The exact month for the launch of Lucasfilms' third phase of the High Republic’s storytelling was revealed.
Lucasfilm recently put into motion a new publishing initiative that focuses on an entirely new era of Star Wars, one set across the span of 100-250 years before The Phantom Menance.
The company separated these new stories into three phases, each mirroring how the Skywalker Saga was told. Phase 1 took place roughly 100 years before Episode 1, the second jumped even further back, taking place about 150 years prior to that, while the third would then continue the original storylines from the first set of stories.
Currently, the High Republic is in Phase 2, having already released three books and a handful of comic issues.
But many fans are anxious to get back to where Phase 1 left off, especially since it has a plethora of cliffhangers to resolve. Thankfully, now readers can learn exactly when they can expect Phase 3 to begin.
When Will Phase 3 of High Republic Start?
In an interview with Star Wars, Director of Creative Franchise at Lucasfilm Publishing Michael Siglain teased the upcoming High Republic young adult anthology book set to release next year, just before Phase 3 of the initiative begins.
Siglain teased that these new anthology stories will “inform, enhance, or tease one of the three phases of High Republic storytelling:”
“What I can say without giving too much away is that all the stories in this anthology connect to inform, enhance, or tease one of the three phases of High Republic storytelling. You'll see some of your favorite characters in there, and you'll also see some all-new characters in there. I can say that Zoraida’s takes place before the events of Convergence. And I can say that Claudia Gray’s takes place one day after the fall of Starlight Beacon.”
He teased how fans will see more about the upcoming anthology “early next year and certainly at Celebration” and that Phase 3 will “kick off in November 2023:”
“You're going to see a lot more about this early next year and certainly at Celebration. We are moving the on-sale date for this to September 2023. It gives us a little more breathing room after the end of Phase II and moves it a little bit closer to Phase III as we kick it off in November 2023.”
Additionally, George Mann, one of the many authors for various High Republic books, took a moment to tease Phase 2’s focus on Jedha and how the storyline will naturally build toward some big moments for the legendary ancient moon:
“It was a lot of fun to pull the threads from all the different stories into the battle and then let them go again to take those different threads into the other books. It was a lot of juggling, but it was a lot of fun.”
The Future of the High Republic
Thankfully, even though the excitement for Phase 3 is high, the prequel-esque era of Phase 2 has been solid so far, which makes the brief deviation more palatable.
The current big bad of the Era, The Nihil, are still at large, and their leader, Marchion Ro, made some significant power plays at the end of Phase 1. That includes using his mysterious Jedi-killing beast, something Phase 2 has worked at exploring further.
How will the Republic and the Jedi Order triumph over these insurmountable odds? Thankfully, fans will start to learn in just under a year.
For those who haven’t yet hopped aboard the High Republic bandwagon, now’s the best time to do so.
The Acolyte, an upcoming Disney+ series and the first live-action Star Wars project set in the High Republic, is right around the corner. Odds are that the books will likely introduce some concepts and characters seen in the show.
The end of Phase 3 could even directly lead into the show.
The High Republic is filled with limitless potential, so hopefully, Lucasfilm continues to explore it for many years to come.
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