The High Republic
Profile
The High Republic (roughly 500 – 100 BBY) is the golden age of the Jedi and the Republic — the era Lucasfilm Publishing has been expanding since 2021 as “Star Wars: The High Republic.” Here the Jedi were at their peak: thousands of knights, hundreds of temples, a galaxy bathed in the brightest lightsaber glow.
What It Is
A multi-platform narrative (novels, comics, audiobooks, manga) — the first major publishing initiative whose stories are set 200 years before “The Phantom Menace.” It unfolds in three phases and is fully canonical.
Themes
- Jedi Golden Age — Optimism, research, exploration of the Outer Rim.
- Frontier Western — The Republic expands along hyperspace routes.
- Starlight Beacon — A floating space station as the symbol of the Republic, collapses spectacularly.
- Nihil — Anarchic marauder gang, the main antagonists.
- Drengir — Plant-based Sith-aligned organisms that devour all living things.
Key Figures
- Avar Kriss — “Symphony of the Force” Jedi Knight.
- Stellan Gios — Ideal Jedi diplomat.
- Marchion Ro — Leader of the Nihil, creator of the “Paths.”
- Yoda — Already centuries-old Jedi Master.
Connection to the Films
The High Republic explains why Yoda hadn’t seen Sith in 1,000 years. It establishes the backstory of the Mandalorian-Jedi conflict, the Sith exile, and the political structures of the late Republic.
Cultural Significance
The High Republic has expanded the Star Wars canon by an entire era. The TV adaptation “The Acolyte” (2024) brought the era to live action for the first time and depicted the transition into the final 100 years before Episode I.