Today marks the beginning of the end as the light of the Jedi goes dark.
To coincide with today's release ofThe Fallen Star by Claudia Gray, kicking off the final wave of the High Republic Phase I, StarWars.com held a special one-year anniversary livestream hosted by Krystina Arielle. Not only were fans treated to some insightful conversations with the creative team but they also got their first glimpse into what's next for Lucasfilm's most ambitious era.
In October 2022, "Phase II: Quest of the Jedi" will launch, and here's what we know so far.
Who's Involved?
Luckily, no one is going anywhere! In fact, the High Republic family is growing even bigger. Cavan Scott, Charles Soule, Claudia Gray, Daniel José Older, and Justina Ireland will all be penning new stories alongside newcomers Zoraida Córdova, Lydia Kang, George Mann, and Tessa Gratton.
I have always hoped Lucasfilm Publishing would continue adding authors to the mix and make the scope of this era even larger — in addition to the current MVP lineup, of course — and I'm more than thrilled to see them committing to this for Phase II. Córdova (A Crash Of Fate), Mann (Myth & Fables, Dark Legends), and Kang (FACPOV: Empire Strikes Back) are no strangers to Star Wars publishing while Gratton will have their first Star Wars story featured in the upcoming anthology Stories of Jedi & Sith (June 7). She will also be co-writing the first young adult book of Phase II along with Justina Ireland.
As for our returning veterans, Older will be writing an all-ages High Republic Adventures graphic novel, Scott will continue working with Marvel Comics, and Claudia is (as usual) a big question mark – she did add that Phase II is "an era of exploration and innovation." More on Charles' project below.
When does it take place?
Surprise! Phase II will take place 150 years before the current High Republic storyline, setting it nearly 350 years before The Phantom Menace. Funny enough, this doesn't break from Star Wars tradition considering George Lucas started with the middle chapter of the Skywalker Saga and winded back the clock to the prequel trilogy. With this in mind, I would expect Phase III to launch in late 2023/early 2024 and to pick up exactly where we leave off after the tragic events of The Fallen Star.
So far, there have been numerous storylines alluded to that are set in the past and could easily play a role in Phase II. Immediately The Rising Storm jumps to mind as it mentioned the Republic first ventured into Togruta space (you guessed it!) 150 years ago. Though they were adversaries at first, these two nations softened relations over time and paved the way for Jora Malli to join the Jedi Order and train Reath Silas.
Other potential storylines include: the longtime rivalry between the San Tekka and the Graf clans, ultimately leading to Mari San Tekka's kidnapping; the ascension of Marchion Ro's people; the origins of the Leveler and how it became trapped within the ice caves of Rystan; and the battle between Drengir and Sith, which ended with the carnivorous plants' demise aboard the Amaxine space station (see Into the Dark). Even the The High Republic Adventures comic line alluded to a "ancient Jedi Icon" named Master Tal Bota, who fought Sith henchmen, pulled starcruisers out of the sky, and was a highly-respected role model for Jedi younglings.
The one story detail we know for certain is that Charles Soule's project will focus on how Porter Engle got the nickname "Blade of Bardotta." Interestingly enough, Engle's troubled past was recently hinted at in Cavan Scott's The Rising Storm. Amid the chaos of the Nihil's attack on Valo, Indeera Stokes sensed "a distant terror" from years ago and "a lightsaber slipping from broken fingers" when connecting to Porter through the Force. From the sound of it, the Blade of Bardotta was forged through fire — and perhaps he holds the knowledge to take down the Leveler.
It'll be fascinating to see how going back in time will allow the story to propel itself into the future, equipping our heroes with the answers they need to defeat the Nihil. We, as readers, are bystanders along for the ride and hoping the light of the Jedi can spark once again. Although we'll have to wait another nine months to get the next set of books in our hands, expect more announcements to come at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim and beyond.
Stay tuned to Friends of the Force for all your High Republic coverage, including our spoiler-filled discussions on Wave Three coming soon. Subscribe to our podcast feed here.