The actors behind the heroic Kai Brightstar and Lys Solay – that’s Jamaal Avery Jr. and Juliet Donenfeld – talk about their adventures in the High Republic era on Young Jedi Adventures, which landed on Disney Plus on 4th May after a mini series of shorts whetted the galaxy’s appetite for stories aimed squarely at the younger portion of the fandom. That said, don’t be put off if you’re a bit longer in the tooth, there’s plenty to enjoy in the show for viewers of all ages.
As the stories take place in the era of the High Republic, previously explored primarily in books and comics and set hundreds of years before Star Wars: The Phantom Menace when the Jedi were at their height, there won’t be a chance for Lys and Leia to team up. But there are other recognizable characters and species, including Master Yoda.
The wise Jedi Master helps to teach the younglings and even gifts Kai his own training lightsaber in the first episode after Brightstar’s saber is lost. When Avery first got the script, “I had to read it over like five times,” he says. “I’m like, what just happened? Wait, Yoda’s in the show too?”