Ten Things We Already Know About the Old Republic Era in Star Wars ahead of new Disney movies and streaming series about the story.
May 4th may be over, but Star Wars fans have a lot to rejoice in the future of the franchise. One theme that is often revisited is the status of the Old Republic era in the timeline. Indeed, thanks to the Knights Of The Old Republic games, this part of the franchise remains surprisingly popular with viewers.
10. Elements of legend and canon
After Disney bought Lucasfilm from George Lucas, the acquisition meant they could decide what to count as official canon and what parts of the expanded universe count as legends. This phrase has come to encompass almost everything besides the main series of films and animation shows.
Since then, however, there have been several references to the Old Republic in the Star Wars canon. So a soft reboot could be an option where Lucasfilm now only includes certain aspects of the Old Republic that fit into their own narratives.
9. Place in the timeline
However, the Old Republic still has a place in the overall Star Wars chronology. For a long time, the pre-prequel era was rarely mentioned, leaving a huge gap for the Old Republic, which could potentially remain if Disney ever wanted to return to it.
Some doubts arose with the debut of the High Republic, which took place just before the prequels. However, the Supreme Republic does not stretch far enough back to reach the Old Republic, suggesting that this era is still present in the overall timeline.
8. Small inclusions in the expanding Universe
As stated earlier, there are several minor inclusions in the expanded universe that mention the Old Republic. Whether it's ancient Jedi artifacts or a slight nod towards the era through explaining the history of the Republic, it definitely suggests that the idea of the Old Republic is still canon.
Some of the more notable inclusions from this time period have been through animation shows. For example, Yoda clashed with Darth Bane in The Clone Wars, referring to the wide range of Sith Lords that existed long before the prequels and the High Republic.
7. Development of a new game Knights Of The Old Republic
For some time now, there have been rumors that EA may be working on Knights Of The Old Republic for the next generation of consoles. Any game set in that era is likely to be a reboot of sorts to bring the story into line with the new canon.
Recently it became known that, apparently, Aspyr Media will be actively involved in the development of the game. This is interesting as it was the studio that helped create a number of other Star Wars games for the Nintendo Switch, as well as Knights Of The Old Republic II for the Mac.
6. Updates in the Old Republic
However, there is a continuation of the era that is currently being updated and expanded! The online role-playing game The Old Republic is becoming increasingly popular among the gaming community, and it takes place entirely in this part of the timeline.
This introduces additional confusion about what is canon and what is not, as Disney decided to add new stories to this game, suggesting that it could enter the official canon through a sequel. This would confirm the existence of other Sith Lords, Jedi and major events in the history of the universe.
5. Development of Disney +
Disney + is already home to several great Star Wars TV shows. However, it is constantly rumored that it is on this platform that the Old Republic will be officially returned to the canon of the universe. This can be done in a variety of ways.
There is speculation that some characters, such as Darth Revan, will be featured in one way or another in the already announced Disney + shows. There are also rumors that a completely original TV show may be in development for Disney +, which will take place during this period.
4. Potential films
Of course, one of the main places where this part of the franchise can be continued is in the longer format and potentially on the big screen. Fans have long dreamed of a KOTOR movie, and it was even possible that Game of Thrones writers developed it before they left for Netflix.
Starting in 2019, there are news and rumors about a movie on the series of games. If these games are ever to be officially included in canon, it will most likely be through an update / reboot or through a cinematic retelling of the events that took place, which may prove to be contradictory.
3. Continuation of old content
One thing that remains unchanged for now is the continued re-release and availability of Legends content. Lucasfilm has released many old video games on new consoles, even though they are no longer canon.
The same can be said for books and comics from the original expanded universe. Lucasfilm continues to print Old Republic games under the Legends banner so that some of this incredible content doesn't become inaccessible to fans.
2. Focus on the High Republic
The Supreme Republic appears to be Lucasfilm's primary concern at this point. In many ways, this is like a part of the timeline that seeks to distract from the Old Republic so that they can tell new stories with complete freedom.
With countless comic books and novels already built around this concept, and the potential for video games or Disney + shows in the future, there might not be room for the Old Republic in the Disney program at this time.
1. The door is always open
Despite the ups and downs that this part of the franchise has gone through, never say never seems to be a fitting saying. At the moment, the future of the Old Republic seems a little hazy, but the door seems to be ajar.
Disney does not deny the existence of this part of the timeline, and there are clear references to canon. Lucasfilm may still not know how to deal with such a vast area of content, but the picture may clear up a bit in the next few years with exploring new locations or including new characters.
