The Acolyte trailer reaction
The Acolyte, Disney’s next Star Wars live-action show, has finally had a first trailer drop alongside a release date, and it teases a dark mystery threatening to unravel the Jedi, and start the journey to the institution’s downfall. This feeling is communicated above all else, with it unclear what the main stakes are.
It opens with a youngling training session, with Master Sol urging them that their eyes can deceive them. Not only is this a call back to Star Wars: A New Hope, but likely something that can be applied to the show. Since there will be an air of mystery, nothing can be taken at face value, which is subtly communicated to the audience.
Audiences follow several mysterious characters walking around a bar, and an assassin stalks the area. It seems like she’s responsible for the Jedi dropping dead in the world, which is scaring the main characters. This show is built as a mystery, so discovering who this character is, why the Jedi are dropping dead, and what her ultimate goal is.
This hints that the show will have a tone similar to Andor, more mature than Star Wars usually is. However, the number of aliens in the trailer does suggest it will be slightly more pulpy, getting back to the roots of the franchise.
The Acolyte is the first live-action show to take place in the High Republic era, which happened just before Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. It’s one that’s been thoroughly explored in books and comics and has now begun to make its way to other mediums.
The Jedi here are much different from that of the prequels, both in philosophy and looks. While their hiding philosophy is unclear from the trailer, their white and golden robes are clearly different from the brown robes audiences are familiar with. Lightsabers are also more exciting colours with yellows in there as well as the standard blues and greens. It’s a chance to see the Jedi in their experimental phase.
And no one signifies this more than the appearance of Vernestra Rwoh. She’s a prominent character in the High Republic novels, and she makes a brief cameo in the trailer. She wields a light whip, capturing the era of experimentation. It’s something that will be awesome to see in live-action.
The trailer comes to a shocking end when several Jedi come together to face down someone wielding a red lightsaber. As this show teases the rise of the Sith, this is likely a Sith character. There are plenty of Legends characters this could be, such as Darth Plagueis, his master Darth Tenebrous, or even Tenebrous’ master. It could also be a new character.
There are still several unknowns about The Acolyte, but luckily audiences don’t have long to wait until the show becomes less murky. The series kicks off with two episodes on June 4 exclusively on Disney+.
