Interstellar fiction is one of the most popular genres in film. For as long as there has been cinema, filmmakers have been creating stories set among distant stars with exotic new worlds. Such stories continue to enthrall audiences to this day, whether it’s a fantastical space opera or speculation about the next age of exploration for humanity.
Update July 29, 2023: This article has been updated with even more great spacecrafts in film.
No good story set in space would be complete, however, without a vessel to make traversing the cosmos possible. These vehicles can be any number of things, from fast and maneuverable jets in space to hyperrealistic exploration platforms and everything in between. With so many different approaches to science fiction, the ships featured in film provide some of the most direct representations of the properties they appear in. From A Space Odyssey to Star Wars, these are the greatest starships in film.
15 The Milano — Guardians of the Galaxy
Peter Quill's ravager ship serves as the home base of the Guardians of the Galaxy as they set out on their space-faring escapades. The sleek, bright design made the ship stand out among many other sci-fi examples that audiences have become accustomed to seeing. While it was badly damaged in their battle against Ronan the Accuser, the ship was repaired at the end of the film and returned to the guardians.
While the Milano was eventually destroyed and later replaced, this ship was the first to appear in the Guardians of the Galaxy film series and served as an extension of Peter Quill's characterization. Its messy interior and special customizations helped paint a more clear picture of its owner than if it had been just another generic spaceship.
14 Naboo Starfighter — Star Wars
The ship that introduced a young Anakin Skywalker to space combat in The Phantom Menace is one of the most electrifying ships in the Star Wars universe. Like the X-Wing ships of the Rebellion, the Naboo Starfighter is the prototypical starship that is used by Naboo pilots in their attempt to blow up the droid blockade surrounding Naboo in The Phantom Menace. After accidentally flying into the droid hanger of the main blockade, Skywalker eventually ends up blowing the whole ship up from the inside and shutting off the droid army on the planet. Its symmetrical shape and extra seat for a helpful droid like R2-D2 make it one of the most complete ships in a galaxy far, far away.
13 XL-15 - Lightyear
Lightyear might not have been a box office hit, but the filmmaker's love of science fiction can be seen throughout, particularly in the design of the ships. Buzz's XL-15 is designed to look like the 'real' version of the box his toy counterpart would eventually come in while also functioning as an in-universe real ship. It is designed to look more like a jet, giving Buzz an ace test pilot vibe. The XL-15 looks sleek, cool, and like a toy anyone would want.
12 Martian Flying Saucer — Mars Attacks!
Tim Burton's irreverent 1996 film, Mars Attacks!, featured an all-star cast as well as one of the most straightforward depictions of flying saucers ever put to film. Rather than play the alien invasion concept completely straight like another 1996 film did, Mars Attacks! functioned as an affectionate parody of the genre.
Industrial Light and Magic were responsible for the effects of the film, bringing the cheesy 60s-style aliens to life. By using designs that were intentionally cliché or quirky, the film branded itself as the comedic homage that it was. This distinguished Mars Attacks! from Independence Day and is part of what makes the film so much fun to watch.
11 Gunstar — The Last Starfighter
In 1984's The Last Starfighter, the protagonist, Alex, played by Lance Guest, is recruited to be a gunner in a war between alien races far from Earth. The film is notable for its early use of computer generated imagery. All the spaceship shots in the film were created digitally, pushing the boundaries of special effects at the time.
The Gunstar was an extraordinarily original design, bearing a unique silhouette that made it instantly recognizable. Despite the early state of the technology, the CGI space battles were fun to watch, and seeing the Gunstar taking on a hundred enemy ships was one of the highlights of science fiction in the 80s.
10 The Red One - Lilo and Stitch
A spacecraft that looks like a car, how could anyone not love it? In Lilo and Stitch, when Stitch, aka Experiment 626, breaks out of custody, he steals a vehicle..but not just anyone. As they note in the movie, he took the red one. It is a hot rod vehicle that immediately stands out, and one clearly understands why Stitch took it.
9 Heart of Gold — The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams' 1978 radio comedy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, is one of science fiction's great masterpieces. Over the years, the story has been adapted numerous times across novels, television series, and film. The Heart of Gold, with its "infinite improbability drive," serves as the vessel that the characters use to traverse the cosmos.
While the original ship was designed to resemble a tennis shoe, the design for the 2005 film was based on a teapot. An article on AWN also details the effects as "comedy effects" due to the ship cycling through different forms on its journey to its final destination. Sequences depicting the Heart of Gold are unlike anything else in science fiction and are immensely entertaining to watch play out on screen.
8 Klingon Bird of Prey — Star Trek
The Klingon Bird of Prey in Star Trek, originally designed by Matt Jeffries, is one of the most recognizable ships in science fiction. Designed to be a more menacing counterpart to federation starships such as the Enterprise, the design of klingon ships reflects the race's characterization as a warlike species.
With downturned "wing" elements and a forward pod, the bird of prey closely resembles its namesake. In addition to the more aggressive design, Klingon ships are depicted in darker green color tones than their federation counterparts, reinforcing the contrast. These design elements help make every encounter between a bird of prey and a federation starship a memorable moment of film and television.
7 TIE Fighter — Star Wars
The Tie Fighter is arguably the most evil starship in all of cinema. Star Wars fans are first introduced to TIE Fighters in the first film. As seen in The Force Awakens, when Finn and Poe escape the First Order, the ship can have two seats. One for the pilot and one for the gunner. It shoots out two laser beams at a time when it fires. The noise that it makes when it is in pursuit of other ships in the galaxy is extremely chilling, as well. Two TIE Fighters are almost always on the sides of Darth Vader and/or Kylo Ren when both jump into action in space. The TIE Fighter is truly the ultimate "bad guy" ship that puts fear into all movie fans.
6 The Endurance - Interstellar
The Endurance in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar is both a realistic design of a spacecraft and also a visually unique one. The circular spinning shape of the machine gives it an elegant design and is instantly recognizable. While it might seem more like a space station, it is a craft designed for travel that allows the characters to move across the galaxy, so it makes the list easy.
5 X-Wing Starfighter — Star Wars
The iconic starfighter of the rebel alliance, and the personal ship of series protagonist, Luke Skywalker is the X-Wing. These ships have been featured in two-thirds of the core Star Wars films, being updated for 7 through 9, as well as in numerous tie-in media ranging from novels to Disney+ series such as The Mandalorian.
The X-Wing was designed to be "more traditional" than the evil Empire's TIE fighters, and is reminiscent of actual fighter jets. WWII dogfight footage was used in initial editing cuts to stand in for scenes depicting the fighters in the original film. These design queues help to make the X-Wing one of the most recognizable and beloved designs featured in Star Wars across every era of the franchise.
4 USCSS Nostromo — Alien
The USCSS Nostromo is the setting for Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien. Much of the film's oppressive atmosphere and suspense is owed to the tight, claustrophobic nature of the ship's corridors, which add a creeping sense of dread to the film.
Much of the set was fully constructed to create as immersive an experience as possible, with cast and crew often having to navigate through corridors in order to reach different areas for filming. Many of the cast compared the experience to filming on-location, rather than on set. The practical creation of the ship helped ensure that the film was a properly terrifying experience that audiences have enjoyed for decades since.
3 Discovery One — 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey is a science fiction classic that ditched a lot of the typical trappings of a Hollywood blockbuster in order to create a more cerebral experience for its audience. Part of that aim was accomplished by depicting its setting in a more scientifically grounded way than was expected.
Discovery One, the spaceship featured in the film, is not a fast-moving airplane in space, but rather a large floating object making its journey through the infinite quiet of space. The lack of action in the film combined with its length can be a difficult watch, but there is so much content that, as explained in an article by the New York Times, the film brings something new on every watch, and has remained relevant even more than fifty years later.
2 The Millennium Falcon — Star Wars
Arguably one of the most iconic spaceships in all of fiction, Han Solo's Millennium Falcon is easily the most recognizable ship in Star Wars, having appeared in every one of the original and sequel films. Originally a smuggling vessel, the Falcon went on to be involved in the attacks on both Death Stars and became one of the most renowned ships in the Alliance.
The ship was portrayed by several models that ranged in size from five feet long to about the size of a quarter, as well as a full-size mock-up and several different sets for the interior shots. Today, there are full-sized replicas at Disney parks for fans to explore, as well as flight simulator attractions. In a lot of ways, the ship is almost as much a part of the cast as the main characters.
1 Starship Enterprise — Star Trek
Beginning in 1966, the Star Trek franchise has been a cultural institution that has influenced popular culture and science fiction through its themes and designs. The setting of the popular show has primarily been a starship, and none is more iconic than the USS Enterprise. Over the years, there have been many different versions of the ship, and all of them have been iconic to the franchise.
The evolution of the enterprise has allowed the ship to modernize within the canon of the series. Updated ships have been designated A through E, with The Enterprise F set to appear in Picard. As the cultural impact of Star Trek continues with new series and films, the Enterprise promises to be an important fixture for fans, young and old, to enjoy and be inspired by.