Space Western

[6][7] Worlds that have been terraformed may be depicted as presenting similar challenges as that of a frontier settlement in a classic Western.

[9] The idea is that the vast distances of space have formed barriers, forcing people to become independent or even restricted.

[11] They often consider and view an interstellar war and oppression of a galactic empire as a backdrop, with a focus on lone gunslingers in space wielding a raygun with fantastic fictional technologies in a futuristic space-frontier setting.

Writers would submit stories in both genres,[13] and science-fiction magazines sometimes mimicked Western cover art to showcase parallels.

George Lucas attributes the character of Boba Fett to the Man with No Name in the DVD commentary on The Empire Strikes Back.

[16] Han Solo's original costume and charming rogue gunslinger mannerisms also reflects the Western's influence on Star Wars.

[9] BraveStarr chronicles the adventures of the Space Marshal, as he seeks to uphold law and order in the 23rd century.

[21] The opening trailer of The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers shows Texas Rangers–like heroes riding across a prairie landscape on robotic horses.

[9] Games such as StarCraft,[23][24] The Outer Worlds,[25] and the Borderlands series[26] have also popularized the space Western theme.