– Spoiler Review –
After detouring to follow Yoda’s antics, The Edge of Balance manga series returns to the main story for its fourth and final main volume as all threads converge on Banchii and its last stand against the Nihil. Thanks to a story by Daniel José Older and Shima Shinya and illustrations by Mizuki Sakakibara, The Edge of Balance Vol. 4 ends the series on a worthy high note.
Taking place prior to the events of The High Republic: Into the Light, a true Phase III Wave III novel, The Edge of Balance Vol. 4 picks up immediately after the events of Vol. 3 and, while it takes a moment to get going again, its journey leads to a fitting and enjoyable end for this section of the initiative. After Vol. 3 helped show how the series would retain its side-story-vibes while touching on the bigger aspects of the era’s story, I had high hopes Vol. 4, even with this being a finale, would do much the same, and I can confidently say it does, making this feel both like its special own part of the era yet one drop in the larger river of the story.
Jedi Knight Lily Tora-Asi has come a long way since Vol. 1, where I felt she was too rigid, something many characters agreed with, to the point I couldn’t connect with her and, after taking the advice of Sav Malagán in Vol. 3, she’s learned to be fluid. While she’s embraced a less rigid persona, she still has one final lesson to learn, as taking the lead and having everyone listening to her in Vol. 3 sort of taught her the wrong thing: she must protect everyone, on her own if need be, to keep them safe. But the locals of Banchii, back after being sent away, want to help, and while she initially puts them to work, she hides them when the Nihil come rearing back for their big attack. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Banchii, everyone is connected and important to its growth, even the smallest Banchiian or the planet’s plant life, so as she embraces the citizens’ desire to help in the fight, she learns she’s stronger standing with others, not just standing on her own. It’s always important we find our own individual strength, but using it to help those around us, and let them nurture their own strengths as well, is just as powerful and wonderful little arc for Lily to go on and us to watch her experience.
Are Shosho and Zimtok, the Banchiian and cute new creature respectively, safe? Are they alright? Sav Malagán, Master Arkoff, and a captured Nihil named Maktan, who’s trying to turn over a new leaf went, after the pair of cute little creatures captured by Niv Drendow Apruk, the associate of the Nihil’s Baron Boolan. The Nihil’s dangerous scav droids, and maneuvers to remove them, cause significant damage to their ship, so they call in some help: in steps Dexter Jettster, an old friend and ally of Sav’s, as we saw in the excellent The High Republic Adventures – Phase II (and we all know James was totally normal about him appearing here!). As he joins their adventure, it seems Niv Drendow was heading back to Banchii anyways, per Boolan’s orders, so they beat him back and sneak on his ship and capture him, all while saving Shosho and Zimtok! But Boolan arrives with more Nihil and, after Reath Silas and Sav decline an offer to spare the settlement in exchange for the Jedi, the final battle of Banchii begins. It’s not prominent in Vol. 4, but I did enjoy more of Dex and Sav’s interactions, while she’s been such a good chaotic influence on Lily, and I’m glad the series ended with Shosho and Zimtok safe.
Despite fleeing the scene with Yoda in Vol. 3, the younglings Viv’Nia and Nima return to Lily and the Temple prior to the big battle, as Yoda left them with the Banchiians to investigate a rumbling in the Force, as seen in the stellar and fun side entry, The Edge of Balance: Premonition. It was delightful to see the younglings back as they have some surprising interactions with Azlin Rell, the fallen Jedi whose journals full of mad scribblings might hold the secrets to the Nameless, who also made peace with Arkoff, his Master, in Vol. 3. Whereas most Jedi know of Azlin and what he’s done, and treat him accordingly, Viv’Nia and Nima don’t have preconceived notions, joyfully asking him questions like how he can see and what Arkoff was like, though Reath warns him away from them once Lily has them go off and help elsewhere. Once Boolan arrives and the battle begins, the Jedi get the upper hand and Boolan flees, running into a waiting Azlin. He tries to appeal to Azlin’s darker instincts, his thirst for knowledge, and asks him to join him, and while Azlin seems to consider the younglings arrive to the scene and Boolan attempts to kidnap one, only for Azlin to intervene and save them! They treated him with kindness and he showed them the Jedi he once was remains deep inside by rescuing them, while there’s an interesting moment where, in Azlin’s mind, we see the young Azlin again, noticing the young Boolan he met on Dalna, the images showing us these broken people are hiding their truths deep inside. While Azlin gets some intriguing point-of-view sections in Into the Light which point towards the struggle remaining inside, I’d like to think his interactions in The Edge of Balance Vol. 3 and Vol. 4 will help his ultimate choice and fate.
Mizuki Sakakibara joins Older and Shinya one last time, thus illustrating for all the main entries in The Edge of Balance! Lily with her two sabers is a big delight towards the end of Vol. 4, as Sakakibara makes her always seem like she’s flowing through her motions, an extra grace to her swings and blocks, which aligns with her character arc, and in particular I liked the image of her stabbing both blades backwards, facing towards readers, as two Nihil take the brunt of her blades. The scav droid attack is an early standout with how big, soulless, and dense their attack is of Sav and team’s ship, there’s just so many at once it really seems overwhelming, while their size makes their attack feel heavy and unavoidable, the big Force push of Sav and Arkoff needing such much of their power, it makes sense it wouldn’t totally work. I’ll also never tire of more images of the little Banchiians barely going up against a beast as large as the Nameless, their determination and fierceness always on their cute little faces like they mean business. Truly an excellent final showing from Sakakibara!
Here are a few other things:
- Love coffee? Chai? A really good café/coffee shop? And want some fun Star Wars themed coffee goodness for the month of May?! Well, if you happen to be in the greater Chicago area, make your way to Folklore Coffee in Lemont, IL, as one of our best friends owns Folklore and we collaborated on a special Star Wars menu for May!!! The Froth is strong with these specials!!
- Mad props to the little Banchiians, they’ve killed TWO Nameless!!!
- But what’s still in store in the final few months of the era? Here’s some upcoming releases: May 13, 2025: Tempest Breaker (script book); May 21, 2025: The High Republic Adventures #18 – Phase III; The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi #4. June 4, 2025: The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi #5. Keep up to date with our release schedule on our High Republic page!
The High Republic: Edge of Balance Vol. 4 ends like it begins, as while it got caught up in the larger story of the era, its focus never strayed too far from Banchii and its characters, resulting in a tight little story with a solid, and hopeful, ending.
+ Lily’s arc
+ Seeing Azlin in a different light
+ Sakakibara goes out with a fantastic showing
– Slow start with the reset
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Bluesky, Twitter @MynockManor, and Instagram @mynockmanor.