Rey chose to serve the function of a Skywalker in the sequels.
But the Skywalker saga came to an end in the Unknown Regions, apparently disconnected from the main franchise, with only the most cursory references to Jedi and Sith. But, as exciting as Zahn's novels may be, they are essentially standalone. Lucasfilm's attention is increasingly focused on transmedia plans in three different time periods, some of which were not even alluded to in the old (now non-canon) Expanded Universe.
That means this is an exciting time to follow Star Wars because the franchise is changing its shape dramatically. A range of novels, comics, and even a Disney+ TV series, set in The Mandalorian has proven to be just the first Disney+ show set between the original trilogy and the sequels. Here's everything you need to know about these three new time periods.
The High Republic
In the first Star Wars film, Obi-Wan Kenobi told Luke Skywalker the lightsaber was "an elegant weapon for a more civilized time." That time is the High Republic era, which was at its height roughly 200 years before the events of Star Wars: The High Republic, which kicked off in Charles Soule's superb novel Light of the Jedi.
The High Republic era appears to run to just decades before the prequel trilogy, with Lucasfilm Publishing releasing a High Republic Chinese web-comic called The Vow of Silver Dawn by "His Majesty the King" set around 82 years before the Battle of Yavin. Lucasfilm has announced a High Republic Disney+ TV series called The Acolyte, apparently set toward the tail-end of the era as well.
The Dark Times
The Dark Times is a period when the galaxy was without hope, when the light of the Jedi was believed to have been snuffed out forever. The era runs from the final scenes of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Lucasfilm has announced three new Star Wars Disney+ TV shows that will be set during the Dark Times. Andor, with Diego Luna returning in a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
The Mandalorian Era
Lastly, there's another significant time jump between the war with the Empire never truly ended, with figures such as Moff Gideon building up their forces in the Outer Rim. It appears the main villain is Grand iral Thrawn, a Chiss military strategist who was the only alien to attain such a high rank in the Empire due to his strategic genius.
Rangers of the New Republic. The first of these will presumably focus upon Ahsoka Tano's continuing quest to find out what happened to her long-missing friend Ezra Bridger after the events of Star Wars Rebels, while the second looks to feature a group of X-Wing pilots sent to police the Outer Rim. According to Disney, all three shows set in this time period will ultimately come together in an epic finale, an approach likely inspired by Marvel Studios and the MCU.
Finally, The Mandalorian season 2 finale's post-credits revealed another project, The Book of Boba Fett. Little is known about that project to date, but it will presumably be predominantly set on Tatooine, focusing on Boba Fett's establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Outer Rim. It's unclear whether this will be a full-length series with multiple seasons, tying in with the other shows set during this period, or whether it will simply be a sort of bonus miniseries.