Star Wars: The Fallen Star’s 7 biggest cliffhangers and questions

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray. 

The Fallen Star tells the story of Starlight Beacon’s destruction and how the Jedi and others aboard respond to this disaster. While the novel provides closure for this particular story, it leaves many larger cliffhangers and questions that will make readers eager for more High Republic stories.

The announcement that Phase II will take place 150 years before Phase 1 means that fans may need to wait a while until some of these things are addressed, though.

These are the 7 biggest cliffhangers and questions left at the end of The Fallen Star.

1. What is Marchion Ro’s plan for destroying the Jedi once and for all?

Marchion Ro is pleased with the outcome of his plan as the galaxy witnesses the symbol of the Jedi and the Republic destroyed at the hands of the Nihil. Starlight Beacon’s destruction is not the end of his villainous schemes, though.

Ro thinks to himself about how his greatest plan is yet to come, a plan that will destroy the Jedi once and for all. After the Great Hyperspace Disaster, the attack on the Republic Fair on Valo, and now the destruction of Starlight Beacon, one can only imagine what kind of horrors he has in store to defeat the Jedi once and for all.

The earliest answers to this may be teased in the comic Eye of the Storm #2, which Charles Soule says is the last thing fans should read in Phase 1 of the High Republic.

2. Is Burryaga still alive?

Burryaga’s fate is left ambiguous at the end of The Fallen Star. Everyone’s favorite Wookie Jedi is last seen holding Rathtars off so Elzar Mann can open the cargo bay doors. Given the Rathtars and being exposed to the vacuum of space, chances of Burryaga surviving would seem low.

Then again, his body is never found and his death is never confirmed. Bell Zettifar is not giving up on his friend and is set on finding out what happened to him. Readers will hopefully learn that Burryaga somehow survived and he see a joyful reunion between him and Bell.

3. Will Elzar admit the truth?

Despite the tremendous progress he’s made, Elzar is unable to prevent the dark side from influencing his actions when he is pushed to the ultimate breaking point. Elzar cuts Chancey Yarrow in two and murders her, even though she was trying to save what was left of Starlight Beacon.

Not only did he kill a woman trying to do the right thing, but if she had finished fixing the thrusters, Stellan Gios might not have needed to sacrifice himself to bring the remains of Starlight Beacon down into the waters of Eiram.

Elzar promises to himself that he will share his guilt and the truth of what he did with Avar Kriss. It will be intriguing to see if he follows through on his promise, if he admits the truth to anyone else, and how this revelation will affect his identity as a Jedi Knight.

4. How will the galaxy react to Marchion Ro’s reveal and declaration?

After the destruction of Starlight Beacon, Marchion Ro reveals to the entire galaxy that he is the Eye of the Nihil (the Jedi and Republic previously believed that Lourna Dee was the Eye). He takes responsibility for the Nihil’s atrocities and declares that the galaxy belongs to him now.

It will be fascinating to see how the Jedi, the Republic, and the rest of the galaxy respond now that they know who the true leader of the Nihil is. A direct assault on the Nihil has not worked out for the Jedi in the past, but they will need to act swiftly lest Marchion Ro destroy them for good, and faith will need to be restored in the Jedi and the Republic.

5. Where is Lourna Dee and what happened on Avar Kriss’s mission?

Avar Kriss is barely in The Fallen Star. Other than telling Stellan Gios that her mission was a success, it is unclear what happened on her mission to confront the Nihil and capture Lourna Dee. It is also mentioned that there are several reasons why every member of the Nihil but Lourna Dee is invited to the Nihil’s celebration at the end of the book.

Avar may have managed to capture Lourna, unaware that Lourna is not the Eye of the Nihil. What’s going on with Avar and Lourna is kept intentionally vague as it will be covered in the next issue of Marvel’s High Republic comics.

6. How can the Jedi stop the Leveler?

So far, the Jedi seem powerless when faced with the Leveler creatures. By consuming Force-sensitive beings with fear and preventing them from connecting with the Force, the Leveler has killed wise and strong Jedi like Loden Greatstorm and Orla Jareni. Some Jedi have now managed to survive the Leveler, but just barely.

If the Jedi hope to defeat Marchion Ro and the Nihil, they will have to figure out how to stop the Leveler and not just how to survive it through limited exposure and luck. More on the Leveler may be revealed in Eye of the Storm #2. The origins of the Leveler could also come to light as the High Republic jumps back further into the past in Phase II.

7. Will Sylvestri Yarrow learn the truth behind her mother’s death?

It would be an understatement to say things got pretty rocky between Sylvestri Yarrow and her mother Chancey Yarrow in Out of the Shadows. Now any chance of reconciliation died when Elzar Mann killed Chancey Yarrow.

Sylvestri worked closely with the Jedi in Out of the Shadows. If she learns that a Jedi murdered her mother when she was trying to do the right thing, though, Sylvestri’s reaction and loyalties moving forward will be interesting to behold.

What are you looking forward to finding out as the High Republic continues? Let us know in the comments!