'The Acolyte' Was Heavily Inspired by THIS 'Knights of the Old Republic 2' Character (2024)

Leslye Headland has one of the most enviable jobs in Hollywood — tasked with creating a new project in the Star Wars galaxy. And like any fan, she's going deep into the universe to pluck inspiration from places that will delight the fandom. One such inspiration is the iconic video game, Knights of the Old Republic 2, as Headland explained to Collider's Perri Nemiroff.

"The biggest inspiration for me was Kreia/Darth Traya in Knights of the Old Republic 2," Headland revealed, adding:

"A character that when I first encountered her playing the game, I was really blown away by her characterization as well as the journey that she took the protagonist through. It felt like a type of character that I would be interested in building a narrative around, so that was kind of what I was bringing to it in addition to my overall fandom. That was the thing that I kind of picked up on when I was brainstorming about this."

Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords is a highly praised role-playing game set in the Star Wars universe, developed by Obsidian Entertainment and released in 2004. The game is set about 4,000 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire, during a time when the Jedi Order is nearly wiped out, and the Sith are close to total control. Players take on the role of the "Exile," a former Jedi who has been disconnected from the Force. Throughout the game, the Exile navigates a galaxy in turmoil, gathers companions, and faces tough moral choices that shape their path. Kreia, a mysterious and complex mentor figure, plays a central role, guiding the Exile and challenging their beliefs in their fight against the Sith Lords.

Headland also talked about how she planned to put her own spin on the Star Wars universe:

"The world that George created, it's a masterpiece, so it's hard to say that I wanted to bring something completely different. I guess I really like being able to utilize witches in my own way. Obviously, we know from Clone Wars and Ahsoka that this is not a new concept for Star Wars, but I guess I was so interested in if I was going to tell the story of these two women, and if I were going to tell their origin story it would be nice to do it later on in the series and also a bit of a cliffhanger so that you had to keep watching to understand where they came from and who they are. So it's not that different, I think it's just a different spin on it."

A Brief History of Witches in 'Star Wars'

The inclusion of witches in Star Wars has been explored before, especially with the Nightsisters in The Clone Wars and their recent appearance in Ahsoka. Headland’s approach will lean more into this mystical aspect, weaving it into the story of The Acolyte and introducing it to a new audience. By focusing on the origin story of two women and setting it up as a cliffhanger, Headland aims to keep viewers hooked and eager to uncover the mysteries of these characters.

The Acolyte drops on June 4 on Disney+ with a two-part premiere. Stay tuned to Collider for the full interview with Headland and star Amandla Stenberg.

The Acolyte

Sci-Fi

The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.

Release Date

June 4, 2024

Cast

Carrie-Anne Moss , Amandla Stenberg , Lee Jung-jae , Manny Jacinto , Dafne Keen , Jodie Turner-Smith , Rebecca Henderson , Charlie Barnett , Dean-Charles Chapman

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Watch on Disney+