If you’ve ever wondered what a series that feels like the love child of Star Trek and Star Wars would look like, look no further. Star Wars’ most hopeful and adventurous era has returned with a brand-new series that steps away from the franchise’s typical lightsaber battles and Jedi missions, instead focusing on awe-inspiring exploration and discovery.
Taking place roughly 200 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the High Republic era is often seen as a golden age for Star Wars, when the Galactic Republic is at its peak, and the Jedi Order operates as a widespread peacekeeping force across a less war-torn galaxy.
Rather than the franchise-defining films or television, this era has primarily been explored through novels, comics, manga, and other media as part of the larger publishing initiative known as Star Wars: The High Republic. Among its many installments is Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures (2023–2025), which has since received a continuing spinoff titled Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – Pathfinders.
Spearheaded by writer George Mann, the first two issues of the Pathfinders six-part miniseries were released in May and June. Despite four issues still to come, early fan reception has already been overwhelmingly positive, with the vast majority of readers praising the series. While several elements likely contribute to its strong reception, one major factor may be that the series feels like it brings the very best elements of Star Trek into the Star Wars universe.
Mann’s Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – Pathfinders stays true to the defining themes of the High Republic era by centering on exploration, discovery, and understanding. As Star Trek fans know, a good portion of the franchise’s core and most iconic narratives focus on exploring unknown regions of space, discovering new planets and civilizations, and pursuing a broader understanding of the universe.
With those same ideas echoed in Pathfinders miniseries, the result feels like a true blending of two juggernaut franchises. In a non-official capacity, the series almost reads as if Star Trek has been dropped into the world of Star Wars. While the concept of Star Trek meets Star Wars is compelling on its own, the issues of Pathfinders released so far show that Mann is executing this idea exceptionally well.
The overall consensus from fans has been largely positive for the Pathfinders series, with platforms such as League of Comic Geeks and Reddit filled with enthusiastic discussion about the title, including many readers drawing the Star Wars and Star Trek comparison themselves. Therefore, if you’re a fan of Star Trek’s focus on explorers discovering new planets and civilizations but also love the Star Wars universe, Pathfinders is a no-brainer for your next read.
In the issues released so far, readers have followed a brand-new team of Republic Pathfinders as they embark on two different missions. The first sees them dispatched to a distant corner of the galaxy to investigate the mysterious death of a Jedi Master, while the second throws them into a bizarre hyperspace anomaly where they must confront the monstrous beings lurking within it. Together, these adventures have delivered a thrilling showcase of the exploration and consequences of discovery that have defined the series so far.
The next installment, Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – Pathfinders #3, is set to release on July 8, 2026. The official synopsis teases: “The Pathfinder team traces the origins of a wrecked EX droid to the frozen planet Bathoris. There, they discover an isolated Comms team has been mysteriously murdered! Can the Pathfinders sift through the suspects in time? To uncover the truth, they might just need some help from another fan-favorite High Republic hero!”
Between its exploration-driven storytelling, visits to new and unfamiliar worlds, and encounters with strange spatial anomalies, it's easy to see why readers are drawing comparisons to Star Trek. If future issues continue to build on these strengths, the growing buzz surrounding Pathfinders will likely attract not only more Star Wars fans but also Star Trek fans.
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Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – Pathfinders #1 from Dark Horse Comics is now available to read!
