To say we're excited for Star Wars: The High Republic is an understatement. The new multi-format series will be the first canon Star Wars series to take place before The Phantom Menace – 200 years prior, to be precise. And now, having been teased earlier this year, the five main Jedi at the series' centre have been revealed.
StarWars.com has pulled back the curtain on those whose stories and sagas will play out across novels, YA books, and comics.
The first, Avar Kriss, is described as the "best of the best," the embodiment of all things Jedi: a selfless leader, and the "brightest, most noble example of Jedi-hood." That sounds a little too-good-to-be-true as, if Star Wars has ever taught me anything, anyone described as practically perfect is usually hiding something. Given the main saga's track for Jedi turning to the Dark Side, Kriss might be no different. One to watch, for sure.
Then there’s Loden Greatstorm, who’s very much in the Yoda mould of Jedi Masters. He’s apparently “strong and wise, with a good sense of humour.” Feel free to swipe that one for your Tinder profiles.
Next is Keeve Trennis, who has a touch of the Anakins about her. She’s a “young firebrand Jedi” that also is “quick-witted and more impulsive than she should be.” Expect Trennis to be on a very short leash.
The final pair of Jedi are Stellan Gios and Vernestra Rwoh. Stellan “is an optimistic and well-respected Jedi Master… Strong in the Force and a natural teacher, Stellan is currently stationed at one of the Jedi Temple outposts on the distant planet of Caragon-Viner.” Rwoh, meanwhile, will likely be an analogue for the younger generation, especially as she’s a 16-year-old positioned as someone forging her way in a world of Jedi decades older than her.
“Readers will see a very wide variety of Jedi in this era. 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,” Lucasfilm Publishing creative director Michael Siglain said of the unveiling.
We’ll catch our first glimpse of the new Jedi in action in August and, beyond that, who knows? We could be looking at this quintet one day becoming just as iconic as Rey or Luke Skywalker on the big screen. And it all starts later this year.
For more on The High Republic, check out the original announcement – including a preview of the upcoming slate, such as the Marvel comic series.
Relive the Skywalker saga with our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order.
