Star Wars: The High Republic unveils its cast of villains

(Image credit: Disney)

Disney has pulled the curtain back on a number of villains set to feature in Star Wars: The High Republic next year, and they look downright intimidating.

Over on StarWars.com, a slew of brand new villains were revealed for the series taking place roughly 200 years before The Phantom Menace. First up, there's the Drengir, a "sentient plant-life who are looking to reap a terrible harvest across the galactic frontier," according to High Republic writer Cavan Scott.

Star Wars: The High Republic's Drengir — (Image credit: Disney)

Well that looks like pure nightmare fuel. If it's more humanoid villains you're after, Disney has you covered in that respect too, with savage marauders called The Nihil based in the Outer Rim.

Unlike the Drengir though, the Nihil have a slightly more traditional power structure of three main divisions called Tempests, each of which is controlled by a a supreme Captain. "They’re the stuff of nightmares, able to appear anywhere almost at will," says writer Charles Soule. "They use bizarre, intimidating tactics — chemical weapons, poison — anything that might kill you, they’ll use."

Star Wars: The High Republic's Nihil — (Image credit: Disney)

Rounding out the band of newly-revealed villains is a enigmatic character called Marchion Ro, an elite operative within the Nihil. He is "the Eye of the Nihil, as was his father before him," explains Soule. Ro doesn't actually give out the orders, but "everything revolves around him."

Star Wars: The High Republic's Marchion Ro — (Image credit: Disney)

On the heroes of things, Disney revealed last week that the High Republic would be featuring a Wookiee Jedi for the first time in the galaxy. The High Republic might not be kicking off until January 2021, but there's plenty to look forward to in the new series.

If you're a little confused about where exactly The High Republic fits in the overall Star Wars canon, you can check out our Star Wars timeline, the perfect way to get up to speed before the new series debuts next year.

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.