Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / SpaceWestern

Go To

1%%
2%%
3%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
4%%
5%%
6[[quoteright:320:[[VideoGame/WildGuns https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Wildguns_9358.jpg]]]]
7[[caption-width-right:320:[[ComicBook/CowboysAndAliens Cowboys, and aliens,]] [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot and robots]], [[Film/TheWizardOfOz oh my!]]]]
8
9->''"In a matter of seconds, the plaza had gone from a ghostly quiet to a shoot out that would have been at home in a holodrama about the Old West."''
10-->-- '''The Backwards Mask (TabletopGame/{{Traveller}} New Era Trilogy)''' by Matthew Carson
11
12TheWestern '''[-[[JustForFun/RecycledInSPACE IN SPACE!]]-]'''. Basically TheWestern [[JustForFun/XMeetsY Meets]] WagonTrainToTheStars.
13
14The idea is that the vast distances of space have formed barriers and difficulties similar to those faced by [[SettlingTheFrontier American settlers as they crossed and developed the continent]], forcing the people to become independent or even insular, with help from whatever central authority (if any) that laid claim to the land long in coming, and immediate protection once again becoming a personal matter. You need to fortify your settlement against hostile elements and raiders and TheCavalry are even further away than in the Old West. Technology will vary, usually being less and less high-tech the further out you go from the center of civilization. This causes a [[AnachronismStew curious mix of seemingly anachronistic elements]] such as robots and horses being used at the same time (of course, ''[[MechanicalHorse robot]]'' [[MechanicalHorse horses]] are a common option too).
15
16Essentially, this is nostalgia, allegory, or pragmatism meeting the fact that Space is the last unexplored territory, while ignoring that guns and anti-authoritarianism mix poorly with fragile life-support systems.
17
18Many settings end the similarities there, in spirit, while others seem to have the people [[InTheStyleOf deliberately aping the style]] of TheWildWest in response to the situation. Basically, the question is when the hero(es) comes riding/flying into town, how many of them are wearing cowboy hats. Some use the other Western stock characters, such as the [[TheOldestProfession "soiled dove"]], gamblers, etc.
19
20Depending on how epic the story is, a Space Western can also be somewhat of a SpaceOpera. May involve AsteroidMiners.
21
22Compare NewOldWest, CattlePunk, SamuraiCowboy, WeirdWest.
23----
24!!Examples
25
26[[foldercontrol]]
27
28[[folder:Anime]]
29* ''Anime/CowboyBebop'', particularly the episode "[[CowboyEpisode Cowboy Funk]]" where the BountyHunter ''Cowboy Andy'' dresses like a typical movie cowboy including a white BadassLongcoat and rides on a horse.
30** However, while the main cast (Spike, Jet, and Faye) call themselves cowboys, this is an in-series nickname for [[BountyHunter Bounty Hunters]]. The tropes they have in common with Cowboys are TheDrifter, and PerpetuallyBroke.
31* ''Anime/DoraemonTheRecordOfNobitaSpaceblazer'' is clearly based on the Western genre, though set in Planet Koya Koya who's being oppressed by a ruthless mining corporation. The villain's lead enforcer, Guillermin, even rides a spaceship shaped like a rampaging bull and takes on Nobita in a one-on-one ShowdownAtHighNoon in the climax.
32* ''Manga/GalaxyExpress999'', especially the second episode in the almost deserted town in Mars resembles SpaghettiWestern.
33* ''Anime/GunXSword'', though more of a space SpaghettiWestern, with HumongousMecha.
34* ''Manga/OutlawStar'' follows Gene and his ragtag crew as they brave the final frontier, navigating the stars in search of answers to the mysteries surrounding Melfina. Encountering dangerous bounty hunters, space pirates, Taoist mages, and even catgirls, there is sure to be an exhilarating adventure around every corner.
35* ''Anime/SaberRiderAndTheStarSheriffs'' (originally ''Anime/SeiJuushiBismarck''). In the distant future, a team of four high tech Star Sheriffs defends frontier space colony Yuma from outlaws, as well as Outriders, an army of humanoid alien beings called Vapors, led by mysterious Nemesis, who need Yuma's resources.
36* ''Manga/SpaceAdventureCobra'': Cobra, a famous space pirate with a psycho-gun hidden in his left arm, supposed dead for two years, is back in action. He falls for bounty huntress Jane Flower, whom crime lord Necron wants dead, and tries to help her save her world.
37* ''Anime/SpaceDandy'': Already with some subtle or obvious cowboy characteristics, Dandy is a man traveling the galaxies in his ship, the "Aloha Oe" as a bounty hunter looking for rare or never before discovered alien species in exchange for Woolongs(money).
38* The first scene or so of ''Anime/TransformersVictory''.
39* ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'', although the "space" bit isn't as evident until later on in the series. On the other hand, the planet has BinarySuns and weird fauna.
40[[/folder]]
41
42[[folder:Audio Drama]]
43* The ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' audio drama ''Time Lord Victorious: He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not'' is set in a small town on a desert planet, with a sheriff, a cantina, a doctor, and a variety of [[FakeAmerican comedy accents]]. Since the Doctor knows it's supposed to be a [[CityOnTheWater city of ships]] on an ocean world, this is a problem.
44[[/folder]]
45
46[[folder:Comic Books]]
47* ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD''
48** Many of the strips set in the [[ComicBook/JudgeDredd Cursed Earth]] play out like {{Spaghetti Western}}s, including "Missionary Man" and "The Dead Man".
49** The batch of early ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' stories set on Luna 1 were modeled especially as a western set on Earth's moon.
50** ''Comicbook/{{Lawless}}'' is about a frontier marshal on a colony world. The main settlement is called Badrock, and is an old-fashioned company town, with the company being [[FutureFoodIsArtificial Munce Inc]].
51* Book three of ''ComicBook/CleopatraInSpace, Secrets of the Time Tablets'' features this aesthetic: The planet Hykosis is complete with desert showdowns, bar fights, and cool hats.
52* ''ComicBook/{{Copperhead}}'' was described by one creator as "''Series/{{Deadwood}}'' in space". It takes place on planet Jasper, where the town is located next to an active copper mine in the middle of territory held by hostile Natives and subject to attack by bandits and its own corrupt bureaucracy.
53* ''ComicBook/FearAgent'' hits this trope pretty square, with its big-buckle toting, hard-drinking, down-home wisdom spewing, alien exterminating protagonist.
54* Jack T. Chance, the ComicBook/GreenLantern of Garnet, was a gunslinger-turned-lawman, tasked with with cleaning up the WretchedHive of Garnet, armed with his power ring and trusty six-shooter.
55* Traditional Western AntiHero ComicBook/JonahHex, for a brief time around the ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths, was sent via TimeTravel to an AfterTheEnd future. The GenreShift was not well received.
56* ''ComicBook/JustAPilgrim'' is explicitly based on Western tropes, though it takes place in a post-apocalyptic Earth where the oceans have dried up rather than another planet.
57* The planet Pervious in ''ComicBook/{{Saga}}'' has a cowboy aesthetic. Weirdly, it's the only planet in the galaxy where people can get abortions.
58* The French comic ''ComicBook/SpaceMounties'' features, well, Mounties [[JustForFun/RecycledInSpace in space]], although they very much want to get back to base and the joys of bureaucratic work instead of field missions.
59* Creator/CharltonComics published six issues of a comic book actually titled ''Space Western''. ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, one issue even upped the ante with a story in which [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SpaceWestern_350_5628.jpg Space Cowboys fight Space NAZIS... in Space!]]
60* ''ComicBook/StarWarsCrimsonEmpire'' follows the last surviving member of Palpatine’s royal guards as he hunts down corrupt imperial officials and traitors, in a plot ripped from a dozen spaghetti westerns. It also takes place in the lawless Outer Rim, features a protagonist inspired by The Man With No Name, and a great many barroom brawls.
61* ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'':
62** The story "Shootout At Ice Flats" in the 1996 ''ComicBook/LegendsOfTheDeadEarth'' annual was about a Kara-lookalike sheriff on an ultra-primitive frontier world. Forget laser guns, the people of this world didn't even know what a gun ''looked'' like.
63** ''ComicBook/SupergirlWomanOfTomorrow'' has Kara travel across the galaxy, helping a child track down the man who killed her father. WordOfGod says it's meant to be ''Film/TrueGrit'' in space.
64* The Bronze Age ComicBook/{{Superman}} foe Terra-Man was a human kidnapped by aliens in the 19th century. He grew up as their slave, eventually escaped, and became a successful {{space pirate|s}}. He eventually returned to Earth only to find that he'd spent so much of his life traveling at [[TimeDilation relativistic speeds]] that 100 years had passed. Despite all his high tech equipment, culturally he was a literal space cowboy, and he dressed appropriately. He even acquired an alien steed named Nova that looked like a winged horse.
65[[/folder]]
66
67[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
68* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/11235609/chapters/25109694 Shattered Stars]]'', a ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' AU fic, is very much inspired by space westerns, even if the Author refers to it as a SpaceOpera AU. WordOfGod mentions that the setting is very much inspired by a mixture of ''Series/{{Firefly}}'', one of the most Western of Space Westerns, and the old Star Wars Expanded Universe.
69** Similar Firefly, space is primarily divided into:
70*** Free Space, ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, where there is no actual central government and every planetary system and SpaceStation rules themselves. It is the primary setting of the story, with [[CoolStarship The Beacon]] being a Freespace ship, Vale being a space station in Freespace, etc.
71*** The Zact Alliance, who took down [[TheEmpire the Trinion Empire]], only to become almost as bad, keeping their frontier worlds under control by forcing the populace to [[IHaveYourWife send their children]] to Zact education spacestations for large chunks of the year, [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink drugging the kids food]], brainwashing them, and having open bounties on any who run away. They also refuse to recognize Freespace, enforcing their laws wherever they go. Most of the crew of the Beacon is actually from the Alliance[[note]]Jaune is the son of two Zact officials who objected to how the alliance acted, and had to send their children into exile across many different worlds to keep them safe. Weiss, Pyrrha, and Blake are all members of the military, who join the crew due to having no other choice (though Blake joined because she preferred it to the FantasticRacism she experienced in the military). Yang and Ruby are both from a frontier world, and escaped from one of the school stations after Yang found out they were drugging and brainwashing Ruby (they had tried to drug Yang, but she turned out to be one of the few people who are allergic to the drugs, so she stopped eating and drinking)[[/note]]
72*** The Ex-Laws, TheRemnant of the Trinion Empire, not truly united, but made up of various warlords, similar to the various Imperial warlords in the old Star Wars EU.
73[[/folder]]
74
75[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
76* ''Film/TheAmericanAstronaut'' is a Space Western musical! Now try to wrap your heads around that.
77* ''Film/CowboysAndAliens'' even though it takes place right here on Earth.
78* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'' as a whole is one. Extra points for having Yondu control his deadly arrow through Morricone-style whistling.
79** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'' expands on this, with a planet of sexual escorts that's essentially a space-age version of a seedy saloon, other factions of the Ravagers having different motifs and Yondu's above-mentioned whistling being expanded into a laser-arrow version of a wild west shootout in two key scenes.
80* ''Film/MoonZeroTwo'' (a movie mostly known these days by having been featured on ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'') was actually advertised as "the first Moon Western".
81* Creator/PeterDavid wrote a Space Western called ''Film/{{Oblivion|1994}}''. With George Takei as an eccentric doctor who talked almost entirely in ''Franchise/StarTrek'' references, and [[Series/Batman1966 Julie Newmar]] as [[MissKitty Miss]] [[CatGirl Kitty]].
82* ''Film/{{Outland}}'' has often been described as ''Film/HighNoon'' in space, though it merely borrows some of its themes. However the basic concept of a gun-toting "Marshal" in a corrupt frontier mining town, fighting a lone battle for justice, is definitely drawn from the Western genre.
83* ''Film/PetticoatPlanet'': A space traveller is stranded on WildWest planet inhabited [[LadyLand only by women]].
84* ''Film/{{Prospect}}'' is about prospectors mining for mysterious "gems" on an inhospitable rain forest moon. In spite of its CassetteFuturism aesthetic, it's obviously a western in space, including a quick-drawing bandit as a main character and the threat of potentially hostile locals.
85* ''Film/{{Riddick}}'' is about a wanted criminal who, after being abandoned on a hostile planet, intentionally attracts the attention of two groups of bounty hunters simply to get a ship so he can escape the planet. However the dangerous alien creatures that already live on the planet force the outlaw and the bounty hunters to work together.
86* ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', a continuation of the TV show ''Series/{{Firefly}}'', is arguably an example of this. Though it contains more hi-tech elements than most of Firefly's episodes, it still has that Western vibe in places. Sadly, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCebemDzaSs&feature=related country theme song]] is not played until the end of the credits, and then it's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud83soZpEj4 a very de-countrified version]].
87* Ironically, ''Film/SpaceCowboys'' wasn't a western at all. Despite the presence of Clint Eastwood.
88* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
89** ''Film/ANewHope'' dabbles in this. Han Solo, for example, is a sort of Old West [[TheGunslinger gunslinger]], and the cantina in Mos Eisley is a western bar, complete with random brawling. Boba Fett walks with a sound resembling the jingling of cowboy spurs, too. Tatooine is pretty much the Wild West of Star Wars. Mos Espa spaceport is like a typical old western town with little law enforcement, [[TheSavageIndian savage]] [[SpaceJews natives]] wanting their land, farms, shady saloons, smugglers, all set on an endlessly sprawling desert.
90** ''[[Film/{{Solo}} Solo: A Star Wars Story]]'' goes even further into this than usual for the galaxy far, far away. There's space outlaws pulling off one big heist to secure their futures, massive criminal syndicates taking the place of robber barons and huge corporations, a corrupt and surprisingly paper tiger-ish [[TheEmpire Empire]], a band of sinister masked adversaries who ride in out of nowhere [[spoiler: and turn out to be the real good guys]], one of the archetypical space cowboys going from YoungGun to master gunslinger, and gambling.
91* ''Film/StingraySam'': A dangerous mission reunites STINGRAY SAM with his long lost accomplice, The Quasar Kid. Follow these two space convicts as their earn their freedom in exchange for the rescue of a young girl who is being held captive by the genetically designed figurehead of a very wealthy planet.
92[[/folder]]
93
94[[folder:Literature]]
95* Parodied in ''Bat Durston, Space Marshall'', a short story by G. Richard Bozarth.
96-->Before reloading the blaster, Bat Durston checked the action of the weapon. Due to safety regulations, it required two hands to fire the gun. The gun hand gripping the butt depressed a safety which opened the interlocks that prevented accidental discharges. The trigger was a centimetre-long switch on the top near the rear. It was activated by slapping it with the palm of the triggerhand. This was called "fanning" by gunslingers and space marshals.
97* Creator/LRonHubbard's ''Literature/BattlefieldEarth''. Kinda sorta.
98* Creator/AndreNorton's ''Literature/TheBeastMaster'' and its sequel ''Lord of Thunder''.
99* Creator/HarryHarrison's ''Literature/BillTheGalacticHero''.
100* ''Literature/CthulhuArmageddon'' by Creator/CTPhipps is a peculiar example. While it takes places in the future on Earth, the entirety of the planet has been reduced to a steam level of technology with vast wasteland between settlements. The Earth is also populated with bizarre aliens and mutated humans.
101* ''Dragonfall 5 and the Space Cowboys'', one of the sci-fi juveniles by Brian Earnshaw.
102* Bernard Schaffer's ''Guns of Seneca 6'' is a re-working of the Tombstone mythos, on a dry planet a far, far away. Other books in the series follow a similar theme.
103* Creator/PoulAnderson and Creator/GordonRDickson's first ''Literature/{{Hoka}}'' story features the Hokas cheerfully recreating the Wild West.
104* The ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' series is for the most part Literature/HoratioHornblower... [[JustForFun/RecycledInSpace IN SPACE]], and as such, its atmosphere is mostly [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen old-school British naval fiction]]. The planet [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Montana]], however, plays this trope even straighter than ''Series/{{Firefly}}''.
105* Creator/HBeamPiper's "Lone Star Planet" is something of an AffectionateParody -- take a planet of [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texan stereotypes]] and add a courtroom drama (with a system based on working out whether the politician you shot had it coming, no less).
106* This is the style of the ''Literature/LucifersStar'' universe by Creator/CTPhipps. The Spiral is a lawless series of planets that are caught between various feuding powers. Cassius is simultaneously a gunslinger and sword-wielding pirate who ends up in countless altercations with his fellow criminals.
107* "On The High Frontier" by Creator/MichaelFlynn deliberately transplants Western cliches into space and gives them a hard-science spin.
108* Many works by Creator/MikeResnick, especially ''Literature/SantiagoAMythOfTheFarFuture''.
109* ''Shining Armor'' by Dominic Green. CoolOldGuy pilots a GiantMecha against a "[[HiredGuns Persuasion Consultancy]]" attempting to run some farmers off their land so it can be used to mine radioactive materials.
110* True to the franchise's HighConcept, the Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse also touches on this from time to time:
111** For some reason, ''Literature/StarTrekNewFrontier'' had an entire story arc about an amnesiac Captain Calhoun spending several months marooned on a pre-spaceflight alien planet, in a remote region that was blatantly TheWildWest dressed up with a bit of CallARabbitASmeerp. Eventually it turned out that one of the villains was in league with the main antagonists of the series, which enabled him to be rescued, but the story still ended up being a bit of a BigLippedAlligatorMoment.
112** The first book of the "New Earth" series, "Wagon Train to the Stars", name-checks Roddenberry's original pitch for the series, by having the Starship ''Enterprise'' escort a [[WagonTrainToTheStars fleet of colonist ships to a newly-discovered planet.]]
113* The Franchise/StarWarsLegends novel ''[[Literature/StarWarsKenobi Kenobi]]'', set during the interim period between ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' and ''Film/ANewHope'', was the first attempt to do a straight-up Western within that franchise, with Obi-Wan as the mysterious [[TheDrifter Drifter]] who rides into town.
114* Andersons ''Literature/TechnicHistory'' series is a setting based on frontier development. It seems to be inspired more by Elizabethan traders then by the western per se.
115* Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/TimeEnoughForLove'' has a story ''The Tale of the Adopted Daughter'' which takes place on a frontier planet that is a Western in space-- but just barely in space; most of the elements could have been transplanted from Kansas with little modification.
116** Most of Heinlein's oeuvre has at least some space western tropes. ''Literature/FarmerInTheSky'' is perhaps the most relevant example.
117
118[[/folder]]
119
120[[folder:Live Action TV]]
121* The old ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|1978}}'' had many episodes that were take-offs to classic westerns.
122** If you consider the fleet's search for Earth analogous to the Mormon migration (in keeping with the whole [[FantasyCounterpartCulture Space Mormon]] theme that infused the entire show) then old BSG entirely fits the mold. ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' trades Mormon allusions with the more accessible ''Book of Exodus'' allusions.
123* ''Series/BlakesSeven''. Creator/ChrisBoucher was a fan of TheWestern, so he'd put {{Shout Out}}s and Western themes in his scripts.
124** In "[[Recap/BlakesSevenS3E12DeathWatch Death Watch]]" there's a QuickDraw duel with anachronistic revolvers between the cocky YoungGun and TheGunslinger, in an EvilPlan by Servalan to [[RobberBaron add more territory to her empire.]]
125** Soolin, TheGunslinger who joins the cast in Season D, has a BackStory involving a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against the HiredGuns of a mining company who murdered her settler parents in a ruthless land grab. In the final episode she returns to her planet which has become a battleground of {{Bounty Hunter}}s who are being used to restore order now the Federation has what it wants. The episode features SlowMotion deaths like in ''Film/TheWildBunch'' and a BolivianArmyEnding as per ''Film/ButchCassidyAndTheSundanceKid''.
126* ''Series/{{Defiance}}'' takes place on earth after an apocalyptic alien invasion, but it has many Western tropes. Nolan is the sheriff in all but name with Irisa as his [[MagicalNativeAmerican psychic Irathient]] cohort, you got land disputes with hostile tribes, highway banditry, and Arkhunters looking to find the big one.
127* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
128** The serial [[Recap/DoctorWhoS8E4ColonyInSpace "Colony in Space"]]. As ''Magazine/DoctorWhoMagazine'' puts it: "Bullets richochet through this story of [[DeterminedHomesteader stouthearted frontiersmen]], [[MagicalNativeAmerican inscrutable natives]], and [[CorruptCorporateExecutive ruthless claim-jumpers]]".
129** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS10E3FrontierInSpace "Frontier in Space"]] also qualifies.
130** Not to mention the new series episode [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E3ATownCalledMercy "A Town Called Mercy"]], which is ShowdownAtHighNoon in a small western town with aliens and {{cyborg}}s.
131** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E6TheSpacePirates "The Space Pirates"]], despite sharing a name with [[SpacePirates another trope]], also qualifies. The TARDIS Wiki [[http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/The_Space_Pirates_%28TV_story%29 says]] "Indeed, the character of Milo Clancey wasn't even an ''allusion'' to a western stereotype; he was a wildcat {{prospector}} who dressed as if he'd just walked off the set of ''Series/{{Bonanza}}''."
132** The audio drama "Return of the Rocket Men" is a space SpaghettiWestern starring Steven.
133* ''Series/{{Earth 2}}'' is a pretty straight science fiction take on the Wagon Train, just one set on a different planet undergoing recon and early colonisation. One of the rarer planet-focused live-action space westerns.
134* Two single-episode examples in ''Series/{{Farscape}}'':
135** "Home on the Remains" has a community of AsteroidMiners who act just like Old West prospectors, which is run by a corrupt hick and even has a Western-style gambler.
136** "Different Destinations" is a remake of "Cavalry Westerns", with a small military group protecting a community of nuns, besieged by hostile aliens in an old fort.
137* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'': Probably the most obvious Space Western. After all, people say "ain't" and "I reckon", carry weapons that resemble six shooters, and live in small towns with wooden buildings and one street. In-universe, the SchizoTech elements of this setting were explained as the result of more-or-less deliberate suppression of the backwaters by the (substantially less Western-themed) Alliance (formed by a collaboration between primarily American- and Chinese-descended colonists to a [[BinarySuns multiple-star system]]). You could tell whether a given planet was a Core (Alliance) planet or Rim (Independent) planet by whether it looked like a western where everyone happened to own spaceships, or a space opera where everyone happened to use cowboy slang.
138** Not to mention TheWestern [[{{BGM}} background music]], the cowboy hats, and, in one of their bigger jobs, actually transporting cattle from one planet to another. Space cowboys and proud of it, [[FutureSlang gorram]] it...
139** Watch "Our Mrs Reynolds". You're several minutes in before you see anything outside of the 19th century.
140** Take a look at some of their guns. One is using a Le Mat revolver, and another is using a cut-down lever action. WordOfGod says it was the same prop used in ''Series/TheAdventuresOfBriscoCountyJr.''
141** And then in ''Series/{{Castle|2009}}'', Creator/{{Nathan|Fillion}} wears his Mal Reynolds outfit from Firefly, for Halloween, only for the idea of a space cowboy to be seen as ridiculous. "Where are you going to find cows in space?"
142* The short-lived British SF series ''Series/{{Outcasts}}'' didn't indulge in stetsons and mock-Western dialogue, but it was otherwise completely in the genre, with an isolated fortified human colony on an alien planet, philosophical disputes between adventurers and homesteaders, and enigmatic hostile aliens.
143* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'': "Rule of Law" takes place on a colony planet named Daedalus which has been colonized by Earth authorities. The human inhabitants have poor relations with and discriminate against the planet's indigenous population, the Medusans, who are [[SpaceJews based on]] UsefulNotes/NativeAmericans. The episode is essentially TheThemeParkVersion of TheWildWest with aliens.
144* ''Series/RedDwarf'' episode "[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonVIGunmenOfTheApocalypse Gunmen of the Apocalypse]]" takes place in an A.I. game gone haywire, with each of the crew playing a different western character defending the town from a band of outlaws.
145* Referenced on an episode of ''Series/SesameStreet'' when Ernie watches a TV show called ''Cowboys in Space''.
146* Creator/GeneRoddenberry pitched ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' to the networks as a "WagonTrainToTheStars" ([[TropeNamer naming that trope]]), using ''Series/WagonTrain'' as an easy reference. More specifically was a promise of [[WalkingTheEarth constant movement and having a new adventure in every town/planet]]. The characters themselves along with the [[CoolStarship Enterprise]] took reference to ''Literature/HoratioHornblower'' and other naval themes.
147** Almost every ''Franchise/StarTrek'' series had at least one Western-themed episode: the original series had "[[Recap/StarTrekS3E6SpectreOfTheGun Spectre of the Gun]]", ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' had "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E8AFistfulOfDatas A Fistful of Datas]]", ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' had "[[Recap/StarTrekEnterpriseS03E09NorthStar North Star]]", and ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' had "[[Recap/StarTrekDiscoveryS3E02FarFromHome Far From Home]]".
148** ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'' draws heavily on Western tropes, but rather than ''Wagon Train'', it leans into the more sedentary ''Series/TheRifleman'': the single father raising his son (the Siskos), the sheriff (Odo), the bar/brothel (Quark's, with Dabo girls and Holosuites of Ill-Repute), the frontier town (the space station) near a strategic pass (the wormhole), and so on.
149*** When filming "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS05E06TrialsAndTribbleations Trials and Tribble-ations]]", stunt coordinator Dennis Madalone noted that the fistfights in ''TOS'' were straight out of Westerns as opposed to the more martial arts-oriented fights of the 1990s, as they had to recreate a BarBrawl from a TOS episode "The Trouble with Tribbles."
150*** [=DS9=] also takes the occasional [[SelfDeprecation dig at the franchise's]] HighConcept. In [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS01E01E02Emissary the first episode]], when Doctor Bashir gushes at this opportunity for him to come out to far-flung Bajor and be a FrontierDoctor, Major Kira (one of the Bajorans) irately points out that it isn't the Final Frontier, it's ''her homeworld'', which the Bajorans had just gone through a great deal of trouble to rid of an alien occupation force.
151** ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' was pitched as a "back to basics" approach to the franchise, and indeed the frontier angle factors heavily in the Pilot, "[[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS1E1Caretaker Caretaker]]". The crew is beamed into a holographic simulation of a backwater ranch, with pitchfork wielding, banjo-playing nutters. Neelix has never had a bath. Water is treated as a precious commodity. Marauders are threatening the Array and its inhabitants. The Delta Quadrant of the galaxy is "frontier" space, uncharted and ungoverned.
152* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
153** ''Series/TheMandalorian'' is a LowerDeckEpisode to ''Franchise/StarWars'' taking place in the Outer Rim, focusing on the various bounty hunters and criminals that roam the lawless fringes of the galaxy. The eponymous Mandalorian even uses a quick draw shot to kill a mook via DilatingDoor.
154** ''Series/TheBookOfBobaFett'' plays very much in the same "Space Western" sandbox as ''The Mandalorian'', with more emphasis on the criminal underworld. Even moreso when the arrival of [[TheGunslinger Cad Bane]] practically channels the aesthetics and atmosphere of a SpaghettiWestern, walking into Freetown like an angel of death and [[QuickDraw quickly]] gunning down [[TheSheriff Marshal]] Cobb Vanth and his associate in a ShowdownAtHighNoon out of a criminal territory feud with the Pyke Syndicate, with some EnnioMorriconePastiche guitar riffs as icing on the cake.
155* ''Series/TrueJackson'' has a Space Western [[ShowWithinAShow in it's universe]] called ''Space Plantation''.
156[[/folder]]
157
158[[folder:Magazine]]
159* Mocked on the back cover of the first issue of ''Galaxy'' (1950), which printed two paragraphs of a Western story ("Hoofs drumming, Bat Durston came galloping down through the narrow pass at Eagle Gulch...") alongside the same thing JustForFun/RecycledInSpace ("Jets blasting, Bat Durston came screeching down through the atmosphere of Bbllzznaj...").
160-->Sound alike? They should--one is merely a western transplanted to some alien and impossible planet. If this is your idea of science fiction, you're welcome to it! YOU'LL NEVER FIND IT IN GALAXY!
161[[/folder]]
162
163[[folder:Music]]
164* Music/TheMechanisms' concept album ''High Noon Over Camelot'' uses this to create a unique take on Myth/ArthurianLegend.
165* Steve Miller's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5lRXB39Zd8 Space Cowboy]].
166** Not to be confused with "The Joker," which has a line [[ContinuityNod referencing]] the earlier song.
167* "Music/KnightsOfCydonia" by Music/{{Muse}}.
168* Kenny Rogers' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa6evJIBAVo Planet Texas]].
169* Music/TaijiSawada's work with D.T.R. combines the trope with occasional HardRock / HeavyMetal fused with countryish sound, and even the occasional ProtestSong or HorribleHistoryMetal in his first two albums, ''Daring Tribal Roar'' and the self-titled ''Dirty Trashroad.'' The acoustic version of ''Daring Tribal Roar'' is pure western soft rock remixes of some of the songs.
170* John Yager's "Benson, Arizona", as used in ''Film/DarkStar'', might technically be covered under this trope by dint of being a Country and Western ballad with sci-fi themes.
171* The Music/ZZTop album ''Afterburner''.
172* Galactic Cowboys
173[[/folder]]
174
175[[folder:New Media]]
176* [[http://www.spacewesterns.com/ Spacewesterns.com]]
177[[/folder]]
178
179[[folder:Podcasts]]
180* ''Podcast/TheThrillingAdventureHour'' gives us "Sparks Nevada: Marshal on Mars," an {{Expy}} of ''Radio/TheLoneRanger'' complete with an alien Tonto in the form of Croach the Tracker and a rocket horse [[StealthPun named Mercury]]. Its spinoff, "Cactoid Jim, King of the Martian Frontier," plays off UsefulNotes/DavyCrockett.
181[[/folder]]
182
183[[folder:Toys]]
184* ''Toys/RockRaiders'' is basically a combination of this and the AsteroidMiners trope.
185[[/folder]]
186
187[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
188* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'': While not a huge part of the setting, the game features a few planets that definitely have this vibe, right down to some fiction featuring cattle ranchers fighting off Comanche raiders. This is the basic feel the novels and campaigns that involve the 17th Recon Regiment, AKA Camacho's Caballeros. They're a RagtagBunchOfMisfits consisting troublemakers, roughnecks, rancher families, and cowboys, and yet are one of the most tightly-knit mercenary regiments in the game. They basically ''make'' situations into Space Westerns, even when they end up having to deal with Space {{Yakuza}} (and literal ancient secret society conspiracies). This is because the Regiment's home planets were colonized by people from Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas. As they put it "We ''are'' Cowboys and Indians."
189%%* ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}'': ''Lost Colony'', the final setting produced for the system.
190%%* ''TabletopGame/DinosaurPlanetBroncosaurusRex'' is a space western on an alien planet with dinosaurs.%%ZCE. Explain how and why its fits this trope.
191* ''UsefulNotes/{{FATE}}'': The "Frontier Spirit" setting merges this with ScienceFantasy, because the frontier planet it's set on has a problem with an overactive spirit world and all player characters are assumed to be mediums.
192* ''TabletopGame/NewHorizon'' is generally a western [[JustForFun/RecycledInSpace ON A WHOLE NEW PLANET!]], but nowhere is this more evident than Trapper Town.
193* ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'' features a number of Space Western themes in the "New West" setting, although they're more limited in scope -- it's pretty much the same places as the ''old'' WildWest, but with lasers, PowerArmor, cyborgs, robot horses, aliens and dinosaurs.
194* ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'' dabbles in this in places, with settlers on the outskirts of Earthling territories frequently dispensing their own justice, tousling with the natives and constantly having to battle off corporate interests looking to take out the little guy with hired guns. There are even Rocket Rangers who either act as TheCavalry. This is most common on Venus, Ganymede and in the Asteroid Belt, but can be found in other locales too.
195* ''TabletopGame/ScumAndVillainy'': The game's focus on a small band of [[TheDrifter drifters]] living on the (social and spatial) fringe of the galaxy places it much closer to TheWestern than to larger-than-life SpaceOpera. This is especially true for the Stardancer and Cerberus crews, which embody the pervasive Western archetypes of the VenturousSmuggler and the BountyHunter, respectively; playing a Firedrake crew does take the game closer to a SpaceOpera, but its RolePlayingEndgame rules make it clear that the crew isn't expected to achieve truly epic goals like actually toppling the Hegemony.
196* ''TabletopGame/TranshumanSpace'': US/Mars can have this aesthetic, with the frontier mindset, and the Martian Rangers as the only law. One vignette features a grizzled old {{prospector}} with a [[MechanicalHorse robot mule]].
197* ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'': The default setting is The Spinward Marches, a semi-civilized place with constant low-key mayhem going on in between wars. Traveller has plenty of room for [[TheEpic epic]] [[TheQuest quests]], gigantic SpaceBattle s and secrets that ManWasNotMeantToKnow. But it also has low-key adventures for when the players are in a lighter mood.
198[[/folder]]
199
200%%[[folder:Theatre]]
201%%* ''Theatre/ToothOfCrime'' is pretty much Space Cowboy [[JustForFun/XMeetsY meets]] ThePowerOfRock.%%ZCE
202%%[[/folder]]
203
204[[folder:Video Games]]
205* ''VideoGame/{{Awesomenauts}}'' has a very literal one in the form of Sheriff Lonestar. An [[ArtificialHuman Artificial Cowboy]] created by a band of cow-people in the image of their boogeyman, he was initialy intended as a tourist attraction, to show how cowboys live their life. But then he got out, and [[GoneHorriblyRight the cow-people got a hands-on demonstration of how a cowboy wrangles cattle]]. One wrangled planet later, he grabbed a space vessel, [[RidingIntoTheSunset rode off into the sunset]] and joined the Awesomenauts to earn Solar and live like the Western stereotype he is.
206%%* ''VideoGame/BillyFrontier''
207* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' is (mostly) set on a lawless desert planet where everyone has a Texan accent, there are hostile environments full of angry animals, armies of bandits and hastily built towns.
208** And on a planet that's filled to the gills with alien tech, gyrojets, assault rifles that fire ridiculously fast, shotguns with stabilisers, submachine guns which have power packs in place of magazines and giant fuck-off rocket launchers, the best primary weapons are [[RevolversAreJustBetter revolvers]], natch.
209** Although Pandora in [[Videogame/{{Borderlands 2}} the sequel]] is now more of a ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour''-style dystopia, due to the planet being constantly watched over by an extremely rich [[ShadowDictator Big Brother-esque]] CorruptCorporateExecutive and his ever-watching space station, this trope is still in effect. Jakobs guns exemplify this trope, being anachronistically Western-themed guns that are also the favourite manufacturer of many players, due to their high damage and the ability to fire as fast as you can click. There's also the town of Lynchwood, an anachronistic town ruled over by the corrupt, affable, polite and ridiculously brutal Sheriff Nisha, and the Dust, which is basically a typical Western desert filled with bandits and a few cactii here and there.
210** In ''Videogame/BorderlandsThePreSequel'', while the game itself is more CyberPunk than a Western and has a more classical science fiction setting, Nisha is playable and has a very western theme, with an Action Skill that lets her automatically lock onto enemies while the screen fades to sepia and western-style whistling plays as well as skills and class mods that deliberately favor Jakobs guns or their revolvers.
211** So far, ''VideoGame/TalesFromTheBorderlands'' seems to have the biggest Western vibe out of all others-almost everybody uses Jakobs firearms, Prosperity Junction is very much like a modern Wild West town, Old Haven is a classic ghost town, Rhys and Fiona's new outfits look like something out of the Wild West, with Rhys having a fancy waistcoat and all, and Fiona can even purchase a very, very Western-like and much fancier version of her present day outfit that's appropriately named "Steampunk Princess".
212** ''VideoGame/Borderlands3'' zigzags this due to taking place on multiple worlds with widely-varying aesthetics. The two that really qualify are Pandora, once again, as well as Eden-6, headquarters of the aforementioned Jakobs corporation (although it's more "Louisiana bayou" Western than "Desert States" Western).
213* ''VideoGame/{{Brawlhalla}}'': Reno seems to come from such a setting. He's an InsectoidAlien with a cowboy hat and who wields a six-shooter gun in each of his four arms. Guns that shoot bugs.
214* ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' has shades of this, especially regarding the [[TheGunslinger Gunslinger]] subclass for Hunters Even the Hunter's representative on the Vanguard, Cayde-6, is voiced ([[TheOtherDarrin mostly]]) by Creator/NathanFillion, [[Series/{{Firefly}} Malcolm Reynolds]] himself. The ''Forsaken'' expansion for ''VideoGame/Destiny2'' plays up this aspect, with the player traveling to a lawless frontier region (made of lashed-together asteroids) and hunting down a gang of outlaw “barons” to avenge their killing of Cayde, above.
215* ''Gungho Brigade'' from TOMY is a Playstation game where the protagonists use race cars that transform into battle mechs as they battle SpiderTank robots that took over the world in a desert SpaceWestern setting, down to having rifle and six-gun slinging cowboys and saloons despite being in the far future.
216* ''VideoGame/GunmanChronicles'', a commercial total conversion for ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'', has a Western theme, but with dinosaurs. The main Wild West element is the "Gunmen" forces who are cowboy-like enforcers for the rapidly expanding human colonization, with the C.O. even dressed like an American Civil War Union officer.
217* ''VideoGame/HighNoonDrifter'', a gameplay mod for ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'', has a demon-slaying gunslinger hunting monsters in the futuristic setting of ''Doom''. The mod replaces the weapons of the vanilla game with more [[BreakOutTheMuseumPiece low-tech equivalents]] and gives the powerups a Western-inspired makeover.
218* ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' dips its toe into the genre from the get-go; the very first place you go is a frontier planet filled with DeterminedHomesteader types, and humanity's search for more colonies is an ongoing theme of the series. [[PlayerCharacter Shepard]] is quickly made a Spectre, a galaxy-spanning Texas Ranger/James Bond type. There's also the Terminus Systems, a lawless reach of space which Shepard has to mosey through in the second game to solve a mystery. ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' goes one further; the entire point of the game is to lead a wave of colonists and explorers fresh off of colony ships from the Milky Way in finding new planets to inhabit in a whole new galaxy.
219%%* ''VideoGame/{{MULE}}'':
220* ''VideoGame/TheOuterWorlds'' has the aesthetic of a space western, with {{Steampunk}}-inspired retro-futuristic building architectures, ArtNouveau-style posters for some of the resident MegaCorp[=s=], western-style weapons (including wheelguns and hunting rifles), and the first area of the game being a wasteland on a backwater planet just outside of a town called Edgewater.
221* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarZero'' has a strong western aesthetic, with Human characters in particular dressing in a mix of sci-fi and western fashion (''especially'' the [=RAmar=] and [=RAmarl=] classes) in combination with the series's ScienceFantasy trappings.
222* ''VideoGame/{{Planetside}}'': The [[LaResistance New Conglomerate]], by dint of their highly libertarian ideology, their "hard rock meets country western meets electric violins" style of music, their very "American" visual motifs (lots of eagles and stars and decals saying things like "Give Me Liberty", etc), and their gritty and utilitarian but highly effective and powerful weapons technology. It contrasts a lot with the very GloriousMotherRussia-themed [[TheEmpire Terran Republic]] and the just downright alien [[MachineWorship Vanu Sovereignty]].
223* ''VideoGame/RebelGalaxy'' takes place in a lawless frontier region of space called the Rift, and has a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSkh6g5ksvc soundtrack]] loaded with banjos.
224* ''VideoGame/{{Rimworld}}'', whose lore owes rather a lot to ''Series/{{Firefly}}'', has a setting that's roughly equal parts this trope and ScavengerWorld: The game takes place on a rugged, mostly lawless frontier planet inhabited by a mixture of pre-industrial tribal societies, groups of off-worlders SettlingTheFrontier (not necessarily by choice) who have access to somewhat more advanced technology and the occasional vault full of [[HumanPopsicle Human Popsicles]] left over from an UnspecifiedApocalypse that toppled [[AdvancedAncientAcropolis an apparently quite technologically sophisticated civilization]] that existed there in the distant past. Much of the transplanted Earth life brought by the original settlers is recognizably American (raccoons, beavers, cougars) and the default clothing options for your settlers include dusters and Stetsons. Even the soundtrack has some heavy bluegrass and Country & Western influences.
225* ''VideoGame/SpacewardHo'' is notable for its cutesy frontier aesthetic, including the distinctive be-Stetson'd planet pictured at the top of its page.
226* ''VideoGame/SpeedKills'' isn't one -- but one of the race contestants, Craig, looks like he came out of one, combining a cowboy hat with obvious cybernetic implants. The planet you first meet him on is a wasteland (albeit a nuclear-induced one rather than a natural desert).
227* ''Videogame/{{Starbound}}'' has a race of western-themed CelestialBody aliens called the Novakid, who make their clothing and technology like literal space cowboys, even carrying revolvers as weapons, and distilling nebulae to make moonshine. Oddly enough, this is more of an average than being stuck in an era, as they have both high intelligence and a very short memory and attention span, both as a race and individually, so they can swing from stone age to space age and back in the span of a couple centuries.
228* ''Videogame/{{Starfield}}'' has an entire faction with this aesthetic. The Freestar Collective broke away from the United Colonies in what is known in the backstory as the Colony War. They have adopted a western aesthetic with cowboy hats, have a libertarian mindset, and have an organization called the Freestar Rangers carrying out peacekeeping duties on behalf of their citizens. This is made evident with their capital settlement, Akila City, which not only is located in the middle of a desert but has a very frontier-style backwater aesthetic that wouldn't look out of place in a ''VideoGame/WildArms'' or ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' setting.
229* ''Franchise/StarCraft'' heavily favors this trope, especially with the DeepSouth-flavored Terran faction. Cut off from Earth, the Terrans of the sector have had to make do and forge an existence for themselves. Much of their technology is cobbled together and has a rough, industrial look to it, resulting in frontier saloons where soldiers in power armor go to drink. Notably, this trait increases in ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'', in which the Dixieland aesthetic is replaced for a grungy, pseudo-''Series/{{Firefly}}'' one, complete with saloons, revolvers, and Western-style musical cues. The single-player campaign for the first installment, ''[[VideoGame/StarCraftIIWingsOfLiberty Wings of Liberty]]'', even has a cantina on a starship where [[Music/LynyrdSkynyrd "Sweet Home Alabama"]] plays on a jukebox. Not to mention [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic "Free Bird"]].
230* ''VideoGame/{{Titanfall}}'' has humanity sending homesteaders and settlers to colonize an area of space called The Frontier, creating some very Western-esqe towns and settlements. These settlers and colonists have banded together along with assorted mercenaries,pirates,smugglers and ex-military members to throw the corrupt [[MegaCorp IMC]] out of the Frontier. The menu music also has a distinctly western feel to it, mixing Firefly with Pacific Rim, which pretty much sums up the entirety of the game itself.
231* ''VideoGame/WildArms'': Nearly all of the games are this, though the sci-fi elements all tend to be ancient technology found in bits and pieces by prospectors, not part of the player's experience until several hours in. The first two games even have Music/EnnioMorricone "inspired" musical scores. Particularly notable is ''VideoGame/WildArms5'', in which an advanced [[spoiler:allegedly]] alien race have taken control of the planet with their far more futuristic technology.
232* ''VideoGame/WildGuns'' is a shooting game with a very western story about a young woman and a bounty hunter avenging her family against a powerful gang of outlaws. While our heroes could've stepped out of the background of ''VideoGame/{{Sunsetriders}}'', our outlaws use robots, gliders, dune buggies, hover trains, giant tanks, and of course the HumongousMecha in the image. The remake reinforces the heroes with a grenade-tossing woman with cybernetic arms and a small dog with an AttackDrone.
233* ''VideoGame/WildStar'' has this, MagiTek, and an ongoing war between a RagTagBunchOfMisfits Faction and TheEmpire.
234[[/folder]]
235
236[[folder:WebComics]]
237* ''Webcomic/FarOut'': Robots are living out TheWildWest. Some of them apparently come down from the sky.
238* ''Webcomic/GunKitty'': Three intergalatic traveling outlaws are the main leads, also features many a gun fight.
239[[/folder]]
240
241[[folder:Web Original]]
242* ''[[http://thewikia.deviantart.com/art/Northern-Legend-Chapter-1-Of-Men-and-Murder-355198474 Northern Legend]]'' is a different take on the genre in an effort to avoid the usual cliches or take them from new angles.
243[[/folder]]
244
245[[folder:Western Animation]]
246* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers'': Four elite Galaxy Rangers with unique abilities defend law & order among the space colonies and protect humanity from the evil Crown Empire.
247* ''WesternAnimation/BountyHamster'' has some elements of this, with bounty hunters in space and some of the settings. No to mention The Horse with No Name.
248* ''WesternAnimation/{{Bravestarr}}'': A Native American marshal and his friends keep the peace on the frontier planet of New Texas.
249* The ''WesternAnimation/DuckDodgers'' "The Wrath of Canasta" is set on a Westworld-style theme-park planet, mostly to riff on ''WesternAnimation/DripalongDaffy'' and ''WesternAnimation/MyLittleDuckaroo''.
250* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "Where the Buggalo Roam." Not to mention the cowboy hat-clad parallel universe.
251* ''WesternAnimation/JayceAndTheWheeledWarriors'' combined Space Western with ''Franchise/StarWars'', ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', ''Series/BattleBots'', and demolition derby. Weird, but awesome.
252* An episode of the ''{{WesternAnimation/Superfriends}}'' from the 4th season -- that's the season '''after''' ''Challenge of the [=SuperFriends=]'' -- takes place on planet Texicana. It ends with ComicBook/GreenLantern drawing two green laser pistols while sporting a green cowboy hat.
253* ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'' follows the adventures of a banjo-playing alien [[TheDrifter drifter]] (Wander) and his trusty SapientSteed best friend (Sylvia) as they travel the galaxy, helping out the alien locals wherever and whenever they can, while trying to outrun an evil skeleton who's put a massive bounty on them. The show usually leans more heavily into comedy and sci-fi parody than the western genre, but the influence is fairly clear. Heck, the show's title even comes from a line in an old country song.
254* ''WesternAnimation/WildWestCOWBoysOfMooMesa'' features alien [[FunnyAnimal "cattle" men]]. The tie-in merchandise stated that the characters were the result of a weird radioactive meteor mutating Earth's animal life.
255* The song "Galaxy Gus" from ''WesternAnimation/ThreeTwoOnePenguins'' has this theme.
256[[/folder]]
257
258----
259-> ''[[Anime/CowboyBebop See you Space Cowboy...]]''

Top