Marchion Ro, the Nihil, a vicious, messy, yet well-equipped band of marauders capable of navigating the uncharted paths of hyperspace.

The Nihil have wreaked havoc across the galaxy, even annexing part of it to claim as their own. At the center of this storm is Marchion Ro, the Nihil’s mysterious Evereni leader, a being hellbent on seeing both the Republic and the Jedi destroyed. Hundreds of Jedi and thousands of innocent civilians are dead because of his and his followers’ violent attacks and meticulously planned feats of destruction. Little does Ro know he won’t be the one to oversee the Jedi’s downfall – though he does play an important part in setting it up.

Marchion Ro Targeted The Republic And The Jedi Simultaneously

Marchion Ro and the Nihil have successfully executed several major attacks against the Republic and the Jedi. First, there was the Great Hyperspace Disaster, during which the Nihil caused massive chunks of debris to fall out of hyperspace and hit unsuspecting planets at random. They then attacked a Republic fair on the planet Valo. Next, they brought down Starlight Beacon, a space station meant to act as a bridge between the Outer Rim and the Republic’s core worlds. Finally, they seized control of a huge swathe of the galaxy, trapping millions of civilians against their will.

To top it all off, Ro has been collecting creatures known as the Nameless, terrifying beasts with the power to leave the Jedi as withered husks. Clearly, the Nihil and Marchion Ro are getting exactly what they want, and they’ve been able to do so by targeting the Republic and the Jedi simultaneously, as it leaves both sides vulnerable and unable to lend unimpeded aid. Ro hates both institutions – he believes the Republic and the Jedi impose their will on the galaxy without remorse or repercussions. He wants to teach them a lesson about freedom and consequences.

To Win Against The Nihil, The Republic And The Jedi ed Forces

As a result of Marchion Ro’s strategy, all the Jedi and the Republic could logically do was forces. Together, they stand a better chance of surviving. This cooperation has pushed the Jedi and the Republic together in unprecedented ways. What the second phase of Star Wars: The High Republic’s publishing initiative proved was that before Marchion Ro existed, the Jedi and the Republic were much more independent of one another. Sure, they helped each other occasionally, but the Jedi also set out to explore the galaxy on their own and built temples on hundreds of planets without the aid of the Republic.

Marchion Ro and the Nihil brought the Jedi and the Republic together – forever.

Marchion Ro and the Nihil brought the Jedi and the Republic together – forever. In the current phase of The High Republic’s storytelling, the Jedi Council and the Senate are much more in tune with one another, sharing resources and theories in the hope that they may be able to defeat the Nihil and free the galaxy of their tyranny. The Chancellor frequently visits the Jedi Temple. The Jedi frequently visit the Senate. Slowly but surely, they are becoming inextricably intertwined.

The Republic's Reliance On The Jedi Continued Until Palpatine Rose To Power

The way the Jedi and the Republic interact in The High Republic Phase III is eerily similar to how the Jedi and the Republic operate throughout the Star Wars prequel trilogy. One cannot function without the other. They were even pulled into another war together.

Star Wars: The High Republic is divided into three phases. Phase I takes place 200 years before the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Phase II takes place 350 years before the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and Phase III picks up a year after Phase I.

This overreliance on one another, with the Jedi essentially becoming soldiers for the Republic – just as they are in The High Republic, though they would be hesitant to it it – is exactly what allowed Palpatine to worm his way into power and overthrow the Senate and destroy the Jedi Order. If the Jedi hadn’t been so blinded by their loyalty to the Republic, and the Republic hadn’t been so dependent on the Jedi, things may have turned out differently.

Marchion Ro wants to see the Republic and the Jedi fall from grace. He wants to see them in pain, watch them burn, and struggle and give up under his command. Though clearly, the Jedi and the Republic will be victorious against the Nihil by the end of the High Republic era, as evidenced by the fact that both institutions still exist in Star Wars: The Acolyte – which takes place 100 years before the prequels – and in the prequels themselves, he did set their destruction into motion. The so-called Eye just never got to reap the rewards himself in Star Wars: The High Republic.