Make no mistake, I am a diehard ‘Star Wars‘ fan. And while I’ve not been to Star Wars Celebration and frankly despise ‘The Last Jedi,’ Star Wars is apart of who I am. For proof, here’s a picture of me at Lucasfilm, wearing an unlicensed Star Wars shirt, in front of an unrelated portrait of Vigo the Carpathian. I’m a geek through and through.
You don’t have Star Wars without John WIlliams. And nine films later; there is a lot of music to take in. But there is a treasure trove of music from television and video games that’s deserving of your attention.
*Updated May 1, 2024.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
‘Ahsoka Leaves’ – Kevin Kiner: Fans of ‘The Mandalorian‘ will know Ahsoka Tano as the Jedi, which is a misnomer. In the series finale of Clone Wars (2013) she actually left the Jedi order. First on this list, is a beautiful piece of music from that moment featuring a hint of John Williams’ ‘Binary Sunset’ intertwined into Ahsoka’s theme. It might very well be my favorite piece of Star Wars music.
‘Flight of the Shyyyo Bird’ – Stephen Barton & Gordy Haab: This 12 minute epic comes from the videogame ‘Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order‘ and it takes you on a journey. The game is tightly wound to Order 66 but in this sequence our protagonist kind-of-Jedi Cal Kestis is climbing trees on Kashyyyk (Chewbacca’s homeworld), fighting in a lightsaber duel and befriending an elusive giant bird-dragon. It’s a heck of a video game, check it out if you haven’t already. The composition itself features a few recognizable flourishes but there is still a lot to love. Like when the Shyyyo theme kicks in the song soars and takes Star Wars music to new places.
‘L3 & Millennium Falcon’ – John Williams & John Powell: Solo got wrapped up in bad press, a terrible sequel and I think just too much Star Wars. But for me, ‘Solo‘ is the best Star Wars movie that Disney has made so far. Fan service aside, the movie is an adventure that I often re-watch. In this track, when the main theme kicks in… it’s just perfect.
‘A Flock of X-Wings Descend Into a Mountain’s Garden’ – Kevin Penkin: Although Star Wars Visions didn’t live up to the hype, the episodes that did work, worked really well. ‘The Village Bride‘ was one of those episodes. It had an interesting narrative, atypical of Star Wars and an absolutely remarkable score. The entire thing is worthy of a listen and is rather anti-Star Wars, sonically speaking. I also really love the title of this track.
‘It’s Over Now’ – Kevin Kiner: Kevin Kiner who also scored Clone Wars returned for its spiritual successor, ‘Rebels.’ ‘Rebels‘ is hands down my favorite story in all of Star Wars. I’m crazy excited to see these characters return in the new Ahsoka series on Disney+ sometime in 2023, maybe? We’ll see. ‘It’s Over Now’ plays on top of the amazing moments during the ‘Rebels‘ season 2 finale. It borrows very little from recognizable Star Wars themes, if any. It’s doing its own thing. ‘It’s Over Now’ is a powerful piece of music and if you haven’t seen ‘Rebels.’ Get on that!
‘Burying the Dead’ – Kevin Kiner: ‘Clone Wars’ returned in 2020 to wrap up some loose ends and it did so magnificently. (At least in the second half the season) This closing piece of music has all sorts of sounds atypical for a Star Wars score. I like the risks it takes in the tones it uses. And there is just a hint of ‘Binary Sunset’ in there.
‘The Sacrifice’ – Kevin Kiner: I never expected to enjoy ‘Bad Batch’ when it was announced. It’s really grown on me. And it’s definitely better than the Boba Fett show where we see his rise as a mayor… ‘Bad Batch’ tells the story of what happened to all the Clone Troopers once the Empire stopped using them. No spoilers. It’s also got another score by Kevin Kiner, I think it’s safe to say that next to Williams, Kiner is where it’s at.
‘The Inquisitor’ – Kevin Kiner: Alright, alright, this is the last Kiner one I swear. It’s not my fault Kevin Kiner is a great composer. He’s just as vital to the character of Ashoka as Dave Filoni. And I’m thrilled he will be composing the music for the new Ashoka tv series. No one else could. ‘The Inquisitor’ is a dramatic piece of music and features some sweeping western themes and a Akira Kurosawa vibe too. Which is perfect given the scene. ‘Tales of the Jedi’ is a short but great series worth a watch.
‘Eulogy’ – Nicholas Britell: ‘Andor.’ Wow. What a television series. As someone who thought ‘Rogue One’ was pretty meh, an entire series dedicated to a rather unlikeable character seemed like a bad move. I’ll admit when I’m wrong and I was wrong. ‘Andor’ is a masterclass in storytelling, direction, all things. How to make a ‘Star Wars’ show for everyone, even people that don’t like ‘Star Wars’. And this song, and this moment in ‘Star Wars’ is everything.
‘Epilogue Part II’ – Kevin Kiner: If you’re going to make an ‘Ahsoka’ series you’ve got to bring Kiner along for the ride. He’s been there since the beginning, so it just makes sense. The score, much like the character has grown into something quite epic and as “Epilogue Part II” plays over the credits you’ll wish for more episodes.
Have any personal favorites? Or just want to talk Star Wars? Start the conversation on social and may the force be with you.
And don’t forget to catch the Eugene Symphony on May 4, for some Star Wars and Symphony action!