Will Episode IX tie heavily into the prequel era?

Does upcoming prequel era content signal significant connections to Episode IX?

At San Diego Comic-Con 2018, the biggest Star Wars news revolved around the prequel era. Fans were stunned and exhilarated at the announcement of popular television series The Clone Wars returning.

The prequel love didn’t end there with the news of upcoming novels and comics. The first novel is Queen’s Shadow, focused on Padmé Amidala and her journey from queen to senator. The second novel is Master and Apprentice, a tale of Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi prior to The Phantom Menace. For comics, Age of Republic will be released, an anthology series following heroes and villains from the prequel era.

This heavy emphasis on prequel era material leading up to the release of Star Wars: Episode IX raises the question of whether the film will tie into this time period as well.

When the sequel trilogy began, much of the fan base still felt bitter about the prequel films. A common criticism of the prequel trilogy was that it felt nothing like the beloved original trilogy. As such, The Force Awakens made a point to recapture the essence of the original trilogy and mostly steered clear of the prequels. With a new film trilogy occupying the fan base’s attention and that most forgiving force of time, a more appreciative attitude towards the prequels arose. The Last Jedi tapped into that more than its predecessor with Luke Skywalker referring to Darth Sidious and the Chosen One prophecy coming back into play. Its ties to the prequels wouldn’t be considered heavy, though.

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Building up to Episode IX with so much prequel era content could change this. There are already a number of theories out there about how the prequels will influence Episode IX, including which planets will be featured. Whether it’s Naboo, Coruscant, or something else entirely, as the final film of the sequel trilogy and the Skywalker saga, many want it to come full-circle with the prequels. The prequel era content announced at SDCC 2018 could plant the seeds and build further anticipation to these connections.

Ultimately, Episode IX will likely feature the most significant connections to the prequels out all the sequel trilogy films. The current attitude towards the prequel era and the film acting as the conclusion to the Skywalker saga will contribute to this. However, Episode IX still won’t tie heavily into the prequels. Episode IX will be its own film and has too much of its own ground to cover to become a love letter to the prequel trilogy.

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The Clone Wars is returning because a huge part of the fan base has vocalized wanting it to return for years. It is the most healing thing that could happen given the current divisiveness among the fan community. The shift in attitude towards the prequel films more so contributes to the Queen’s Shadow, Master and Apprentice, and Age of Republic becoming a reality. It’s also important to remember that with a year and a half between now and the release of Episode IX, these novels, comics, and The Clone Wars will only be a portion of the steady stream of Star Wars content that will be released.

Regardless of how they do or do not connect, we are very much looking forward to The Clone Wars, Queen’s Shadow, Master and Apprentice, Age of Republic, and Episode IX.

Would you like to see Episode IX to tie heavily into the prequels? Let us know in the comments!