This is a multi-year project that will have a "core group of heroes that will expand," and the first phase of this new initiative is called "Light of the Jedi."

Star Wars: The High Republic is a new series of interconnected adult and young adult novels, children's books, and comics that will explore the era that takes place 200 years before The Phantom Menace.

Instead of the Sith, the main threats come from the scum and villainy found on the fringe outposts that do not abide Republic law. In these Old West-inspired frontier lands, the Jedi become almost like Texas Rangers. The Big Bads are the Nihl, a group of antagonists that Jennifer Heddle (executive editor at Lucasfilm Publishing) describes as "space vikings."

`We are so excited to be opening up such a rich, fertile era for our authors to explore,` Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement. `We'll get to see the Jedi in their prime.`

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The multi-year project will include adult and young adult novels, children's books, and comics, which will focus on a "core group of heroes that will expand." The first phase of this new initiative is called "Light of the Jedi."

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`Star Wars: The High Republic will allow creators to imagine entirely original stories in a new corner of the galaxy. Our incredible team of authors worked together alongside the Lucasfilm Story Group and Publishing teams to help craft a completely new era for the franchise that begins with Publishing,` added Lucasfilm Press Creative Director Michael Siglain.