READING GUIDE: How to read STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC Phase II

By Klaudia Amenábar

Updated 5/20/23

If you’re here, that means you should’ve already read most or all of Phase I before continuing. Make sure you’ve looked over that guide before continuing here! And thanks again for trusting me on your High Republic journey!

Because of multiple delays, this strays a bit from release order in order to keep things narratively coherent and make sure that one book or comic doesn’t spoil the other. Even so, it’s still helpful to have the Wookieepedia ongoing release list bookmarked. Also, for the comics, I’ve linked to each series’ Wookieepedia pages so you can keep track of the issues and how they are collected into trade paperbacks, which will be the most cost effective way to read if you aren’t getting them from your library.

Click here for the reading guide to Phase I of The High Republic!

PHASE II: QUEST OF THE JEDI

To recap, The High Republic Phase II begins 150 years before Phase I and Light of the Jedi. It is the galactic Republic’s era of hyperspace prospecting, before the hyperlanes of most of the galaxy were mapped, and communication isn’t as reliable. As the Republic sends out Pathfinder teams to make contact with Outer Rim planets, a brutal ongoing war between neighboring Eiram and E’ronoh has disrupted the entire galaxy, while clashing beliefs about the Force come to a head on Jedha.

Wave 1

1. Path of Deceit by Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton

The High Republic Phase II starts out with a dark YA mystery on the galactic frontier, 150 years before Phase I, with a mysterious Force cult, two Evereni with Marchion’s last name, Ro, and a Jedi Master and her padawan, on Dalna, a planet we’ve seen quite a lot of in Phase I. It’s a slow build that, by the end, will make so many things set up in Phase I start to make sense, your jaw will drop.

2. The High Republic Adventures: Quest of the Jedi, written by Claudia Gray

This Dark Horse comic one-shot follows Jedi Knight Azlin Rell after the devastating events of Path of Deceit, as he looks for answers about what happened on Dalna. He encounters a story in the Jedi Archives about a legendary Jedi and his padawan investigating an ancient Sith artifact that may be the key to the Path’s newfound weapon.

3. Convergence by Zoraida Córdova

This is the first adult novel of Phase II, which tells the story of how the Republic tried to end the devastating “forever” war between Eiram and E’ronoh, a historical event first mentioned in Phase I, as it wreaks havoc on the entire galaxy. Jedi Knight Gella Nattai and Axel Greylark, son of one of the Republic’s co-chancellors, must deal with their clashing personalities as they work with the opposing planets’ prince and princess to unravel a conspiracy at the heart of the conflict. (My Star Wars podcast, RuPalp’s Podrace, interviewed the author, Zoraida Córdova, about the making of this novel, if you’d like to listen once you’re done! You can listen here.)

4. The Blade Issue #1-4, written by Charles Soule

This Marvel comic miniseries tells the backstory of Phase I favorite Porter Engle, and how he got the ominous name of the “Blade of Bardotta.” It gives a fuller picture of what the “frontier” actually looked like, and brings Star Wars back to its gunslinging, space Western roots.

5. The High Republic (2022) Issue #1-3, written by Cavan Scott

This is the start of Marvel’s main THR comic run for Phase II, where Jedi Vildar Mac arrives in the holy capital city of Jedha (the moon that they tested the Death Star on first in Rogue One). Together with padawan Matthea Cathley and former Guardian of the Whills Tey Sirrek, he is thrown into the chaos being stirred between different Force believers by the Path of the Open Hand behind the scenes.

6. The High Republic Adventures (2022) Issues #1-3, written by Daniel José Older (link)

The High Republic Adventures ongoing comic continues into Phase II with a different publisher, Dark Horse, this time focusing on Sav Malagán, the savvy Kyuzo Jedi Master that the Phase I Starhopper padawans met on Takodana. Here we meet her in her own padawan days, exploring how she met our beloved Maz Kanata as she questions her path as a Jedi, and is swept into the galactic underworld of the High Republic just as the Path wreaks havoc on Jedha.

7. Quest for the Hidden City by George Mann

This is the first middle grade novel of The High Republic Phase II, which explores the relationship between Jedi and non-Jedi in the era of hyperspace prospecting. The Republic has created Pathfinder teams made of Jedi and non-Jedi to explore the Outer Rim and Wild Space, learn about new cultures, provide aid, and establish relationships with the Republic. It’s an idealistic mission, but in this novel, it has a very dark twist, as Jedi Master Silandra Sho and her padawan, Rooper Nitani, investigate a Pathfinder team that has gone missing.

8. The Battle of Jedha by George Mann

This is the audio drama of The High Republic Phase II, and the direct sequel to Convergence, where Jedi Master Creighton Sun and Jedi Knight Aida Forte arrive on Jedha to formally end the forever war between Eiram and E’ronoh, but not everyone is happy with the Jedi’s involvement. The preferred method is to listen to this, but you can also buy (or check out from the library) the script to read or read-along as well.

9. The High Republic (2022) Issues #4-10, written by Cavan Scott

10. The High Republic Adventures (2022) Issues #4-8, written by Daniel José Older

Wave 2

1. Path of Vengeance by Cavan Scott

In the second and final YA novel of Phase II, Yana and Marda Ro are driven apart by their different goals within the Path, with devastating results for the rest of the galaxy. This novel and Cataclysm occur mostly at the same time so can be read interchangeably, and arguably both have good conclusions to Phase II. This novel is essential to all of the High Republic as we finally get some answers about how the Path became the Nihil, what the Mother’s real motivations are, and the real origins of the Leveler.

2. Edge of Balance: Precedent, by Daniel José Older and Tomio Ogata

VIZ’s High Republic manga finally continues into Phase II, centering on Lily Tora-Asi’s wookiee master, Arkoff in his younger years, as he joins his own former master in the fight against the Path on Dalna. This also occurs basically at the same time as Path of Vengeance and Cataclysm, but mentions events in PoV.

3. The High Republic Adventures: The Nameless Terror Issues #1-4, written by George Mann

Our favorite former Jedi of Phase I, Ty Yorrick, is back, telling her droid a harrowing story she heard about her Jedi master’s master, Coron Solstus, in his padawan days in the early High Republic. After the devastating events of Quest for the Hidden City, Jedi Master Rok Buran joins Coron’s Republic Pathfinder team, and they crash on an unknown planet. While stranded, they encounter a familiar nameless terror that incapacitates Force users, along with members of the Path. This occurs right after a major event in Path of Vengeance, but before Quest for Planet X, so this is the only one that might spoil one of the others in this second wave.

4. Quest for Planet X by Tessa Gratton

In the second and final middle grade novel of Phase II, padawan Rooper Nitani goes on a solo adventure with her newfound prospecting friend Dass (from Quest for the Hidden City) and Sky Graf of the powerful Graf hyperspace family. However, their plans go awry when they meet members of the Path and things come to a head on Dalna.

5. Cataclysm by Lydia Kang

In the second and final adult novel of Phase II, Gella Nattai and the heirs of Eiram and E’ronoh must once again work together to finally secure a lasting peace for the warring planets, after several previous failed attempts and the disaster on Jedha. As evidence grows that the Path of the Open Hand is behind the incidents, they must turn once again to Axel Greylark for help. The stories of many Jedi across Phase II converge on Dalna as the Path’s plans come to a devastating head. For a novel with this much going on, it still remains one of my favorites, especially in how it characterizes Chancellor Kyong Greylark.

6. The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life

This short story anthology contains stories across all three phases of the High Republic that connect with all the characters and places you’ve met so far, by various favorite authors across the whole project!

Phase III: Trials of the Jedi’s titles are yet to be announced, so check back here for part 3 of this guide coming soon.

Once again, thanks for trusting me on your High Republic journey, whether you’re new to Star Wars books and comics, or a veteran. If you’ve enjoyed it so far, you’ll probably also enjoy my Star Wars podcast, RuPalp’s Podrace, where we are huge High Republic fans. Once you’re caught up on Phase II, you should listen to our Phase II episode as well! (We also post about the latest High Republic memes on our Twitter). See you in Phase III!