Here’s everything you should know before venturing into The Acolyte series that takes place before the Star Wars Prequel trilogy. It’s a new era, never before seen on the TV or big screen in the Disney Canon timeline, The High Republic Era!
Who made The Acolyte
The Acolyte will have a total of eight episodes. The two-episode premiere is releasing on June 4th, 2024. The directors involved in this series are Kogonada, Alex Garcia Lopez, and Hanelle M. Culpepper, each one of them directed two episodes.
Leslye Headland, creator, writer, and showrunner of The Acolyte was also in charge of directing two episodes.
Leslie Headland, Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers; Rayne Roberts, Damian Anderson, Eileen Shim, and Rob Bredow are producing. Composer Michale Abels is the man behind the score of this series.
Lucasfilm has obviously been cryptic about the whole series. They have released teasers and trailers but nothing too revealing. Here’s everything you should know about the cast, plot and setting of the show, without any fear of spoiling the story, of course.
Characters and Cast
Since The Acolyte takes place in a different era, it means that pretty much every character is brand new. We have seen a few shots of them in the trailer but here’s what little we know about some of the major characters.
Mae
She is the main character of the series, a former Padawan who deviated from the ways of the Jedi and now walks a dark path. A former student of Master Sol. Mae is played by Amandla Stenberg.
Jecki Lon
A young Theelin-human hybrid Padawan who is always trying to behave like a true Jedi should. The current Padawan of Master Sol. Jecki is played by Dafne Keen.
Master Sol
A respected human Jedi Master who is conflicted by his emotions and the events from his past. Sol is played by Lee Jung-jae.
Kelnacca
A Wookiee Jedi Master who prefers to spend his time in solitude, surrounded by nature. Kelnacca is played by Joonas Suotamo.
Yord Fandar
A Jedi who many see as a promise, due to his number of achievements despite his young age. He always needs to be a by-the-book Jedi, which can cloud his judgment. You can easily spot Yord because he wields a yellow lightsaber. Yord is played by Charlie Barnett.
Qimir
A former smuggler who then became a trader of rare objects. He’d rather have a peaceful time than go on an adventure. Qimir is played by Manny Jacinto.
Indara
A Jedi Master recognized for her great fortitude, both mental and physical. Indara is played by Carrie-Anne Moss.
Mother Aniseya
She is the leader of a coven of Witches. They value their independence as well as the preservation of their beliefs and powers. She reminds me of “The Mother”, the leader of a cult called The Path of the Open Hand.
This cult would eventually evolve into the Nihil, a group that brought the Jedi and Republic to their knees. Mother Aniseya is played by Jodie Turner-Smith.
Vernestra Rwoh “Vern”
The most well-known character in the trailer is without a doubt Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh. This Mirialan is the former Padawan of Jedi Master Stellan Gios.
She is notable for wielding a purple-bladed lightsaber that can change into a lightwip. “Vern” first appeared in the book “Light of the Jedi”.
She’s one of the lucky ones who survived the destruction of the Starlight Beacon and the subsequent expansion of Marchion Ro’s occlusion zone.
Other actors who also appear in the series are Amy Tsang (King Fu), Margarita Levieva (The Lincoln Lawyer), Paul Bullion (Peaky Blinders), and James Henri-Thomas (This Is Us). However, the nature of their roles is yet to be revealed.
Plot of The Acolyte
This story takes place a hundred years before The Phantom Menace, and will show how the Sith slowly infiltrated the Galactic Republic without the Jedi noticing.
If we consider the moment in which this series takes place, either Darth Plagueis or his master, Darth Tenebrous, should be alive and plotting their grand plan.
It’s important to know that Acolyte is a term that ancient Sith used to refer to their apprentices, just like how Jedi use the word Padawans to describe the young Jedi initiates.
A dark figure with a red lightsaber and creepy helmet appears in the trailers. It’s safe to assume that this individual is said the so-called Acolyte but if there’s any relation to Darth Tenebrous or Darth Plagueis, we don’t know yet.
A revelation of such a character and how the Jedi deal with it is key to knowing how eventually, Palpatine is able to rise to power without the Jedi Order being able to foresee his true intentions.
I always remember when the Jedi Council immediately disregarded Qui Gonn’s suggestion that Maul was a Sith Lord. It’s going to be very interesting to see how the series evolves without messing with that particular moment.
You might not be familiar with the High Republic, but this era is filled with tragedy, death, and some of the most desolating moments in Star Wars. We’ll have to wait and see if The Acolyte also fits this description.
“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”. – StarWars.com
What is The High Republic
Star Wars: The High Republicis a multi-platform publishing project with books and comics for all ages. This era lasted from 500 BBY to 100 BBY, it was a time of expansion, exploration, and prosperity. It is also said to be the golden age for the Jedi Order.
The Jedi from the High Republic are different from what you’ve seen in the Skywalker saga. Their robes, combat style, teachings, beliefs, and behavior are something that suits this point in time. Prepare to be surprised by some of these things.
“The High Republic” media publishing project is divided into three phases. Phase I introduced the first stories of this era back in 2021, starting with Light of the Jedi.
Phase II went back 150 years before Phase I and explored the origin story of the Nihil, the main antagonists of this period. Phase III began in 2024 withThe Eye of Darknessand it will continue throughout 2024 and 2025.
This era is filled with Jedi, conflict, brave heroes, complex villains, and a lot of tragedy.If you like Star Wars but want something unique and fresh that has nothing to do with anyone named Skywalker, the High Republic is for you.
The Acolyte is the first project that will show The High Republic on a screen. So far we have only had books and comic books from it. The one exception is the Star Wars Jedi Survivor video game where Cal Kestis explores the fate and adventures of two Jedi from that era.
If you wish to learn more about the High Republic, you can check ourHigh Republic catalog and reading guide There you will find spoiler-free descriptions of every book released as well as the recommended order of reading the key novels and other books from each phase so you get to know the era even better.
Star Wars The High Republic Reading Guide and Full Catalog
