While fans at home missed out on Patton Oswalt’s hosting of Lucasfilm’s publishing-focused SDCC panel, there was still plenty of excitement to be had over the new reveals, from two The Acolyte tie-in novels, one featuring Vernestra Rwoh and Master Indara, the next Volume of The Art of The High Republic, Marvel’s Fear of the Jedi comic to close out The High Republic initiative, and Star Wars: Outlaws’ Art of book, and more!
A big thanks to the fans attending the panel live-tweeting it, as well as the official site, and even Marvel’s blog, for sharing additional details.
The Acolyte cast, crew, and fans are still waiting for a second season order, but you can tell Lucasfilm is all in on the show given the announcements at the SDCC panel. I really enjoyed the first season but felt like it needed an episode or two more, or at least longer or more consistent runtimes, to help put its characters over its plot, so having two novels announced starring several of its characters will at least help us reading fans get to know the characters more. There were a handful of Acolyte reveals, but the two biggest were the new novels, The Acolyte: Wayseeker by Justina Ireland and a yet to be titled Yord Fandar and Jecki Lon one by Tessa Gratton! Both are thrilling to see, especially given the writing talent behind them, but it’s Wayseeker, an adult novel out May 6, 2025 which I’m most intrigued by. It’ll star Vernestra Rwoh and Master Indara and is set around 20 years before the start of the show, which sees Rwoh as a Wayseeker pulled back to Coruscant by Indara for an investigation. Being a Wayseeker means still being a Jedi, but listening to the Force and the Force itself what to do next, something Vernestra’s familiar with, as after the end of Phase I of The High Republic initiative, Vernestra went Wayseeker in all but name, which we saw in her short story in the Tales of Light and Life collection, though she returned to the fold in Phase III in entries like Defy the Storm and Temptation of the Force. By the time the Wayseeker novel comes out in May, we’ll be closing in on the final chapter of High Republic initiative, as Charles Soule’s Trials of the Jedi novel comes out in June 2025, so I’m curious how much Ireland will hint at or include about Vernestra’s part of the overall initiative’s story. As for how it’ll tie into The Acolyte, where we saw Vernestra as a Jedi Master making some interesting decisions in the season finale, not only will it be the prose debut of Carrie-Anne Moss’ Indara, who was the most Jedi-like of the Brendok Four, it also looks to cover more of the political aspects of the show’s timeframe. My biggest theory/hope is we’ll learn more about what happened between Vernestra and Qimir, aka the Stranger, the masked Sith who helps seduce Osha Aniseya to the dark side. Will we get to see Vernestra begin to train him? Or did she go Wayseeker prior to the start of the book because of what happened with Qimir, which would place her time training him about 30-plus years prior to the start of the show (if that logically could make sense)? How much more will we learn about Indara, like what the purpose of her eye tattoos are? And will Sol make an appearance? Kelnacca? Here’s the current blurb for the novel:
“Before The Acolyte, Vernestra Rwoh must find her place in the Jedi Order.
Vernestra Rwoh has spent over a decade exploring the Outer Rim as a Wayseeker, answering to no other authority but the Force itself. When a request from the Jedi Council orders her back to Coruscant, Vernestra initially refuses, feeling that her first priority should be to the beings she’s already serving. But after Jedi Master Indara arrives to ask for Vernestra’s aid in person, Vernestra finds herself pulled back into Coruscant’s complicated world of Republic politics and underworld crime. As the two delve further into their investigation, and the lines between the Jedi and Republic business blur, and Vernestra must reconsider what it means to serve for Light and Life.”
And speaking of Vernestra, she’s the first character from the High Republic publishing initiative to receive a Black Series figure, which you can preorder July 27!! Hopefully this sells well enough it becomes the tip of the iceberg and makes Hasbro decide to make more for the book characters not yet on screen!
As for the Jecki Lon and Yord Fandar young adult novel, out July 29, 2025, here’s the blurb:
“While their Jedi Masters clean up a political mess left by one of their own, Jedi Padawan Jecki and her least favorite Padawan Yord are drawn into a planet-wide coming-of-age ritual as featured guests. The first ritual goes well, but when the event is interrupted, Jecki and Yord will have to use all of their abilities and work together to keep each other — and their new friends — safe from danger.”
Tessa Gratton has really impressed in their many High Republic releases so far, often jointly done with Ireland, so if anyone can capture Jecki’s focus and Yord’s fastidiousness, I think Gratton can pull it off. Even better, with the whole coming-of-age business, this untitled novel is even more up Gratton’s alley! Given they are both Padawans at the time of this novel, we’ll finally get to learn who Yord’s Master was while we’ll definitely get some time with Sol, as Jecki’s his Padawan. Will any of the characters talk about Osha? Will we get to learn more of how training with her was like from Jecki or Yord? And what’s this political mess Sol and Yord’s Master must clean up? The #YordHorde and #JeckiJams will be feasting next year! Also revealed for Acolyte tie-ins: an Art of book written by Kristin Baver, with a foreword by the series creator Leslye Headland (who recorded a video for the panel), out Summer 2025; as well as a new Visual Guide for the show, out March 4, 2024, from DK and Pablo Hidalgo. Like I said, sounds like there’s more for The Acolyte on the way, whether Lucasfilm takes their sweet time confirming more seasons or not.
Still on Acolyte tie-in news, but slowly moving towards The High Republic initiative proper, the panel came with a sneak peek at The Acolyte – Kelnacca #1 one-shot, out September 4. The special issue, written by Cavan Scott with art by Marika Cresta, will chart the Wookiee’s path from the publishing stories to the show, giving us background on his head tattoos in the process as well. In the preview art, we can see Starlight Beacon has fallen, meaning this is on Eiram and at the end of Phase I, and Jedi Master Elzar Mann makes an appearance as well. Kelnacca was a character I felt was short-changed the most by the show’s fast pace, not giving the Wookiee Jedi much to say or do, and even omitting an important bit about his culture which would’ve help explain his seclusion on Khofar.
But this won’t be his only High Republic appearance, as Kelnacca will join familiar faces like Keeve Trennis, Lourna Dee, Tey Sirrek, Sskeer, and OrbaLin in Marvel’s The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi series, starting February 2025! The end of the current The High Republic – Phase III is set for August 7 with the series’ 10th issue, which sees the many characters mentioned above dealing with the threat of the Nihil’s Baron Boolan, an Ithorian mad scientist. It feels like too sudden of an ending so far for the comic, and while it’ll receive a sequel in December’s audio original, Tempest Breaker, it left me wondering if we’d get anything else in the comics following it. Well, Cavan Scott, writer of the two above mentioned stories, returns for Fear of the Jedi, alongside artist Marika Cresta, to not only continue their stories and bring Kelnacca into the mix, but to serve as the conclusion to Phase III!!?? Soule’s aforementioned Trials of the Jedi is already set as the final novel of the era, so much like in Phase I, this Fear of the Jedi seems like it’ll also feature the comic-side of the era’s finale, at least in the non-The High Republic Adventures storyline. I’m so glad the comic is back and will have such a pivotal role to play in the ending, while now I’m curious how long the series will be…another 10 issues, which would take it out beyond July (unless they publish the issues more frequently, like they are with The Battle of Jakku maxiseries), or a short 6 issues? Time will always tell, but so happy to hear this news and love the inclusion of Kelnacca; if only the film and TV side could so seamlessly fit with publishing like publishing does with it!
It’s not the only High Republic release revealed: The Art of The High Republic Volume II!! Kristin Baver writes again, with a foreword by Rebecca Henderson, the actress who plays Vernestra Rwoh, and will feature concept art and various behind-the-scenes goodies about Phase II and Phase III! Given it’s out in February 2025, there could be one more volume, as Volume II isn’t likely to include spoilers from the final works of Phase III. The cover, while not final, is splendid, as I love the armored, billowing cloak look SO MUCH! As people have pointed out, it resembles Avar Kriss’ design in her first introduction as an Easter Egg in Soule’s The Rise of Kylo Ren comic!
Switching gears, but into something I’m just as excited about as publishing releases: Star Wars: Outlaws! With almost a month left before release, especially if you preordered the special editions which give you 3 days early access, Outlaws had a presence the panel, as the cast talked about the game and their characters, Dark Horse’s The Art of Star Wars: Outlaws was announced alongside some preview pages (with placeholder text), and the above lengthy featurette was released as well. The cast at the panel included Humberly Gonzalez, who plays Kay Vess, Jay Rincon, voice of the BX Commando droid ND-5, and Dee Bradley Baker (The Bad Batch, The Clone Wars), who not only provides Nix’s cute chirps, but will be voicing Jabba the Hutt as well! The featurette comes with plenty of new footage, including a glimpse of Kay Vess and Nix’s time on Canto Bight in what is likely the introductory mission for the game, while they even showed off a closer look at each faction, their outfits, and an explanation for the designs, though it contains much of the same verbiage they’ve been reusing about the gameplay and story. Regardless, everything I’ve been seeing continues to build hype for me and I cannot wait to play it on August 30 (or earlier, if Target ships it ahead of time)!
My only wish for the panel was Doctor Aphra news, but I suspect we’ll have to wait until closer to 2025 to learn what comes next for Marvel beyond The Battle of Jakku maxiseries announced prior to the SDCC panel.
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Bluesky, Twitter @MynockManor, and Instagram @mynockmanor.
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