Star Wars: The High Republic Writer Addresses Old Republic Connections and Setup

Star Wars: The High Republic has taken the franchise back 200 years before the Skywalker Saga ever began in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The High Republic is a time of peace and prosperity when the Republic and The Jedi Order stood strong, together; however, that era of light had to be earned by fighting back the unfathomable darkness of the Sith Empire, in the time known as The Old Republic. 

Fans have loved the Old Republic as a hit game series (Knights of the Old Republic) going as far back as the 1990s, but its no longer part of Disney’s official new Star Wars canon. That said, even Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy has teased that The Old Republic could be coming to Star Wars, officially, in some form or fashion – and now that seems to be a reality. 

A recent Star Wars comic issue by the High Republic write Charles Soule brought Luke Skywalker back to the High Republic (through a Force vision) where he learned the name of the infamous leader of the Sith Empire: Darth Bane. This was a major signal flare that Star Wars is starting to build toward a canon version of The High Republic, but it’s not the only one. 

All across both The High Republic and main Star Wars lines, we’re starting to get canon references to the Old Republic era in small ways – but just how much of a mission is there to get us there? 

ComicBook Nation Podcast host Kofi Outlaw spoke to one of the writers of Star Wars: The High Republic, Daniel José Older (New book Star Wars: Midnight Horizon out now!) and asked about whether or not the team behind The High Republic has any standing obligation to pass the baton back to The Old Republic era of the franchise. As you can see in the video above, Older had only one response: literally sipping his tea. 

“No comment,” was the official response that Daniel José Older gave to ComicBook Nation, adding “That was an actual ‘No comment’… I just literally cannot comment.” 

As pointed out to Older, The High Republic was teased before its launch through references and Easter eggs that began getting seeded within the main Star Wars line – most notably in comics. So there is precedence (not to mention logic) that it would be The High Republic who provides the launchpad to get us further back to The Old Republic. Keep your eyes peeled. 

Star Wars: The High Republic – Midnight Horizon is now on sale.