James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi Star Wars movie will explore the Jedi Order’s origin, adding to the galaxy’s history before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The Star Wars timeline was long and incredibly detailed in the old Expanded Universe, now branded as Legends, and the Jedi’s earliest history is set to be expanded once again in Disney canon. The movies have always hinted at this history through brief dialogue, but every Star Wars author has contributed to a vibrant universe of backstories and monumental events. Understanding the current state of the Star Wars timeline before The Phantom Menace may even shed light on future stories.
While Star Wars canon has revealed details about the galaxy’s history thousands of years before The Phantom Menace, the books and comics themselves have only gone back a few hundred years. This makes Lucasfilm’s decision to jump all the way back to the beginning of the Jedi Order a pleasant surprise and creates an even bigger gap for the timeline to fill in. Disney reset the Star Wars canon before certain eras could be fully explored in Legends, so the new continuity can expand on parts of the timeline like never before. Until then, it’s important to know the current state of the Star Wars timeline before The Phantom Menace.
Dawn Of The Jedi (Eons – 25,000 BBY)
“Dawn of the Jedi” is the newest era of the Star Wars canon timeline, confirmed to take place over 25,000 years in the past. This time jump is taken directly from Ben Kenobi in A New Hope, who told Luke Skywalker that “For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the old Republic.” Many legendary figures and events existed during this time period, including the birth of the Father, the Son, and the Daughter, each Force wielder representing the balance, the dark, and the light respectively. They resided in the ethereal realm of Mortis, passing on into legend throughout the ages.
After the discovery of hyperspace travel around 30,000 BBY, the galaxy was open to travelers like never before, eventually leading to the formation of the Galactic Republic around 25,000 BBY. The Jedi Order also began on Ahch-To around this time, with the first Jedi being the Prime Jedi, who would be depicted in the first Jedi Temple’s mosaic as being in perfect balance between the light and dark. Seeking to preserve peace and justice, the Jedi ventured out into the wider galaxy, eventually becoming the guardians of the Galactic Republic. This was an era of great expansion and discovery, full of danger and events that shaped the galaxy’s future.
The Old Republic (c. 25,000 – c. 1,000 BBY)
The Old Republic would continue to exist for approximately 25,000 years, with the Jedi Order defending its people during that time. Many planets continued to join the growing Republic, and the Jedi faced many new enemies. Their most dangerous enemy arose during a called schism the Hundred-Year Darkness, when a rogue Jedi broke away from the Order and taught his followers to use the dark side. These dark Jedi became known as the Sith, and after being defeated and exiled into unknown space, the Sith established their homeworld on Moraband. They became the sworn enemy of the Jedi, taking many forms throughout the ages.
The Rise Of The Sith (c. 5,000 BBY)
The Sith would continue to grow and evolve over time, becoming an Empire that waged war against the Jedi, including the Great Hyperspace War launched by Sith Lord Naga Sadow around 5,000 BBY. The Republic capital of Coruscant fell during this time, allowing the Sith to build a dark side shrine on the planet, though the Jedi eventually reclaimed the world. Around 3966 BBY, the Jedi attacked the Sith on Malachor, who were attempting to build a massive battle station, and every Force wielder ended up being petrified in the process. This became known as the Great Scourge of Malachor, and all Jedi were forbidden to return.
The Fall Of The Old Republic (c. 1,000 BBY – Exact Dates Unknown)
The climactic battle between the Jedi and Sith of old came to a head during the Jedi-Sith War, leading to the period known as the Dark Age, which saw the collapse of the old Galactic Republic. The war devastated the Jedi, as well as much of the known galaxy, and the Mandalorians took advantage of the chaos to sneak inside the Jedi Temple and steal the Mandalorian Darksaber. However, the war also saw the Sith wiped out, with only a single survivor, the Sith Lord Darth Bane. Rather than rebuild the Sith as they were, Bane decided to implement the Rule of Two, and the Sith went into hiding.
1,000 Years Of Peace In The Reorganized Galactic Republic (1032 BBY – 32 BBY)
With the end of the Jedi-Sith War around 1032 BBY, the galaxy was reorganized into a new Galactic Republic, entering an era of long-lasting peace. Unknown to the Jedi, Darth Bane had set the Grand Plan in motion, with the Sith working behind the scenes to one day conquer the Republic from within. The Jedi Temple on Coruscant, built over the old Sith shrine, began serving as the new headquarters for the entire Jedi Order. Around 1014 BBY, the Jedi Temple on Ilum was built, where Jedi younglings would venture to gain their kyber crystals to build their own lightsabers.
The High Republic (500 BBY – 100 BBY)
After centuries of rebuilding, the galaxy entered a golden age during the High Republic era, where the Jedi and the Republic were in their absolute prime. This era saw the Jedi aid explorers in expanding the hyperspace routes, making travel and communication more efficient. Upon the construction of Starlight Beacon in 232 BBY, the Nihil instigated the Great Hyperspace Disaster, becoming a threat that the Jedi Order would have to face. Though the Nihil were eventually driven into the unknown, they left a lasting mark on the galaxy, and the Republic’s golden age would later come to an end.
Related: “Huge W!” Star Wars Fans React As First The High Republic Character Cast In Live-Action
Decline Of The Republic And The Jedi Order (100 BBY – 32 BBY)
The High Republic era ended around 100 BBY, which saw the beginning of a gradual decline for both the Republic and the Jedi Order. Having reach the height of their power, the Jedi became more detached from the people of the galaxy, leading many to view them as blind servants of a corrupt Senate. As this corruption festered, the Sith saw that their chance had come and began scheming to finally defeat the Jedi and overthrow the Republic. One man who saw this decline was Jedi Master Dooku, and after being manipulated by Darth Sidious, he began aiding the Sith Lord in secret to bring a new order to the galaxy.
The Phantom Menace (32 BBY)
In 32 BBY, after 1,000 years in hiding, the Sith revealed themselves to the Jedi. Darth Sidious, publicly known as Senator Sheev Palpatine, orchestrated the invasion of his home planet Naboo by the Trade Federation. Though Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi attempted to thwart these plans, Palpatine used the crisis to manipulate the senate into electing him Supreme Chancellor. With the demise of his apprentice, Darth Maul, Palpatine had Dooku prove himself as a Sith Lord by striking down his old friend, Jedi Master Yaddle. Now secure in office, Palpatine could begin his plans to destroy the Jedi and reorganize the Republic into the Galactic Empire that would later rise in Star Wars.
