Trail of Shadows could inspire new Star Wars Stories
“Star Wars The High Republic: Trail of Shadows” is a comic mini-series by Daniel Jose Older and David Watcher. The story follows Jedi investigator Emerick Caphtor and Private Detective Sian Holt as they search for clues for a new Nihil weapon. Written similarly to a mystery noir, Trail of Shadows was a thrilling and fascinating read that left me anxiously waiting each month for the next issue. The two detectives, chase leads and speak with shady informants, all while Emerick uses force to help find clues. There are even entire panels that are spread out like crime scenes.
While the series deviates toward the end, to focus on the main story of the High Republic, it sticks with the mystery noir genre and never feels out of place. Given that Jedi have heightened senses and are keener to detail it makes perfect sense that Jedi would be excellent detectives. After reading the series it made me crave this type of storytelling more in Star Wars, and there is potential to expand on this genre. There have already been some brief examples of Jedi investigations in the past, such as Obi-Wan’s search for Padme’s assassin in “Attack of the Clones”, and the investigation of the Jedi Temple bombing in “The Clone Wars”.
Emerick’s mere existence affirms that there were Jedi detectives or at least Jedi that specialize in criminal investigations. At the very least this series can inspire writers to dive into this genre.
Books:
It’s almost certain that Emerick Caphtor and Sian Holt will return in later High Republic books. Considering how interconnected these stories are and given Emerick’s importance, he will likely appear in the novels—either furthering their investigation of the Nihil or venturing out to search for other malevolent, allowing writers to delve into this era’s more macabre mysteries. “Trail of Shadows” could be a launching point for authors to write a full-on noir mystery novel. Mike Chen has already shown interest in the mystery genre, with his book “Star Wars: Brotherhood”. It's feasible that, given the success of the comic series, he or other authors will be inspired to write in a similar style.
Video Game
With Lucas Films Games opening up to other developers, a Star War detective series would be fitting. It’s a stretch to see an entire game devoted to that genre but seeing it as a key element could be a possibility. The Old Republic remake and the potential open-world Ubisoft game could give players the opportunity to use their force abilities like Emerick, investigating mysterious murders or political scandals. This could be the main plot point for a game or side mission similar to the investigation missions seen in the Mass Effect series. Future games could use mechanics we’ve seen before in “Jedi: Fallen Order” with Kal Kestis’ psychometry (or force echo) ability. Psychometry allowed Jedi to see past events when touching an object which is an ability that is perfect for a Jedi detective to use when investigating a crime.
Star Wars Eclipse:
Star Wars Eclipse could open space for the involvement of a Jedi investigator. The ominous trailer hints that the game will be a thriller, a common genre for detectives and investigators. Though developers have released few details about the game it this rumored that the game will take place during the High Republic era. The same era that Emerick is based it. If the rumors are true we could see him in the game, assisting with investigations. Emerick or other Jedi Investigators might help discover the plot of those spooky drummer aliens. With such little information on the game and the massive delay in its development, anything is really possible.
Tales of the Jedi
Tales of the Jedi is a coming animated anthology series that will follow the stories of different Jedi. The first few shorts will dive into stories about Count Dooku and Ahsoka Tano. Assuming the series continues it can delve into stories of other Jedi, Jedi like Emerick. Not only would fans receive more backstory on Emerick himself, but the writers could use Emerick as a vessel to explore the mysteries and events during that High Republic era. Being an anthology series it could adopt the mystery noir genre that is used in the comics without interfering with the tone of other stories. Fans could see him solve other cases involving the Nihil or smaller cases in the urban city of Coruscant. The series could go more in-depth into Emerick's force abilities and explain the origins of how he began to use those abilities in his investigation.
Conclusion
Trail of Shadows was an excellent read creating a new and unique style of Star Wars storytelling. However unlikely, I would love to see this style further explored in other stories in the Star Wars universe whatever outlet it may be in. It would create more unique stories and obstacles for the Jedi while also demonstrating how the force can be used in a plethora of ways. All while changing the typical Star Wars format, and freshening the franchise.
