In a few months, The Acolyte will premiere on Disney Plus and introduce Star Wars fans to a new live-action era free from the influence of the Skywalkers.
The Mouse House is developing so many disparate Star Wars projects that it’s hard to keep track of them all. In fact, I’d hardly blame you if The Acolyte somehow slipped under your radar for all this time, especially since we have yet to see a first look in the form of promotional images or trailers.
Besides, while The Acolyte is set in the new Disney canon, it barely has anything to do with most of the ongoing galaxy far, far away projects at the moment, namely Jon Favreau’s MandoVerse and all the stories taking place in its timeline. Even the movies currently in development, including the sequel centering around Rey, take place in the post-imperial period. Which brings us back to the question at hand: What is The Acolyte and how is it going to change Star Wars canon forever?
When is The Acolyte set in Star Wars canon?
The Acolyte is set to be the first live-action Star Wars project to tackle the so-called High Republic. This is some 500 to 400 years before the Skywalker Saga, depicting a time when the galaxy enjoyed relative peace and prosperity under the guidance of the Jedi Order. Stories set in this timeline usually describe the Jedi as being at the height of their power, both in practical terms and in the ways of the Force.
But as we know from the Skywalker Saga, beginning with Episode I – The Phantom Menace, dark shadows start to pool around the very foundations of democracy, eventually bringing down the Republic and erecting in its place a Galactic Empire.
Disney claims The Acolyte takes place 100 years before the events of the main saga and involves several Jedi Knights as they investigate a series of mysterious crimes in the galaxy. These eventually lead them to the doorsteps of elements serving the Dark Side of the Force, and from there, all we have to go on is a ticket to speculation down.
Some fans theorize that due to the close gap between The Acolyte and The Phantom Menace, our main villains will be none other than Sheev Palpatine and his master Darth Plagueis. To think that we’ve waited two decades to see something of Plagueis the Wise in Star Wars, and The Acolyte could be where it finally happens.
And even if that doesn’t end up being the case, it’s still great to see Disney letting the book close on the Skywalkers. As Andor proved, there can be much more to Star Wars than the generational drama of a single family.