Disney is preparing for something massive with Star Wars: The High Republic – a first of its kind for the franchise release of multiple novels, comic books and other media platforms. This mega-event is coming later this year, but we now know a few details about some of the main characters from the upcoming stories! Let’s meet these Jedi, shall we!
Catch up with all news of Star Wars: The High Republic
All of us Star Wars fans were very excited to learn the first details about the upcoming mega-event called Star Wars: The High Republic. This will include new releases on various platforms targeting different audiences.
The High Republic era we are going to witness from these new books, comic books and other releases tells various interconnected stories set about two hundred years before the beginning of the Skywalker Saga with The Phantom Menace.
“Readers will see a very wide variety of Jedi in this era,” says Lucasfilm Publishing creative director Michael Siglain, quoted by starwars.com. “This is a hopeful, optimistic time, when the Jedi are good and noble, and we want to reflect that in their characters while still giving them enough depth and dimension so that their individual personalities and idiosyncrasies shine through. The Jedi Knights of the High Republic are both aspirational and inspirational. In short, they’re the good guys.”
This is a time of heroes. The Jedi are at their highest. Everybody respects them.
On a first glimpse someone might think this to be a fairytale. Numerous dangers will spawn from all corners of the known galaxy to provoke and test not only the skills and training, but the spirits of the Jedi too!
The first releases are expected this Fall. To keep the hype up Disney revealed recently some of the biographies and character information about some of the main heroes of these stories.
The main characters are going to span from noble masters, to padawan learners to quirky and unpredictable jedi.
“We’ve put a lot of time and effort into making our Jedi feel like real, rounded individuals,” writer Cavan Scott, one of the architects of The High Republic, tells StarWars.com. “They are all different, approaching the Force in individual and unique ways and yet are united with a common goal. They serve not out of unwavering dogma, but a deep passion to protect light and life. And they’re all at different stages in their individual journeys. Some have experience on their side, some have the exuberance of youth. Some are still finding their place in the Order while others step naturally into leadership roles. Some may not have chosen to work with the Jedi they’ve been posted alongside, but all are dedicated to be a guiding light for the galaxy. Individually they are strong, together they are invincible, but like the best heroes they each have lessons to learn and challenges to overcome. Exciting times lie ahead.”
So, here are the few characters and their personal backgrounds that we know already:
Loden Greatstorm
Loden Greatstorm is known to be very wise. Teaching comes naturally to him and is one of the best in his profession.
He’s got a good sense of humor, but is also ready to draw the maximum from every situation and turn it into a great learning experience for himself and those around him.
From this brief description and the concept art I get a feeling he is going to accumulate some Indian (as in Native American) qualities and his behavior would match the one of the great Chiefs we have seen in those old classic movies (not Avatar!). He also seems to be more of a scholar rather than a fighter and a battlefield soldier.
Stellan Gios
Stellan is another very respected Jedi Master. His optimism is one of his strongest qualities.
Stellan is known to be connected to Avar Kriss (more about her below). Although their duties often split them to the various corners of the galaxy, when together, they form a formidable force and are a great team.
Stellan is also very strong in the Force and a great teacher. At the start of this project he is known to be stationed in the Jedi Temple of a remove outpost on the distant planet Caragon-Viner.
Yes, you have guessed it, that is the first mention of the planet and we are about to learn a lot more about it in the upcoming releases.
The male character on the cover of Into the Dark (young adult novel by Claudia Gray) looks very much like Stellan.
Avar Kriss
Avar Kriss is described as the perfect example of the Jedi-hood. She is extremely positive, very bright and always strives to see the good in everything and everyone.
Her compassion and willingness to sacrifice herself over others are the reason she is known to be “the best of the best”.
Avar Kris is known to form a great team with her fellow Master Stellan Gios, although they seem to be spending most of their time as Masters apart from each other.
I can’t tell why, but something about Avar annoys me. I remember how at the end of Episode 8 I started slightly disliking Rey, because of her pure nature and the fact that we were not able to witness or even get a hint of anything negative about this characeter.
Same, perhaps, can be said for Avar. She is not dogmatic, as Disney says, she is ” invigorated about life on the frontier and the challenges it brings, and is an inspiration for those who work with her”.
Hmmm… could she be the one to be tempted by the Dark Side… only to prove that no matter how strong you are, the Dark Side knows how to exploit your weaknesses and does it well.
Or perhaps she will be the main hero of one of the books dedicated to the younger (youngest) of the Star Wars fans? If so, then it makes sense to keep her so pure and noble. I would love a twist in her storyline, though…
Avar seems to appear on the cover of Light of the Jedi – an adult novel by Charles Soule.
Keeve Trennis
Keeve is a young Jedi, carrying a lot of expectations on her shoulders regarding her “great future”. For some reason, however, she doesn’t believe in herself. But why? Who made her doubt her own powers and abiities?
When we meet her in one of the stories should would be a freshly knighted Jedi, as of a few weeks ago. She’s impulsive and quick-witted, which makes her an ideal source for trouble.
She occupies the same area as Avar – Starlight Beacon, which is not related to the item from World Of Warcraft. It is a space station, built during the High Republic Era.
On the image above the designer who drew her seems to have mixed Keeve with what appears to be a more mature and self-confident woman. That’s what I get from her face and pose at least.
Vernestra Rwoh
Vern, as she is more commonly known (thank the Force for that) is another new Jedi Knight. This MIrialan was Stellan’s padawan until very recently.
She is known to be one of the youngest Knights in a generation, earning the title at only sixteen years of age. Bah, Anakin doesn’t seem so special now. Just kidding.
Unlike Anakin, Vern is a great example to the other young learners. She works hard and is very devoted to the Order.
Vern appears on the cover of A Test of Courage – a middle-Grade novel by Justina Ireland
While there is no confirmation when we will see these characters, we know that they will appear in more than one release of this multi-platform project. That’s the beauty of Star Wars The High Republic – for the first time since Disney took over and created the new canon we are going to see multiple storylines told separately, but with characters showing up and participating in more than one platform and release. Kind of like Ahsoka and her appearances in several different media releases now.
The world of the High Republic will give birth to new, exciting (and hopefully) memorable and even legendary villains. So far we know little of the bad guys that will cause trouble for the Jedi, but from the first screenshots we saw earlier, they kinda look like space pirates and/or space vikings. I personally love that concept! It would be nice of the next time Disney decides to reveal more of this project, they tell us more of the villains of these new stories and what the Jedi will be facing.
How do you feel about The High Republic project? I, for one, am excited. First because it’s unexplored territory by Disney so far and second because it is going to span across multiple platforms (hoping for a video game of the Jedi Fallen Order quality at least). Most of all, however, I like the idea that we are finally done with the Skywalker Saga and about to meet a ton of new people and see the galaxy from a different angle.
