In a galaxy far, far away, where the Force flows through the stars and ancient civilizations thrive, the chronicles of the Jedi Order unveil a new chapter in the vast tapestry of the Star Wars universe: The High Republic.

Initiated as a visionary project by Lucasfilm and a conglomerate of talented writers and creators, Star Wars: The High Republic presents a new era of Star Wars storytelling, untapped in the cinematic universe, exploring the golden age of the Jedi, centuries before the Skywalker Saga. This groundbreaking initiative which spans novels, comics, and audiobooks, transports fans to a time when the Jedi Order was at its zenith, wielding the Force to maintain peace and justice across the galaxy.

At the heart of this epic era lies the concept of exploration, discovery, and adventure. The High Republic introduces a galaxy brimming with life and possibility, where hyperspace lanes connect worlds teeming with diverse cultures, majestic space stations, and uncharted territories ripe for exploration. Here, the Jedi serve as guardians, not just of the Republic, but of the very essence of hope and light.

Phases of the Saga

The High Republic initiative is broken up into three distinct phases. Phase one is called “Light of the Jedi”. This phase focuses on showing the Jedi at their peak. The galaxy is mostly peaceful, thanks to the Jedi and Chancellor Lina Soh. Soh is working hard to connect the Outer Rim to the rest of the galaxy by bolstering communications and humanitarian aid. At the center is Starlight Beacon, a symbol of hope for the entire galaxy. Meanwhile, the Nihil, a band of marauders, have big plans for the Jedi and the galaxy at large.

The second phase is “Quest of the Jedi”. This is a series of prequel stories set 150 years before the events of phase one. The third and final phase is “Trials of the Jedi,” a title that will make much more sense by the end of this article.

The Story of the High Republic Phase 1

There are a few ways to read the stories of the High Republic. This article will go through the stories in a rough chronological order, not in release order. Some of these books happen concurrently with others. The stories can be read in release order and everything will still make sense. You can also only read the adult novels or only the young adult novels and still get a complete story. It’s best to read the High Republic as a whole and in the order below.

The books were released in three waves, each focusing on a different part of the story. They would include an adult novel, a young adult novel, and a junior novel. 

The Heroes

The High Republic focuses on the Jedi and the Republic in their golden era. The Jedi are a massive force for justice and peace. They protect the people of the Republic under the guidance of the Jedi Council and the Republic Chancellor, Lina Soh. The three most important Jedi to the story are Avar Kriss, Elzar Mann, and Stellan Gios.

Lina Soh is in the process of completing a series of “Great Works” for the Republic. The biggest of these was to make communications with the Outer Rim more reliable and easier. In order to do this, a massive station called Starlight Beacon is built to serve as a communication hub and a place for Jedi and Republic forces to assist Outer Rim planets with their problems. 

The Villains

The Sith have been destroyed (or so they think), so there has to be another big bad to threaten the galaxy. A group of space Vikings called the Nihil fill in this role. The Nihil are a “Storm” of nomadic marauders led by Marchion Ro (also called The Eye). Although he is the leader, they are split into three “Tempests”, each led by a Tempest Runner. The Tempest Runners act as advisors to Ro. They travel the galaxy using “Paths”, these are essentially unregistered Hyperspace lanes that only they have access to. This leads to a lot of pop-in raids on planets and outposts where they tend to leave no survivors.

However, Ro has bigger fish to fry. He is working toward a goal. He wants to destroy the Jedi. He is also searching for a vile creature that could single-handedly help him achieve his goal. 

On top of that, a ghastly Dark Side race of plant-like creatures called the Drengir are released from their captivity on the Amaxine Station. They’re a hive-minded race with a penchant for eating indiscriminately. Their connection to the Dark Side of the Force is so strong that they are able to control the minds of Jedi who falter in their connection to the Light. On top of all that, when cut in half with a lightsaber, they become two separate beings.

The Jedi definitely have their hands full.

Part 1: The Great Hyperspace Disaster

In 232 BBY (Before Battle of Yavin), the Legacy Run, a freighter, was doing a routine run through a well-known Hyperspace lane. Suddenly, a ship appeared in the middle of their path, leading to a near collision that ripped the ship apart. This caused huge parts of the ship to fly through Hyperspace and eventually emerge into realspace. These parts were still traveling at near light speed, causing untold amounts of damage to the places they emerged. 

Namely, the Hetzal System. After the first chunk was detected, the Hetzalian leaders issued an evacuation order and the Jedi came to the rescue. As the Jedi were attempting to blast the debris before it struck the planets, Padawan Burryaga (a Wookie and fan-favorite) sensed lifeforms in some of the larger pieces. Luckily, thanks to Jedi Master Avar Kriss, they were quick enough to use the Force to save millions of lives by stopping the debris.

This event was a precursor to a bigger disaster to come. Hyperspace lanes were closed, causing many ships to exit the lanes and be stranded in Deep Space. On top of that, there were other pieces of the Legacy Run that were coming out all over the galaxy. Stopping these “Emergences” became the Republic’s top priority.

The Emergences

This disaster was unheard of and there was no previous experience to pull from. So the Republic was caught off guard when seven pieces of the Legacy Run exploded out of Hyperspace in the Ab Dalis system. Six of them flew through without any damage, but the seventh hit a planet and killed over twenty million people. 

There were a total of forty Emergences across the galaxy. Kevan Tarr, who was a slicer (hacker) and technician on Hetzal, was able to use a massive array of Navidroids to map where Emergences were expected to, well, emerge in the future. Unfortunately, in order to get the map to be accurate, several Emergences had to take place, resulting in untold numbers of lives being lost.

After the Ringlite System Emergence, Lina Soh expanded the closure of Hyperspace lanes even further across the Outer Rim. Avar Kriss went to the San Tekkas to find answers. The San Tekkas were Hyperspace prospectors and were their best bet at finding an answer as to why this happened. They suggested finding the Emergence that would have the flight recorder to hear the last few moments before the disaster.

The Nihil

Unsurprisingly, the Nihil were behind this attack. The ship that Legacy Run struck was a Nihil ship. Marchion Ro was able to use the Paths to fly into pre-existing lanes to cause the disaster. This was a grand way for him to introduce the Nihil to the galaxy at large. They also utilized the Emergences to extort planets under the guise of “protection” as they were able to predict where they were going to strike. 

The first Emergence led Garello Technologies to flee the Ab Dalis system. However, on their way out, they were attacked by the Nihil, specifically Lourna Dee and her Tempest. Due to her success with this mission, Marchion Ro gave her permission to lead a raid on a wealthy family on the planet Elphrona, expecting it to be quick and easy.

Despite his approval, Ro tipped off the Jedi that were posted at the Elphrona Outpost. This led to Ro and Dee kidnapping Loden Greatstorm, a Jedi Master and the true reason the raid was approved. Ro wanted to capture a Jedi for reasons unknown.

Avar Kriss, Marshal

After the Emergences were stopped, Avar Kriss, Master Jora Malli, and many other Jedi were headed to Starlight Beacon for the dedication ceremony. Unfortunately, they were attacked by Nihil, aiming to kill Kriss, the “Hero of Hetzal”. Kriss was able to connect all of the Jedi through the Force, allowing them to coordinate their defense and share information immediately. The Nihil were defeated with minimal Jedi lives lost, even though the marauders were using small Hyperspace jumps to throw them off.

After the battle, they arrived at Starlight Beacon. The lives of the Jedi and citizens that were lost during the Emergences were honored and commemorated. After the dedication, Grand Masters Yoda and Pra-Tre Veter offered Kriss the position of marshal of Starlight Beacon. This meant that Avar Kriss would be the leader of the Jedi onboard the station and assign task forces to handle events in the Outer Rim. She accepted.

During the dedication, newly appointed Jedi Master Elzar Mann experienced a vision through the Force that showed him and his fellow Jedi dying horrifically. Shaken, Mann left the station.

Featured in:

Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule - January 5, 2021 - Adult Novel

A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland - January 5, 2021 - Junior Novel

Part 2: The Drengir Crisis

The Drengir were a major threat to the Jedi, however, were rarely mentioned in the adult novels. They were introduced in the YA novel Into the Dark and were the main focus of the first two volumes of the High Republic comic book series published by Marvel Comics.

The Amaxine Station

During the Great Hyperspace Disaster, several ships were stranded at an ancient space station in Deep Space after being spat out from their Hyperspace lanes. The Amaxine Station was abandoned in a system with a dying star but was mostly intact. There were three main groups that were stranded there: smugglers, Jedi, and pirates. 

The smugglers— Leox Gyasi, Affie Hollow, and Geode— worked with the Jedi. Master Cohmac Vitus, Wayseeker Orla Jareni, Knight Dez Rydan, and Padawan Reath Silas worked together to find a way off the station. While exploring, the Jedi discovered four Sith statues that emanated Dark Side energy. When they were able to escape, they took the statues with them back to Coruscant. This led to the breaking of the seal the Sith had placed on the Drengir.

After realizing their mistake, they tried to return them to the station and seal them again but discovered that the pirates from before were actually Nihil. The Nihil were planning to use the station as a base. The Drengir, Jedi, and Nihil engaged in battle until Silas opened the escape pods leading to the Drengir and Nihil getting sucked into space. However, the Great Progenitor of the Drengir remained alive, awakening all the Drengir that were sleeping across the Outer Rim.

Sedri Minor

Starlight responded to a distress call in the Kazlin system only to find a horrifying sight: the corpse of a Hutt. Keeve Trennis, a newly knighted Jedi; Sskeer, her former Master; and Terec and Ceret, Force-bonded Jedi twins, were attacked by a Nihil aboard the Hutt’s ship, the Ataraxia. Sskeer brutally murdered the Nihil as revenge for the arm that he lost in the battle of Kur. Avar Kriss, on her way to the Ataraxia, sent him and Ceret to Sedri Minor to find out where the ship’s cargo, full of crops, came from.

On Sedri Minor, Ceret was surprised by the Drengir and fell victim to their mind control. Terec, aboard the Ataraxia, also began showing symptoms and violent tendencies due to their bond with Ceret. Keeve discovered that several people had gone missing from a local village where the crops were grown. Many believed that part of the planet was cursed since most of the crops began to decay. Keeve, Avar, and Terec jumped into a hole in the crop field where they discovered Sskeer, replete with a new arm made of Drengir vines. He captured all of them in massive roots.

Aboard Starlight Beacon, the autopsy of the Hutt revealed that it did not die due to the Nihil’s blasters, but because it was infected by Drengir. Back under the planet, Keeve was able to get through to Sskeer and he released the bonds the Drengir had on him. 

Then, Myarga the Hutt and her crew showed up. They immediately started attacking the Jedi after assuming they were behind the attack. Avar told Myarga about the Drengir and the actual cause of her cohort’s death. They reached a delicate truce, working together to destroy the Drengir across the Outer Rim.

The Great Progenitor

Avar and Myarga traveled across the Outer Rim, destroying Drengir everywhere they went. Until Daivak, where they were beaten back. Avar called for all the Jedi on Starlight to help. Keeve stayed behind with Sskeer, who was kept sealed in a stasis field to prevent the Drengir-infected Jedi from lashing out. Keeve used her powers to reach into Sskeer’s mind, hoping to reach the “root mind” of the Drengir. She succeeded, finding the Great Progenitor, who was hiding deep in Wild Space in a place called Mulita.

The Jedi and Hutts planned a massive assault on Mulita to end the Crisis at its core. Avar went deep into the forest to find the Progenitor alone. Keeve and her merry band of Jedi ran after her to help her destroy it. The Progenitor revealed its plan to use Avar’s unique power, creating a telepathic network among Jedi, to take control of all the Jedi and spread the Drengir all over the galaxy. However, this was its undoing. Avar connected with all the Jedi on Mulita to create a powerful Force-field to keep the Great Progenitor sealed away, cutting off its connection to the rest of the hive. 

The Drengir were destroyed, but the Jedi didn’t have time to celebrate. As they were on Mulita, another catastrophe had occurred. The Nihil had destroyed the Republic Fair on Valo.

Featured in:

Into the Dark by Claudia Gray - February 2, 2021 - Young Adult Novel

THR Volume 1: There is No Fear - September 7, 2021 - Marvel Comic

THR Volume 2: The Heart of Drengir - December 7, 2021 - Marvel Comic

The Edge of Balance Volume 1 by Shima Shinya and Justina Ireland - September 7, 2021 - Manga

Part 3: The Republic Fair on Valo

The Republic Fair was going to be one of Lina Soh’s Great Works until disaster struck. The Fair was designed to be a way to show the galaxy that they all remained united despite the Nihil and their violent ways. It was also a way for Soh to improve relations with the Togruta people who were in an uneasy alliance with the Republic. Of course, the Nihil had other plans. 

Before the attack on the Fair, Ro had to go on an important mission to Rystan. Deep in a cave on the icy planet, there was a shrine to an ancient creature called the Great Leveler. This beast was a monster that devoured the Force. Whenever a Force-sensitive being would approach it, they would feel immense fear and would be cut off from the Force, unable to do anything. Ro’s ancestors revered the monster as an agent of balance. They kept it safe in the bowels of Rystan until the Ro family could take their revenge on the Jedi. 

Attack on Valo

The Nihil began their attack when they knew the Jedi would be spread out the most. They had been the ones who seeded the Drengir around the Outer Rim in order to thin out the Jedi response to their massacre. They used a massive cloud of toxic gas to kill hundreds of thousands of people. The masks they wore protected them during the ground assault. Meanwhile, another one of the Tempests was attacking from the air. Mass chaos ensued.

Eventually, the Jedi were able to turn the tide of the attack once communications were restored and the Togruta fleet arrived to save their ruler. The Jedi allowed a pirate to escape from their custody in order to find the Nihil’s base of operations. This led Bell Zettifar and Indeera Stokes, two Jedi stowaways, to Grizal.

Grizal

Grizal was a small planet in the Mid Rim covered in forests, a safe place for the Nihil to work without fear of being discovered. However, after Bell and Indeera arrived aboard the pirate ship, they called Stellan Gios and his group of Jedi to attack the base. During the battle, Bell found his missing Master, Loden Greatstorm. He was kept at the base as a prisoner. 

The Nihil were caught completely off guard, leading to an overwhelming win for the Jedi. However, two things made this a hollow victory. The first being that Marchion Ro was undiscovered and the Jedi assumed that Lourna Dee, a Tempest Runner, was the leader of the group. This will cause the Jedi to focus all of their attention on her instead of the true Eye.

The second was the death of Loden Greatstorm. Shortly after his discovery, Bell and Loden felt an intense fear, their connection to the Force severed. Although Bell couldn’t see the cause due to his hallucinations, Loden was turned into a husk, literally turning to ash after the battle. Ro released his biggest weapon: The Great Leveler.

Featured in:

The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott - June 29, 2021 - Adult Novel

Race to Crashpoint Tower by Daniel Jose Older - June 29, 2021 - Junior Novel

Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland - July 27, 2021 - Young Adult Novel

Tempest Runner by Cavan Scott - August 31, 2021 - Audiodrama

Trail of Shadows - April 13, 2022 - Marvel Comic

Part 4: The Fall of Starlight Beacon

In 230 BBY, the Nihil accomplished their most devastating attack to date. Starlight Beacon was destroyed. Starlight was summoned to the planet Eiram to help rebuild after massive cyclones destroyed parts of the planet. Avar Kriss, wanting to focus on the Nihil and Lourna Dee, left Stellan Gios in charge of the station.

With the station packed full of displaced Eirami and people seeking aid from Nihil attacked, Marchion Ro began his stealth takeover of Starlight.

Infiltration

Before coming to Starlight, Ro ventured to Planet X, the homeworld of the Great Leveler’s species, the Nameless. He sent three Nihil onboard, posing as Rathtar wranglers on their way to sell their catch. However, the cages they had were filled with seven Nameless. They released them in order to cause chaos among the Jedi.

Kriss eventually returned with Lourna Dee and her Tempest in custody. Then the bombs went off. The top spire of Starlight exploded, leaving the station in two parts. This destroyed communication lines both on the ship and between Starlight and Kriss. The Ataraxia, Kriss’ ship, docked with the top half of the station. 

Orbalin, a Jedi Archivist aboard the Ataraxia, tried to use the ship’s tractor beam to hold the station together, but, of course, Dee’s Tempest broke free. Dee killed Orbalin and stole the ship, flying off to make her escape.

Contingency

The station continued to break apart. Stellan contacted the Queen of Eiram to tell her about the situation. She informed him that, with its current trajectory, one half of the station will fall on one of Eiram’s largest cities. If it came to that, she would blow the station from the ground to save the lives of her people. Stellan agreed. The Queen would wait until the last possible second to do it.

Onboard, so many other things were going on. The top half of the station fell to Eiram. The Nameless wandered the station, killing Jedi and traumatizing others. Pilots that were only there to fix their ships were getting restless. The Medical Spire was full of patients unable to save themselves. 

Luckily, Bell Zettifar and Elzar Mann figured out a way to fix all of these problems (well, except the whole station breaking in half thing). Elzar sealed off different parts of the station to contain the Nameless. After sealing them off, they rearranged parts of the station corridors to allow smaller ships to fly through the inside and get to the cargo bay. The plan was to then blow the door off the cargo bay allowing them to escape. Bell realized that the Medical Spire could fall to Eiram unscathed if it was separated, so he crafted a bomb to blow it off the station.

Even all of that wouldn’t prevent Starlight’s collision course with Eiram. Stellan Gios, after making sure everyone else was evacuated, was able to use the station’s thrusters to change its course, sending it plummeting into the oceans instead of the city. He sacrificed himself to save millions.

Stormseeds

Marchion Ro, aboard his ship The Gaze Electric, watched the destruction of Starlight Beacon in person. After it fell to the surface, he broadcasted a message across the galaxy, announcing that he was the true Eye of the Nihil and he was responsible for the destruction of Starlight. He declared that there was no more hope, that the galaxy was his.

He then deployed powerful weapons called Stormseeds. They destroyed anything that was traveling in hyperspace in their area of deployment. This allowed Ro to control a vast portion of the Outer Rim which the Republic called the Occlusion Zone. 

With the Nihil’s barrier set up and the greatest beacon of hope destroyed, immense pressure was building for Lina Soh and the Jedi.  

Featured in:

Mission to Disaster by Justina Ireland - March 1, 2022 - Junior Novel

The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray - January 4, 2022 - Adult Novel

THR Volume 3: Jedi’s End - May 3, 2022 - Marvel Comic

Midnight Horizon by Daniel Jose Older - February 1, 2022 - Young Adult Novel

The Edge of Balance Volume 2 by Shima Shinya and Daniel Jose Older - February 22, 2022 - Manga

Eye of the Storm - May 3, 2022 - Marvel Comic

Further Reading

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the High Republic Phase 1. The amount of content in the books is incredible and well worth the reading. I highly recommend picking up the young adult books so you can read the whole story of Affie Hollow, Leox Gyasi, and Geode (their navigator who happens to be a sentient rock). 

I didn’t even mention the great storyline of The High Republic Adventures. This IDW comic series features Zeen Mrala, Lula Talisola, Qort, and Farzala Tarabal, young padawans fighting against the Nihil alongside the wacky crew of Masters aboard Starlight Beacon, most notably Torban Buck (a.k.a. Buckets of Blood). 

Ultimately, this article gave you everything you need to know before Phase 3 but the story is best experienced by reading the books. There are tons of other great characters that didn’t get the airtime that they deserved! 

For light and life!