Editorial: Is Yoda the Most Important Character in the High Republic After All?

Yoda is one of Star Wars' most important figures. That isn't up for debate. Ever since the little green dude's debut in The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda has enchanted audiences with his wit, wisdom, control of the Force, and so much more. No matter where he's appeared, Yoda has made an immediate impact. So when Lucasfilm unveiled Project Luminous as the High Republic publishing initiative, the question became: what of Yoda?







Taking place 200 years before the Skywalker Saga, the publishing initiative was set to take Star Wars fans to a new age that opened the door to so many new possibilities. But again -- what about Yoda? At the spry age of 664, Yoda was still traipsing the galaxy in his (relative) prime when the Nihil came out of Outer Rim hiding to begin their rampage on the known galaxy. Seeing as this is the 'golden age of the Jedi,' these marauders shouldn't have had a prayer with Yoda and the other rockstars of the Jedi Order leading the charge in the fight against them. They just saved tens of millions in the Great Disaster, nothing could stop them. Yoda was just out here with his group of Padawans wrecking shop.



Then, the unthinkable happened. He disappeared and wasn't around while the Nihil put their stamp on the galaxy, destroying Starlight Beacon, the Republic's de facto symbol of light and life.



While understandably off-putting to have the one tie every Star Wars fan has to this era taken away, it's for a good reason. Focusing on what you know is boring. If Yoda was the focal point, there would be no stakes. We know his story. Besides, being the center of attention has never been his style. Yoda is held in high esteem by his peers, and his insight is invaluable, but Yoda is always the first to put the onus on those he's trying to impart wisdom on. He's a teacher over anything else, and he has always had the answer which is what makes Yoda's arc in High Republic storytelling so interesting despite being so absent. Heading into Phase III of this publishing initiative, it's become clear that Yoda has zero answers. Until now.



Yoda finds something peculiar aboard a Nihil ship, as seen in The High Republic Adventures (2021) #2



In regards to the question the headline to this article poses: is Yoda the most important High Republic character after all? No, but he's about to turn this era on its head if he has anything to say about it.



In Marvel's Shadows of Starlight #1, the recall of the Jedi to Coruscant set a new precedent. The Order we knew is gone thanks to the Guardian Protocols and the Nihil's secret weapon. The Eye of the Nihil, Marchion Ro, has in his possession an army of Jedi-killing creatures known as the Nameless, monsters with the ability to literally eat the Force from Jedi -- leaving them ashen husks. In this horror, we find Yoda. His message of 'to the secrets of the past, we must look' is vague, but it's poignant for a character facing his greatest failure straight in the face.



The Jedi are recalled to Coruscant, as seen in Shadows of Starlight #1



150 years earlier (the setting for Phase II), the galaxy was in a state of expansion. The Republic was flourishing in this time of relative peace, but it wasn't to last. The Path of the Open Hand, a cult of Force devotees who believed that the Force should be free from the influence of anyone, began to ran amok. They were led by the Mother, Elecia Zeveron, who believed that the Jedi abused the Force the moment they touched it. Something as simple as lifting an object in the air had an unnatural impact somewhere else in the galaxy and would ultimately be the death of everyone.



The conflict between the Jedi and the Path came to a head during the Night of Sorrow on Dalna. While the events of the horrific battle ultimately resulted in the Path's defeat, it came at great cost and is a battle most long to forget. In the aftermath, reports of Jedi being turned into husks of themselves, crumpling into dust upon touch, came in. It was here that the Jedi Order first learned of the existence of these Nameless creatures and their imminent threat if not kept in check. However, it was Yoda who made the call to cover up the existence of the Nameless, confiding with Creighton Sun that this would be their secret until they knew more.



The Nameless, also referred to as 'Force eaters,' are the Jedi's greatest threat in the High Republic era



Unfortunately, that 'more' never came. After the Battle of Dalna, Marda Ro would turn the Path of the Open Hand into the Path of the Closed Fist (and eventually Marchion Ro's Nihil). Sometime between the time of the Night of Sorrow and the Great Disaster, the remnants of the Path left the Leveler, the most powerful of the Nameless, on the planet Rystan and hid the power to control it and its ilk. Any knowledge of these beasts became myth, reduced to the next generation's nursery rhymes.



While a court tribunal for keeping the Nameless secret doesn't seem likely for Yoda, it's noteworthy to mention that he has taken it upon himself to correct this error. Completely committing to his spiritual role of Gandalf who has to leave every once in a while until it's time for the tide to turn, Yoda's theoretical search for answers led him to Azlin Rell, a former Jedi with a deep connection to the Nameless.



Azlin Rell experiences the Nameless and their horror, as seen in The Edge of Balance: Precedent manga



Azlin's journey began with the discovery of Kevmo Zink's and Zallah Macri's remains. The pair of Jedi had a confrontation with the Path which led to the shock reveal that the Path had came into the possession of the Leveler. Zink and Macri never had a chance.



Rell dedicated his life to uncovering what happened, leading him to the Echo Stone. It remains unclear what exactly the stone's tie is to the Nameless, but it appears that its shards can be found on the rods that have proven able to control the Nameless. Sadly, just as he might have been on the verge of a further breakthrough, the Night of Sorrow happened. Azlin encountered the monsters and it drove him mad. He eventually disappeared and left the Jedi Order, falling to the dark side along the way -- tapping into that darkness to extend his life unnaturally.



After the fall of Starlight Beacon, Yoda brought Azlin in front of the Jedi Council who didn't take kindly to being told the solution to their existential crisis was a dark-sider. But Yoda persisted. The secret to unlocking the secret of the Nameless lay within Azlin's scrambled mind. While communing in the Force together, Yoda sees visions of Azlin's past, what appears to be the Echo Stone, and much more.



Yoda guides Azlin through his memories, as seen in Shadows of Starlight #1



While we still don't know where Yoda and Azlin's relationship leads heading into the first novel of Phase III, November's The Eye of Darkness, and beyond, the implications of this could impact the Jedi Order for generations.



The dark side has hardly been mentioned during the High Republic era. Part of that is because this is an Order that is more welcoming to a wider worldview of the Force. Another reason is that it simply isn't a factor, and if it is, it operates in the extremely extreme shadows (see The Acolyte). By the time of the prequel era, many of those Jedi fell down a dark path because the larger Order couldn't reckon with any other opinions.







How will this unholy High Republic union lead the Order from their mindset in this era to the one every Star Wars fan knows? Azlin's fall isn't accepted by any means, but Yoda giving him a second chance has given way to an inevitable reality.



The Nameless are a threat to the Force itself, and it doesn't discriminate. No matter the path you walk on, they will come for you. The dark and the light will now have to unite to save the Republic from the Nameless, and by extension, the Nihil. While Yoda may not be the main character in High Republic publishing, that is something only Star Wars' most important little green dude can bring forth.







So now I turn it over to you. What do you think about how Yoda has been used so far in the High Republic era? How would you like to see his character develop heading into Phase III of the publishing initiative? Any other thoughts or questions about this era? Let us know in the comments below!



Keep it here on Star Wars News Net for continued coverage of the remainder of the High Republic publishing initiative. Stay tuned for our review of The Eye of Darkness, coming soon. You can pre-order The Eye of Darkness here.



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