Summary

• The High Republic Era is a pivotal part of Star Wars, featuring the Jedi Order at its peak of power.
• With a vast multi-year project, The High Republic spans novels, comics, and video games, becoming essential to the franchise.
• Different from previous Star Wars eras, The High Republic showcases bold Republic peace-seeking, Jedi exploration, and a unique Nihil enemy.

The High Republic Era has become a vitally important part of Star Wars TV shows would take place. For many, this graphic was their first introduction to a crucial part of the timeline - the High Republic Era.

The High Republic Era is primarily set during a time when the Jedi Order was at the peak of its powers. Set to feature in the story of The Acolyte, The High Republic captured readers' imaginations, and has expanded into a vast multi-year project. This project has since spawned three Phases of stories, from mainline adult novels like Light of the Jedi, Cataclysm, and the Temptation of the Force, to comic books and video games. With The High Republic becoming such a rich era of Star Wars storytelling, it is more important to the franchise than ever.

When The High Republic Era Is Related To The Star Wars Movies

The High Republic Is Set Long Before The Beginning Of The Skywalker Saga

As the Golden Age of both the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic, the High Republic Era runs from c.500BBY to 100BBY. It likely indicates Lucasfilm has divided the history of the Republic into different time periods, in a similar manner to the Earth's Middle Ages. Assuming the pattern holds, there will likely be the Early Republic Era, the High Republic Era, and the Late Republic Era, which presumably runs from 100BBY to the end of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

The Star Wars timeline is denoted by BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) and ABY (After the Battle of Yavin) with the destruction of the Death Star in A New Hope serving as the middle point.

The first Phase of High Republic stories takes place between 232 BBY and 230 BBY, meaning they are set 200 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Interestingly, just as the Star Wars movie trilogies did, The High Republic Phase II stories are prequels to Phase I. These tales take place in 382 BBY, 150 years before Phase I, and 350 years before The Phantom Menace. Finally, the Phase III stories are sequels to the events of Phase I, being set around 229 BBY.

How The High Republic Era Was Different From Normal Star Wars

The High Republic Is Thematically, Politically, and Economically Much Different From Regular Star Wars

The High Republic Era was a time when the Republic was bold and confident, used to peace rather than war. The Sith were believed to be extinct, although in truth they had retreated into the shadows and were beginning to manipulate events to their benefit. The High Republic was also a time of social and political change, accompanied by an artistic and scientific renaissance. This was spearheaded by the then-Chancellor of the Republic, Lina Soh. Soh dreamed of coexistence in the galaxy, expanding her idea of unity to the lawless Outer Rim.

The Jedi of The High Republic were synonymous with Obi-Wan Kenobi's words from A New Hope and were the true guardians of peace and justice in this Republic.

One of the ways Soh did this was by utilizing the Republic's scientific renaissance to craft what she called "Great Works," beginning with Starlight Beacon. Starlight Beacon is a core component of The High Republic, especially the Phase I stories, and was a giant space station designed to patrol the Outer Rim, providing the Republic's benefits to the previously disadvantaged planets. This is a remarkable difference from the corrupt, greed-driven Republic highlighted in the Star Wars prequels or the totalitarian, tyrannical regimes of the Empire or First Order.

Concerning the Jedi themselves, The High Republic's depiction of the Order is much different from the declining, dogmatic organization of the prequels. The Jedi of The High Republic were synonymous with Obi-Wan Kenobi's words from A New Hope and were the true guardians of peace and justice in this Republic. In this era, the Jedi Order was split between the regular Masters, Knights, and Padawans Star Wars fans know, and Pathfinders, Jedi who venture into the Outer Rim to enlist planets into the protection of the Republic and map out hyperspace lanes, marking another major difference of the era.

Star Wars has also implied the Jedi discovered some secrets of the Midi-chlorians during the High Republic Era.

This was an age of exploration, peaking under Chancellor Lina Soh some 200 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. In of opposition to the Jedi, The High Republic's enemies are another major difference from "normal" Star Wars. Rather than facing organizations like the Empire, the First Order, or the Sith, the primary enemy of The High Republic's Jedi was the Nihil. The Nihil were a band of pirates from the Outer Rim who detested the control of the Republic, forming into a formidable threat under the Eye of the Nihil, Marchion Ro.

Star Wars: The High Republic Reveals The History Of The Galaxy

The Time Before The Skywalker Saga Is Outlined Via The High Republic

The story of the High Republic Era has principally been told in Lucasfilm's Star Wars: The High Republic transmedia initiative. As alluded to, Phase I is set 200 years before The Phantom Menace, introducing terrifying new threats such as the Nihil, the Drengir, and the Nameless. The backstory of these threats is then presented in Star Wars: The High Republic Phase II, while Phase III returns to the age of the Nihil to explore the consequences of their attacks - and, presumably, how the Jedi defeated them before the prequel trilogy.

ancient Jedi prophecies that appear to link them to an imbalance in the Force that ultimately required the Chosen One to correct it.

Other Star Wars Stories Set In The High Republic Era

Books, Comics, Video Games, And TV Shows Make Up Other Stories In The High Republic

Aside from the mainline books mentioned, there are many other stories that take place in The High Republic. One such story is the animated TV show, Young Jedi Adventures. These short episodes center around the training of aspiring High Republic Jedi. Another common output of High Republic stories is junior and young adult books. Some Phase I stories of this ilk include Justina Ireland's A Test of Courage and Out of the Shadows. Path of Deceit and Path of Vengeance are two of the YA novels from The High Republic Phase II.

Aside from books and TV shows, many High Republic stories are found in comic book format. Many of The High Republic's comic book stories are published by Marvel Comics, including series like Trail of Shadows and Eye of the Storm. Other publishing companies for The High Republic comics include IDW and Viz Media.

While Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is not set in The High Republic, the video game's entire plot flows from Cal Kestis' discovery of a Jedi secret dating from this period. For many, this serves as an introduction to a period of galactic history they have never encountered before. Another game is in the works from Quantic Dream, Star Wars: Eclipse, which remains something of a mystery. No release date has yet been announced, but a trailer was released in 2021 and the game has been confirmed to be set in the era of The High Republic.

The Acolyte Is Set At The End Of The High Republic Era

The High Republic's Live-Action Debut Comes In 2024's The Acolyte

Leslye Headland's The Acolyte Disney+ TV show is set at the tail end of the High Republic Era and is expected to focus on the actions of the Sith at a time when the light of the Jedi shone more brightly than ever before. Unlike the books of The High Republic, The Acolyte will be set around 100 years before Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. This places it around a century after the events of The High Republic stories of Phases I and III, and two centuries after Phase II.

Given the advancement of The Acolyte's timeline in comparison to other High Republic stories, it makes sense for the show to deal with the emergence of the Sith that impacts the prequel trilogy and kickstarts the Skywalker Saga. The cast of The Acolyte is varied and highlights many of the Jedi Order, including one from The High Republic books. Rebecca Henderson will portray Vernestra Rwoh, a Jedi prodigy first introduced in Phase I of The High Republic. The Acolyte will have a two-episode premiere on Disney+ on June 4, 2024.

Are There Any Familiar Jedi In The High Republic Era?

Some Common Star Wars Characters Are In The High Republic

There are, of course, some familiar faces in the High Republic Era. Master Yoda was already a venerated Grandmaster of the Jedi Order by the time of Phase I. Although he was based on Coruscant, Yoda quite liked to disappear to the galactic frontier for a time training Younglings and looking for new potential Force-sensitives. Given this and Yoda's age in Star Wars, the Jedi Grandmaster could make an appearance in The Acolyte.

There are indeed some direct links between the High Republic Era and the Skywalker Saga.

Two other Jedi from the prequel era were also around during The High Republic. Oppo Rancisis and Yarael Poof, two Jedi Masters that can be spotted in The Phantom Menace, are old enough to have served the Order at the height of its powers. Like Yoda, Yaddle is another character who is old enough to have been around during The High Republic. The smuggling queen Maz Kanata, who appears in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, had already settled on the planet Takodana. As such, there are indeed some direct links between the High Republic Era and the Skywalker Saga.