Did you know, there are around 1,000 minutes of Star Wars movies for you to enjoy? That doesn't include the Clone Wars or Rebels TV series or the Star Wars Holiday Special. (It also assumes you're watching Star Wars in the right order.)
But what if you want to go more in depth with your love of the movies? The answer, young padawan, is podcasts. Via your podcast manager, you can engage with many thousands of minutes more of in-depth (and occasionally irreverent) Star Wars material, discussions, interviews, analysis, and more.
Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of Star Wars podcasts in existence. So we have sorted the wheat from the chaff to find the 10 best Star Wars podcasts for you to listen to. Enjoy!
1. Full of Sith
If you're looking for a Star Wars podcast, this is the place to start. Released as a weekly download, Full of Sith is pretty hot on getting to the press releases and attending press conferences, bringing the latest news from the Star Wars world to its listeners.
Hosted by Tha Mike Pilot, Bryan Young (a contributing writer for StarWars.com) and Holly Frey, Full of Sith describes itself as "...your mandatory dose of weekly Star Wars talk." It's a fair claim, as there's a confidence to the discussions that can only come from deep familiarity with the subject matter. These podcasters are deeply entrenched in the Star Wars universe(s).
Interestingly, Full of Sith has won a few awards over the years, most recently the "Star Wars Podcast Awards – 2017 fan vote award for Editing/Production Value."
Listen: Website | iTunes | Stitcher
2. Rebel Force Radio
Ever wondered how a Star Wars radio station might sound? Rebel Force Radio takes that idea and runs with it, dressing up the usual podcast fare with merchandise ads and trailers. It's like a talk radio show where Star Wars is the main subject, and presenters Jason Swank and Jimmy Mac clearly love the movies. Better still, they have a great rapport, and have been named among the world's biggest Star Wars fans!
But there is more to Rebel Force Radio than the main show. A visit to the website rebelforceradio.com reveals nine different podcasts are hosted there, all under the Rebel Force Radio banner. Film commentaries, Q&As, and more can be found. In short, there's everything you could want as a Star Wars fan at this website alone!
Along with a merchandise shop, Rebel Force Radio also generates income via Patreon. You can support the team and become a patron at patreon.com/RebelForceRadio.
Listen: Website | iTunes | Soundcloud
3. Star Wars Minute
Now this is such a good idea for a podcast: each minute of a film is taken apart and given a deep reading. The result is a podcast that lasts for 30 minutes or so, with everything (acting, script, sound, CGI and other elements of the mise en scene, direction, narrative) analyzed and considered.
At the time of writing, the Star Wars Minute podcast is focusing on the Revenge of the Sith (2005) movie. If your interest is piqued, you'll be pleased to learn that this podcast team ("Pete the Retailer", Alex Robinson, and guest Chrysanthe Tan), have good rapport, and come from different backgrounds. The result is a trio who have their own strong views about what's on screen.
One of the benefits of Star Wars Minute for Star Wars podcast fans is that updates are very regular -- almost daily. After all, there are so many minutes to get through!
4. Star Wars New Canon Book Club
Also known as SW: NCBC, this is a great show that picks a book to review and discuss each week. As you'll guess from the title, this is almost exclusively books from the new continuity, rather than the now-abandoned expanded universe.
Jesse Cox and his two co-hosts Alex Faciane and Michael Davis have a great rapport. This results in some great insights comparisons when discussing the current week's reading matter. They're not always as articulate as they might like to sound, but that's podcasting. What they have to say is interesting, especially when it comes to discussing the characters and their motivations, and how these are reflected (or informed by) actions in the movies and TV series.
In short, if literary Star Wars is your particular preference, this is the podcast you should be listening to.
Listen: iTunes | Soundcloud
5. The Cantina Cast
Part of the Making Star Wars Podcasting Network, The Cantina Cast focuses on movies and canon, with a bit of key news thrown in. It's about discussion and reaction, and the hosts almost always have fun with their chats.
They like to go deep in The Cantina Cast, dissecting characters, and analyzing scenes, covering everything from the movies and TV shows to novels and comic books. The usual hosts in this podcast are Mike and Joao, confident and eloquent presenters who know what they like in Star Wars.
Podcasts are released weekly (but not always on the same day), and typically run for around an hour. Great discussions, check them out.
Listen: Website | iTunes | Stitcher | TuneIn
6. Star Wars 7x7
Podcasting is not easy. You need the time to record the show, to begin with, and a topic. Often, you might need a guest, or a co-host you can coordinate with. Then there's the time needed to edit the show. Often this can be time-intensive, even if you're organized, and use some form of template.
So when I tell you that the Star Wars 7x7 podcast issues new material on a daily basis, you should be suitably impressed. Presented by Allen Voivod, Star Wars 7x7 launched in 2014 as an intentionally short show that you can listen to is a small span of time.
Content ranges from interviews to news, and regularly features fan theories and discussion points. The effort that goes into a daily podcast is considerable, so we would recommend you check this out.
Listen: iTunes | Soundcloud | Stitcher | TuneIn
7. Star Wars: Beyond the Films
Head over to www.starwarsreport.com and you'll find a great blog and podcast resource, among them the excellent Beyond the Films. This podcast is probably the highlight of the entire roster (which includes Star Wars Bookworms, Star Wars Report and many others) because it deals with the Star Wars universe, well, "Beyond the Films"!
Books, comics, toys and other kids of merchandise are covered here, with particular focus on the narrative beyond the movies. While the Expanded Universe (the 1977-2012 non-movie Star Wars stories, now rebranded as Star Wars Legends) isn't given much attention, spin-offs since, plus The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, is featured.
In short, this is a great podcast for Star Wars fans who can't wait for the next annual movie.
Listen: Website
8. Steele Wars
Something a little different, this time. Steele Saunders is an Australian stand-up comedian working in L.A. This brings a whole new dimension to what you might expect from a podcast, as his shows are recorded in front of an audience. Steele is a massive Star Wars fan, and there's a refreshing mix of humor and fanboying in these shows.
However, this may not be to all tastes. Amusing and personable as Steele is, it can get a bit heavy going listening to the same voice. Long intros are a challenge for all podcasters, but fortunately Steele Wars regularly features a guest interview.
Listen: Website | iTunes | Spotify
9. Star Wars Underworld
The Star Wars Underworld podcast is a weekly show hosted by Star Wars Underworld contributors Ben, Chris, and Dominic. Regularly discussing favorite Clone Wars episodes, the podcast naturally veers towards the more mainstream topics when a new movie is due for release. This also sees them issue more podcasts (such as reporting live from The Last Jedi premiere red carpet) when required.
You'll find a lot of background to these activities in the podcasts, painting a picture of fan events. The same level of detail is given to their discussions of the Star Wars movies and TV episodes, however. Very few details are overlooked, in fact. All in all, this is a comprehensive podcast produced by fans who love the movies, and what Star Wars is all about.
Listen: Website
10. ForceCast Network
I've mentioned several podcast networks so far, but if there's one you should consider every podcast from, it's the ForceCast Network. The ForceCast -- the official podcast of Star Wars websites TheForce.Net and Rebelscum.com -- is part of the ForceCast Network, where you'll find a collection of unmissable podcasts.
In the past few days alone, the ForceCast Network has released a monthly Jedi Journals, an IndyCast (for Indiana Jones fans) a Rebels Roundtable discussion, and several weekly ForceCast episodes.
The choice on offer here is considerable, and made possible by a collection of contributors such as Daniel Berry, Ryan Donoho, and Jay Shepherd. Subscribing to podcasts from the ForceCast Network may mean you never listen to another Star Wars podcast. But if you like these guys, that shouldn't be a problem.
Listen: iTunes | Stitcher | Google Play
May the Pods Be With You
You would need to be a totally hardcore Star Wars fan to want to listen to all of these podcasts. There is some overlap here in terms of content, after all. But there is also something for every type of fan. Whether you're a fan of the books, want the latest Star Wars movie gossip, or want in-depth analysis of the older movies, you'll find a podcast to suit here.
The world of Star Wars podcasts is huge. We have brought you the ongoing shows that we believe represent a good cross-section of what's available.
Which of these Star Wars podcasts do you listen to? Do you enjoy listening to a Star Wars podcast that isn't on this list? Have you ever thought about starting your own podcast about Star Wars? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below!