The High Republic: Beware the Nameless & Tears of the Nameless cover art revealed

The cover art for two upcoming The High Republic novels has been revealed, along with new character details. The two novels in question are Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova and Tears of the Nameless by George Mann. Beware the Nameless is the next middle grade novel in The High Republic, and Tears of the Nameless is the next young adult novel in the ongoing publishing initiative.

The newly unveiled covers shared by Mann and StarWars.com show the protagonists facing the terrifying creatures known as the Nameless. The Tears of the Nameless cover art, created by Corey Brickley, features Jedi Knight Reath Silas and Jedi Padawan Amadeo Azzazzo trapped by a circle of the Nameless.

The Beware the Nameless cover art, created by Peter Antonsson, shows the Jedi youngling Kildo in the center. Kildo is flanked by two new characters, with Zenny Greylark to the left, and Churo the Hutt to the right, while one of the Nameless lurks behind the trio. Check out Mann's post below:

What we know about Beware the Nameless

The synopsis for Beware the Nameless teases that "Hopeful Jedi-in-training—including Tep Tep and Kildo from Escape from Valo—must work with Ram Jamoram and a few new friends to overcome their fears . . . and stop the monsters that threaten the very existence of the Jedi." While it was known that Kildo, who was introduced in Escape from Valo, would return in Beware the Nameless, this is the first announcement of the new characters Zenny Greylark and Churo the Hutt, who are probably the new friends helping out the Jedi.

Zenny is likely descended from Axel Greylark, a chaotic and complex character in Córdova's Phase II novel Convergence. It will be intriguing to see how Zenny is similar or different from Axel, with The High Republic already exploring the evolution of other families over the generations, including the Starros, San Tekka, and Graf families.

As for Churo the Hutt, it's exciting to get another Hutt character, let alone one who may be working with Kildo and the other good guys. Jabba, Ziro, Grakkus, and other Hutts tend to be the villains, but it would be refreshing to get a Hutt on the right side. The High Republic has subverted the expectations of other characters based on their species, such as the Trandoshan Jedi Master Sskeer in the comics, and Churo would be a great way to continue that.

It will be interesting to see how this middle grade novel handles the Nameless as most of the previous middle grade novels have not featured the horrifying monsters. There was a baby Nameless in Escape from Valo, but having the young protagonists facing numerous adult Nameless is another matter entirely.

What we know about Tears of the Nameless

The synopsis for Tears of the Nameless teases that "When Jedi Knight Reath and Padawan Amadeo Azzazzo are sent on a mission to test their theories about the Nameless, they’ll come face-to-face with the terrifying creatures once thought to be myth—and learn the true meaning of fear . . . fear that fallen Jedi Azlin Rell advised them to embrace if they have any hope of defeating the monsters . . ."

Reath researching the Nameless has already been set up in The Eye of Darkness and Defy the Storm. He was a prominent character in all the young adult novels in Phase I, but this will be his first time taking center-stage in Phase III as he puts his theories to the test.

This will be Amadeo's most prominent appearance since his introduction in the short story "The Call of Coruscant" in the Tales of Light and Life anthology. He and his Jedi Master Mirro Lox spent most of their time traveling the galaxy and helping others, but returned to Coruscant when all Jedi were recalled there. Reath and Amadeo should make for a compelling duo as they attempt to unlock the secrets of the Nameless.

Throwing Azlin Rell into the mix is sure to make the story more unpredictable. Azlin was introduced in Phase II as a humble Jedi Knight driven to madness after encountering the Nameless. He's returned in Phase III, still mad and with his life prolonged through embracing the dark side, but his experiences and century and a half researching the Nameless make him an invaluable source of information.

As new details are revealed about these novels and other Star Wars books, we will keep you updated at Dork Side of the Force.

Beware the Nameless releases on August 27, 2024, and Tears of the Nameless releases on September 24, 2024.