WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #1-5 and Star Wars: The High Republic: The Race to Crashpoint Tower, on sale now.
In Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, one of the major issues surrounding the possibility of Anakin Skywalker's training is his age. While the Jedi council does eventually approve Anakin's training under Obi-Wan Kenobi, doubts about his standing within the Jedi Order, in part due to his age at the beginning of his training, plague him throughout his tenure as a Padawan and Jedi Knight. While the prequel trilogy shows that Anakin was an exception to the Council's rules, the Star Wars: The High Republic subseries shows that earlier eras had different ways of handling Force sensitive children who were too old to become Younglings.
The issue of age and Jedi training is a driving force in Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #1-5, by Daniel José Older, Harvey Tolibao, Pow Rodrix, Jake M. Wood, Rebecca Nalty, Elizabeth Brei and Riley Farmer. At the beginning of the series, a group of Padawans and Younglings in Jedi Master Yoda's care accidentally find themselves in the middle of a Nihil firefight when on an aid mission to Trymant IV in the wake of the Great Disaster. At a critical moment, Zeen Mrala, a young member of the Elders of the Path, teams up with Padawan Lula Talisola to use the Force to protect the young Jedi from debris. Because the Elders of the Path are against the use of the Force, Zeen becomes an exile even though her action saved lives. She then finds a new home with the Jedi of the Starlight Beacon.
Throughout the series, the question of how Zeen Mrala might fit within the Jedi Order is prominent throughout her interactions with the Jedi. In Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #3, the issue of the young Force-user's training becomes a major focus. The issue is further complicated by her misgivings about the Force from her upbringing with the Elders of the Path. Yoda and the other Jedi Masters discuss the possibility of Zeen beginning training, but the mood of the discussion is very different from Anakin's appearance before the Jedi Council in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
By this time, Zeen has bonded with the Padawans and Younglings on board the Starlight Beacon, and they rally to her cause, enthusiastically explaining why they feel that she should be allowed to stay. Jedi Master Kantam Sy, Lula's master, is one of her strongest advocates, and they argue that she should stay with the Jedi. Thus, Zeen's age is still an issue, but the discussion of her training seems more focused on kindness and what would be best for her rather than fearful proclamations of the possibility of her descent to the Dark side.
By the end of Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #5, Zeen’s fate seems to be determined. While the council has declared her too old to become a full Jedi Knight, the force-user still is allowed to train with the Jedi, and Kantam Sy takes her on to be their unofficial second apprentice. Thus, Zeen is not technically a Padawan, but she still gets to train with the Jedi to hone her abilities with the Force. This decision contrasts sharply with the Jedi Council’s treatment of Anakin in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The Council offers no compromises and instead treats the question of Anakin’s training as a binary decision.
Daniel José Older’s Star Wars: The High Republic: The Race to Crashpoint Tower shows how this dynamic is progressing and Zeen’s continued growth, both in the Force and in her acceptance of her abilities. Lula reflects on Zeen's decision to remain with the Jedi, stating that the choice was a relief, which highlights the fact that Lula was more worried that her friend and ally would not want to have anything to do with the Jedi due to her past. Zeen later reaffirms her happiness to be with the Jedi after returning to Trymant IV, reflecting on how miserable she was and how the Jedi "'are better than anything that came before.'" The young force-user also plays a pivotal role in reclaiming and fixing Crashpoint Tower, and she is welcoming to new young Jedi friends like Ram Jomaram. Overall, she currently seems content with her arrangement and status as a Force sensitive trainee rather than official Jedi Padawan.
Thus, Zeen Mrala shows that the Jedi Council of the High Republic era were more willing to find alternate solutions to the question of a Force user's age. While older Force users could not become Jedi if not trained from a very young age, they could still train with the Jedi to learn the ways of the Force and how to use those abilities to help other people. However, while this compromise does seem ideal for the moment, the question does remain whether Zeen will be satisfied with this arrangement or if she will later push to become accepted fully into the Jedi Order.