The next big thing in a galaxy far, far away has been delayed.Star Wars: The High Republic, an ambitious publishing initiative that was announced by Lucasfilm earlier this year, has been pushed to 2021. The event is set to tell a brand new story within the franchise and will take place across various publishers and mediums, including novels, YA books and comics.
Originally, the first titles were expected to arrive in the fall. Instead, both Charles Soule’sLight of the Jediand Justina Ireland’s middle-grade novelA Test of Couragewill now be released on July 10, 2025. Claudia Gray’s young adult novelInto the Darkhas moved to July 09, 2025. Michael Siglain, Creative Director for Lucasfilm Publishing, had this to say.
“‘Always in motion is the future.’ That quote from Yoda is just as relevant today as it was when The Empire Strikes Back was released forty years ago. And while it applies to the uncertainty of the future, it also applies to Star Wars: The High Republic. Star Wars: The High Republic is a massive, interconnected, cross-publisher initiative that will establish anall-new era of Star Wars storytelling.”
“Set 200 years before the events of the prequel trilogy, this mega-story will give readers and Star Wars fans of every age an entry point into The High Republic, a time of galactic renaissance, when the Jedi Knights were at their height. Given these unprecedented times, we have made the decision to move the launch of Star Wars: The High Republic to January 2021 to ensure that the launch is as grand and epic as it deserves to be.”
With theStar Warsmovies taking a break until at least December 2022 following the release ofThe Rise of Skywalkerlast year, this was intended to be a huge event for Star Wars fans to help fill the void. Whereas many of the canon novels help fill in gaps and could be referred to as side stories, this interconnected storyline was being treated like a new trilogy.
AStar Wars: The High Republictrailer was released when the initiative was first announced in February showcasing how seriously Lucasfilm was taking things. Concept art, new characters, ambitious storylines, a writer’s room full of experienced Star Wars storytellers. This is going to be a massive undertaking. Speaking further, Michael Siglain had this to add.
“I know that waiting isn’t easy. And I know fans have been excited for this since it was first announced. I’m right there with you. I’ve also been waiting to tell this story for years. And while I still can’t say much about it, I can tell you that our story architects, Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel Jose Older, Cavan Scott, and Charles Soule, are continuing to work away on this new era of stories. You’ll hear from them this summer, and when you do, be sure to ask them about ‘The Hero of Hetzal,’ ‘the twins,’ the ‘Blade of Bardotta,’ the Starros and San Tekka clans, and the Storms.”
“You’re not going to believe what they’ve got in store for the Jedi and the Republic. So from the bottom of my heart, I thank you. I thank you for reading, and I thank you for your understanding and patience. Star Wars: The High Republic has been a true labor of love for us, and we can’t wait for readers to experience the golden age of the Jedi. Until then, and as always, stay strong, stay safe, and may the Force be with you.”
While it has largely been assumed that August’s Star Wars Celebration will be delayed, this latest news adds further fuel to that fire. Pre-orders for the first wave ofStar Wars: The High Republictitles are available now. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as further details are made available. This news comes to us viaStarWars.com.
