Young Yoda featured on variant cover of Star Wars: The High Republic #1

Another High Republic reveal is showing us what Yoda looked like at a younger age.

Star Wars is getting ready to explore the High Republic era in its literary series aptly called Star Wars: The High Republic. And while the authors and creators of this series wished to keep it completely fresh and away from the Skywalker saga, there will be at least one character who makes a comeback in this prequel, prequel series: Yoda.

The old Jedi Master was announced to return in this series a little earlier this year. And we know from the premise of The High Republic series that the stories will take place 200 years prior to Episode I. That means we get to see (or rather, read about) Yoda when he’s in his prime — long, long prior to the days where he hid out on Dagobah and lived a simple life on the swamp.

While we have seen the concept art of Yoda before when it was announced, some new art is giving us a better look at how a sprightly looking Yoda would appear during the High Republic era. This latest reveal comes from author Cavan Scott, who’s penned the Star Wars: The High Republic comic series coming out next month. And in a blog he shared yesterday, he revealed that artist Stephanie Hans has drawn a variant cover for the first issue featuring the younger Jedi and an original Jedi wielding a green lightsaber. Check it out for yourself below!

In addition to the cover with and without text, Scott also shared Hans’ sketch of the photo, which you can also see on his blog or on Hans’ Twitter account.

Luckily, we’re not left completely in the dark about what Yoda’s up to in this High Republic series. In another comic, Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures, they revealed a few opening pages of the comic book.

The scenes in the excerpt included two characters who were in-tune with the Force. One person was Force-sensitive, but it was basically forbidden in their culture to use the powers of the Force, and they were almost ashamed to have it. The next character was about to embark on an interesting journey: as a Jedi padawan, their ship was the closest one contacted to respond to a serious incident that occurred. Despite them being padawans, the Jedi leading them was confident that they could answer the call of duty. And that Jedi was none other than Yoda.

Overall, it’s an interesting beginning concept for the series. And it should be especially interesting to see what Yoda is like during this time period as a young(er) whippersnapper. Will he be as wise as he always was in the Skywalker saga? Will he be fallible? There are many questions to be asked, and hopefully we’ll get some answers soon.

Star Wars: The High Republic #1 will be out on Jan. 6, 2021.