As Tides of Terror makes clear, horror storytelling doesn’t betray or pollute the Star Wars style – it enhances it. To be sure, horror is rarely used in Star Wars storytelling—but when it is, it resonates deeply. It’s a genre that deserves far more attention than it has traditionally received.Hopefully, Tides of Terror will open the floodgates, so to speak.

 

Star Wars is Pairing Two of Its Most Unpredictable Rogues and Nothing Good Can Come From It