The triumphant scroll that begins each installment of the Skywalker Saga gives a glimpse into the Star Wars universe’s setting: “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” But as fans know, the timeline of the series is a tad more complicated than that. With a recently reestablished canon, a tendency toward nonlinear storytelling, and an ongoing creative surge of new films, television series, books, and comics expanding the already massive universe, it can be incredibly difficult for even the most dedicated among us to keep the Star Wars timeline straight.
Fear not! (Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate…and well, you know the rest.) We’ve created a handy guide to the canonical Star Wars multimedia universe, arranging books, films, series, and more into each period so you’ll be able to navigate the galaxy with ease. Separated into the six official eras recently defined by Lucasfilm, this unofficial Star Wars canon timeline explainer offers a brief illumination of each period and the stories set within each respective span. (Note: This guide focuses only on media currently considered canonical; the Legends of expanded universe past are not included in this roundup.)
Ready? This is where the fun begins.
Warning: The guide below contains spoilers for various elements of the Star Wars universe. Note that novelizations of the original and prequel trilogies are considered canon only where they mirror their onscreen counterparts.
The High Republic
Though it is the most recent addition to the canon, the era of the High Republic is chronologically among the oldest recorded periods in the Star Wars timeline. Considered the Golden Age of the Jedi Knights, the High Republic is a time of great expansion and exploration in the galaxy. While the Galactic Senate offers stability and harmony, worlds are far less settled and uncharted space is still treacherous (thanks to violent marauders like the Nihil). The Jedi, therefore, are as much enforcers of peace and justice as they are symbolic of hope and light in the galaxy.
Star Wars content set in this era is broken into three phases: Light of the Jedi, Quest of the Jedi, and Trials of the Jedi. As of writing, a majority of the extended universe content set during the High Republic era exist within the Light of the Jedi stage. There are currently , beginning with Charles Soule's , alongside a host of comics and web series. The saga continues with the forthcoming audio original T by Cavan Scott, set to release in December 2024. The High Republic appeared on screen first with the delightful children's show The Young Jedi Adventures, an adorable adventure following younglings training under Jedi Master Zia Zanna, and in flashbacks and Force visions experienced within the 2023 video game .
