Star Wars Brings Fan-Favorite Sequel Trilogy Character into High Republic Era
The High Republic era of the Star Wars timeline takes place hundreds of years before Anakin Skywalker was even born, meaning that there are hardly any characters that from the movies that can appear in the new literary initiative. Until recently, Yoda was the only character to tie the two periods of time together, but that changed with the newest issue of IDW's Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures comic book. Not only is a character from the movies playing a major role in the story, but it's actually a beloved character from the sequel trilogy.
Maz Kanata, who was portrayed in the Star Wars films by Lupita Nyong'o, was teased at the end of High Republic Adventures #8. This week, issue #9 was released, and Maz plays a significant role. The entire issue takes place on Takodana, the planet where Maz's castle is located when Rey, Han, and the Resistance go to meet her in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In the High Republic era, the castle is already there, but it's sitting next to a Jedi Temple that is no longer around hundreds of years later.
The comic issue, from writer Daniel Jose Older and artist Toni Bruno, explains what happened to the Temple on Takodana. It also reveals how Maz is connected to one of the young Padawans at the time, having found him when he was a baby and aiding in his upbringing. Maz was a pirate back in those days, but she displays all of the charm and heart in the comic that fans saw in The Force Awakens.
We already knew that Maz was older when we first met her in The Force Awakens, but her inclusion in this comics goes to show just how old the character actually was through the sequel trilogy. Like Yoda, Maz's species remains unknown, so there's no telling how long she could live. But, also like Yoda, her species clearly lives quite a long time, at least several hundred years.
For those that hoped to see more from Maz on-screen, her inclusion in the High Republic era offers some more opportunity in future projects. One of the upcoming Disney+ shows, Star Wars: Acolyte, takes place during the time of the High Republic, so it's not a stretch to think that Maz could appear in some fashion. We also know she was alive during the time of The Mandalorian, so the opportunities are endless.