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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor puts the Empire in the back seat. It's one of the things I most enjoyed about its story – in my Star Wars Jedi Survivor review, I talk about how Respawn's sequel is a benchmark for what modern Star Wars can be as Disney moves ever further away from the Skywalker saga. And key to that effort is Survivor's exploration of one of the most iconic but least-explored eras in Star Wars history.
This article features minor story spoilers for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
A few hours into Cal's new adventure, the protagonist enters a ruined building on the planet of Koboh. As he explores that building, he comes upon an inert droid trapped beneath rubble. Approaching the bot, Cal uses his ability to sense the memories attached to objects to look into the droid's past. Immediately, his mind opens to a scene hundreds of years in the past, to an era known as the High Republic.
Generally explored through novels and comics, rather than movies, games, or TV, the High Republic is an era of Star Wars history running for around 400 years – from 500 years before the events of A New Hope to 100 years before that original trilogy. It's an era in which the Galactic Republic was at the height of its powers; an era of peace and exploration throughout the galaxy in which the Jedi Order was also at its peak.
It's also an era of rampant spice piracy, which is where characters like The Force Awaken's Maz Kanata tie in. Survivor makes brief reference to the Nihil, a band of terrorists who harry the Jedi throughout the High Republic era, and which several books set during that time period focus on.
Nihil-ist
Survivor, however, is not particularly interested in the biggest players in the Republic – Cal, after all, strives to exist under the Empire, more than a century after the end of the High Republic. What developer Respawn is looking to do, though, is make sure Survivor's audience winds up understanding what the High Republic is, because it's set to be the Star Wars universe's next big push.
Two high-profile Star Wars projects are already confirmed to be closely linked to the High Republic. The Acolyte, a sith-focused TV show, is coming to Disney Plus in 2024; while Star Wars Eclipse, set to explore an "uncharted section of the galaxy," is expected from game developer Quantic Dream around 2024/25. That's in addition to a kid-friendly TV show and rumors of further film projects.
Survivor's take on the era is gentle, but it provides explanation and context for the High Republic – links to the Jedi's expansion and the galaxy's frontier – in an attempt to ensure that when it arrives, a few more fans will know when and how the new setting fits into the wider universe. Already one of the best Star Wars games, Respawn's sequel could prove to be an important starting point for a galaxy far, far away that's not cast in the image of the Skywalker family.
Get started on the High Republic with our Star Wars Jedi Survivor tips.
