Warning! This article contains spoilers for Skeleton Crew episode 7.
Skeleton Crew may finally be confirmed as a show linked to Star Wars’ High Republic era thanks to one crucial line in episode 7. For the most part, Skeleton Crew‘s focus on its cast of characters has removed the show from wider connections to the Star Wars franchise. Despite occurring within Star Wars’ New Republic timeline, which also houses stories like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew has been predominantly self-contained, save for a few wider references to elements like Jedi and the Force.
While talk of a Skeleton Crew season 2 has been prominent of late, the show is moving into its final installment as the child characters reach home amid the threat of Jod and his pirates. Skeleton Crew episode 7 ends with Wim, Neel, Fern, KB, and their parents being held hostage by Jod and his blue lightsaber – the source of many a Skeleton Crew Easter egg – with a vault of Old Republic credits behind him. Although this sets up Skeleton Crew‘s finale perfectly, a single line from earlier in the episode may confirm the show’s connection to a vital part of Star Wars’ vast timeline.
Skeleton Crew Has Been Hinting At A High Republic Connection Since Episode 1
The Great Work Of At Attin May Be More Than It Seems
This part of the Star Wars timeline in question is the High Republic era. Star Wars’ High Republic era has mostly been explored in an extensive literary project spanning hundreds of years in-universe, with many novels and comic books exploring the time before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. These many books explore the galaxy when the Republic is at its height, and the representatives of the government work alongside the incredibly powerful Jedi Order to stave off threats beyond that of the Sith.
Related
Star Wars: Every Major Event Of The High Republic Era
The High Republic Era is full of significant events, both for the Jedi Order and the Republic it sought to protect long before the prequels.
The only time the High Republic has appeared in live-action Star Wars was in 2024’s The Acolyte, yet many found some connections between the era and Skeleton Crew. In Skeleton Crew‘s premiere, the characters were being pushed into their school assessments so that they could choose a career and begin contributing to At Attin’s “Great Work.” This is a similar phrase to the “Great Works” from the many High Republic books. In the books, the Chancellor of the High Republic – Lina Soh – was dedicated to completing several Great Works that would see the galaxy at its strongest.
Given the similarities between this and Skeleton Crew‘s “Great Work,” many began to theorize that the latter show was linked somehow to the High Republic. This theory gained further credence after several reveals about Skeleton Crew‘s At Attin, the fabled treasure planet, that was apparently lost to the pirates of the galaxy. At Attin was slowly revealed to have an ancient past, solidifying the possibility that it was once connected to the High Republic from centuries prior.
Skeleton Crew Episode 7 Finally Reveals How Long At Attin Has Been Hidden
More Evidence Is Found In Skeleton Crew’s Penultimate Episode
In Skeleton Crew episode 7, Jude Law’s Jod Na Nawood spends a great deal of time attempting to convince his old pirate crew that At Attin is real, located behind The Barrier. In an attempt to do so, Jod relays the information he has learned about the planet to the crew, stating that “At Attin’s been hidden for hundreds of years.” While this is undoubtedly more of a generalization from Jod, this is all but confirmation that At Attin is indeed tied to Star Wars’ High Republic, providing Skeleton Crew‘s theorists with vindication.
If At Attin has been lost for centuries, it would make sense for it to tie back to the height of the Republic…
After all, the High Republic era in Star Wars is denoted as taking place between 500 BBY and 100 BBY, the latter year around the same time The Acolyte is set. If At Attin has been lost for centuries, it would make sense for it to tie back to the height of the Republic. The planet has also been revealed as the location of a Republic Mint, which mass produces credits. The “Great Work” of At Attin could be keeping this production going, just as the Mint could have been one of Lina Soh’s Great Works to keep the Republic wealthy enough for all of her plans.
Tak Rennod Must’ve Been Tied To The High Republic’s Nihil Pirates
The Infamous Pirate Captain May Once Have Been An Enemy Of The Jedi
Another piece of evidence that supports Skeleton Crew being connected to the High Republic is the mysterious pirate captain, Tak Rennod. Tak Rennod is the captain of the Onyx Cinder who found At Attin hundreds of years before Skeleton Crew and kept it hidden from the other pirates of the galaxy. Given the confirmation that At Attin is a High Republic planet, it may finally be confirmed that Tak Rennod is connected to the biggest villains of the High Republic era: the Nihil.
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The Nihil, Star Wars: The High Republic’s Greatest Villains, Explained
Who are the Nihil? Star Wars’ early villains from the High Republic era were quite a dangerous force to be reckoned with (even for the Jedi).
The Nihil were a group of marauders, thieves, and pirates from the Outer Rim, dedicated to stalling the progress of the Republic and the Jedi Order. In an attempt to maintain their freedom, the Nihil opposed the Jedi and the Republic vehemently, hundreds of years before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. With Tak Rennod being tied to At Attin’s history, it would make sense for the pirate to be one of the Nihil that found the Republic Mint and kept it for himself, also linking to the Skeleton Crew theory that Tak is At Attin’s Supervisor.
One piece of evidence to support this link came in the form of a Skeleton Crew episode 5 Easter egg. When Jod and the kids find Tak Rennod’s vault on Lanupa, a hologram of Tak’s symbol is shown. The symbol is reminiscent of lightning strikes, which is evocative of the Nihil sigil from the High Republic era. The Nihil were recognized via three lightning strikes. If Tak Rennod was a Nihil marauder who split from the main group upon finding At Attin, his symbol being evocative of the wider pirate organization is logical.
Port Borgo Must’ve Been A Nihil Base Too!
A Hive Of Scum & Villainy
The final Skeleton Crew element that At Attin’s High Republic confirmation impacts is the show’s pirate base, Port Borgo. In Skeleton Crew episode 2, the droid SM-33 takes the kids to Port Borgo as he knows it to be a hub for pirates looking for supplies. SM-33 was the first mate of Tak Rennod; if the latter was indeed a Nihil marauder, Skeleton Crew‘s Port Borgo was likely a hub for the High Republic villains.
This would explain why SM-33 was so quick to visit Port Borgo, as it is one of the Outer Rim hubs that the Nihil – and every pirate group since in Star Wars – have come to frequent. This is supported by the various High Republic stories, which often have homebases for the Nihil across the galaxy. Thanks to Skeleton Crew‘s many reveals, Port Borgo could have been confirmed as a Nihil base, tying to Tak Rennod’s pirate-based past and the connections between At Attin and Star Wars’ High Republic era.
Set in the Star Wars universe, Skeleton Crew follows four young adventurers as they become lost in the galaxy while searching for their home planet. The series chronicles their exploration and encounters with diverse worlds and characters, presenting themes of friendship, discovery, and the quest for belonging.
- Release Date
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December 2, 2024
- Writers
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Jon Watts
, Christopher Ford - Directors
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Jon Watts
, Daniel Kwan
, David Lowery
, Daniel Scheinert
, Jake Schreier - Showrunner
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Jon Watts
, Christopher Ford
