Star Wars Celebration continues to surprise us with new announcements and details about exciting upcoming series. Here’s what we learned from The Acolyte Panel!
The Acolyte is a show that was first announced during Star Wars Celebration 2022. One year later we finally know that it is going to be released in 2024! Here’s the updated information on what we’ve learned about this upcoming series.
It takes place during the final days of the High Republic era, roughly a hundred years before the events of the Phantom Menace.
Leslye Headland, the showrunner of the series describes it as “Frozen meets Kill Bill”. To be honest I’m not sure about how that is supposed to look but I can’t wait to find out! There is an emphasis on The Acolyte being intense, heavily influenced by Martial Arts movies, and with a much darker tone.
Acolyte is the word that the Sith used to designate their apprentices, which already says a lot about what we can expect from it. For the first time, we’re finally going to get a major series that shows us the perspective of the Dark Side in a more intimate way. This was confirmed by Leslye Headland, the creator of the series.
Let’s remember that these are times when the Sith were thought to be completely extinct. They haven’t infiltrated the republic and their influence isn’t as widespread. In fact, this series will show how the dark side starts to slowly blind the Jedi Order, a process that culminates in Revenge of the Sith.
We know that Amandla Stenberg is going to play the lead role in the series but new information about some of the other characters and actors who will play them has also been revealed. Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca in The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker and Solo) will play a Wookiee Jedi named Kelnacca.
Lee Jung-Jae, the star of the Netflix show Squid Game is going to be another Jedi Master. Daphne Keen was a little more secretive and she only mentioned that her character will use a lightsaber, I think she is perfect to play a dark side character.
A small trailer was shown to all the people on the panel. Sadly, all of us who are at home will have to wait to see it but social media is flooded with the comments of people who attended.
People said that the footage shown to them had a ton of Jedi, lightsabers, alien races, and an incredible fight scene. Others describe it as a very dark, almost Andor-like trailer.
According to the presenters of the panel, this series won’t focus as much on the good or bad side but it will highlight the importance of power and how those who have it will use it.
The High Republic features a lot of incredible stories that you normally wouldn’t see in the more mainstream Star Wars media. I have lost count of how many times my heart has been crushed by an unexpected but devastating turn of events that kills a character that I really liked. If this show is even close to that then this series is going to be something truly special!
This announcement in addition to the 3 upcoming Star Wars movies, and the Ahsoka teaser trailer make day 1 of Star Wars Celebration something very hard to beat!
