One of the most popular characters from Star Wars the High Republic Phase I is the light whip wielding Jedi prodigy Vernestra Rwoh! And this morning at Star Wars Celebration Europe it was officially announced that Vernestra will be in upcoming DisneyPlus show The Acolyte played by actress Rebecca Henderson!
The Acolyte is set to debut in 2024.
This version of Vernestra looks different than the fun loving version we got in the High Republic publishing initiative so far. The elder Vernestra no longer has her full head of purple hair and appears to be sporting scars on the top of her head. I’m really interested to see how she got to this point.
The Mirilian Jedi Knight first appeared alongside her Padawan, Imri Canteros, in A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland in January of 2021 so this is a very quick turnaround from introduction to live action appearance.
She’s also in the Phase I High Republic Marvel comics series by Cavan Scott, first appearing in Star Wars: The High Republic #2. There is some debate as to what her first “full appearance” is but my opinion is that it’s High Republic #2.
See eBay listings for Star Wars High Republic 2
That being said, the popular comic book app, Key Collector Comics, considers High Republic #5 to be her first full appearance with her appearances prior to that being considered “cameos.” Likely because this is the first time Vernestra is called to action and fights in a comic.
See eBay listings for Star Wars High Republic 5
As always it’s important to collect what you want. So the choice is yours as to which comic you covet the most. I personally like the true first in High Republic #2 but others may prefer her cutting down Drengir in High Republic #5.
If you are reading this for speculation purposes be sure to keep an eye on the market to see what the collecting community values most. Key Collector Comics has a huge following so I would not be surprised if the market preferred issue #5.
Aside from that, Vernestra Rwoh’s first cover appearance on a comic is Star Wars: High Republic #6 on a retailer exclusive variant with art by Marco Turini. Personally I think this may be the best variant to own for future value purposes. The cover is stunning and there was only 4,000 total printed between the trade dress and virgin. Not unusual for a store exclusive variant but still much less than the previous two comics I just wrote about.
Unknown Comics still has these in stock on their website as of me writing this.
Regardless of comic values, I’m just happy that Leslye Headland is including a beloved character from the comics in her show. It’s a fantastic sign moving forward for all of the High Republic comics and also just cool as hell.
I am a massive High Republic fan. The only books I enjoy more than the High Republic books are the Thrawn books by Timothy Zahn. I’m eating good this week.
More coming soon!
Grand Admiral Frik
