The Acolyte Premiere Gives Star Wars Fans the Jedi and Sith Lore They've Been Craving (2024)

Of all the Disney-era Star Wars shows, The Acolyte might be the most ambitious one yet. Not just for telling an original story, but a story devoid of the nostalgia prevalent in most Star Wars releases in general. Consider: every Disney+ Star Wars series to date has operated from a place of familiarity. The Mandalorian and Ahsoka are full of callbacks to and characters from Dave Filoni's wellspring of animated shows. They also consistently reference the original and prequel trilogies while setting up future events in the sequel era. Obi-Wan Kenobi appealed to fans who loved Ewan McGregor's prequel performance in the prequels. Even the critically acclaimed Andor, which prided itself on rejecting fanservice for grownup political melodrama, was still a Rogue One prequel. It used the familiarity of the Galactic Empire's oppressive regime to tell a wide-reaching narrative about rebellion and sacrifice that deepened characters like Cassian Andor and Mon Mothma beyond anyone's wildest expectations. But, at the end of the day, it was a familiar timeline all the same.

The Acolyte is different. A mystery-thriller created by Russian Doll showrunner Leslye Headland, The Acolyte sidesteps the usual franchise limitations by taking place independently of not only Star Wars events to come but its own source material's backdrop. For those unaware, this is Lucasfilm's first live-action show set in the High Republic era, an ongoing publishing initiative spanning several interconnected books, comics, and audio dramas exploring the Jedi at the height of their influence. Only in recent years has the High Republic been explored in non-literary media like the video game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and the kids' cartoon Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. Given its wealth of lore, backstory, and original Jedi/villain characters, it's not unreasonable to worry that such a timeline would be impenetrable to casual fans. Thankfully, The Acolyte is set long after the High Republic books' conclusion and, by extension, a century before Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace. Only Mirialan Jedi Vernestra Rwoh (played by Headland's wife, Rebecca Henderson) serves as the primary link between text and screen. This makes the show accessible to all. Unburdened by expectations of cameos and fanservice, the show can legitimately do things fans won't expect.

The Acolyte Takes Live-Action Star Wars Further Back Than It's Ever Gone Before

The Series Introduces Fans to the High Republic in All Its Glory and Darkness

The Acolyte's first two episodes tell an engaging story with fun, original characters. Even better, the premiere also poses a unique The Last Jedi-esque question that exposes the cracks in the Order and foreshadows the long-dormant Sith's plan to orchestrate its downfall: do the Jedi, as an institution, have any right to claim ownership over the Force? Though trailers (mostly) refrained from sharing The Acolyte's biggest reveals, a few major twists are confirmed by the end of the premiere's first episode that carry over into the second. Without spoiling too much, it's the twilight years of the High Republic, a time of peace and prosperity in the Galactic Republic maintained by its heroic and watchful guardians, the Jedi Order.

But that peace is threatened when a Jedi murder puts the Order on high notice. The culprit is a masked warrior named Mae (Amandla Stenberg), bearing a spiral face marking, a penchant for knives, and some unsanctioned Force-sensitive training. Believing her to be the former Padawan of esteemed Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), Rwoh permits Sol, his alien Padawan Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen), and Knight Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett) to investigate, only to realize things aren't as simple as they seem. Soon, the viewer learns Mae's connection to Sol, fellow Jedi Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) and other Force-wielders via a childhood tragedy that's come back to haunt them. This is a tragedy key to her dark side rite of passage and a masked individual's goal of ending the Jedi's dominance through this acolyte. Or, at the very least, planting the seeds of their undoing that Darth Sidious will exploit a century later.

Cryptic as this synopsis is, it falls neatly in line with Headland's "Frozen meets Kill Bill" pitch for the show. Mae has a Jedi kill list she intends to carry out and, over time, viewers gradually learn pieces of the relationship driving this mission toward its endgame. Stenberg certainly rises to the challenge in these scenes, giving her performance enough layers that leave audiences wanting to see how she'll succeed even as the quest points toward a dark path. There's even some levity thrown in during her conversations with trader/potion maker Qimir (Manny Jacinto) in the second episode, which makes the darkness feel a bit less concerning, however temporarily.

The Jedi of The Acolyte Are Different, Yet Familiar Enough

The Jedi Are Even More Imperfect Than the Fans May Remember

What's more interesting is seeing how this era of Jedi operates. Here, they're less dogmatic than their prequel selves, at ease with discussing emotions and attachments, and more effective in manipulating the Force for combat and interrogation as seen when Sol wields its power on a prisoner in seconds. And yet, traces of that hubris are noticeable. A scene where Yord spooks a Neimoidian with a Mind Trick toes a fine line between being powerful and abusive, while the Jedi's covert approach to this mission reflects their desire to retain high political status within the Republic. They're still the immensely powerful beings of the High Republic novels who protect the innocent in the name of peace. However, the Jedi also have one foot placed in the "deliberative-verging-on-arrogant" mindset that fans of the prequels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars will recognize all too well.

Such Force mastery also leads to some incredible fight scenes. This is an era where Jedi were less inclined to use their lightsabers except as a last resort, and The Acolyte's Wuxia-inspired battles -- inspired as much by The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as Genndy Tartakovsky's Star Wars: Clone Wars -- emphasize just how confident the heroes are in their abilities. There's a dance-like quality to Indara and Sol's battles against Mae, blocking and disarming opponents while controlling the combat flow to turn a battle in their favor. Backed up by kinetic and coherent cinematography, these are some of the most unique fights in recent Star Wars memory. They might not occur that frequently, but when a Jedi martial arts fight happens, it's hard not to cheer.

Alongside Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae also delivers a standout performance as Sol. He really feels like a copy of Qui-Gon Jinn or, in the High Republic's case, Stellan Gios, of this era. Sol is wise and powerful yet warmhearted and empathetic. He's an embodiment of the Jedi's best qualities. Lee knows how to change the tone of his presence on a dime and, watching him perform, fans wouldn't believe this was his first English-language role or that Lee learned the language while filming the show. A lot of humor, meanwhile, comes from the back and forth between Jecki and Yord, the former regularly teasing the latter for how often he comes off as a well-intentioned yet prideful stick in the mud. Their character moments aren't quite as strong as Sol's, but they still highlight, once again, how different these Jedi behave compared to what they become in the future.

The Acolyte Offers a Solid Blend of Old & New Star Wars

The Series Pays Tribute to Star Wars Mythology While Forging Its Own Path

Aesthetically, The Acolyte tries to strike a balance between Andor's grounded ecosystems and Ahsoka's high galactic fantasy. In effect, the premiere's locations are detailed, but not quite as lived-in as the environments of Andor's Ferrix or the Narkina 5 prison. And for a show featuring more Jedi and Jedi temples than any Star Wars project to date, it could benefit from more truly alien-looking background Jedi alongside the human extras. Thankfully, there are still original environments. Planets, starship interiors, robots like the Swiss Army repair droid Pip -- even familiar settings like the Mos Eisley-inspired bar where Mae and Indara duke it out -- all feel reminiscent of an older time and place in Star Wars history, many of which were filmed on location instead of the Volume. High Republic fans in particular will be pleased by Jennifer Bryan's costume design, as she successfully adapted the books' distinct golden Jedi robes while giving them a uniformity that, once again, signifies where the Order's choices are taking them.

Star Wars fans of all eras will probably find something to like about The Acolyte. Despite enduring the usual pre-release outrage from bad-faith YouTubers, Headland's love for this source material is felt all over her early episodes. She sprinkles the adventure with deep nods to the Disney-era and the de-canonized Legends (aka the Star Wars: Expanded Universe) lore alike. For example, a Fugitive-like confrontation over an icy cliff bears a striking resemblance to a similar Ahsoka Tano moment in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Similarly, Mae tries to fight a Jedi who swore the "Barash Vow," an oath of solitude from the comics with direct ties to the High Republic. She and Qimir even say "Peace is a lie" verbatim. These are the opening lines to the Sith Code from the classic Star Wars game Knights of the Old Republic. Best of all, these Easter Eggs never feel overbearing. They are merely extensions of a story that, despite taking some time to show its cards, opens up the Star Wars galaxy in ways even Andor couldn't. Whether The Acolyte will surpass Andor as the best live-action Star Wars show is anyone's guess. That being said, it is a genuinely new show in all the ways that count. For that, fans should be excited. As they say in the High Republic: "For Light and Life!"

The Acolyte's two-episode premiere streams June 4 on Disney+.

The Acolyte

Action

Adventure

Mystery

9

10

A Star Wars series that takes viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era.

Release Date

June 4, 2024

Cast

Lee Jung-jae , Jodie Turner-Smith , Amandla Stenberg , Rebecca Henderson

Main Genre

Science Fiction

Seasons

1

Franchise

Star Wars

Creator

Leslye Headland

Number of Episodes

8

Pros

• Incredible fight choreography
• Packed with adoration for the source material
• Excellent casting

Cons

• Could use more non-human characters