The Acolyte has brought the High Republic era to Disney Plus.
First announced on Star Wars Day (May 4) all the way back in 2020, The Acolyte has been a long time coming, and now Star Wars fans can enjoy the next show from the galaxy far, far away.
Pitched as 'Frozen meets Kill Bill' by creator, Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), the series takes place roughly a century before The Phantom Menace during the period known as the High Republic era, when the Jedi Order was at its prime (StarWars.com has a hub dedicated in the High Republic era if you're keen to know more).
The Acolyte charts a story of emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic, where a mysterious character seems to hunting Jedi during what's supposed to be a time of peace. Here's what to know about The Acolyte.
The Acolyte next episode
Disney Plus premieres the season finale of The Acolyte on Tuesday, July 16, at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT.
Check out our how to watch The Acolyte post for all the details on making sure you can keep up with the latest Star Wars adventure, but long story short is that you must have access to the Disney Plus streaming platform.
Check out what else is new to Disney Plus this month.
The Acolyte cast
Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies, The Hate U Give) stars in The Acolyte. They confirmed the news with a photo on Instagram alongside R2D2, writing: "Next stop: a galaxy far, far away... I am so excited to finally announce I'm joining Star Wars: The Acolyte. Honored is an understatement. May the Force be with you".
The rest of The Acolyte's main cast was revealed on November 7, 2022, and it includes several huge stars. Along with Stenberg are: Squid Game frontman Lee Jung-jae, Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix Resurrections), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials, Russian Doll), Jodie Turner-Smith (After Yang), Dean-Charles Chapman (The Walk-In) and Russian Doll stars Charlie Barnett and Rebecca Henderson.
When the trailer arrived, we got a bunch more info about the new series, including details about the characters who'll be cropping up. Here's who each of our stars will be playing, along with character descriptions from the official Star Wars site's databanks:
- Lee Jung-jae as Master Sol: a wise, highly respected, powerful Jedi Master, strong in the ways of the Force, who is going through emotional conflict.
- Amandla Stenberg as Mae: Mae gets swept up into a sinister mystery—one that puts her into the center of a conflict in unexpected ways.
- Manny Jacinto as Qimir: a former smuggler who now makes his living as a trader, procuring unusual things and enjoying a life of leisure.
- Carrie-Anne Moss as Indara: a Jedi Master of great physical and mental skill.
- Joonas Suotamo as Kelnacca: a Wookiee Jedie, and a loner who lives a solitary life.
- Jodie Turner-Smith as Mother Aniseya: the leader of a coven of Witches who value their independence and the preservation of their beliefs and powers.
- Charlie Barnett as Yord: a Jedi Knight and guardian from the Jedi Temple, Jord's an overachiever and a rule follower. His need to be a by-the-book Jedi can cloud his mind.
- Dafne Keen as Jecki: Jecki is the Padawan apprentice to Master Sol. Although she is young, she projects calm and conducts herself with maturity.
- Rebecca Henderson as Vernestra 'Vern' Rwoh: An elder Jedi Master who has ascended the ranks of the Jedi from a teenage prodigy to a leader in the Order.
The Acolyte plot
The Acolyte is a prequel series that takes place centuries before the events of The Phantom Menace, during the High Republic era. This was a period when the Jedi Order was at its prime.
In December 2022, Dafne Keen told TechRadar The Acolyte was "a Sith-led story," one which would offer "an explanation of how the Sith infiltrated the Jedi."
The series' synopsis explains that we'll be seeing Master Sol crossing paths with a formidable warrior with some past connection to him.
It reads: "An investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems..."
The Acolyte episodes
Here are the synopses for The Acolyte episodes released so far:
The Acolyte episode 1, "Lost/Found"
"The Jedi pursue a suspect after a shocking crime."
The Acolyte episode 2, "Revenge/Justice"
"An assassin strikes again, but this time the Jedi are there to attempt capture."
The Acolyte episode 3, "Destiny"
"On a mysterious planet, the tragic journey of two sisters begins."
The Acolyte episode 4, "Day"
"Racing to the next target, the Jedi head to a new world as they close in on the clever assassin."
The Acolyte episode 5, "Night"
"In a dense jungle, the Jedi are put to the test when they confront a rising darkness."
The Acolyte episode 6, "Teach/Corrupt"
"On a distant island, unsettling questions about identity and destiny rise."
The Acolyte episode 7, "Choice"
"A bitter truth is revealed."
The Acolyte trailer
The Acolyte trailer arrived in March 2024, and it makes the series look as epic as we could have hoped. It shows us Jedi Master Sol lecturing a class of Jedi younglings, intercut with a tense battle between a Jedi and Amandla Stenberg's mysterious warrior. Check it out below:
