The Star Wars: The High Republic subseries has mainly focused on novels, comics and children's books so far. The subseries takes place about two hundred years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and focuses on the Jedi at their peak as they face new threats to the galaxy. While some elements from the subseries have been featured in comics and other media from later eras, the television shows have yet to feature any elements introduced in The High Republic until now.
Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures’ "Charhound" episode marks the first time a creature specifically created for the Star Wars: The High Republic subseries has been featured in the animated micro-series. The choice of the charhound to be featured in Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures makes sense. Charhounds are one of the cutest and friendliest creatures from the High Republic era, and Ember the charhound actually plays a significant role in the subseries due to her bond with Padawan Bell Zettifar. While the "Charhound" episode is adorable, it also is significant because it could signal more inclusion of High Republic lore in future animated and live-action television shows.
Ember the Charhound's Role in Star Wars: The High Republic
Ember the charhound first appears in Charles Soule's Star Wars: The High Republic: The Light of the Jedi and her role as Padawan Bell Zettifar's companion and friend is clear from her introduction. She is described as "a small, four-legged creature, mostly mottled black, white and gray, but with spots of red and orange here and there, and bright yellow eyes." The "small" description is a relative term since Ember is depicted as being roughly the size of a greyhound in most of the official art for the subseries. Upon seeing Bell, she immediately goes up to him for scritches, and she sticks by his side for the rest of the scene. Later, Ember's firebreathing capabilities become clear as she helps battle the Nihil who attack Elphrona, showing that while charhounds are friendly, they will fight to protect those they consider their people.
Ember chose the Jedi and Bell in particular, not the other way around. Bell served on Elphrona alongside three other Jedi including his master, Loden Greatstorm, Indeera Stokes and Porter Engle. Ember arrived at the Jedi's base on Elphrona with an injury, and they tended to her wounds and claimed her as a member of their team. While Ember shows affection toward all of the Jedi on Elphrona, Bell is her favorite. As the Nihil continue to spread across the galaxy and more Jedi are lost, Ember serves as a therapy animal of sorts for Bell, supporting him through his grief and loss as he grapples with the war and the Nihil's deadly attacks. Thus, Ember and Bell are an inseparable duo, and Ember herself is an important part of the High Republic's overarching story.
Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures' Charhound Also Embraces Friendship
Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures' "Charhound" does not really connect with the High Republic era. While Aree initially travels to Elphrona to discover if charhounds play fetch, he quickly realizes that fetch is potentially a problem, though not due to any lack of desire to play on the charhound's part. Instead, the charhound struggles with fetch because his internal temperature is so high that it ignites any material Aree uses to play the game. Luckily, Aree realizes that a particular kind of crystal on Elphrona is heat resistant, allowing Aree to finally play fetch with the charhound successfully.
The episode's depiction of charhounds does differ slightly from Ember. The charhound in the episode seems to burn hotter than Ember; after all, Bell can safely pet Ember without fear of ignition. This change could be a case of the episode exaggerating this feature of the charhounds for comedic effect, or it could indicate that temperature regulation is a skill that charhounds have to learn over time. Despite this small difference, the charhound featured in Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures shares the friendliness and desire for connection that define Ember in Star Wars: The High Republic.
Thus, Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures' "Charhound" features no mention of any of the High Republic's other additions to the franchise such as the Nihil or the Drengir. This lack of other lore is completely understandable since Star Wars Galaxy of Creatures remains focused on the creatures themselves throughout the series. However, the inclusion of the charhound still is significant because it signals the possible inclusion of other elements of the High Republic in future Star Wars shows and movies, both animated and live-action.