The High Republic publishing initiative is a massive project – multiple authors developed a new era of Star Wars over four years. It has now come to an end. The big question: Is The High Republic worth reading? And which parts if not all.
After 25 novels, 139 comic book issues, 22 short stories, 6 original manga graphic novels, and 5 audio originals, the High Republic has officially come to an end with Trials of the Jedi.
The article does NOT contain story spoilers outside of what was shared in marketing campaigns and official announcements.
It’s been a long journey in terms of content. It’s impressive that they managed to put out so much in just four years.
Because of how extensive the High Republic initiative is, we are able to explore multiple storylines, characters, places, politics, and even history. Building a new canon era in Star Wars is a titanic task when we consider everything that’s involved.
Getting into the High Republic is no small task. It will take a considerable amount of time and money. Hopefully, this will help you decide if it’s worthy or not. Before getting into the review, we have to address what the High Republic is.
What is The High Republic
Star Wars: The High Republic is a multi-platform publishing project with books and comics for all ages. This era lasted from 500 BBY to 100 BBY, it is a time of expansion, exploration, and prosperity. It is also said to be the golden age for the Jedi Order.
Why did the Jedi fall from grace and who’s responsible for it? If you want to find out, sit down, have patience, and get excited to get immersed in this previously unknown era of Star Wars!
The High Republic is divided into three phases. Phase I introduced the first stories of this era back in 2021. Phase II finished with Path of Vengeance and Phase III has recently come to an end with Trials of the Jedi.
Here’s some context to what the High Republic is all about.
Phase I: Light of the Jedi
This is a time of unprecedented peace and progress for the Republic. The Starlight Beacon stationed on the Outer Rim is the physical representation of everything the Republic and Jedi Order aspire to be. A symbol of hope, unity, and strength.
Despite this, the vast galaxy still remains mostly unexplored. There are dangerous creatures, mysterious planets, and a new enemy that could destroy everything the Republic has created.
Phase II: Quest of the Jedi
Phase II takes place 150 years before Phase I (Star Wars being Star Wars). This is an era of hyperspace exploration and expansion, many hyperlanes haven’t been discovered and it’s hard to communicate between distant systems without communication buoys.
Pathfinder teams are sent all over the galaxy to establish relationships with new planets. An everlasting conflict between the Eiram and E’ronoh systems threatens to turn the galaxy upside down while a mysterious Force cult draws the attention of both the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic.
Phase III: Trials of the Jedi
Phase III begins one year after the end of Phase I. The destruction of the Starlight Beacon and the continuous victories of Marchion Ro and The Nihil have brought the Republic to its knees. An Occlusion Zone has been established by the Nihil and every effort to destroy or cross it has been futile.
Marchion Ro’s power and influence have increased exponentially but so has his image as an authority, something that’s against his nature.
There are many questions, but one thing is sure, Marchion Ro is transforming. Will this create an opportunity for the Jedi and the Republic or is he going to become even more powerful?
Plot
For me, the most important thing in a game, book, movie, or series is always the story. It doesn’t need to be something out of this world, as long as it’s decent, I’m more than open to giving it a try.
Before getting into The High Republic, I was afraid that it would not “feel as Star Wars”. While harsh, I think it’s a very valid concern that people might have before deciding to invest their time and money into it.
The High Republic is something new. Obviously, it has some familiar elements that are a core part of Star Wars, but for the most part, it’s a brand new series of stories.
The plot is deep, extensive, and complex when compared to what we have in movies and most series. It covers topics like the relationship between different cultures, politics, different concepts of the Force, how the Jedi face a predator built to hunt them, what happens when a chaos-loving tyrant becomes the face of a government, and more.
All of this without leaving that mysterious and almost nostalgic essence that is fundamental for Star Wars media. I consider that the High Republic has something for almost every type of fan.
There are elements from Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor, Andor, Rogue One, The Bad Batch, all three trilogies, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, Clone Wars, and The Acolyte. Some are more present than others, but there is definitely something for everyone.
There are dozens of storylines that become more connected with each other towards the second half of each phase. Very similar to how Marvel built up everything until Endgame.
This comparison might not be fair to the High Republic, but it’s a simple way to let you know the scale of the story and how the stakes increase with each new novel.
Characters
Getting to know all the new characters and their stories was overwhelming, especially because there were very few images I could use as a reference. Most times, I ended up picturing these characters as actors or characters from different media.
While every author did a good job describing the physical aspect of these new characters, I still had to use my own imagination, which isn’t a bad thing by any means. At this point there are illustrations of every major character out there, so even if giving a face to many characters is a struggle for you, you can just search for an image of any character and you’ll learn how they look.
It’s impossible to talk about all characters, and I definitely don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll give a general description of the main factions of this era.
Republic
First, we have the Republic. During the High Republic, the Supreme Chancellors are always on top of each important event. Whether it’s leading a combined effort of hundreds of people or being present at an important location to ensure that everything goes as well as possible.
It was nice to see for a change that the Republic was led by capable and caring politicians. Though I am just referring to the Supreme Chancellors, there were other politicians who were nothing but opportunist vultures.
Civilians and the Republic Defense Coalition were put to the test countless times. Even if fear and despair were a constant thing, they still showed courage when it mattered most. Seeing regular people standing up for themselves never gets old.
The Jedi Order
At its core, The Jedi Order is the same as the one we see in the movies and series. Their main purpose is to help, serve and protect the people of the galaxy. As you could expect, the order gets dragged into political and armed conflicts thanks to a particular group whose views are opposite from the Republic’s.
Getting to know the Jedi of this era is where you really spot the differences. All of them have different perspectives of the Force, some even perceive in a completely unique way. There’s also a lot less restrictions to what they are allowed to do, at least during a good portion of the story.
This era is witness to the achievements some really incredible Jedi. With a few exceptions, I think they surpass most Jedi from the Galactic Republic in terms of wisdom and combat skills.
There are many notable Jedi but my personal favorites are Avar Kriss, Burryaga, Vernestra Rwoh, Porter Engle and Reath Silas. The journey of each of these Jedi would be worthy of a movie or series. In their own way, all of them hit rock bottom but once they manage to return to the light, their growth is truly memorable.
It’s really refreshing to meet so many Jedi while also being able to see the development of most of them without a main character being the entire focus of the story.
Villains
Just like we have the heroes and saviors, there’s also the villains and antagonists. Star Wars is full of interesting and compelling villains. The High Republic is no exception.
The Path of the Open Hand, the Nihil, the Drengir, and the Nameless. I won’t go into detail to avoid spoilers but what I can say is that these are villains who come very close to breaking both the Republic and the Jedi.
Some are horrifying creatures that would make a Dathomirian Rancor look like a puppy. Others are groups founded after a simple, yet powerful idea. But the most dangerous enemy in the entirety of the High Republic is Marchion Ro.
Ro is very powerful force on his own, but what makes him so dangerous is his unpredictability and resourcefulness. Just when you think he’s going to do something, he takes the exact opposite approach. These traits, combined with his unmatched knowledge and brutality, are the reasons why he’s the leader of the Nihil.
As Star Wars fans, we are used to many of its media being relatively easy to anticipate. Not with the High Republic, and definitely not with Marchion Ro. There are very few villains in Star Wars who could match his chaotic nature. He is, without a doubt, one of the best villains in Star Wars.
Listening to the audiobooks
Most of the audio versions of the High Republic books (Amazon affiliate link) have been enjoyable for me. There are some things, like the pace of the narrator or the voice imitations, that could annoy some listeners depending on their taste. I rarely experienced any of this.
For me, what has been a hit or miss in the High Republic audiobooks is the selection of music. Sometimes it becomes repetitive or feels “unfitting” for the moment, but many other times it takes the experience to the highest level of immersion. Particularly when a huge battle is taking place.
Keep in mind that audiobooks are sold separately. If you want to listen and read at the same time, that means buying the same book twice. I suggest giving it a try with the first two novels of either Phase I or Phase II:
- Phase I: Light of the Jedi | Amazon link1
- Phase I: A Test of Courage | Amazon link
- Phase II: Path of Deceit | our Review | Amazon link
- Phase II: Convergence | our Review | Amazon link
What about the negatives
While I had an overall positive experience, there are a few things that must be taken into consideration. The first one is money.
Even if you only want to read the main novels, it still costs a decent amount of money, regardless of what format/device you decide to consume them on.
I wanted to get the most immersive experience, so I got both the digital and audiobook versions of all the books I’ve reviewed. Purchasing one book every couple of months is not a big deal. However, if you are starting now and want to read all of the novels, it’s definitely going to be an expensive journey.
As I stated, there are dozens of characters and storylines that are connected to each other. Sadly, it’s impossible to learn about all of them with just the novels.
Many important events happen in the different comicbook series. Some might be skipped, but others are essential to understanding the importance of a character or event.
A recurring issue that I had with the High Republic is that the pace of some stories is too slow. I like that authors are descriptive because it lets me picture the environment and characters with more clarity, but sometimes it’s just too much.
This issue is more present in Phase II. Since this Phase comes first in chronological order, it can discourage people who decided to start the High Republic with Phase II from continuing over the next two phases.
I’m someone who always finishes a book, especially if I paid for it, but I know many people who don’t hesitate to put a book down if it becomes too dull or boring.
Missing one of the High Republic’s main novels means that you can’t continue with the rest because the whole thing is a massive story. You may or may not be able to fill in the gaps from the next books, but it’s a risk.
Should you get into the High Republic
This is fairly easy to answer. If you have the money, time, and patience to get into a whole new era of Star Wars, then absolutely. The characters are complex, the stories amazing, and the world building is top-notch.
Since the type of media is very different, you can expect to see multiple styles of art and storytelling, which is refreshing.
This is also a very emotional journey. I got stressed countless times, mourned a few characters, and got angry that I had to wait months for the next story to be released. But I was also able to learn about new aspects of the Force, laughed a lot, felt relieved when a character survived, and had a lot of fun.
The High Republic’s culmination is one of the most bittersweet moments Star Wars has ever given me. Four years after the first novel launched, I can say that the time and money I invested into was definitely worth it. My suggestion is that you read the first two novels of Phase I, that will give you a very good idea of what to expect.
Learning about everything that’s included in the High Republic publishing effort can be overwhelming. Because of this, we made a guide detailing the reading order and list of the essential stories for those who only want to read the most important stuff.
- The links to Amazon include VULKK’s affiliate tag. If you purchase through them, you directly support us as we will receive a tiny commission from your purchase. ↩︎
