The release of a new Star Wars novel has redefined the franchise’s timeline, naming the Prequel Trilogy “The Fall of the Jedi.” Until the release of this newly developed timeline, Star Wars has always been divided into three distinct eras: the Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy, and the Sequel Trilogy. This method of splitting up the Star Wars films was based on the release dates of the 3 trilogies in the Skywalker Saga, and treated any additional films as essentially filler material.
But with Disney’s plan to extend the Star Wars universe beyond the story of the Skywalkers, a revision to this timeline was deemed necessary. Just last week, Star Wars released the first books in their new novel series, Star Wars: The High Republic. This novel series will tell the stories of Jedi living 200 years before the events of the first prequel film, The Phantom Menace. Most notable is the book Star Wars: The High Republic - Light of the Jedi, which serves as the introduction to this new era and helps define the Star Wars timeline in a new way.
As part of the release of Star Wars: The High Republic - Light of the Jedi, the franchise developed a new timeline with six clearly bracketed eras that shows how each Star Wars movie and TV show fits into the canon. The timeline is now less Skywalker-centric, extending from the “High Republic” era to the “Rise of the First Order”. The intervening eras have been labelled “Fall of the Jedi,” “Reign of the Empire,” “Age of Rebellion,” and “The New Republic.” The book also includes a second timeline showing how various published Star Wars novels fit into the canon as well.
The High Republic’s redefinition of the Star Wars timeline is not just for clarity. This new series is a precursor for the upcoming Disney+ show The Acolyte, which will be set during the High Republic era. The renaming of the Prequel trilogy is especially relevant for this upcoming series. Star Wars seems to be setting up a contrast between the High Republic era and the Prequel films. If Star Wars: The High Republic is the Jedi institution at its best, “The Fall of the Jedi” era is the Jedi at their worst.
More importantly, renaming the Prequel Trilogy to “The Fall of the Jedi” helps de-center the Skywalker narrative. While Star Wars is still going strong, the Skywalkers’ story is essentially over, and Disney needs a way to encourage fans to stick with the franchise without their favorite characters being there. This new timeline seems to be Disney’s way of saying that Star Wars isn’t just about the Skywalkers; it’s about the Jedi and the Galaxy as a whole.
Source: Star Wars: The High Republic - Light of the Jedi via CBR