Book Review: Trials of the Jedi

The June release of Trials of the Jedi was the grand finale of The High Republic (as a publishing project- the era is still full of storytelling potential) and there was a lot to love. Tying up story threads from books, comics, audio dramas and more, giving satisfying conclusions to beloved characters whill still twisting our hearts in that

Pick up your own copy of The High Republic's epic conclusion here!

Spoilers ahead for Trials of the Jedi by Charles Soule!

This book follows a large number of characters across its pages, giving us perspectives across the galaxy from the Jedi team making up the Luminous Nine, Star Wars Insider fan-faves Joss and Pikka, Grandmaster Yoda, Marchion Ro himself and even a child on a random, Blight-infested planet. Story threads ranging from The High Republic's first book, Light of the Jedi (also by Charles Soule) and ones from Phases II or III get wrapped up in satisfying conclusions, though doors are still left open for future storytelling to pick up. It's a happy ending to the tragedy of The High Republic, while still feeling somewhat bittersweet.

If we talked about every single character and the conclusions to their arcs in this book, we'd be here all day and honestly, I really want to encourage everyone to step into the world of The High Republic themselves. So I'll talk about a few of my favorite characters and storylines in this book, but it certainly won't encapsulate everything this epic conclusion has to offer- whether its the confrontation on Planet X, the Battle of Eriadu, Coruscant's politics or what it's like to come face to face with the blight as a regular family in the galaxy.

Speaking of, that's where I'd like to start- the Colman family. We're introduced to a lovely family of four, a mother, father, son and young daughter, plus their caretaker droid and a pet scalepig. Every so often throughout the book we get another glimpse into their story, starting with their evacuation from their home when the news gets out that their planet has been infected with the blight, to the spaceport collapsing and the subsequent separation of the kids from their parents, to the kids desperate search and reunion, only to be troubled when their dad has been infected to. Even though this is the first time that we've met these characters, their story is harrowing and the relatability of them just being a normal family in the galaxy far far away makes connecting with them easy and instant. It was a great little vignette thrown in with these epic conclusions for characters we've been following for years, and a reminder of what exactly the Jedi are fighting for, and why the stakes are so high.

Before we get to the Jedi, we must talk about the Adrens, aka The High Republic's ultimate power couple. While the Jedi are the heart of The High Republic (and they certainly have my heart), I think the Adrens' story in this book cuts deep into the themes of not just The High Republic, but Star Wars as a whole. Eriadu is shadowed by Nihil control, but Joss and Pikka are just trying to keep their heads down, especially because Pikka is pregnant... until Joss' honest conversation with a barkeep about Eriaduans accidentally kickstarts a planetwide revolt. We get this battle from many angles- Eriadu's leading families (Tarkin's ancestors) Nihil Generals, Republic Defence Coalition admirals, Jedi and more. But Joss and Pikka's chapters were my favorites, as the pair, despite having every reason to just attempt to flee, joins the fight. Not because they get stuck, or because they're asked to, but simply because they're capable, and it's what their supposed to do. I don't think it gets more Star Wars than that- plus, seeing the love between these two and how perfectly and seamlessly they work together is always a blast.

Then of course, we have the main draw of this book- The Luminous Nine. Torban "Buckets of Blood" Buck, Terec, Reath Silas, Azlin Rell, Elzar Mann, Avar Kriss, Ty Yorrick, Burryaga Agaburry and Bell Zettifar (plus the stowaway, Ember the charhound). Each Jedi with a key role to play, adorned in special armor that makes them resistant to the Nameless effect. These Jedi are tasked with returning the mysterious Nameless to their even more mysterious homeworld, known as Planet X- a nexus in the Force. The hope is that bringing the Nameless home will free them of their suffering, and free the galaxy of the Blight that is razing worlds and taking lives.

Some characters, like Reath and Azlin, confronted parts of themselves that lead to key development, while leaving the door open to lead into a future story. Some, like Avar and Elzar, made a difficult but selfless choice to save everyone at the expense of their own futures, staying as the dots in the yin-yang symbol that is Planet X. But I want to talk about a character that has been among my favorites since Light of the Jedi...

BELL [CENSORED] ZETTIFAR!!!! I love Bell, and I could not be happier with the conclusion he received here. He's grown so much since he was first introduced as the gentle padawan with a fear of heights, and I am so proud of the Jedi he has become. He's a character that lost so much, witness to the worst crimes of the Nihil, and with the help of his friends and fellow Jedi, came out stronger and kinder. In the beginning, Bell and Burry (bros of all time!) face Marchion together, but when Burryaga has to ditch the fight to save Ember, it all comes down to Bell. I was so glad that it was Bell who got to have the final fight and showdown with primary antagonist Marchion Ro- in my opinion, there is no one better after Marchion personally tortured Bell's master and made him watch him become among the first victims of the Nameless.

But Bell is a Jedi, he can not, will not, set out for a revenge, as much as the idea is tempting. He sees visions of his former master, encouraging Bell to stay strong but do the right thing. The duel with Marchion is emotional, intense, and anxiety-inducing, as there were definitely moments I thought we could lose Bell (and Ember and Burryaga, who also both thankfully make it). Bell is admirably able to temper his anger and invigorate himself in the Force in what is now one of my favorite moments in The High Republic to defeat Marchion against all odds. But he doesn't end his life- rather, he recognizes that he is far from Marchion's only victim, and brings him to the Republic where he can face justice.

I loved everything about Bell's arc here. It shows how he's grown, his strong bond with Burryaga and Ember, and everything that makes him the incredible Jedi that he is and will continue to be- and hopefully, will pass on if/when he takes on a padwan (like maybe say, one Kai Brightstar). It was all incredibly emotional too- we even got a chapter from the perspective of Ember the charhound and learning about how much Bell (who she calls "Home Friend") means to her. I am so glad that one of my favorite characters received such a fantastic ending, both for himself and for the themes of The High Republic as a whole.

The conclusion to the climax is followed by multiple epilogues for many of our favorite (and not-so favorite) characters- Ghirra Starros failing to get the reconciliation she desired with Avon, Joss and Pikka happy with their new baby, Yoda thinking about the future of the Jedi Order, and Marchion Ro alone in his asteroid prison to name a few. While I certainly hope to see many of the High Republic characters (from all three phases) in future storytelling, and hoping to see some of the open threads left behind picked up some day, this felt like a perfect and fitting conclusion to the grand story of The High Republic. A galaxy restored and hopeful for the future, beloved characters both mourning their losses and picking up the pieces, moving towards a new age. The galaxy is scarred, and we know where things go 200 years later, but people will always, always try for something better. The core themes of Star Wars resonate through it, and it's an ending I hope we can see resonate later with future post-sequel trilogy storytelling.

It's a beautiful story that captured so many of us as fans, and while I don't know if Star Wars will ever try a huge publishing project like it again, this was an achievement we should laud forever. Every author, artist, editor, publisher and everyone else who played a role in this story should be immensely proud of what they've done, and I can't wait to see what they do next.