Summary
One aspect of the classic gameStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republichas been officially confirmed as canon, despite the game being mostly relegated to the “Legends” collection of stories no longer taking place in the “true” timeline. But this particular element retains some of the mystery that initially surrounded it.
Fans continue to mourn the loss of the belovedKnights of the Old Republicgame from theStar Warsfranchise’s official canoneven after all this time. But the series has been slowly throwing bones to the players over the years through small tidbits from the game returning to canon. Now, one particularly significant Force power has made the jump, which could have some interesting implications. This new ability’s return occurs inStar Wars' slightly more recent High Republic era, which cleverly leaves the door open for its original use in the Old Republic days.
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During the Lucasfilm publishing panel at New York Comic-Con 2023 (viaStarWars.com), the production company revealed several upcoming comics, books, and even new replica lightsabers for fans to look forward to. Among them was the DK-publishedStar Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia, which will surely be a valuable primer as new projects delve further into that era. One entry shown in a preview contains a stealthy reference to the powerful ability known as battle meditation, whichKnights of the Old Republicfans will immediately recognize.
The previewed page mentions how the Jedi Porter Engle “uses a form of battle meditation to unite the minds of other Jedi to fly their starships in formation with his,” which explains the ability almost better than the entire original game. InKnights of the Old Republic, theyoung Jedi Knight Bastila Shanis revealed to have a unique aptitude for battle meditation, which can effectively coordinate entire armies and turn the tide of a battle and even war. When she’s captured and corrupted by the dark side, the player must race to find her and stop her before her use of the ability crushes the Republic fleet.
This could change things for thenewStar Warscanon, offering a powerful (albeit rare) Jedi power that any storyteller might now choose to implement. Despite battle meditation remaining rather difficult to explain and even more challenging to understand in some cases, it’s detailed enough for viewers, players, and readers to know that it’s an ability with the potential for destruction at unthinkable scales. Jedi from the Old Republic to the post-sequel era can now feasibly carry this power, and that’s a remarkably cool idea. That’s not even to mention the possibility that Bastila herself might one day come back into official canon, bringing home the familiar while offering up the chance of some interesting new adventures.
Whether or notKnights of the Old Republicbecomes canon again, there’s no denying this is a big deal. Perhaps it’s a subtle hint that fans could see battle meditation again as soon as the upcoming High RepublicDisney Plus seriesStar Wars: The Acolyte. After all,Star Warshas a particular affinity for more self-references thanFamily Guyhas cutaway gags. So the future is exciting, if maybe a bit predictable.
TheStar Warssaga is available on Disney Plus.
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