I honestly can’t believe it’s been an entire year since The High Republic launched, it feels like it’s been with us for that much longer, and I’ve grown to love it as some of my favorite Star Wars of all time. As of January 4, the beginning of the end of its first Phase, Light of the Jedi, kicked off with The Fallen Star, a novel by Claudia Gray that both Chris and myself reviewed already! To commemorate the launch of the novel and the one year anniversary, a special The High Republic Show livestream aired today, talking about what to expect in the final wave of Phase I’s content and teasing what’s to come in Phase II: Quest of the Jedi. There are some surprising and exciting reveals about Phase II: it’s set 150 years before Phase I’s start, 4 new authors join the luminous team, it begins in October 2022, and so much more! Head below for all the details!
Before exploring all the details about Phase II: Quest of the Jedi, I’ll start first by looking what the authors had to say about the current phase and its final wave of content. The lightning round at the end provides some fun and ominous answers, though thankfully it seems less ominous when they talk about Phase II, but some new information about Wave III promised there’s still more to this part of the story. For starters, Cavan Scott, who writes Marvel’s The High Republic comic, talked about the wedge between Avar Kriss and Stellan Gios, something TFS gets into from Stellan’s POV but through the comic we’ll see hers, while he promises good things ahead for Sskeer as he comes to accept his lessening connection to the Force. Charles Soule, writing the upcoming two-part comic about Marchion Ro, Eye of the Storm (starts January 12), revealed all the storm iconography for the Nihil is intentional, as we’ll see Ro’s homeworld, a dangerous place called a ‘tempest’ world and you can already see the connection between the Nihil ranks and Ro’s past; the video even gives us the first glimpse at interiors for the issue and this planet. Daniel José Older spoke about his several upcoming works: with The High Republic Adventures for IDW, he promised it’s all been leading to this big finale for the series; The Edge of Balance Vol. 2 will see old and new faces meeting; Trail of Shadows will reveal ‘everything and nothing,’; and Midnight Horizon (February 1) should have desserts and epic-ness…count me hungry and eager to read all of it! Justina Ireland dropped some fun hints on Mission to Disaster, which was delayed to March 1 with its physical release but is out now on digital options (so I’m reading it now), saying it actually has some big connections to Phase II and takes place prior to TFS so both inform each other, while I’m so damn excited since it has Vernestra Rwoh and Avon Starros, two of my top favs from the era! Lastly, Gray discusses The Fallen Star, like getting to write the Vessel crew (Affie Hollow, Leox Gyasi, and Geode) again and exploring the connection between Elzar Mann, Avar Kriss, and Stellan Gios. And yes, when she says no one is safe…she isn’t kidding.
And just as importantly, Krystina Arielle continues to be a fantastic host, with puns galore (I love puns), especially as she wove all of Ireland’s novel titles together in her intro. We’re so damn lucky she’s here to make these things so entertaining outside of all the interviews and reveals.
So what’s the deal with Phase II?! You’ve waited long enough so here’s the announcements!
- The biggest news is Phase II will be set 150 years prior to the Great Hyperspace Disaster, so we’re going even further back now, some 350 years before The Phantom Menace! It’s a surprising reveal, going back to go forwards with the High Republic era, but I love the concept and am curious to see how it will work. Phase I has been all forward momentum, building to its grand conclusion, but by being in the past and the inciting incident isn’t until almost two centuries later, it could provide some slow-down for the story, letting us marinate within the era and its characters, setting, conflicts, and ideas. It’ll also be fun to see how what happens 150 years before Phase I builds up and adds to the opening works, potentially fleshing out events and motivations, and could give us glimpses of what to expect in Phase III. We’ve already had some hints, as it’s said the Republic ventured into Togruta space 150 prior to The Rising Storm, among others that will be come more apparent going forward (Chris might have an Easter Egg list for us soon!). I’ve trusted the luminous team so far and there’s no reason not to now so let’s go to the past.
- Phase II arrives October 2022. We have at least Cavan Scott’s upcoming comic for Marvel as confirmed for the launch of Phase II, but no details on what that’ll entail.
Soule will write a Porter Engle comic, letting readers see how the jolly cook became feared not for his spices at first, but his blade as…the Blade of Bardotta! This was accompanied by a dark, emo-ish look at a young Engle (attached here) and I am so damn here for this! Engle recently appeared in two tales in The High Republic Adventures Annual issue.- It’s been unclear what would happen to The High Republic Adventures with IDW losing the Star Wars license and Dark Horse getting it back in 2022, though since the initial announcement for Dark Horse’s return promised it would start with High Republic content, it seemed likely this was THRA’s new home. Sure enough, Older is writing an original graphic novel for Dark Horse called…The High Republic Adventures. The hugs live on for Phase II.
- Ireland will co-write alongside Tessa Gratton the first YA novel for Phase II and claims it’ll be a little different than those before it. VERY intrigued to find out what exactly that means!
- Meanwhile, Gray claims Phase II is an era of invention and exploration though can’t say more or what her next contribution is…does this silence again mean she has a big book/entry to write or is it to do with the characters that’ll be in it?
- Lastly, Zoraida Córdova, George Mann, Tessa Gratton, and Lydia Kang join The High Republic initiative! I’ve loved the focus having 5 core authors has had, but I’m eager to see what other minds can bring to the era, especially as it dives into the past. Will they stay for Phase III, will a different rotation of authors join the main 5 for that, or will it go back down to the original at that point? Stuff to mull over. Córdova wrote A Crash of Fate and short stories dealing with Boba Fett, Asajj Ventress, and the Tonnika sisters; Mann is the mind behind works like Myths & Fables, Dark Legends, and Life Day Treasury (a collaboration with Scott!) and has written some of the young reader level THR books; Kang wrote a really great story about 2-1B in TESB; and Gratton is newer, about to make her SW debut with the upcoming Stories of Jedi & Sith.
Check back to the Manor in the coming months as the remaining Phase I content arrives, which looks to close out in February between the comics and last YA of the Phase (but technically ending on March 1 when Mission to Disaster arrives in physical formats), and then of course for all the latest and greatest about the era as we get closer to Phase II.
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.