10 Best Star Wars Games Where You Don't Play As A Jedi

For as long as Star Wars has existed, most of us have all wanted to wield our very own lightsaber and use the force. But sometimes, the appeal of being a smuggler like Han Solo, and flying our very own spaceship, sounds plenty more appealing than becoming a space monk.

Thankfully, there are plenty of genre-defining Star Wars games released over the years that have wonderfully captured the spirit of living in the Star Wars universe and immersed us in the lives of its many different characters.

With the upcoming Star Wars Galaxy Racer and the long-awaited XCOM-themed game, Star Wars Zero Company, we're looking back at some of the most iconic Star Wars games where you get to put away the lightsaber and instead pick up the blaster.

Here are 10 stellar Star Wars games where you don't play as a Jedi, and prove you don't need a lightsaber to have fun.

10 Star Wars: Outlaws

Assassin's Creed in Space

I am Star Wars Outlaws' strongest (and only) soldier... probably. While the game originally came out and didn't make the splash developers Ubisoft probably intended, after some time, it's shaped up to be a solid game. Let me put it this way: if you ever wanted to play Assassin's Creed in a Star Wars universe while also getting to align with various scoundrel factions, then this game is probably for you.

You play as Kay Vess, a budding scoundrel with an alien pet dog and, eventually, a thirst trap assassin droid. After a heist goes awry, a bounty is put on your head by the new criminal syndicate, the Zerek Besh. Eager to clear your name (and take another chance at that loot), you trek across the galaxy, assembling a team of experts to help you pull it off.

Along the way, you'll be able to pick up jobs from different syndicate factions and build your reputation with them. However, as you build affinity with one group, you risk souring your relations with another, so, inevitably, you'll be forced to cross paths with a crime lord one way or another.

If you're looking for an excuse to dive into several iconic Star Wars worlds and get lost in their criminal underbelly, Star Wars Outlaws is a pretty fun time.

9 Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire

A Han Solo OC Done Right

Released for the Nintendo 64, Shadows of the Empire is one of the earliest Star Wars games to be released, and is still arguably one of its finest.

Taking place between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, you play as the Rebel-aligned mercenary Dash Rendar, who must thwart the Black Sun leader Prince Xizor's evil plan. Throughout the game, you'll help the main heroes, Leia, Lando, Chewbacca, and Luke, by aiding in their ongoing battle with the Empire while rescuing them from Bounty Hunters and criminal syndicates.

The story of the game mostly follows its tie-in novel of the same name, making it one of the first adaptations in the franchise of legacy media, which is a pretty neat bit of trivia. As for the game itself, it follows in the same vein as titles like Contra, where you move through a side-scrolling map, taking out various goons before facing off a tough boss. Needless to say, it's a challenging title, but a rewarding one for any Star Wars fan.

8 Star Wars: Episode 1: Racer

Now This is Podracing!

Say what you will about Star Wars Episode: 1, but if there's one good thing it gave us, it was Podracing. Thankfully, LucasArts was quick to capitalize on the hype and deliver a stellar racing game that captures the thrill of the scene.

Star Wars Episode 1: Racer is a unique racing game that lets players pick from 20 different Podracers to speed through a range of tracks, including the iconic dirt mounds of Tatooine and other unique planets. What makes the game so unique is that, like in the movie, players will actively have to monitor their Podracers' temperature, and may even need to perform maintenance on it so it doesn't explode. If your vehicle does blow up, you'll have to waste precious seconds respawning.

Fans have held this one in high esteem over the years, which is why it's so exciting that we're finally getting a spiritual sequel in the form of Star Wars: Galactic Racer, which will hopefully fill the racing hole in our hearts.

7 Star Wars: The Old Republic

Choices Galore

BioWare's breakthrough MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic, is a dream for any gamer looking to have a definitive role-playing experience with a diverse set of classes, all with their own unique story. While you can play as your classic Jedi or Sith, there are several non-Force user options, like the Smuggler, Trooper, Imperial Agent, and the Bounty Hunter.

Not only does each class have its own storyline, but you'll even be able to make several choices throughout the story to enhance your roleplay. Want to play an evil Han Solo? You can play as a Smuggler and select the dark side choices to best enrich yourself. Inversely, you can also choose to play a Bounty Hunter with a conscience, similar to the beloved Mandalorian, if that's what you want your character to be.

With years of expansions added to the games over the years, and plenty of it balanced around solo play, you'll have no issues letting SWTOR become your new special interest for a month and hopefully more.

6 Star Wars: Dark Forces

Quake Meets Star Wars

Star Wars Dark Forces was the franchise's attempt to hop on the early FPS craze, imitating beloved titles like Doom, System Shock, and Wolfenstein 3D. This title's success would actually go on to launch an entire series of games, including the beloved Star Wars: Jedi Academy.

Taking place shortly before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, you play as Kyle Katarn, a former Imperial Officer turned mercenary, now under the employment of the Rebel Alliance. You're tasked with putting an end to the Empire's Dark Trooper Project, spearheaded by the eccentric villain, General Rom Mohc.

If this sounds familiar to you, that's because elements of this game would go on to inspire The Mandalorian and Giancarlo Esposito's infamous character Moff Gideon.

While Kyle Katarn would eventually become a Jedi in later installments, in this very first title, he is but a regular gun for hire, mowing down squads of Stormtroopers like they're nothing.

5 Star Wars: Squadrons

A Pilot's Dream

Star Wars is a series renowned for recreating classic air force dogfighting in space, and no game captures that magic quite like Star Wars: Squadrons.

While it isn't the first space combat game, it is the one with the most polish, as the title is entirely dedicated to immersing players in its grand scale. There's also a solid narrative within the game that does a decent job of familiarizing players with space combat and the depth it has to offer.

Even if you remove the TIE Fighters and the X-Wings from the game, it'd still be an impeccable air combat simulator, and for that reason, it deserves all its accolades.

4 Star Wars: Empire at War

Age of Empires, but in Star Wars

Have you ever wanted to take on the role of a commander in a full-scale planetary battle in Star Wars? Well, that's exactly what you get to do in Star Wars: Empires at War. This 2006 title is what happens when you combine the RTS tactics of Starcraft with the Star Wars universe, which is a combo that makes so much sense, it's a wonder why more games like it haven't been made yet.

Like all real-time strategy games, you'll get to control a large variety of units and command them through battle. Because it's Star Wars, these will range from your standard infantry units to the colossal AT-ATs. While you may get to enlist the help of some Jedi, they're never really the main focus of the game, and don't entirely shift the balance of the battle in their favor.

What also makes the game a must-play for dedicated Star Wars fans is that you'll get to play as either the Empire or the Rebellion, each with its own campaign, which spans several iconic locations from the film. So, if you hated how the battle of Yavin 4 went down, you can recreate the battle in the game without silly Ewok shenanigans if that's what you'd prefer.

3 Star Wars: Bounty Hunter

The Jango Fett Prequel We Deserved

If there's one thing we can all agree on, it's that bounty hunters are pretty cool, and if there's one bounty hunter we wish we got to see more of, it's Jango Fett. Lucky for us, there's an entire video game dedicated to exploring his character and playing through his backstory.

Star Wars: Bounty Hunter sees you playing the mysterious Mandalorian as he infiltrates the criminal underworld of the Bando Gora syndicate. His target is its leader, Komari Vosa, who, as it turns out, used to be the former Jedi Padawan of Count Dooku. The game also shows how Jango met the shape-shifting bounty hunter Zam Wessel, who would appear at the beginning of Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones.

A remaster for the game was released in 2024, which means you have no excuse not to pick this one up and live out your Bounty Hunter dreams.

2 Star Wars: Republic Commando

A Different Take on the Clone Wars

The Clones are a tragic and beloved group of characters among Star Wars fans, and it's thanks to games like Star Wars Republic Commando that we get to see a more personal exploration of their characters. And thankfully, it's wrapped up in one of the best first-person shooters to grace the franchise by far.

Taking control of a squad of commando Clone Troopers, known as Delta Squad, you'll find yourself giving orders to your fellow squad mates during battle, similar to Shepard with their crew in Mass Effect.

You and your team of surprisingly diverse clones are sent on a variety of different missions, giving you a different perspective on what happened between the events of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.

1 Star Wars Battlefront

Arguably the Best Star Wars Series of all Time

The Star Wars Battlefront series may very well be the ultimate Star Wars gaming experience of all time, and if you're looking for a non-Jedi game, you can't go wrong here.

Kicking off in 2004, the Battlefront series has been a staple among the Star Wars community thanks to its variety of maps, which span across multiple locations shown in the main movies, and its vast cast of heroes you can play as. Some of these do include Jedi and Sith, but the core (and arguably better) experience sees you spending your time as an infantry unit engaging in fierce firefights against the enemy faction.

Its latest installment, Battlefront 2, may very well be an all-in-one. If you grew up wishing you could be a rebel and fight off the Empire on Yavin or the Death Star? You can. Or if you're more of a prequel fan, you can customize your very own Clone armor and stave off Separatist attacks on Naboo of Kashyyk.

Whether it's the tight gunplay as an infantry unit, becoming a one-man army as a hero, or even dabbling in heart-racing space combat, if you're a Star Wars fan, the Battlefront series is an absolute must-play.