Meet the Padawans of ‘The High Republic’ Era of Star Wars
In anticipation of the upcoming High Republic publishing event, we’ve just gotten a sneak peek at some of the Padawan characters from the era.
Set hundreds of years before The Phantom Menace, The High Republic will feature a wealth of impressive and powerful Jedi knights that will act as some of the main characters in many of the stories. However, some of these Jedi apparently have Padawans, and they’re just as distinctive and interesting as their masters.
StarWars.com revealed the news, along with some concept art of each new character:
Burryaga
(Featured in Star Wars: The Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule)
“Burryaga is one of the few Wookiees to travel from the lush forests of Kashyyyk to study in the ornate halls of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant,” says Soule. “While he is skilled with his two-handed lightsaber, it is Burryaga’s natural, effortless ability to sense the emotions of others that sets him apart from other members of the Order.” The Wookiee studies under Jedi Master Nib Assek, who learned Shyriiwook in order to more properly educate her student in the ways of the Force. Burryaga is gifted — but in any school, there’s always a golden child.
Bell Zettifar
(Featured in Star Wars: The Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule)
“Bell Zettifar is apprenticed to the legendary Loden Greatstorm, and he hopes he survives the experience,” says Light of the Jedi author Charles Soule. “He and his master are currently stationed at a Jedi Outpost on the ore-world of Elphrona, deep in the Outer Rim, where they work to keep the peace and spread the light.” Though the conditions are harsh, and Bell spends most of his time training, the Jedi-to-be finds enjoyment wandering the iron hills of the planet with a charhound named Ember. Light of the Jedi features another Padawan, however, who trains under much different circumstances.
Lula Talisola
(Featured in Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures by Daniel José Older, from IDW Publishing)
In The High Republic Adventures all-ages comic from IDW Publishing, readers will meet Lula Talisola, who “is all about the Jedi Order,” according to writer Daniel José Older. “She loves it, can hardly wait to get Knighted, and wants to be the best Jedi that ever was. Besides being amazing and top of her class with a lightsaber, she’s loyal and compassionate and looks out for her two best friends, Farzala and Qort. Especially when they’re causing mischief.”
Reath Silas
(Featured in Star Wars The High Republic: Into the Dark by Claudia Gray)
“Reath’s had a somewhat privileged apprenticeship because his master, Jora Malli, is a member of the Jedi Council. That means he’s spent a lot more time on Coruscant, in elevated diplomatic meetings, and that kind of thing — so the frontier is going to be a huge transition for him,” Gray says. “Reath’s learning what he’s really made of.”
While all of these new characters are intriguing, Burryaga and Bell Zettifar stick out as two of the more developed Padawans so far. A Wookiee with an ability to detect subtle emotions could make for some compelling storytelling, and Zettifar’s connection with his “charhound” is a fascinating addition to his character. Star Wars Rebels really dug into the concept of force connections with animals, which was continued somewhat by Rey in The Rise of Skywalker. It will be fun to see how that’s further developed here.
The High Republic publishing event has the potential to sweep in a new generation of fans, while also paving the way for filmmakers to play in the time period. It’s a brand new corner in the galaxy far, far away that’s been developed by some of the best new authors handling the Star Wars IP. The setup is engaging, and it will hopefully help to fill out some of the history in the story we all know and love.
Charles Soule’s novel Light of the Jedi and Justina Ireland’s middle-grade novel A Test of Courage will kick off the new era on January 5, 2021. The torch will then be picked up by Claudia Gray’s young adult novel Into the Dark on February 2 of next year.
David is a video editor, stop-motion animator, freelance writer, and movie addict. He currently lives in Michigan with his wife and two dogs and can be found obsessing over director commentary tracks and collecting movie memorabilia. In addition to writing for Movie News Net and Star Wars News Net, he also hosts podcasts like The Movie News Network and The No Guff Podcast.
