Lucasfilm is again trying to promote and clarify “The High Republic.” Overall the new initiative hasn’t seemed to perform as well as shows like “The Mandalorian” but considering the medium it was likely never going to perform as well.  In addition, a lot of fans have been concerned about the direction they are taking Jedi Master Yoda in.

Given the “reverence” they showed classic Star Wars characters like Luke Skywalker and Admiral Ackbar in the sequel trilogy, it’s understandable why fans might have some concerns.

Now “High Republic” comic writer Cavan Scott decided to clear up the misconceptions with the ComicBook Nation podcast.

Comicbook.com has some of the excerpts of the interview where he tries to clear up some fan misconceptions about their new project.

Yoda has a been a much beloved character to the ‘Star Wars’ universe from the moment he appeared in “The Empire Strikes Back.”  His way of speaking, stature, and lessons have shaped pop culture and many fans over the years.

Fans first saw the Jedi Master in 1980 as an elderly mentor. When the prequels came out, fans were thrilled to see the small Jedi fight with the best of them. But due to the events of the prequels and Order 66, Yoda, like Obi-Wan, went off into hiding and later became the teachers for Luke Skywalker.

Moving forward, while jumping back

Coming into the new “High Republic” reading material, Yoda is seen 200 years before the Prequel trilogy. The issue that seems to be making fans fear that they are treating Yoda like Luke was treated in “The Last Jedi” is this idea that he was the one who made personal attachments “wrong.”  Leading to what happened to turn Anakin into Darth Vader and making Yoda ultimately responsible for all the fall of the Jedi and the rise of the Empire.

The implication fans are taking issue with is that before Yoda was Grandmaster the Jedi had more freedom, but his control caused them to become corrupt. At least according to the Screen Rant article that seemed to create further fan backlash.

“The Order allowed attachments (though they didn’t encourage them), they were almost completely apolitical, and they stressed the importance of individuality, with each Jedi defining the Force and their connection to it differently. Yoda’s personal philosophies and definition of the Force gradually became the standard accepted truths of the Jedi Order during his time as Grandmaster, leading to the Jedi Order of the prequel trilogy. Yoda’s Jedi Order was corrupt, complacent, and emotionally unhealthy, which was unfortunately exactly what the Sith needed to enact their revenge on the galaxy.“–Screen Rant

Now Scott is trying to clarify their stance, in what seems like damage control, to assure fans that they are going to respect Yoda as they “do respect Yoda.”

But a lot of fans are wary due to previous “respect” shown to other beloved characters. I can’t really blame the old school fans and not much has happened to prove that Lucasfilm respects much of George Lucas’s ‘Star Wars.’

Even the Star Wars account on Twitter wouldn’t wish Darth Vader voice actor James Earl Jones a Happy 90th Birthday. Fans have spent weeks pointing out the oversight of the important Star Wars actor.

The official account had no problems wishing Disney Trilogy actors Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, John Boyega, etc. Happy Birthday. So I can’t say I blame the old school fans that are very disenfranchised at this point.

Cavan Scott is now trying to clarify that the ‘High Republic’ writers aren’t trying to be disrespectful to Yoda.

“So yeah, there has been there’s been a lot of discussion about Yoda online and Yoda’s part and The High Republic and the sense that Yoda is somehow to blame for what’s happened. But I don’t think we’ve ever said that. And I don’t think we ever would because that’s not what we believe. And we spend a lot of time talking about Yoda. Yoda has cast a very long shadow for such a small being, and every time Yoda’s in a scene he’s the most important person in that scene. So we’ve been very careful how we treated Yoda and tried very much to treat him with respect.”

Maybe they learned that it turns people off after the way Lucasfilm and Disney handled Luke Skywalker and Admiral Ackbar? Or maybe it’s because they need him to be where he is by the time the George Lucas films fit into the time line?

” [Yoda] is in a slightly different position in the High Republic. He is on the council, but has decided to take a bit of sabbatical from that and is teaching Padawans, which is what we know he loves doing. So there is also a sense that when Yoda isn’t there the rest of the Jedi – our Jedi we’ve created – are going, ‘I wish Yoda was here,’ because they all still look to him and there’s a familiarity with them and Yoda because he’s their peer in a lot of ways, but he’s still also a master. He’s more trained in some way or another than most of these people, because let’s face it: even though he’s in High Republic, and we keep talking about ‘Young Yoda,’ he’s still quite old and he’s been around for a very long time.”

It haven’t read the new material. I’m likely not going to given the personal attacks I’ve faced over not liking the Disney sequel trilogy. I want to believe they’re learning some lessons and trying to undo damage, but for every “oh we’re being misunderstood” interview we hear, we also get things like a fan being attacked for being happy to see Luke Skywalker, Cara Dune being cancelled more than other actor associated with Disney, attack piece articles from the media, or like the Screen Rant article that seems to want to keep division going.  Or the recent Rewriting Ripley article labeling Youtube channels that don’t like “The Last Jedi” as “Alt-Right.”

Some of that is beyond their control, but I don’t see Lucasfilm trying to go out of their way to stop the attacks either. It feels like they think that people not liking their sequel trilogy is at the heart of the ‘High Republic’s’ lackluster performance. But I think it has more to do with the way Lucasfilm keeps division going and, even more likely, in the way they are presenting their new “transmedia” initiative.

People don’t read books and comics like they used to. When it comes to ‘Star Wars’ people will consume the shows, movies, and games before they will invest time into comics and books. Plus they are making it that parts of the story appear in the different media. So a fan would need to buy and consume even more to get the whole story.

I think their “transmedia” choice is more of a hinderance to their success than blaming a small group of people for the underperformance of the sequel trilogy. Or saying fans misunderstand their intent towards classic characters, but I could be wrong.

Side note, someone literally tried to say I was phobic for repeating the term Lucasfilm used- “transmedia” initiative.

“Transmedia: a narrative that extends beyond multiple media forms that also plays to the strength those forms; may or may not be interactive. The term media has traditionally been used as a label for mainstream news outlets.”

It has come to this.

What do you think? Comment and let us know.

Source: Comicbook.com, Screen Rant