Star Wars is packed with stories that span hundreds and thousands of years. The movies only cover a small portion of the story; a lot happened before we met Luke Skywalker in A New Hope. Part of that history is the High Republic, but when does it take place?
When Does Star Wars: The High Republic Take Place?
Storytelling in the High Republic is split into three phases. Each phase has multiple waves of adult novels, YA novels, comics, and more. On top of that are the video games and TV shows beginning to explore the period. Each phase has its own period and focus, with some even having entirely different characters.
Phase I of the High Republic begins when the Nihil attack hyperspace lanes in the Republic. That attack occurs 232 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin), which places Phase I about 200 years before Episode I. Phase I features the early battles between the Republic and the Nihil and the rise of Marchion Ro to an extremely powerful position in the anarchistic organization.
Phase II goes back in time another 150 years and features the formation of what would become the Nihil. 350 years before Episode I, a religious group called the Path of the Open Hand is disrupting the peace and stealing mysterious Sith artifacts. At the same time, the Forever War between Eiram and E’ronoh is about to end with a fragile peace. The Mother and the Path of the Open Hand try to plunge the planets back into conflict while the Jedi fight to preserve the peace.
Phase III picks up one year following the explosive conclusion to Phase I. As a result, it has largely the same cast of characters that you’ll find in the first phase. At this point in the story, the Jedi and the Republic are reeling, desperately seeking ways to stop the advance of the Nihil.
Related: Is Yoda in Star Wars: The Acolyte?
What Is Star Wars: The High Republic?
The High Republic is a time in the Star Wars timeline when the Jedi were at their peak, and the Republic was at a time of relative peace. The Sith had not been seen for hundreds of years. Likewise, it would be many years before Jedi held the title of general in a military setting. But as is often the case in Star Wars, a villain rises to oppose the light of the Jedi.
The period of Star Wars gained popularity starting in 2021 when the High Republic initiative of books and comics debuted. Early High Republic stories were confined to those mediums, but the story has since expanded. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor featured a strong High Republic element, and the upcoming game Star Wars: Eclipse is focused entirely on the High Republic era. The upcoming Disney+ show The Acolyte is also a High Republic-centric story, even including some characters from the novels.
And that’s when the High Republic takes place in the Star Wars timeline.
