From our limited knowledge of Star Wars Eclipse, the most significant piece of information we have is that the game is set in the High Republic era. The High Republic is featured most prominently in the multimedia project of the same name, which weaves a galaxy-spanning tale through novels, comics, audiobooks, video games and more. Eclipse was initially touted as the “first video game to be set in the High Republic”, but due to various development issues, the game was preceded by the 2020 VR game Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge: “The Secret Garden” and its 2021 sequel Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – Last Call: “Temple of Darkness”. Let’s dive into the sparse details we have to try and piece together the timeline before the game releases at some point in the future.

According to Star Wars Timelines: From the Time Before the High Republic to the Fall of the First Order, the High Republic era begins in c.500 BBY and ends in 100 BBY. This gives us the broadest timespan so far.

We can shorten that timespan a lot more with another significant piece of information: the appearance of the Trade Federation. Featured prominently throughout the Prequel Trilogy, the interstellar shipping and trade conglomerate led by Nute Gunray later joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems alongside San Hill’s InterGalactic Banking Clan and Wat Tambor’s Techno Union. We can see its signature Lucrehulk-class Battleships and C-9979 landing crafts throughout a space battle seen towards the end of the trailer (1:43 – 2:00). The Trade Federation was established long before the Prequels after the beginning of the High Republic in 350 BBY, ever-shortening our timespan by another 150 years.

One of the most memorable images from the game’s Official Cinematic Reveal Trailer sees Yoda raising his head while looking out a window of an empty Jedi High Council Chamber (1:03 – 1:06). From this shot alone, we can see Yoda’s signature bowl-type seat at the head of the circle in the middle-right of the frame, flanked by 5 block-type seats (3 left, 2 right). The former was used by smaller Council members like Yoda himself and Yaddle, while the latter was the most commonly used seat, usually holding taller, humanoid members like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu and Ki-Adi-Mundi.

Page 13 of Yoda #1 shows flashbacks that take place between 382 BBY and 232 BBY – Master Pra-Tre Veter is “new” to the Jedi High Council after Phase II, whereas he is a Grand Master in Phase I and is visibly younger than his appearance on Page 13 of The High Republic (2021) #1. The seat composition in the Yoda #1 flashbacks is (L-R) Bowl (Yaddle?), Backrest (Ela Sutan), Block (Pra-Tre Veter), Bowl (Yoda) and Block (Dijuka), which was different to the start of Phase I’s composition of Jora Malli (later Ry Ki Sakka), Block (GM Lahru), Bowl (GM Yoda), Block (GM Pra-Tre Veter), Keaton Murag which is itself a lot closer to the Block, Block, Block, Bowl (Yoda), Block and Block composition in Eclipse.

I have spent countless hours slavishly staring at the composition and seat types of the Jedi High Council Chamber in that one shot from Eclipse, including creating a spreadsheet of the entire known canon High Council membership timeline and I, simply due to a lack of information about the Council members at the time, have to fold my cards for now until more information is revealed.

So there you have it! Our proposed timeline placement of Star Wars Eclipse is that it will take place sometime between 350 BBY and 100 BBY. Do you agree? Have any other thoughts about when this or other upcoming High Republic-set Star Wars projects like Young Jedi Adventures or The Acolyte could take place? Are you excited about the game if/when it inevitably releases? Leave a comment below or tag us on Twitter @Blacklight or @Geekritique with your thoughts.