At a Glance
The High Republic was released in 3 separate phases. The third and final phase is set to conclude on June 17, 2025 with the novel, Trials of the Jedi by Charles Soule.
Key Facts
Start Date: Jan 5, 2021
End Date: Jun 17, 2025
Total Books: 25
Total Comics: 122
Story Architects: Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel José Older, Charles Soule, Cavan Scott
When: 150 years before The Phantom Menace
Recent Coverage
What is The High Republic?
The High Republic is a publishing initiative of books, comics, and other media projects surrounding an era of the Star Wars universe that takes place roughly 200 years before The Phantom Menace. Every piece of new media in The High Republic is created in coordination with every other new story; this means that events in every book, comic, and more often reference events and characters in others. When referencing The High Republic, you may be describing either the time period or the initiative itself.
When Does The High Republic Take Place?
While the most accurate dates can be found on the Youtini timeline, The High Republic takes place hundreds of years before the Prequel Trilogy. The first books in the initiative take place around 232 BBY, the second phase of books take place around 382 BBY, and the third phase of books take place back around 229 BBY.
Which High Republic Book Should I Read First?
The first book in The High Republic is Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule. This is generally accepted as the best starting point for new readers as it sets up the entirety of the initiative with main characters, locations, and lore.
For a full reading list, check out our High Republic Reading Order or our Getting Started With The High Republic guide.
What's the Best Order to Read The High Republic?
The High Republic can be read in a number of different ways based on reader preference. For completionists, we recommend starting with Light of the Jedi and then following the Official Youtini High Republic Reading Order which takes you through Phases I, II, and III in the most direct and rewarding way.
Is The Acolyte in The High Republic?
The Acolyte takes place roughly 100 years after the books in The High Republic publishing initiative. This time period is still called The High Republic era, but that story is technically separate from the main books and comics in The High Republic.
You can see exactly where The Acolyte takes place on the Star Wars Timeline.
What are Phases and Waves?
The High Republic is separated into 3 Main Phases. Phase 1 starts the story of the initiative. Phase 2 flashes back to give context to the main story. Phase 3 resumes the story started in Phase 1 and finishes the initiative.
Each Phase is composed of Waves that contain different pieces of media. For example, one Phase may have 3 Waves, and each Wave may contain an adult novel, a young adult novel, and a middle grade book.
This system is largely for organizational purposes, and if you ever get confused, you can refer to the Youtini High Republic Reading Order to make sure you're on track.
About The High Republic
Main Characters
When Does The High Republic Take Place in the Star Wars Timeline?
The High Republic initiative is set in the Star Wars timeline approximately one hundred years before the events of Episode I: The Phantom Menace, making it the main part of the High Republic era.
Story and Characters
The High Republic tells the story of the Jedi at the height of their power during a time of peace and prosperity for the Republic. However, that peace threatens to come crashing down when the villainous Nihil, led by Marchion Ro, begin an era of chaos and fear that is focused on a singular goal: the destruction of the Jedi Order.
Throughout the initiative, the Jedi attempt to discover the source of Ro's horrifying power over Force users while simultaneously facing the inadequacies of the Order itself. This takes them to multiple planets throughout the galaxy and even multiple time periods where mysteries seem to pop up at every turn. Through the eyes of Masters, Knights Padawans, smugglers, and pirates, The High Republic presents a look at the entire galaxy unlike any Star Wars has ever attempted before.
By the end of all three Phases, every High Republic character has lived a complete life filled with joy, tragedy, and discovery. The victories in The High Republic are amongst the most triumphant in all of Star Wars Canon, and their intensity is matched only by the weight of loss that seems to follow in their wake.
For readers that want to follow every story or those that only want to consume a few arcs from time to time, this story and its characters are unlike anything else in Star Wars history.
Arc
Beginning as the ideal Jedi Master, Avar Kriss serves the Jedi Order as a beacon of light, hope, and connection. When faced with more loss and hardship than she could ever imagine, Kriss has to find ways for the light to continue to shine in the harshest darkness.
Significance
One of the most prominent Jedi of the initiative, Avar Kriss acts as a guidepost for the rest of the Order, and her tumultuous journey reflects the growing instability of the Jedi themselves.
Arc
Along with Avar, Stellan makes up 2 of the 3 "Firebrand" Jedi who have been friends since childhood. Often compared to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Stellan is a measured voice in a wild galaxy who eventually learns just how far he'll have to go to keep safe those he loves.
Significance
Much like Avar, Stellan is a shining example of the ideal Jedi of the High Republic Era. As a Jedi Council member, he also forms a bridge between various protagonists and the will of the Jedi as a whole.
Arc
The final member of the "Firebrand" trio, Elzar Mann begins the initiative as an extremely skilled Jedi who has a reputation for being quite the loose cannon. Thanks to the support of his friends, dedicated training, and harrowing galactic events, he is molded into one of the greatest Jedi of his age.
Significance
Elzar is one of the key figures in Phases 1 and 3, and his evolution is key in the humanization of the Jedi that is so important throughout the initiative.
Arc
Vernestra begins The High Republic as the youngest Jedi Knight in history. With the most pressure imaginable weighing on her shoulders, she spends the initiative constantly trying to defy the odds while simultaneously teaching her own Padawan the ways of the Force - culminating in her ascendance to one of the wisest Jedi Knights of the age.
Significance
Vernestra is a main focus of Justina Ireland's novels and mostly finds her stories in the middle grade and young adult sections of the initiative - acting as a guide through the larger story for audiences who may not be caught up with the main adult novels.
Arc
Beginning as a passionate, wide-eyed Padawan, Bell Zettifar transforms into one of the most iconic Knights in the Order. With his trusty charhound, Ember, by his side, he is a shining of example of resisting the darkness even though it arises at every turn.
Significance
Bell presents one of the most interesting evolutions in The High Republic. Because we get to see him go through the ranks of the Jedi almost in real time, he acts a measure of the active evolution of the Order and its memebers.
Arc
One of the most striking villains in all of Star Wars literature, Marchion Ro enters The High Republic as a terrifying enigma and evolves into an intriguing mastermind. Although he may believe his motives to be just, there is never a doubt that his only goal lies in the brutal extinction of the Jedi.
Significance
Although he may be absent from Phase II of the initiative, Marchion Ro is undoubtedly the main villain of The High Republic. Throughout the books and comics, pieces of his past start to come together to provide the fuel for his madness, and his designs and ambitions remain the sole antagonists of the Jedi from start to finish.
Arc
The main protagonist of the mainline comics for The High Republic, Keeve begins her journey as a Padawan eager to pass her trials and ends as the wise Master Trennis who was first spoken of in Dooku: Jedi Lost. Her belief in the Jedi slowly erodes throughout the series, making her one of the most complex figures in the entire initiative.
Significance
For fans of the High Republic comics, Keeve is the main window into the series. She crosses paths with all of the main storylines in Phases I and III, and it is through her own hardships that the heroics and faults of other key Jedi are revealed.
Key Books
Books that showcase the most important moments in The High Republic
The first book in the entire initiative that showcases the greater galactic conflict, introduces the main characters, and sets the tone for the entire era.
The final adult novel of Phase I that features one of the greatest tragedies in the entire High Republic. A disaster novel with such massive impact that it simultaneously finishes Phase I and forces the initiative to go to the past for answers.
The concluding novel of Phase II that not only tells a fantastic story but also gives an excellent summary of the key moments of the phase in order to propel readers forward into Phase III.
Beginning Phase III with a bang, this book brings Marchion Ro's plans to the forefront as the Jedi attempt to come back from the losses suffered in Phase II. Setting the stage for the grand finale, the main cast is back for a final fight for light and life.
Design
The High Republic represents the Jedi at the height of their power, and this spans from the plot of the stories to the design of the era itself. The costumes of the Jedi have not yet toned down to the beige and brown overtones that dominate the robes of the Prequel Era, but instead, the robes of Council Members, Knights, and Masters alike are filled with gold accents and beautiful lines that provoke a sense of beauty and gravitas alongside functionality.
This sense of regality also makes its way to the Jedi's lightsabers and even their ships, the Jedi Vectors. Strong lines and intricate artwork work together to create the Jedi of legend, and throughout the comics, book illustrations, and even concept art produced throughout the initiative, this visual language allows The High Republic to maintain an air of grandeur seldom found elsewhere in Star Wars.
The initiative is also responsible for new planets, technologies, and alien species, and although there is perhaps more diversity and variety than seen in any other era of Star Wars, the cohesive nature of The High Republic's design never lets the reader forget that they are experiencing the Golden Age of the Jedi.
Storytelling Innovation
Multimedia Approach
The High Republic stands out in Star Wars history for its wholehearted dedication to a multimedia approach. Rather than simply producing a large series of adult novels, the High Republic embraces young adult novels, middle grade novels, comics from Marvel, IDW, and Dark Horse, manga, and audio dramas to tell the full story.
While keeping up with every single medium is encouraged for Star Wars completionists, doing so is not mandatory to fully enjoy The High Republic. This allows readers of all types to engage with the larger narrative while potentially trying out types of storytelling they may be less familiar with.
The writers of The High Republic also vary with the types of stories they write with authors such as Daneil José, Justina Ireland, and Cavan Scott writing in nearly every medium available.
Behind the Scenes
The High Republic began with a brainstorming session at Skywalker Ranch in 2018 under the codename "Project Luminous". The original story architects were Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel José Older, Charles Soule, and Cavan Scott who spent days working together to put together and pitch a story that would represent the future of Star Wars publishing.
The end result of that meeting became The High Republic, and the initiative was first announced to the world on February 25, 2020 with a full video, loads of concept art, and a lineup of books that would make up the first Wave. Originally, the initiative was set to launch at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim in August 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Celebration was delayed and the initiative premiered instead in January 2021.
The initiative was met with an astonishing level of success and excitement from the fan community, the books became New York Times bestsellers, Star Wars Celebration panels were completely filled when they came back post-pandemic, and there was even a High Republic Show on the Star Wars YouTube channel to update readers on what to expect with each new release.
Additional writers and artists were brought on throughout the life of The High Republic, but the core story architects were responsible for the larger story beats and will all contribute to the final Phase that will conclude the story that began all those years ago on Skywalker Ranch.
Books & Comics to Begin The High Republic
More Resoureces
Getting Started With The High Republic - A detailed guide on how to start your High Republic journey with step-by-step instructions and further details on everything you need to know!
Youtini's High Republic Reading Order - A comprehensive reading order that lists single story in the High Republic in the order we recommend for the High Republic completionist!
The High Republic Show - The official YouTube show of The High Republic including author interviews, insights on the creation of the initiative, and more!
Youtini's High Republic HQ - A collection of every article, podcast, and guide related to the High Republic on our site!
