Star Wars has finally revealed the truth about the Unknown Regions — their origins, their ancient history, and some of their key inhabitants. The Unknown Regions are a vast, unexplored portion of the galaxy introduced in the old Expanded Universe. When Disney rebooted the canon, the creative team retained the galactic map, meaning the Unknown Regions remained part of the relaunched Star Wars franchise.
According to Chuck Wendig's Aftermath: Empire's End, the Unknown Regions are an "unexplored infinity... closed off by a labyrinth of solar storms, rogue magnetospheres, black holes, gravity wells, and things far stranger." Palpatine became obsessed with the Unknown Regions, and exerted phenomenal effort in an attempt to chart them. As a result, when the Empire was defeated, Palpatine's most loyal Imperials fled out into the Unknown Regions, where they regrouped and became the First Order. The Unknown Regions became particularly important in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which introduced the Sith redoubt Exegol, an almost inaccessible world lost for millennia.
The Star Wars films are on an extended hiatus right now, and Lucasfilm Publishing are taking the opportunity to blaze new trails for the franchise. On the one hand, that includes the transmedia launch of the High Republic comics and novels, which explore the galaxy's history 200 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. But it also involves a new trilogy by celebrated novelist Timothy Zahn, set almost entirely in the Unknown Regions, and finally revealing the secrets of the Chiss Ascendancy. At last, the Unknown Regions are no longer a mystery.
How The Unknown Regions Were Formed
The Unknown Regions — or the Chaos, as they are known by their inhabitants — were apparently not always as treacherous as they are now. As Zahn reveals in Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising:
"The Chaos hadn't always been that way, or so the legends went. Once, at the dawn of space travel, it had been no more difficult to move between any of the stars than it was now to travel in the Ascendancy. But then, millennia ago, a series of chained supernova explosions throughout the region had sent huge masses tumbling at high speeds between the stars, some of them demolishing asteroids or whole worlds, others sparking more supernovas with their near-lightspeed impacts. The movement of all these masses, coupled with regions of heavy electromagnetic flux, resulted in the constantly changing hyperlanes that made any voyage longer than a couple of star systems difficult and dangerous."
What is now the Unknown Regions were once the heart of the Sith Empire, so it's possible the chaos was caused by the Sith. As Master Yoda noted in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, "Long ago in forgotten times, when the Sith and Jedi fought for control of the galaxy, weapons there were, of unimaginable power." These were apparently powered by kyber, and the Death Star and Starkiller Base should be seen as technologies rediscovered by the Empire — the recovery of lost, forgotten secrets of the Sith, rather than new inventions. Thus it's not inconceivable the Sith actually created the Unknown Regions, whether to conceal themselves from the Jedi or as part of the relentless in-fighting that meant the Sith Empire was flawed from its inception.
The Force Is The Only Way To Navigate The Unknown Regions
As previously revealed in Thrawn: Alliances, there is only one safe way to navigate the Unknown Regions; through use of the Force. A Force-sensitive is able to achieve this by using a power referred to as "Skywalking," an extension of the power that allows a Jedi to swat aside blaster bolts. A Force-sensitive is able to perform such a feat because they have a degree of precognition, experiencing what Zahn has called as a "double vision" in which they perceive both the present reality and the impending threat. In the same way, a Skywalker enters into a deep trance to chart the spacetime warps and unpredictable gravity shadows. Skywalking is a rare and coveted ability among the Chiss, particularly demonstrated by young girls, but lost at around age 12-14. That seems to be biologically determined, an aspect of how the Chiss relate to the Force itself. In other species, of course, adults retain the ability to access the Force. Thus Force-sensitives are encouraged to join the Navigators' Guild, which is — in theory — an entirely independent organization. Anybody can hire a Navigator to operate on your ship, and the Navigators' Code means they will never tell anyone what has transpired in their presence.
Rae Carson's novelization of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker confirmed both the Sith and the Jedi established outposts in the Unknown Regions, forgotten worlds buried in the maelstrom. Exegol is the most famous example, a so-called "box system" where there is only one way in or out. The Sith Wayfinders — used to help a ship navigate to Exegol — have presumably been enchanted with the power to guide a ship like a Skywalker, but they can only be used to get to Exegol. No doubt the Chaos hides a lot more ancient secrets of the Sith and the Jedi.
The Chiss Are The Supreme Power Of The Unknown Regions — For Now
Grand Admiral Thrawn originates from the Chiss Ascendancy, who should really be seen as the dominant power in the Unknown Regions. Political power is wielded by the Nine Ruling Families, who often find themselves at odds with one another, while the Ascendancy is defended by the Expansionary Defense Fleet. The Nine Families are the Ufsa, the Irizi, the Dasklo, the Clarr, the Chaf, the Plikh, the Boadil, the Mitth, and the Obbif. There are several distinctive ranks in the Nine Families, which do not correspond purely with bloodline:
- An Aristocra is a mid-level member
- A Councillor handles family affairs at a local level
- A Patriel handles family affairs on a planetary scale
- A Syndic is a member of the Chiss Syndicure, the main governmental body
- A Speaker is the Chief Syndic of a family
- Finally, the Patriarch is the head of the family
In spite of terms like "Ascendancy" and "Expansionary," the Chiss are not interested in extending their area of influence. Rather, they are wary and defensive, reluctant even to interact with other races. There's something distinctly odd about this, as though they once were militant conquerors but something happened to drive them back and forever change their culture. The point is made abundantly clear in scenes set on the Chiss homeworld, Csilla. Once warm and tropical, this has become a cold and frigid world, and the Chiss have largely abandoned it. But they keep Csilla operating at peak efficiency, making it look as though it is densely populated, apparently so their enemies would inadvertently be drawn to a false target. It really does feel as though there is a power vacuum in the Unknown Regions, one perhaps left when the Sith Empire was destroyed by Darth Bane a thousand years ago, and never occupied by any inhabitants because they lacked sufficient Force-sensitivity to navigate and dominate the Chaos.
The Grysks Are A Dangerous Force In The Unknown Regions
A previous novel, Thrawn: Alliances, introduced a dangerous Unknown Regions race called the Grysks. Physically, the Grysks are similar to the Yuuzhan Vong, an alien race from the old Expanded Universe, but they deploy very different tactics. They are an apparently nomadic race, traveling through the Unknown Regions in micro-jumps, overwhelming enemies with sheer weight of numbers and never-before-seen technology. The Grysks use unique swarms of micro-droid "insects" that detonate on impact, releasing a chemical that quickly solidifies over and imprisons a target. When it comes to space combat, the Grysks seem to depend on manipulation of hyperspace, using cloaked micro-gravity projectors to drag enemy ships out of hyperspace, preventing opponents from striking back at them, and potentially disrupting attack strategies. Disturbingly, these aliens covet the stability the rest of the galaxy enjoys, and are particularly interested in expanding their sphere of influence. Thrawn: Alliances revealed they have been studying the Empire for generations, and were well aware of the abilities of an Imperial Star Destroyer.
The Nikardun Attempted To Dominate The Unknown Regions
The Nikardun are another key race in the Unknown Regions, and in Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising they fell under the sway of General Yiv the Benevolent. He launched a clever plan to conquer the Chaos, blockading whole systems until they agreed to join his nascent empire. General Yiv successfully began encircling the entire Chiss Ascendancy, no doubt planning to destroy it, but he caught the attention of Thrawn and was defeated. Disturbingly, Thrawn believed General Yiv was a harbinger for some other force, someone he secretly served. This is apparently confirmed in the conclusion of Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising, which sees a Navigator named Qilori approached by a mysterious being called Jixtus. He appears to have been the power behind Yiv's throne, and he claims he believes the Chiss Ascendancy needs to be destroyed.
What's Next For The Unknown Regions
Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising is set simultaneous with the Clone Wars. That means readers know Thrawn will ultimately be exiled to Imperial space, presumably as a result of his actions in this trilogy. But we also know the Empire became increasingly interested in the Unknown Regions, and no doubt their forays will have caused great political instability. The First Order flourished out there, and — significantly — there has been no mention of the Chiss Ascendancy in any of the books set after the events of Return of the Jedi. Thus it is quite possible Palpatine will actually destroy the Chiss, with the First Order ultimately occupying that enigmatic power vacuum. Indeed, it's entirely possible Jixtus is somehow connected to Palpatine; it would certainly otherwise seem strange for both the Galactic Republic and the Chiss to fall at the same time.
The Navigators Guild appear to have at least co-operated with, if not been absorbed into, the First Order; in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary, there's reference to the First Order recruiting Force-sensitive navigators to help them travel through the Chaos. But it's unknown whether they did so willingly, or through the use of force. Hopefully it won't be long before Star Wars answers some of these unanswered questions.