Star Wars: Dark Force Rising (film)

"Rise Upon the Space and Through the Dark Side of the Force."

- The film's tagline

Star Wars: Dark Force Rising is a 1992 American animated epic space opera film produced by and Lucasfilm Feature Animation, in association with  and, and distributed by. Directed by, written by , , , and , and from a story by , it is the second installment of the standalone film series, Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, following Heir to the Empire (1991), and the novel-inspired traditional-animation film. The film's ensemble cast includes, , , , , , , , , , and.

The New Republic is already on the brink of collapse with ’s plight to re-conquer the galaxy, but its problems are far from over. A traitor has found its way into the highest level of its leadership at the same time as has been lured away by the promises of the long-forgotten, unstable Jedi Joruus C’Baoth. Just as things seem as dark as they can get, and  learn that Thrawn is on the brink of making a discovery that could bring an end to the New Republic altogether.

Dark Force Rising premiered in Los Angeles on May 1, 1992, and was released in the United States on May 5. It was a commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1992 with an earning of over $504 million in worldwide box office revenue. Upon release, it became the first animation film to reach the half-billion-dollar mark and was the highest-grossing film of all time until it was surpassed by  (1994). The film was well received by critics for its ensemble cast, animation direction, musical score, visual effects, action sequences, and emotional weight. It received four nominations at the, including and , as well as two nominations at the. It is widely considered to be one of the best films of the 1990s. The sequel, The Last Command, was released in May 1993.