Star Wars: The High Republic Wave 3 Teaser Trailer: Dark Times For The Jedi

For those who maybe haven't been paying close attention thus far, "Star Wars" has become a leading franchise in genuine multimedia storytelling. Opinions remain divided on the big screen side of things, particularly in the aftermath of 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker" bringing the "Skywalker Saga" films to an uneven conclusion. The property has fared better on streaming, however, particularly with the smash-hit "The Mandalorian" series that singlehandedly brought phrases like "I have spoken" or "This is the way" into the pop culture lexicon — to say nothing of the rampant Baby Yoda adoration that swept the globe overnight. "The Book of Boba Fett" is attempting to capitalize on that residual goodwill with another, much more familiar bounty hunter named Boba Fett. The early returns, at least in terms of viewership, have been promising.

Meanwhile, Lucasfilm's publishing arm has been focusing on "The High Republic" storyline taking place across a series of novels from several different authors. Taking place hundreds of years before the events of the original trilogy, this ambitious narrative arc has been free to take any number of creative directions, entirely free from the oftentimes suffocating confines of the primary saga on film and television. Today, Lucasfilm released a new trailer for "The High Republic," teasing the third and final wave of stories that will wrap up Phase I. Check it out below!

"It was a golden age of the Jedi and the Republic. It was a time of great peace and prosperity ... but all that will come crashing down. Who will survive when the light of the Jedi goes dark?"

Much of the appeal for "The High Republic" came from showing readers a never-before-seen chapter of the "Star Wars" universe, when the Republic and the Jedi Order both established themselves at the absolute pinnacle of their power. Well, that joy and optimism didn't last, as this teaser and those immensely foreboding words above make abundantly clear. The first major arc of this story is rapidly reaching its end, necessitating a darker and more fraught journey that puts our heroes to the test.

Phase I of this ongoing storyline began in late December of 2020, consisting of three waves of dozens of novels. The first wave wrapped up midway through 2021, with Wave 2 commencing in June 2021 and reaching its end this past December. Author Claudia Gray's "The Fallen Star" was made available today, January 4, 2022, kicking off the next batch of stories that will make up Wave 3, and /Film contributor Bryan Young has already chimed in with a review. 

Along with the social media release of this trailer, courtesy of the Star Wars Twitter account, Lucasfilm also included a helpful guide on the official Star Wars website to help put Phase I and the soon-to-be-released Phase II, which shocked readers with the reveal that it will serve as a prequel, in proper context. For those who can't wait to get started on this third and final wave of stories to wrap up Phase I, you can pick up "The Fallen Star" right this very moment from a bookstore near you.