Star Warsis introducing the first new Jedi of the sequel trilogy outside the core movies. As seen inThe Force Awakens, The Last Jedi,andThe Rise of Skywalker, Rey Skywalker embarked on a path to become a Jedi during the Resistance’s war with the First Order and the Sith’s attempt to reign supreme once more. However,Star Warsis set to reveal another Jedi hopeful during this era, who could prove to be incredibly important to future stories in theStar Warstimeline.
Recently Announced by Lucasfilm Publishing and VIZ Media, a newStar Warsmanga in 2025 by Kenny Ruiz will be released entitledPath of the Lightsaber. While more details are set to be revealed atStar Wars Celebration 2025 in April,the initial announcement and synopsis confirm that the new and canonical story will be set between the events ofThe Last JediandThe Rise of Skywalker, starring a mechanic whose discovery of a lightsaber sets her on a path to becoming a Jedi. As such, this potential new Jedi during the sequel era could mean big things forStar Wars’future.
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The synopsis forPath of the LightsaberVol. 1 is very exciting with the reveal that the manga will star a mechanic named Nioka who begins a journey to become a Jedi after finding a lightsaber inside an abandoned High Republic Era ship. Here is the main description from Lucasfilm and VIZ Media for the upcoming book:
The First Order rules the galaxy, but some still remember the Jedi Knights who once fought the Empire. Nioka, a resourceful young tinkerer, dreams of becoming a Jedi like the legendary Luke Skywalker. For now, though, she keeps a low profile aboard the Random Luck with her crewmate Barun, an enthusiastic supporter of the Resistance.
During an expedition to a mysterious asteroid, Nioka stumbles upon an incredible find—a lightsaber, the weapon of the Jedi. As she tries to figure out how to use it, she realizes others are after the artifact as well. With danger closing in, Nioka must protect the lightsaber and herself while learning what it truly means to wield such power.
But if she’s going to stand a chance, she’ll need someone to teach her the ways of the Jedi.
Set during the First Order’s rule betweenThe Last JediandRise of Skywalker,the cover art for the new manga shows Nioka front and center wielding a yellow-bladed lightsaber. However, it also features several First Order stormtroopers, as well as a being who looks as though they may be a new member of theKnights of Ren. As such, they’re presumably the villain of the new manga who will be seeking to claim the lightsaber from Nioka and her friend Barun.
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It certainly looks as though this newPath of the Lightsaberstory will be full of action and suspense as Nioka seeks to learn the ways of the Force and wield the new lightsaber she finds that once belonged to a Jedi from centuries past. It will also be interesting to learn where she might have been during the events ofRise of Skywalkerand the Battle of Exegol.After all, the reveal of a new aspiring Jedi during this period of theStar Warstimeline beyond Rey Skywalker is a pretty big deal.
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Nioka Will Be Looking For A Teacher…
Nioka andThe Path of the Lightsaberis also very exciting when consideringRey’s upcoming New Jedi Order movie from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. While details are still scarce, it’s assumed that Rey will be working to rebuild the Jedi in the aftermath of the sequels.For that, she’ll need students which is why it’s so exciting that Nioka is looking for a teacher just before the events ofTheRise of Skywalker.
Perhaps Nioka and Rey will cross paths either before or afterEpisode IXwith Skywalker agreeing to make the lightsaber-wielding mechanic one of her first pupils. It wouldn’t be the first time a Jedi first seen on the page made the jump to the screen, as was most recently seen with the High Republic Era’s Vernestra Rwoh inThe Acolyte. At any rate, it’s going to be very exciting to learn more about this upcoming manga at Star Wars Celebration in April.
Star Wars: Path of the LightsaberVol. 1 is set to release later this year in the Fall of 2025.
