Battle Beyond the Stars centers on Shad (Richard Thomas), a young farmer that assembles a band of mercenaries in outer space to defend his peaceful planet from the evil tyrant Sador (John Saxon) and his armada of aggressors. Among the mercenaries include: Space Cowboy (George Peppard), a spacegoing truck driver from Earth; Gelt (Robert Vaughn), a wealthy but experienced assassin looking for a place to hide; and Saint-Exmin (Sybil Danning), a Valkyrie warrior looking to prove herself in battle.

Co-directed by Jimmy T. Murakami and legendary cult film producer Roger Corman, the Battle Beyond the Stars cast also includes Darlanne Fluegel, Sam Jaffe, Morgan Woodward, Earl Boen, John Gowans and Steve Davis.