There are so many film genres that everybody has a strong chance of finding the one(s) they will like. It might seem like sci-fi and western are two completely different genres for a different type of audience and they have nothing in common. However, that’s not quite the case. A subgenre called space western exists. What’s more, it’s popular among sci-fi fans.
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Space western focuses on adventure. Except it doesn’t happen in the Wild West but in space. A group of heroes (or desperados) explore the space and discover what it has to offer. These stories are often free-spirited, adventurous and they use more than one major location.
10Avatar (2009): 7.8
James Cameron is best known for directingThe Terminator(1984) andTitanic(1997) but it’s hisAvatar(2009) that belongs among space westerns - albeit untraditional ones. Unlike most films of this genre, the story primarily focuses on one place, not more.
However, it does contain the same wonder and excitement of exploring, discovering the unknown.Avatar’s main hero, Jake Sully, visits the Moon Pandora and he eventually falls in love with the place as well as its people. James Cameron is currently working on a sequel that should come in 2022.
9Blade Runner 2049 (2017): 8.0
Harrison Ford has a knack for space westerns since he starred in more than one. BesidesStar Wars, he also played a leading part in theBlade Runnerseries. The original film came out in 1982 andbecame one of the most iconic sci-fi pictures.
This made the 2017 sequel heavily anticipated by fans. Ryan Gosling starred alongside Ford and even though the film differs from the rest of this list, it still contains strong elements of space western. After all, the main character, Gosling’s K, is gradually discovering the unknown as he’s looking for Harrison Ford’s hero Rick Deckard.
8Star Trek: The Original Series: 8.3
Just like withStar Wars, multipleStar Trekseries, as well as feature films, are space westerns. However, none more so than the originalStar TrekTV show that ran between 1966 and 1969.
Captain James T. Kirk, his first officer Spock and the crew of the starship Enterprise explore the galaxy and boldly go where no man has gone before. The show’s creator Gene Roddenberry thought ofStar Trekas western in space, so it’s one of the original space westerns that predates even the above-mentionedStar Wars.
7Artifact: 8.4
Unlike other TV shows and films on this list, a large number of people won’t most likely be familiar with this TV series. Its total number of ratings on IMDb - 37 - speaks for itself.
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However, this mini-series about a group of people who are trying to recover powerful artifacts scattered around space is a space western as well. Especially since it allows the heroes as well as the audience to discover various corners of the universe and doesn’t lack an adventurous spirit.
6The Expanse: 8.5
Sci-fi TV shows belong to a popular genre. Despite - or maybe because of the fact - that the audience doesn’t get so much of them.The Expanseis one such example of this rule. Taking place in the distant 24th century, a group of people comes across a conspiracy that might very well endanger everyone. what makes this TV show even more interesting is the fact that its characters aren’t typical heroes. In fact, they could be even called antiheroes.
5Star Wars (The Original Trilogy): 8.6, 8.7, 8.3
Everybody knowsStar Wars. Even people who didn’t watch the films are familiar with the franchise to a smaller degree. Technically, allStar Warsfilms belong to the space western genre. But considering the original three movies, episode IV to VI, started it all the place goes to them.
The story is well-known. Luke discovers his true heritage, he and Leia fight against the Empire, and Leia also gets together with Han Solo, the ultimate space cowboy. Plus, there’s Darth Vader’s ‘I am your father’ and Master Yoda, both iconic moments and characters.
4Battlestar Galactica: 8.7
It’s no wonder that most of the best space westerns are TV shows. The reason for this is that TV shows simply have more space to create complex plots than films.Battlestar Galacticaran for four seasons and became a classic. It primarily focuses on the war between humanity and the deadly Cylons but has many subplots as well as now-iconic characters.
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For example, Katee Sackhoff rose to fame by playing Starbuck on the show. Even thoughBattlestar Galacticaended in 2009, the fans still like to keep the show alive. It’s both a popular material for cosplay as well as fanfictions.
3The Mandalorian: 8.8
The Mandalorianinstantly became one of the best-accepted TV shows of 2019 - and for a good reason. Not only did it give the fans another opportunity to return to the world ofStar Wars, but it also did so in style. The story drew attention thanks to its fast paceas well as intriguing charactersplayed by great actors such as Pedro Pascal or Giancarlo Esposito.
Some people argue whetherThe Mandalorianis really space western. However, considering the story is about a bounty hunter traveling the vast galaxy, outside the reach of the law, there’s no denying it.
2Cowboy Bepop: 8.9
A lot of iconic animes exist. However,Cowboy Bepopis one of the most popular ones. It’s accessible and understandable even to those who don’t normally watch anime. Just likeThe Mandalorian,Cowboy Bepopis about a bounty hunter. But that’s mostly when the similarities end.
The series ran for just one season which makes it easy to binge-watch. With 26 episodes in total, this anime is a classic and it offers a lot of memorable moments as well as fan-favorite characters.
1Firefly: 9.0
Long before Joss Whedon went on to direct theAvengers(2012), he createdFirefly(2002 to 2003). The show continues to be a sore point for many fans who were disappointed the network canceled it after just one season.
That doesn’t change the fact it has everything one could expect from a space western. From a group of fascinating heroes to a journey into the unknown parts of the galaxy. The iconic crew later returned in the movieSerenity(2005) as well.
