The Star Wars franchise is moving into a brand new era, which will provide storytellers from different mediums the opportunity to create something completely new within the galaxy far far away. This is part of a new, multimedia strategy from Lucasfilm.
Disney and Lucasfilm's plan will certainly see a lot of exciting changes in novels, comics and perhaps even on Disney Plus. However, how will these big creative changes impact the larger universe we already know? Here are 10 ways we think it will do so.
PLANETS
Every part of this franchises revolves around the locations that the characters can explore. In some ways, the various planets are actually characters by themselves. Iconic locations Coruscant or Tatooine give Star Wars a unique feel.
This new era can do two different things. It can firstly show us a completely different side to these planets, demonstrating how they evolved over time. Secondly, they can create brand new planets which could then turn up in the future at some point.
SPECIES
The species of alien in this narrative is also important. There's plenty of species already out there but there's always room for more. Since this series appears to be exploring the outer edges of the galaxy, perhaps we can see some brand new races of aliens.
Once again these can appear in the future, or at the very least expand the galaxy past what we already know. By developing the culture of these civilizations beyond the known galaxy, it will make the mystery of the outer rim a little less confusing.
SITH LORDS
The Sith are in some of their earliest stages during the High Republic as the Jedi are firmly in control. Because there is a genuine era of peace, there must be some kind of darkness brewing in the background. We'd love to see how the Sith are planning to rise again.
This is an era of the timeline that we don't know much about and so we have no clue what kind of Sith Lords will be doing business. There could be some really creative designs and characters from this period in history; ones that will inspire the Sith for generations.
JEDI LORE
The Jedi are very much at one of their heights of power during this time and it would be great to see the order working at a confident level for a long period. The lore of the Jedi can be built further as we continue to understand this ancient order.
Some of the legacies of this era are sure to play into the sequels down the line and perhaps there's a lot there can be set up here. Something as simple as the creation of a proper Jedi council, or maybe even the way in which padawans are trained.
ANCESTRY
There's a number of strong characters who have a long heritage within this universe. Perhaps some of the famous characters we know and love have ancestors in the High Republic era. We know that this is moving away from the Skywalker saga.
However, with such a deep universe, one of the famous characters of this series must have some kind of family history that is worth exploring. Even some of the lesser-known Jedi could happen to have a relative working in this period.
POLITICAL SETUP
The political system of the Republic is a complex one. It's actually been a huge point of contention between fans as it's one of the most important and sometimes dull aspects of this franchise. However, it does allow for the rise of Palpatine in the future.
Since this is the earlier days of the Republic it would be interesting to see how they set up this political system. Society is still developing so maybe there's a chance here to showcase why exactly the senate and everything else operates in the way that it does.
TIMELINE
Set just before the prequels, this series with massively bolster the timeline that we already know. This completely changes the perspective we have on all the events that take place both before and afterward.
With such a change in the history of the universe, expect future titles in the comics, books and even movies to perhaps play into the era of the High Republic, maybe with some references to wars, battles, characters or even events that happened.
FORCE POWERS
Every now and then a new Force power gets added to the Jedi arsenal. It's often shocking to see a new magical ability unfold but perhaps there are some old methods that we haven't seen used yet that have died out.
This time period allows for further exploration of the Force and new abilities to be unlocked. The Jedi have the time to reflect on their gifts and religion and perhaps to enhance what they know about the Force, thus teaching us in the process.
TIME TRAVEL
Elements of time travel have been introduced into this franchise already through the animated series. There's every possibility therefore that this era could be explored through this concept. Perhaps some of the characters here can move forward through time.
There's also a possibility that this could be used to link to the Old Republic or maybe the concept will be simply fleshed out so that when it is used down the line once again, fans will be far more familiar with the way it works.
TECHNOLOGY
Technology, how it is created and how it is used are constantly changing within this galaxy. The weapons, spacecraft and even simple day to day technology will all be in much earlier stages than we are used to.
The role of droids may also be slightly different in this time period and it will be interesting to bridge the gap between the tech we know comes before and everything that has come after it.