The Big Picture
Star Wars: The High Republic
is an ambitious multimedia project that includes books, audio dramas, comics, and the upcoming live-action Disney+ series
The Acolyte
.
The High Republic
is set in a golden age of peace where the Jedi Order protects peace and advocates for justice, but finds their ideals challenged by an insidious new villain.
The High Republic
has three story phases and offers readers an expansive, creative, and satisfying experience.
Star Wars has always been ambitious. George Lucas’s vision was impressive and unabashedly weird from its inception, and his team created a movie captivating enough to ensnare the world. The franchise has rarely taken a break since, especially since Lucasfilm’s acquisition by the Walt Disney Company in 2012. Perhaps no Disney-era Star Wars project has been as remarkably Lucas-level ambitious as the High Republic, a multimedia publishing initiative responsible for some of the best Star Wars content of the 21st century. Set in a previously unexplored time frame several centuries before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the High Republic includes novels (adult, young adult, and middle grade), audio dramas, several comic series, a manga, the Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures animated series, the High Republic Show hosted by Krystina Arielle, and the upcoming live-action miniseries The Acolyte, courtesy of creator Leslye Headland. Context is always helpful, especially with The Acolyte reportedly scheduled to debut this June on Disney+. So, what exactly is Star Wars: The High Republic? If you want to dive into this massive — and massively thrilling — venture, where do you start?
Star Wars
Created by George Lucas
Latest Film Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker
First TV Show Star Wars The Clone Wars
When Does ‘Star Wars: The High Republic’ Take Place?
Star Wars: The High Republic is the brainchild of authors and co-creators Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel José Older, Charles Soule, and Cavan Scott, with additional authors joining as the project expanded. The High Republic era spans approximately 400 years, and history gazes fondly upon it, considering the High Republic the galaxy’s brightest and most idealistic time (hence the name). It peeks behind the curtain at the time Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) describes in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope: “For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic.”
As such, the Jedi Order was never more powerful or prolific than during the High Republic. Jedi Knights and Masters are beloved examples of goodness, balance, and selflessly protective service. Thanks to their efforts, peace reigns, and the Jedi are ready to quell conflict wherever it still exists. In tandem, the Galactic Republic — guided by the wise Chancellor Lina Soh — develops technological wonders and employs forward-thinking socioeconomic initiatives. Although they’re expanding and exploring unknown parts of the galaxy, the Republic aims to spread hope and learn from other cultures, not conquer them. Think of the Federation’s goal in Star Trek to “explore strange new worlds” and “boldly go where no one has gone before,” but add the Force. Hyperspace lanes are still few and far between, so the Republic’s ventures into unknown territory is akin to the historical Wild West. The Republic’s mantra, “we are all the Republic,” emphasizes the government’s holistic view.
What Is ‘Star Wars: The High Republic’ About?
Although complimentary to one another, the Jedi Order and the Republic operate separately. Unlike the Clone Wars era, the Jedi aren’t soldiers fighting in a political war. The Jedi are the galaxy’s stewards; their key phrase, “for light and life,” emphasizes their Force-informed perspective. That changes following devastating attacks on the Republic by the Nihil, a group of rebellious (in a bad way) pirates. The Nihil’s goals are power, greed, anarchy, and subjugation. Their leader, the mysterious Marchion Ro of the gray skin and long black hair (and superb arm muscles), nurses an insidious and personal vendetta against the Jedi. The Nihil’s first strike comes in the form of the Great Disaster, a catastrophic hyperspace tragedy depicted in The High Republic’s debut novel, Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule.
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It quickly becomes apparent that the Jedi and the Republic have encountered an entirely new kind of foe. Taken off guard by the Great Disaster and the Nihil’s continued assaults, and hampered by the Nihil’s ability to evade capture by using secret hyperspace paths, the Nihil’s ruthlessness takes the Jedi out at the knees and challenges their foundational ideals. It’s no help that other new threats simultaneously emerge, like the sentient plant race called the Drengir as well as the Nameless, “creatures of myth that feed on Force-sensitives, and the monsters of bedtime stories to scare younglings.” Everything in the High Republic paves the way for the Republic’s slow, inexorable slide into Emperor Palpatine’s (Ian McDiarmid) fascist regime, not to mention Palpatine massacring the Jedi during Order 66.
Where To Start Reading ‘Star Wars: The High Republic’
The High Republic is divided into three phases with a multitude of multimedia content within each phase. Phase I, “Light of the Jedi,” introduces the main characters and the conflict between the Jedi, the Republic, and the Nihil. Phase II, subtitled “Quest of the Jedi,” rewinds the action 150 years earlier to sow the seeds for Phase I. Finally, Phase III, “Trials of the Jedi,” reunites readers with the High Republic’s remaining heroes. Now, the Jedi are the underdogs hunted by the Nihil, who reign supreme over a good chunk of the galaxy. New readers can begin with Charles Soule’s novel Light of the Jedi and proceed from there. Alternatively, you can start with Phase II’s first book — Convergence by Zoraida Córdova — and read chronologically.
Already inspiring for its scope and collaborative creation behind the scenes, the High Republic is rife with thematic riches. Its mercilessly dire tone goes places few Star Wars projects have dared to tread. That tone contrasts with the High Republic as a galactic golden age and shows how Emperor Palpatine was able to insidiously worm his way into an already broken system. Such a take involves explorative themes that don’t villainize the Jedi but do acknowledge the flaws in the Order’s dogma, and that said flaws — the cracks in the foundation — existed centuries before Palpatine exploited them. Certain characters typify this, such as former Jedi Orla Jareni and Ty Yorrick. Instead of taking orders from the Jedi Council, Orla is a Wayseeker who follows the Force’s guidance. Ty, meanwhile, uses her Jedi training in her mercenary work.
‘Star Wars: The High Republic’ Expands Star Wars Lore
Image via Disney–Lucasfilm Press
Star Wars: The High Republic expands and personalizes the franchise’s lore with fascinating ingenuity. For example, the Force connects with each Jedi in a specific way, often lending them specialized abilities or perspectives. Jedi Master Avar Kriss hears the Force as a song and Wookie Padawan Burryaga draws power from his empathy. Other spectacular characters include Trandoshan Jedi Master Sskeer and his Padawan-turned-Jedi Keeve Trennis; Vernestra Rwoh, a 15-year-old wunderkind; Padawans Bell Zettifar and Reath Silas; the villainous Twi’lek Nihil Lourna Dee; and non-Jedi delights like Geode, a sentient but silent rock-like species, and his crewmates Alfie Hollow and Leox Gyasi.
What Does the Future Hold for ‘Star Wars: The High Republic’?
Image via Lucasfilm
When The Acolyte debuts in June, it won’t be the first time the High Republic has hit the small screen. Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, an animated children’s program, follows younglings during the High Republic era as they train their way into the Padawan rank. The Acolyte, meanwhile, will take place during the tail end of the High Republic and focus on Amandla Stenberg’s unnamed character. Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae, Dafne Keen, Jodie Turner-Smith, Carrie-Anne Moss, Manny Jacinto, and Joonas Suotamo co-star, with Rebecca Henderson holding a special honor: she plays an adult version of Vernestra Rwoh, the first High Republic character to make the jump to live-action.
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