Lucasfilm have announced “phase one” of Star Wars: The High Republic, revealing the five projects of their new publishing campaign. The slate is a mix of prose novels and comic books by a range of publishers who will introduce readers to a Galaxy Far, Far Away 200 years before The Phantom Menace, as the Jedi Order campaigns through wild space, bringing order and fighting off the sinister forces of the Nihil.
The announcement video describes the time period as an Arthurian/Western-inspired land of early settlements, full of criminals and smugglers with a core group of heroes that will grow and change over time, suggesting an ongoing commitment to the line. There’s no mention of the Sith or early dark side users as of yet, just the Nihil, a group of Viking-inspired criminals who are presumably responsible for the Great Disaster, a catalyst for all the stories being told here. The writers room’s list of “Star Wars wishes” included Relic Hunters, a Sith empire, splinter-group Force users, representation, Arthurian legends and dinosaurs, among other fun things.
“This was a golden age for the Jedi, and also a time of galactic expansion in the Outer Rim. So expect there to be rich tales of exploration; charting out the galaxy, meeting new cultures, and discovering what pioneer life in the Outer Rim was like,” says Lucasfilm vice president James Waugh. “This is an incredible sandbox for our storytellers to play in, both within publishing and beyond, and we can’t wait to see the great fiction they build within it.”
There were two comic projects announced: “Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures,” an IDW comic by Daniel José Older (Shadowshaper, Star Wars: Last Shot), and “Star Wars: The High Republic,” a Marvel series by Cavan Scott (“Star Wars Adventures,” “Vikings: Uprising”). Neither series has a specified length, attached artist or release date as of yet.
Lucasfilm also announced three different prose novels for a variety of age-groups: Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland will be a middle-grade novel; Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Dark by Claudia Gray will be a YA novel; and Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi will be an adult novel by Charles Soule, the current writer of the “Star Wars” comic and “Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren.”
“Star Wars: The High Republic features the Jedi as we’ve always wanted to see them — as true guardians of peace and justice. This is a hopeful, optimistic time, when the Jedi and the Galactic Republic are at their height. But of course, into this glorious new era something wicked this way comes,” said Lucasfilm publishing creative director Michael Siglain. “This initiative will give readers young and old a new corner of the galaxy to explore through rich, meaningful stories. Plus, readers will learn what scares the Jedi.”
Lucasfilm will announce more on these projects between now and August 25, when Soule’s Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi releases.
