Looking for galactic thrills and chills this Halloween season? Found some, you have!
Somewhere in the galaxy, a fanged creature shrieks underground. Witches of the mist cackle in the night. A worm slithers into the brain of a horrified clone trooper. The Star Wars universe has many heroes and rebels, but it also has its fair share of diabolical villains and creepy creatures that go bump in the night.
In honor of the Halloween season, StarWars.com has compiled a list of the best in scary Star Wars on Disney+. There’s nothing better than enjoying some pumpkin spice Palpatine cookies while watching a Star Wars marathon. Especially if it’s some of the most frighteningly fun moments in the galaxy. So grab a glass of blue milk, recline on the couch, and get ready for some scares!
1. LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales | Stream on Disney+
Take an unexpected trip to the volcanic planet Mustafar with Poe Dameron and BB-8 in the first true Halloween-themed Star Wars special! Poe, BB-8, Graballa the Hutt, and Dean (a spunky kid who works as Graballa’s mechanic) journey deep into Darth Vader’s creepy castle with an equally creepy guide, who treats our heroes to scary stories. Soon, however, they realize that they’re in the middle of their own terrifying tale. The result is a fun mix of frights, LEGO Star Wars humor, and an instant Star Wars Halloween classic.
2. Star Wars: The Clone Wars -- “Brain Invaders” (Season 2, Episode 8 | Stream on Disney+)
If you’re a fan of horror movies, you will thoroughly enjoy this episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The story revolves around brain worms, which are worm-like parasites that enter the body and then control the brain of the living host. Brain worms can also revive dead Geonosians and turn them into zombies! Though first introduced in “Legacy of Terror” (Season 2, Episode 7), it’s this episode that shows how these parasites wreak havoc. When Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee and a group of clone troopers become infected with the Geonosian worms, it’s up to Ahsoka Tano to figure out how to save the plagued group. Brain worms alone are enough to send shivers down the spine, but it’s how they enter the body of the host that really ups the icky factor.
3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars Nightsisters Arc -- “Nightsisters” (Season 3, Episode 12 | Stream on Disney+), “Monster” (Season 3, Episode 13 | Stream on Disney+), “Witches of the Mist” (Season 3, Episode 14 | Stream on Disney+)
The Nighstisters arc features three bone-chilling episodes and it is a must-watch (or re-watch) for any Star Wars fan. The first installment finds Asajj Ventress seeking revenge against her old master Count Dooku, which leads her home to Dathomir; there, the former Sith apprentice enlists the help of Mother Talzin and her tribe of witches, the Nightsisters. In the second episode, we meet Savage Opress, a monstrous warrior who Mother Talzin offers to Dooku as his new Sith apprentice. Thanks to Talzin’s dark magic, Savage is altered into a powerful and deadly monstrosity that will stop at nothing to defend the Nightsisters. In “Witches of the Mist,” Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi hunt for the mysterious figure behind the deaths of several Jedi. Taken together, these episodes ooze creepiness, have a haunting vibe, and are filled with the darker elements of Star Wars. In other words, perfect Halloween viewing.
4. Star Wars: The Bad Batch -- “Battle Scars” (Season 1, Episode 7 | Stream on Disney+)
The Bad Batch crew discovers what happens when the biggest threat is one of their own. Teased for a few episodes, Wrecker’s inhibitor chip fully activates; he becomes a relentless monster, immune to reason, and a weapon for Palpatine in a shocking sequence. Speaking of monsters, the mission also has a close call with a massive tentacled creature. Because in the Star Wars universe, whenever there’s a body of water, you never know what’s lurking down below.
5. Star Wars Rebels -- “Out of Darkness” (Season 1, Episode 7 | Stream on Disney+)
What lives in darkness, has sharp teeth and claws, and glowing eyes? It’s a ferocious creature known as a fyrnock and it’s exactly the kind of monster you don’t want to run into while on a secret mission. Unfortunately, Hera and Sabine experience the wrath of this monster during a supply run on Fort Anaxes. Will they escape the pack of fyrnocks unharmed? Will Sabine trust Hera’s need for secrecy? Will Zeb get to eat his space waffles in peace? Find out in this surprisingly spine-tingling episode.
6. The Mandalorian -- “The Prisoner” (Season 1, Episode 6 | Stream on Disney+)
Watch the Mandalorian, Din Djarin, go on a dangerous mission with a group of mercenaries that are cutthroat and vicious. The job may be risky, but it turns out that the crew itself is the bigger problem. The backdrop for much of the story is a New Republic prison ship that’s reminiscent of a haunted Halloween maze -- picture glowing red hallways, lights flashing, and a deadly game of cat and mouse. This chapter is action-packed, full of frightful moments, and like any good Star Wars story, there’s a little family drama sprinkled in. Will Mando be able to complete the mission unscathed, or will the gang turn on him before the job is done? This is one nail-biting episode.
7. Star Wars: The Clone Wars -- “Lair of Grievous” (Season 1, Episode 10 | Stream on Disney+)
Step inside General Grievous’ ghoulish lair and experience the terror it has to offer. Jedi Master Kit Fisto and his former Padawan, Jedi Nahdar Vebb, track escaped prisoner Nute Gunray to a remote world only to discover that they are the bait in a trap inside Grievous’ castle. His abode is perfectly frightful -- it’s shrouded in a fog, there’s a display of trophies from murdered Jedi, he has a deadly pet roggwart (that Fisto and Vebb have to battle), and it’s booby-trapped for uninvited guests like Jedi. Worst of all is there is a medical droid that performs painful and horrific experiments on Grievous. Everything about this story is what nightmares are made of!
8. The Mandalorian -- “The Passenger” (Season 2, Episode 2 | Stream on Disney+)
There is only one creature that can make even Mando run, and that is the knobby white ice spider. Sure, the eggs are a perfect snack for Grogu, but once those critters hatch, they become everyone’s worst nightmare. Their appearance in this chapter of The Mandalorian will have you on the edge of your seat, and the story offers an unexpected twist that is must-stream TV.
9. Star Wars: The Bad Batch -- “Infested” (Season 1, Episode 13 | Stream on Disney+)
Journey into a creepy old mining tunnel with the Bad Batch, and witness the horrors that live beneath Ord Mantel City! The Bad Batch have a knack for encountering some of the most harrowing creatures of the galaxy, and in this episode, it is large winged insects known as irlings. Irlings are nocturnal and will become aggressive if a noise wakes them during their sleep; this small detail creates a lot of tension throughout the story and when the flying beasts are finally unleashed, the crew experiences a Hitchcockian nightmare.
10. Star Wars: The Clone Wars -- “Massacre” (Season 4, Episode 19 | Stream on Disney+)
Voodoo dolls, witches, and a zombie army make this one frightful chapter in The Clone Wars. After the failed assassination attack on Count Dooku, the Count uses General Grievous to get revenge against Asajj Ventress and the Nightsisters of Dathomir. However, Mother Talzin and Ventress defend their clan with all the dark powers at their command including an undead army of Nightsisters and a voodoo doll of Dooku. The shrieks of the zombie warriors alone are enough to cause goosebumps, but it’s the dramatic showdown between the Nightsisters and Grievous that will leave you aghast.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back -- The Mynock Scene | Stream on Disney+
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is full of hair-raising moments, like when Luke confronts himself in the dark-side cave or Han Solo becomes entombed in carbonite. But it’s the mynock jump-scare and subsequent exploration of the “cave” that’s pure creepy.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story -- Vader Hallway Scene | Stream on Disney+
Witness Darth Vader at his most ruthless in this shocking scene from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. What makes this moment so nightmarish is that the camera does not cut away from his brutality. We see everything and it is horrific.
Star Wars Rebels -- “The Mystery of Chopper Base” (Season 2, Episode 20 | Stream on Disney+)
Imagine a monster that has six legs. Its skin is resistant to blaster bolts. The species are also predators that capture prey and cocoon them in underground hives. These hair-raising creatures are known as the krykna, and when the rebels finally locate a potential site for a secret base, they quickly learn that their new home is full of the gigantic spider-like creatures. If you’re like Zeb and find multi-leggers creepy, this episode will definitely make your skin crawl.
Ewoks -- “The Raich” (Season 2, Episode 3 | Stream on Disney+)
Younglings and fans of retro Star Wars will enjoy this vintage Ewoks episode, in which Wicket Warrick and his friends Latara and Teebo accidentally awaken a carnivorous forest monster known as the raich. This episode has flying hooshas, weird magic, and just the right amount of spookiness for younger fans. After all, Bright Tree Village is always a fun place to visit...unless you’re invited to a feast in C-3PO’s honor.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker -- Dark Side Rey | Stream on Disney+
When Rey discovers a dark side vision of herself in the Emperor’s private chambers, it’s frightening to see our hero transformed into evil incarnate. Actress Daisy Ridley’s performance is haunting and terrifying as Rey’s dark side counterpart, and the dramatic battle between the two Reys is heightened thanks to the eerie sound design and striking visual effects.
Getting into the Hallo-scream spirit is easy with all of these Star Wars stories available to stream on Disney+. Whether you watch them back-to-back or savor one a day, you’re bound to have a frightfully gourd time.