If it's been said once, it's been said a million times: the original Star Wars trilogy is the best. Whether or not you agree, there's no denying that the cast of the first three films helped catapult the saga into what it is today. Fans are so appreciative of these stories that they admittedly showcase their love through works of art: whether its cosplay, fan fiction, or more tangible forms of art.
Even though the last of the trilogy premiered in 1983, that hasn't stopped decades worth of art finding its way onto the internet. There are literally thousands of collections of artwork starring pivotal characters such as Luke, Leia, Hans, and Yoda. Each one has been reimagined again and again through incredible craftsmanship and it's impossible to determine superiority. But to narrow it down, here are ten must-see fan art versions of the original trilogy.
10. Main Cast
This piece is a cohesive representation of all the cardinal characters from the trilogy. From Chewbacca to Darth Vadar, all of the mainstay characters are present in Canton Heroine's traditional art piece. It was handmade with acrylic paint on masonite board that the artist hoped would come off as a traditional movie poster art. It seems like she pulled it off as this looks like something one would see from the original 1970s Star Wars posters! The only difference is that this poster is made with high-definition details and vibrant colors to boot.
9. R2D2 and C3PO
This ceremonious piece of traditional art showcases our favorite Star Wars androids: R2DR and C3PO. In the original saga, you would rarely see one without the other. C3PO's comical translations of R2D2'S robotic language helped make the franchise the masterpiece that it is today.
And speaking of masterpieces, the artist who illustrated this dynamic duo, Armbr0, made this entirely with charcoal, pastels, chalk, and charcoal powder. It's amazing to see the colors that came out of these natural materials, especially considering the shimmering gold from the droid companion.
8. Luke Skywalker
Anthony Foti created this digital art piece as a replica to the signage for the Star Wars Trading Card Game. The young Luke Skywalker wields his green lightsaber at the forefront of the impending struggle against the Galactic Empire. As one of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance, this fan art shows Skywalker's resilience and power through a seamless and colorful showpiece.
Anthony is an experienced artist who frequently pays his own tribute to the Star Wars franchise. He has made pieces of almost every character, each one with as much beauty as the next.
7. Star Wars Meets Marvel
One of the best things about looking at fandom artwork is seeing what creative avenues painters will take to express their ardor. Robert Shane made this digital composition of Star Wars meet Marvel. The concept of Princess Leia in modern Marvel garb is not only on point, but it looks phenomenal. Clearly, he took inspiration from Black Widow's MCU outfit, with colors that work perfectly for Leia's stance in the Rebel Alliance.
Robert Shane does a ton of solo Marvel and Star Wars pieces, but each one is full of life and color. His Thanos piece, in particular, looks insane and completely unique.
6. All Together
One of the most heartbreaking things about the newest Star Wars continuation is the fact that the three characters that pioneered this entire concept never made another appearance together. This artist conceptualized this vision of Luke, Han, and Leia before they saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens. They emphasize the fact that the three never appeared on the silver screen altogether one last time. But at least now we can thank the artist for giving us some vision of what that reunion might have looked like in today's new films.
5. Watercolor Montage
Would you believe that this piece of fan art by Draganski is made through traditional methods? It might seem easy to spot digital art these days with its near perfect, but those with a skillful hand can still give the illusion of such perfect. This montage is made solely with palpable colored pencils and watercolors. It shows three pivotal scenes in one miraculous piece of artwork, with Luke's first meeting with his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi to his stance alongside Darth Vadar. Yoda, of course, makes a central appearance, which makes sense as he often acted as the mediator between Luke's call to both the Jedi Knight realm and his familial draw to the Dark Side.
4. Chewbacca And Han Solo
This rare idea is a character redesign that is something that traditional fans can get behind. This is another concept that brings together Star Wars and Marvel, with Chewbacca sporting a full armored suit with Han Solo armed and ready at his side.
Han Solo always took the lead in the original sage, with Chewbacca tagging along as Han's cuddly furry friend. While Chewbacca's presence has always been appreciated, seeing Chewbacca re-cast as a badass golden weapon of destruction is so adverse from his true character that its nothing if not fascinating.
3. Obi-Wan Kenobi
R-Valle made this digital frame of Obi-Wan's last moments. It's one of the cards from the Fantasy Flight Games Star Wars trading card game. The fact that he chose this shot to recreate shows that he picked up on the vulnerability of this iconic Jedi this is apparent in this minute.
Most of R-Valle's gallery is made up of Star Wars memorabilia, but each one is impressive in its own way. He pays particular attention to the original trilogy so there's no questioning which generation of Stars Wars he favors.
2. Princess Leia
This has been an iconic photo of Carrie Fischer as Princess Leia for decades, but none of been drawn as eloquently as this fan art piece. If you think this is simply just a photoshopped version of the original photo, think again!
It wouldn't be the first time that Maíra Poli's art has been noted for its unbelievable attention to detail. It's so precise that it's hard to believe the work is done free-hand. However, their gallery of black-and-whites proves their authenticity. From Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman to Adele, Maíra Poli's art looks like real-life portraits.
1. Yoda
If you have ever wondered what Yoda looks like underneath his robe, feast your eyes on this fan art. Endearing, and yet somewhat disturbing, seeing Yoda without his full-covered garb. It gives him a brand-new persona without taking away his edge. Yoda has always had an air of mystery, but at the same time has always been a force to be reckoned with. The artist himself dubs this as his version of a badass Yoda.
The artist, WhoAmI, does mostly scenic artwork but it's apparent that his portraits are just as stellar. This fan art of a character from the original trilogy really opens up the possibilities of character developments that could have been conceived for modern storytelling.