Star Wars: The High Republic is an ambitious publishing event in the STAR WARS franchise that takes place 200 years before the events of STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE and will spawn novels, children's books, comics, and more. The multi-platform epic will explore a few of the Jedi Knights who, as Obi-Wan Kenobi told us in the first film, were the guardians of peace and justice for over a thousand generations.
Lucasfilm Publishing creative director Michael Siglain has previously said that, "Readers will see a very wide variety of Jedi in this era. This is a hopeful, optimistic time, when the Jedi are good and noble, and we want to reflect that in their characters while still giving them enough depth and dimension so that their individual personalities and idiosyncrasies shine through. The Jedi Knights of the High Republic are both aspirational and inspirational. In short, they’re the good guys." Although the High Republic takes place hundreds of years before the events seen in the STAR WARS films, that doesn't mean that we won't see a familiar face in Yoda. The Jedi Master is said to feature prominently in Daniel José Older’s Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures comic, and Older told StarWars.com that "It’s especially exciting to be able to introduce him in the era of the High Republic. The High Republic Yoda is a journeyman out in the galaxy." You can check out a couple of pieces of concept art for the High Republic version of Yoda below.
As you can see, not a heck of a lot has changed, but the redesign of Yoda was something Lucasfilm art director Troy Alders took very seriously. "The goal was to update Yoda, but to be careful and be true to the Yoda that we all know and love," said Alders. "Also, to really make sure that the new look was believable, as this is really the first time that there has been an opportunity to update his look and his clothing. It felt like a daunting and enormous responsibility to embark on and get right."
As far as what we'll find Yoda doing during The High Republic, Daniel José Older said, "While he’s already a respected member of the Jedi Council at this point, we meet Yoda in IDW’s The High Republic Adventures series doing what he loves best: looking out for the young folks — in this case, a group of Padawans traveling around the galaxy to learn the ways of the Jedi with a hands-on approach. The Force study abroad program, basically."
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures is expected to launch in 2021 from IDW Publishing.