10 Times Saturday Night Live Perfectly Roasted Star Wars

If a parody is well executed, many people find it amusing to be part of the humor. The Saturday Night Live comedy sketch series, which debuted in 1975, was already established two years before George Lucas’s first Star Wars movie, titled Star Wars: A New Hope, premiered in 1977. Over the past five decades, this pop culture sensation has had ample opportunity to make its mark on the iconic galaxy far, far away, leaving us in stitches. And when genuine Star Wars personalities join the fun? That makes it even more enjoyable. Here are Saturday Night Live’s top ten Star Wars sketches.

10) “Casual Friday on the Death Star” – 2001

Even though the idea of a casual Darth Vader might seem amusing, it’s evident why this skit was removed due to time constraints in 2001. Instead of their imperial roles, Charlie Sheen and Chris Kattan assumed fashion police duties. The humor initially kicks in when Vader appears dressed down in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, but not even Tina Fey’s sharp-tongued Princess Leia could save the skit, which contains an outdated homophobic joke. Furthermore, unlike other entries on this list that benefit from a deep understanding of Star Wars, this scene struggles because it lacks the necessary knowledge to captivate both die-hard fans and casual viewers alike.

9) “Star Wars Toy Commercial” – 2015

The criticism towards overly greedy and possessive ‘Star Wars’ adult fans is justified, but the skit seems to run out of ideas too quickly. While it’s amusing to see these adults disrupting a young fan’s playtime, the skit doesn’t end with a surprising or hilarious punchline that would make viewers laugh. Instead, it appears more mean-spirited and less like a friendly roast that fans can enjoy and identify with as part of the ‘Star Wars’ community.

8) “Weekend Update: Jimmy Fallon on the New Star Wars Movie” – 1999

Jimmy Fallon often includes a fun segment where he associates popular songs like “Every Morning” by Sugar Ray, “My Name is” by Eminem, and “Livin’ La Vida Loca” with the upcoming movie “Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace”. These tunes from the late ’90s have become a powerful symbol of nostalgia, building excitement for the first new Star Wars film in over a decade. Since the movie hadn’t been released at that time, it was challenging for Fallon to create a parody of “The Phantom Menace”, but perhaps some additional commentary would have made the audience laugh even more, or at least the “Weekend Update” team.

7) “Monologue: Natalie Portman Answers Questions About Star Wars” – 2006

In a witty and insightful manner, Portman’s monologue subtly criticizes some aspects of the behavior among Star Wars fans, particularly those who may exhibit gatekeeping between genders. She carries her portrayal of Padmé Amidala with confidence, while Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis, and others in the fanboy audience are playfully reprimanded. Unfortunately, a joke by Chris Parnell about underage characters didn’t age well.

6) “Weekend Update: Baby Yoda” – 2019

Kyle Mooney, an ex-SNL cast member, deserves a lot of recognition for the numerous prosthetics and makeup he wore during a segment on the show. The interactions between “Weekend Update” and Baby Yoda are adorable and perfectly capture the moment when Grogu became a cultural phenomenon in The Mandalorian. Mooney’s portrayal of Grogu seems to be reveling in the limelight much like a rapper would, which creates a hilarious contrast to the character’s quiet and innocent persona as depicted in the original series. One of the funniest parts is when his feud with Baby Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy is implied.

5) “Shopping at Home Network: Mark Hamill for Sale” – 1997

In a humorous twist, this skit features Mark Hamill being marketed as a product by overenthusiastic TV hosts played by Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan. Running out of Star Wars merchandise, they propose to sell the actor himself to their audience. The sold-out Jawa ashtray and Chewbacca baseball card add to the quirky charm, while Ferrell and Kattan showcase their comedic talents. However, it’s Hamill’s portrayal of a celebrity commoditized in this skit that truly shines, as he negotiates his value and diet with the hosts, offering a subtle critique on the intersection of fame, celebrity, and consumer culture.

4) “Star Wars: The Force Awakens Teaser” – 2014

During the excitement for the start of a new Star Wars trilogy, Saturday Night Live (SNL) cleverly took advantage of the cultural buzz by merging clips from the original cast with authentic scenes from the Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens teaser. The skit creatively blends typical behaviors associated with aging into the Star Wars universe in a way that is both amusing and fitting: the Millennium Falcon sports a handicap tag, Luke Skywalker uses a walker fashioned from lightsabers, and Leia struggles with Artoo-Detoo’s technology. By doing so, the skit deftly balances poking fun at the advanced age of some of the franchise’s actors and fans without losing their support.

3) “Undercover Boss: Where Are They Now” – 2020

In this iteration, Saturday Night Live (SNL) might have been reusing their nachos, but the captivating portrayal of Kylo Ren by Driver, along with the impressive set and costume design, new cast members, and the intern angle, make Driver’s second Kylo Ren “Undercover Boss” sketch nearly as enjoyable as the first. The internal dynamics are spot on, Driver maintains his intensity and awkwardness, and the regular cast delivers in a hilarious Star Wars parody that also offers a humorous commentary on contemporary workplace culture. Remarkably, the nachos still taste fantastic, even after four years.

2) “Lando’s Summit” – 2018

In a humorous yet thought-provoking twist, only an engaging talent like Donald Glover could not just convincingly portray the young Lando Calrissian, but also reprise the character in a satirical sketch, poking fun at the underrepresentation within the Star Wars franchise. In this skit, Glover’s Lando serves as the host of a galactic summit for all Black inhabitants, yet only a scant few attend. Alongside Kenan Thompson, Chris Redd, and Leslie Jones, Glover skillfully navigates the awkwardness and mundanity of the situation while subtly addressing the franchise’s casting history until that point. The skit is both stilted and amusing, culminating in a high-spirited finale as Lando serenades us with an original tune titled “Making Love in Space.

1) “Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base” – 2016

The ‘Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base’ sketch on SNL isn’t just among the best Star Wars SNL skits ever, it ranks as one of the show’s strongest performances. While Kylo Ren and Undercover Boss are characters from distinct media universes, the writers and actors Mikey Day and Bobby Moynihan, who are fans themselves, nailed the combination so perfectly that now fans often dress up as Matt the Radar Technician. SNL’s production team should also be commended for creating such an accurate representation of Starkiller base that it felt plausible that Ren had joined a reality show from Earth. Lastly, Adam Driver’s involvement in the sketch made it a huge hit and provided the Academy Award-nominated actor with an opportunity to demonstrate his comedic skills, which we sometimes forget he possesses.

The popularity of the skit is undeniable, with it being watched more than 68 million times on YouTube alone. It led to a follow-up sketch and left us with one of the most memorable lines ever: “A friend of mine spotted Kylo Ren without a shirt in the shower, and he said that Kylo Ren had an eight-pack, that Kylo Ren was ripped.

2025-05-22 00:19