‘Star Wars’ Just Announced a Galaxy-Altering New Series

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high republic trail of shadows

Credit: StarWars.com

There seems to be something new happening every day in the galaxy far, far away. If it’s not Disney+ completely changing how the sequel trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) looks, it’s gruesome new information coming to light about everyone’s favorite father and son duo from Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980). The world of Star Wars is a never-ending, always expanding cultural behemoth…and it shows no signs of slowing down.

With more new Star Wars entries coming this year, joining the likes of The Mandalorian and Dave Filoni’s The Bad Batch, the universe George Lucas launched in 1977 is about to get even bigger. The Mandalorian season 2 showed fans that the Jedi weren’t completely destroyed when Ahsoka Tano entered the live-action Star Wars universe to aid Din Djarin and Grogu AKA “Baby Yoda” escape the clutches of the remaining Galactic Empire.

Now, a new series that sees the Jedi solving mysteries has just been announced.

hamill last jedi
Credit: Lucasfilm

Star Wars has never shied away from exploring the mysterious and often unknown entity of the Force. Star Wars fans first got a look at Force users AKA the Jedi in Lucas’s Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, when Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) took a young Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) under his wing to train him in the ways of the Force. Back then, though, Sith’s didn’t exist but Darth Vader (Dave Prowse) did represent all that was evil with Force — the powerful yet destructive dark side.

star wars a new hope set (right to left) c3po, ben kenobi, and luke skywalker
Credit: Lucasfilm

Years later, the Sith were officially named as Dark Side users on-screen in the first film installment of the prequel trilogyStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) — the future Emperor Palpatine — and Darth Maul (Ray Park), widely introduced the term into the Star Wars canon, and now, you can’t have Jedi without Sith.

Once upon a time, Jedi may have existed without the evil Sith Lords, but in the later years of the Star Wars franchise, it would be the Sith that would outweigh the galaxy’s protectors — especially after Palpatine’s horrific display of power by executing Order 66, and Anakin Skywalker’s desecration of the Jedi Temple and those within.

palptine execute order 66 scene
Credit: Lucasfilm

It isn’t all doom and gloom for the Jedi though. Last year saw the early beginnings of Star Wars‘ exciting new Jedi chapter — the High Republic Era. Delivered as a series of novels — like Charles Soule’s New York Times bestselling, Light of the Jedi — and comic books, the High Republic Era takes place during a time of immense growth for the Galactic Republic, and per Wookieepedia, sees the “golden age of the Jedi”.

Well, this is exciting in and of itself, but a new recently announced series also paves the way for a new development into the lives of the Jedi Knights and also sees Star Wars play with a different mode of storytelling.

high republic
Credit: StarWars.com

What is the new Star Wars series?

Launching as part of Marvel Comics Star Wars line, Star Wars: The High Republic: Trail of Shadows, finds the new character Emerick Caphtor trailing a mystery “with ties to the Jedi Order.” Announced on StarWars.com, the comic book series is helmed by seasoned writer Daniel José Older, with art from David Wachter. Officially introducing the mystery genre to the Star Wars universe, Lucasfilm Publishing creative director, Michael Siglain, had this to say on the new project:

“We’re exploring a new corner of The High Republic with Trail of Shadows, in which we get to see another side of the Jedi and the Republic,”

high republic
Credit: StarWars.com

The official synopsis reads:

Following the shocking events of the Republic Fair, the Jedi call upon one of their own, Emerick Caphtor, to investigate a strange mystery with ties to the Jedi Order. At the same time, Chancellor Lina Soh calls upon Sian Holt, a high-end, in-demand private detective to look into the same mystery. But will either solve this riddle before anyone else dies?

Older reveals his excitement for the new series, saying it blends his favorite things — Star Wars and “noir, crime stories, and mystery”. Siglain goes on to add that they are looking at some iconic detective relationships from the pop culture lexicon for inspiration including characters like The X-Files Mulder and Scully, but “through the lens of The High Republic“.

"Star Wars The High Republic: Light of the Jedi"
Credit: StarWars.com

But what about the galaxy?

While the premise of Trail of Shadows sounds like a fun, rollicking, mystery adventure, Star Wars fans should heed caution. As with any new Star Wars outing, the risks to the galaxy are always present, and this new series is no different.

After revealing that this series will tie in with Cavan Scott’s upcoming novel, The Rising Storm, Marvel Comics editor, Tom Groneman, had this to say:

high republic
Credit: StarWars.com

“The mystery at the center of our story will expose cracks and splinters in the mighty foundation built by the Jedi […] The hunt for the truth and the trail that leads to understanding the scope of this threat will not only affect our two detectives but also have ramifications for the entire galaxy.”

The prequel Star Wars trilogy showed that even Jedi Master Yoda was clouded when it came to Chancellor Palpatine’s rise to power, but what could be so disastrous that the golden age of the Jedi is at risk? Fans won’t know until Trial of Shadows eventually hits stands.

We will see more of the Jedi in some of Star Wars‘ next live-action projects, like Ahsoka Tano’s series, Ahsoka, and Leslye Headland’s, The Acolyte, which follows the emergence of dark side powers in the High Republic Era. Both of which will continue to layer onto the ever-growing Star Wars saga.

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Credit: StarWars.com

Siglain finally added, “The stakes are extremely high.” Buckle up, Star Wars fans, the galaxy is in peril…again.

Are you excited about this brand-new Jedi mystery?

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