[[quoteright:301:[[WesternAnimation/RobotChicken http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Copy_of_robotchicken_image13.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:301:[[VisualPun Le Wrath]] [[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan di Khan]]]]

->''"It's an epic saga of rebellion and romance."''
-->-- ''[[ComingAttractions Trailer]]'' for ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/ANewHope''

A [[InSpace space]] {{opera}} is a work set in a far future space faring civilization, where the technology is ubiquitous and entirely secondary to the story. It has an epic character to it: The universe is big, there are lots of sprawling civilizations and empires, there are political conflicts and intrigues galore. Frequently it takes place in the StandardSciFiSetting. In perspective, it is a development of the PlanetaryRomance that looks beyond the exotic locations that were imagined for the local solar system in early science fiction ([[ScienceMarchesOn which the hard light of science revealed to be barren and lifeless]]) out into an infinite universe of imagined exotic locations.

Space opera has a lot of romantic elements: big love stories, epic space battles, oversized heroes and villains, awe-inspiring places, and insanely gorgeous women.

Expect to see a dashing hero cavorting around in sleek, cigar-shaped {{Retro Rocket}}s, {{Green Skinned Space Babe}}s, CrystalSpiresAndTogas civilizations full of SpaceElves, {{Wave Motion Gun}}s capable of dealing an EarthShatteringKaboom on a daily basis, and an evil [[TheEmpire Galactic Empire]] with a StandardSciFiFleet, including an entire universe full of [[UsedFuture beat-up mechanical objects]] capable of being resurrected with PercussiveMaintenance.

Note that this is quite different from the original definition of space opera, which was derogatory. It arose from a long line of similar terms for substandard genre fiction: 'horse opera' was bad [[TheWildWest Western]] fiction and 'soap opera' (so named because soap operas began as hour-long ads for soap) was hackneyed drama. The phrase was coined in 1941 by Wilson Tucker to describe what he called "the hacky, grinding, stinking, outworn space-ship yarn". (It's said that before 1975 or so, the only author who ever intentionally set out to write a space opera was Creator/JackVance, who wrote a novel about an opera company in space.) Weirdly, this means that many works which were originally touted as examples of 'serious' science fiction, such as the ''Literature/{{Lensman}}'' series, are today held up as prime examples of SpaceOpera. As more authors and writers came to embrace the space opera style, the term came to lose many of its negative connotations. Assisting that process were writers who regarded all tales of action and adventure in space as bad, and so tried to pejoratively label it all "space opera"; [[AppropriatedAppellation they succeeded with the label, but not with keeping it pejorative.]]

PlanetaryRomance is an older variant, which is basically HeroicFantasy [[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: In Space ]]
-- or on a [[EarthAllAlong Dying Earth]] of some sort. While works such as ''JohnCarterOfMars'' and various fantasy novels set on a planet are PlanetaryRomance, characters like ''BuckRogers'' and ''ComicStrip/FlashGordon'' essentially codified the SpaceOpera concept in the popular imagination by the late 1930s.

''Franchise/StarWars'' is probably the most famous modern example of space opera. (Indeed, ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' was an important moment in changing "space opera" from an insult to a more neutral genre descriptor, due to the involvement of writer Leigh Brackett.) In ''Star Wars'', technology is either [[MagicFromTechnology magic]] (the Force) or slightly faster versions of today's gadgets ([[FrickinLaserBeams blaster rifles]], hovercars, space ships) and the characters would be right at home in a fantasy novel ([[TheEmperor evil emperor]], {{farmboy}}, [[SaveThePrincess princess]]).

The genre is useful for long story- and character-[[StoryArc arcs]] but also expensive to film. Unless you do it in animated form, like dozens of {{anime}} series.

The opposite of Space Opera would probably be [[MohsScaleOfSciFiHardness Hard Science Fiction]]. In recent years, however, there has been a trend towards incorporating hard sci-fi elements ''into'' space opera, as in ''StarshipOperators'', the 2000s ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}'', ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' or especially ''[[AlastairReynolds Revelation Space]]'' -- in fact, "New Space Opera" has gained some currency as a term referring to works that combine fast-paced adventure plots with some degree of hard SF rigor.

See also TwoFistedTales, PulpMagazine, and WagonTrainToTheStars. In many ways, this is the [[SciFiCounterpart science fiction equivalent]] of HighFantasy.

Note that while many more famous space operas go to the "ideal" side of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, more recent ones are [[MohsScaleOfSciFiHardness harder]] and more cynical: ''Series/BabylonFive'', ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}'' and ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' being most prominent in LiveActionTV.
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!!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime]]
* ''LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes'', a Space Opera on a scale like no other.
* ''SpaceBattleshipYamato'', the first space opera anime and among the first space operas to use large scale battles between fleets of spacecraft. Among the first space operas to involve the legend {{Leiji Matsumoto}}.
* The ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' franchise, notable for its ([[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 usual]]) [[AbsentAliens lack of aliens]] and realistic space colonies.
* The ''{{Macross}}'' franchise (including ''{{Robotech}}'', initially conceived as a parody of Gundam and Yamato.
* ''SoukouNoStrain''
* ''LightNovel/CrusherJoe'' First novel written by HarukaTakachio right after he saw StarWars.
* ''Manga/SpaceAdventureCobra''
* ''OutlawStar''
* ''AngelLinks''
* ''HeroicAge''
* ''TheFiveStarStories''
* ''GingaSengokuGunyuudenRai''
* ''{{Voltron}}'' (the vehicle one) / ''DairuggerXV''
* ''Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman''
* ''TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', particularly the [[NonIndicativeFirstEpisode Non Indicative First Minute]], but also later on.
* ''StellviaOfTheUniverse''
* The works of LeijiMatsumoto.
* ''LightNovel/{{Tytania}}'', the closest thing to an anime ''{{Dune}}'' and written by the same author as ''LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' though it is an independent story.
* ''GlassFleet''
* ''CrestOfTheStars''
* ''{{Vandread}}''
* ''StarshipOperators'', notable for its extreme realism, one of the hardest space operas out there.
* ''Manga/{{Outlanders}}''
* ''{{Tenchi Muyo Ryo-Ohki}}'' has many Space Opera elements despite taking place mostly on Earth, while spinoff ''TenchiMuyoGXP'' and the second half of ''Anime/TenchiUniverse'' are clear-cut examples.
* ''Manga/DragonBall'' gradually worked its way into this, starting with ''Dragon Ball Z''. Though the series initially concentrated on Earth-based stories, the Saiyan Saga was where things began to exhibit a more galactic scope.
* ''IrresponsibleCaptainTylor''...[[PlayedForLaughs albeit slightly off]]
* ''TowardTheTerra''
* {{Trigun}} (moreso in the manga).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicStrip/FlashGordon'' and ''BuckRogers'' are the {{Trope Codifier}}s, and both feature lots of {{Retro Rocket}}s and a [[TheEmpire Galactic Empire]] of some sort. ''Star Wars'' started after Lucas couldn't get the rights to ''Flash''. King Features, realizing their mistake, made the ''Film/FlashGordon'' film after ''Star Wars'' came out.
** ''Flash Gordon'' is also a CaptainErsatz of ''BuckRogers'' -- see Literature below.
* ''{{Valerian}}''
* MarvelComics turned cosmic part of their SharedUniverse into one giant SpaceOpera, since 2006. Starting with [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} X-Men: Rise And Fall Of The Shi'Ar Empire]] and ComicBook/{{Annihilation}}, we got one epic story after another - AnnihilationConquest, WarOfKings, TheThanosImperative and adventures of many cosmic-themed heroes, like Comicbook/{{Nova}} and GuardiansOfTheGalaxy between them.
* The whole {{Jodoverse}} - but particularly ''TheMetabarons''.
* ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'' has a foot firmly placed in SpaceOpera, especially for CrisisCrossover comics like ''SinestroCorpsWar'' where Sinestro himself [[spoiler: set the war up so [[XanatosGambit he wins either way.]]]]
* ''ComicBook/{{X-Men}}'' ventures here occasionally, such as for ''TheDarkPhoenixSaga.''
* ''DanDare''
* ''TheBalladOfHaloJones''
* ''ComicBook/{{Saga}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Prophet}}''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
* ''FanFic/UndocumentedFeatures''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* ''Franchise/StarWars'', as mentioned in the main text.
* ''Franchise/TheChroniclesOfRiddick''
* ''Film/FlashGordon''. The film came out after ''Star Wars''.
** ''Star Wars'' was originally going to be a GenreThrowback of the original ''[[Film/FlashGordonSerial Flash Gordon]]'' serials.
* ''Film/BattleBeyondTheStars''
* The ''Franchise/StarTrek'' films, except for ''[[Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome The Voyage Home]]'', which [[OutOfGenreExperience was a comedy]] set on [[NextSundayAD then-modern]] Earth.
* ''Film/TheFifthElement'', a SpaceOpera with [[AtTheOperaTonight an opera in space!]]
* ''Film/TheLastStarfighter''
* ''Film/{{Barbarella}}''
* ''Film/TheIcePirates''
* ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'' (although technically, it's a ''parody'' of space operas...)
* ''Starchaser: The Legend Of Orin''
* ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' (which also utilizes the genre of SF horror)
* ''{{Titan AE}}''
* ''{{Dune}}'' -- features a galactic jihad in a FeudalFuture containing Spacing Guilds and spice mines.
* ''QueenOfOuterSpace''
* ''The Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy''
* ''TransformersTheMovie''. some edits even have the OpeningCrawl.
* ''[[FollowTheLeader Star Odyssey]]''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* The ''Literature/{{Lensman}}'' series by Creator/EEDocSmith is generally given as the [[UrExample defining example]], along with its predecessor and spiritual twin the ''Literature/SkylarkSeries''.
* ''BuckRogers'', an early and influential example, is probably the TropeCodifier in [[PulpMagazine pulp fiction]].
* ''JohnCarterOfMars'' and other PlanetaryRomance novels contain elements of SpaceOpera, making it an UnbuiltTrope.
* ''Literature/{{Dune}}.''
* ''Literature/{{Foundation}}'', by Creator/IsaacAsimov, an extremely influential series inspired in part by Gibbon's ''Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'' and which in turn partly inspired ''StarWars''.
* ''Literature/PerryRhodan'' series (over more than 2500 books that span from 1971 to 5050).
* The ''Literature/HyperionCantos'', by Creator/DanSimmons
* Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'', complete with an in-story Space Ballet.
* AlastairReynolds' ''Revelation Space'' series actually ''does'' consider seriously how changes in technology would affect culture, even language.
* The ''[[TheCulture Culture]]'' books by IainMBanks, although again it does have a society changed by technology - in particular near-perfect medicine and a lack of the need for money due to massive technological advances.
* ''Literature/{{Lacuna}}'' is firmly in the "New Space Opera" (space opera with hard science) genre.
* Creator/LarryNiven's ''Literature/KnownSpace'' universe.
* The ''Rowan'' series by Creator/AnneMcCaffrey.
* Most of Peter F. Hamilton's books, though technological advances have significant societal and cultural impacts.
** ''Literature/PandorasStar''
* ''Literature/TheSagaOfSevenSuns''
* [[ChurchOfHappyology Scientology]] founder Creator/LRonHubbard's opus ''Literature/BattlefieldEarth''.
* DavidWeber has an extensive one in ''Literature/HonorHarrington''. As well as everything else he's written.
* Creator/WalterJonWilliams' trilogy ''DreadEmpiresFall'' is space opera on the fairly hard science side.
* AlanDeanFoster's ''HumanxCommonwealth'' series. It adopts many SpeculativeFiction tropes but plays them for SpaceOpera themes.
* Stephen R. Donaldson's ''Literature/TheGapCycle'' is this, as it's Creator/RichardWagner's ''Theatre/RingOfTheNibelung'' cycle InSpace. Newer editions of the first volume have a cool author's note explaining how the dramatic elements (and thus, tropes) of {{Opera}} work in a sci-fi setting.
* Creator/VernorVinge's ''Literature/ZonesOfThought'' series.
* DavidBrin's ''Literature/{{Uplift}}.''
* Creator/CJCherryh's enormous Literature/AllianceUnion universe. Probably the "[[MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness hardest]]" of all SpaceOpera, with FasterThanLightTravel being the only deviation from known physics.
* Greg Egan's ''Schild's Ladder''. Probably even harder than Literature/AllianceUnion, with no FasterThanLightTravel whatsoever.
* Parodied and lampshaded in Creator/JackVance's ''Space Opera'', which is a space opera about - yes - a touring {{Opera}} company.
** Many of Vance's works - such as ''Literature/TheDemonPrinces''- are more straightforward examples.
* Parodied by HarryHarrison in his ''Literature/BillTheGalacticHero'' and ''Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangers''.
* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' derives a lot of its humor through parodying space opera conventions. The unrealistic elements typical of the genre are either {{lampshaded}} or replaced with [[ItRunsOnNonsensoleum even sillier ideas]].
* The ''Literature/SpaceCaptainSmith'' series by Toby Frost is a very tongue-in-cheek version.
* Simon R. Green's ''Literature/{{Deathstalker}}'' books.
** The ''Literature/{{Deathstalker}}'' series is both a parody and an homage to more traditional Space Opera's and exaggerating or taking various tropes to their most extreme conclusion.
* Karin Lowachee's ''WarchildSeries''.
* Julie E. Czerneda's ''Literature/SpeciesImperative.''
* John Barnes ''Occitan'' series.
* Philip Reeve's ''Literature/{{Larklight}}'' series, which combines SpaceOpera with SteamPunk.
* Stephen Baxter's ''Literature/XeeleeSequence'' may well be the ultimate example in terms of scale, as well as being much harder sci-fi than the average space opera.
* MargaretWeis' quadrilogy ''Literature/TheStarOfTheGuardians''.
* EdmondHamilton: Big love stories? Check. Epic space battles? Oh Yeah! Oversized heroes and villains? You might say that; Awe-inspiring places? Yep. Insanely gorgeous women? Yes! And they usually rule the universe - or at least a star kingdom to boot.
* The ''Literature/{{Stardoc}}'' series has elements of both this and MedicalDrama.
* ''Literature/SpaceVulture'', a GenreThrowback to the original pulp SpaceOpera, by Gary K. Wolf and Archbishop John J. Meyers.
* The Commamder Toad picture books by Creator/JaneYolen are a parody of space opera.
* MichaelFlynn's ''Literature/SpiralArm'' series
* JohnCWright's ''Literature/CountToTheEschaton''
* ''Literature/TheSiranthaJaxSeries'' by Ann Aguirre.
* ''Literature/TheFlightEngineer'' trilogy by S.M. Sterling and JamesDoohan.
* ''Literature/TheConquerorsTrilogy'' by TimothyZahn.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'' (all series). Though there is (some) serious consideration of how technology and science would change society. Coincidentally, there was, in fact, a Star Trek Opera performed on stage in NY.
* ''Series/{{Farscape}}''
* ''Series/BattlestarGalacticaClassic'' and ''Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined'' are at opposite ends of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism
* ''Series/{{Andromeda}}''
* Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy is one of the clearest examples in the franchise, but Series/PowerRangersInSpace started to drift this way before the season ended.
* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'', which has the unusual distinction of being both a SpaceOpera [[SpaceWestern and a]] [[TheWestern Horse Opera]].
* ''Series/BabylonFive''
* The Franchise/StargateVerse, even though that barely escapes fitting the definition; the Earthly or Atlantean base with a Stargate connection functions exactly like a spaceship for most story purposes. It's more of a PlanetaryRomance.
* ''SpaceCases''
* ''{{Lexx}}''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* ''The Amory Wars,'' a {{metafiction}}al SpaceOpera comprised of five {{Concept Album}}s by CoheedAndCambria.
* ''{{Ayreon}}'' is this trope.
* Music/IronSavior is this too. Their first five albums (and a EP) are almost entirely the story of the titular starship.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' is a Space Opera setting, although it's about as cynical, grim and dark as you can ''get''. Actually, it's that, turned UpToEleven.
* ''{{Battletech}}''. The RPG, as distinguished from the series below.
* ''{{Traveller}}'' was the first RPG set in the Space Opera genre, and set the standard for those that followed. It's in the "semi-hardened" category of SpaceOpera and an incredible amount of work went into the {{Backstory}} including fairly realistic science and social science.
** Traveller is a fairly flexible game that has a SpaceOpera like {{Backstory}} and can be played at the SpaceOpera level. Much of the point is that the Traveller Universe is a FramingDevice of sorts, which means local circumstances can be adapted to taste quite a ways.
* The forgotten board game ''Imperium'' was used as a source for some of the {{Traveller}} universe. It depicts a young and expansionist [[TheRepublic republic]] on earth, conquering a VestigialEmpire in space. There are a number of other SpaceOpera board wargames, but this one is notable for historical reasons.
* ''FadingSuns''
* There was a RPG '''named''' ''Space Opera''.
* The Cathedral setting in ''BigEyesSmallMouth'' is intended for this kind of adventure.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' has some of this. It's mixed with South Asian Mythology.
* The ''{{Franchise/Halo}}'' series.
** Bungie's ''Videogame/{{Destiny}}'' is a more direct example, as the company [[http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-03-18-bungie-destinys-scifi-fantasy-setting-gave-us-this-freedom calls it]] "mythic science fiction" and a "mix of science fiction and fantasy".
* The ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series could be seen as putting the Opera back into Space Operas, with lavish and often dreamy environments, exotic cultures, and tales of great personal tragedy. At the same time, it ranks suprisingly high on the [[MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness Scale Of Science Fiction Hardness]] and is quite serious in tone.
* ''StarControl''
* Many a science fiction TBSG (turn based strategy game) - most prominently ''VideoGame/MasterOfOrion II''
* ''VideoGame/WingCommander''
* ''VideoGame/StarFox'' mixes {{Funny Animal}}s with SpaceOpera.
* ''EveOnline''
* ''{{Freespace}}''
* ''{{Starcraft}}'' When the only thing [[{{WorldOfHam}} keeping the entire UNIVERSE from ENDING outright]] is [[spoiler: the love between the two main characters]] you know you got a perfect example of this trope.
* The ''{{Metroid}}'' series, although this slides more towards AfterTheEnd PlanetaryRomance in the context of individual games.
** ''MetroidPrime'': ''Hunters'' and ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'' are straight Space Opera, however, as they are the only games in the franchise that internally take place on multiple planets.
* ''TotalAnnihilation''
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}: DawnOfWar''
* ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}''
* ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngel'' gameverse
* ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}''
* ''AdventRising''
* ''InfiniteSpace''
* ''VideoGame/ColonyWars''
* ''RatchetAndClank'', a space opera with a hefty dose of WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes [[XMeetsY thrown in]].
* The ''StarOcean'' series, when you aren't exploring underdeveloped planets.
* ''{{Spore}}'s'' Space Stage.
* ''{{Otherspace}}''
* ''VideoGame/MechQuest'' and ''VideoGame/WarpForce'' by Creator/ArtixEntertainment.
* ''SuperRobotWars'', depending on the plot and series involved.
* ''VideoGame/LegacyOfAThousandSuns''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Angels 2200}}''
* [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20090725.html This]] story arc in ''TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'' is explicitly identified as a Space Opera, complete with [[StandardStarshipScuffle spaceship battles,]] [[LoveDodecahedron love dodecahedra,]] [[OccupiersOutOfOurCountry space politics,]] StarfishAliens, [[{{Kaiju}} giant monsters,]] [[OurDragonsAreDifferent space dragons,]] a CardCarryingVillain, and the requisite [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses beautiful princess.]]
* ''LastRes0rt''
* ''Webcomic/LegostarGalactica'', which is essentially a satire of SpaceOpera.
* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary''
* ''Terinu''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Literature/SPARKOfTyranny[[http://www.sparkoftyranny.com/]] [[http://www.sparkoftyranny.com/2011/11/part-0.html (Chapter 1)]]'' is a SpaceOpera with an AntiHero Captain and his RagtagBunchOfMisfits, struggling against the [[EvilPlan behind the scenes machinations]] of the [[HumanoidAliens Kilon]] [[TheFederation Federation]], which has created a VichyEarth.
* ''TheEndlessNight''
* ''OrionsArm'', a [[{{Transhuman}} transhumanist]] SpaceOpera.
* ''ArtemisNeo''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers''
* ''WesternAnimation/ExoSquad''
* ''TabletopGame/{{Battletech}}''
* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainSimianAndTheSpaceMonkeys''
* ''WesternAnimation/WingCommanderAcademy''
* ''WesternAnimation/RoughnecksStarshipTroopersChronicles''
* ''WesternAnimation/JayceAndTheWheeledWarriors''
* ''ComicBook/BuckyOHareAndTheToadWars''
* ''Anime/{{Ulysses 31}}''
* The page image comes from a skit in ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' which makes ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'' into [[ExactWords an actual opera]] [[GratuitousItalian sung in Italian.]]
[[/folder]]

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