Star Wars Reveals Live-Action High Republic Show For Disney+: The Acolyte

By Andrew Gilman Updated: May 17, 2022

Of the previously announced projects, Leslye Headland's Disney+ series was one of the most intriguing. Few details were provided at the time of the show's announcement, but the showrunner has since shared that her project will be taking place in an unknown part of the Star Wars timeline.

While story details remain elusive, it's long been known that Headland's story will feature a female lead and will incorporate martial arts action elements. Conventional wisdom suggested that the series would take us back hundreds, if not thousands, of years in the timeline, which would put us in an unexplored part of the galaxy. It seems as though early predictions were somewhat right, as the title and setting for Headland's series have finally been revealed...

CONFIRMATION

During the Disney Investor's Day event, Lucasfilm announced that Leslye Headland is spearheading a series titled The Acolyte. The show, described as a mystery-thriller, will be set towards the end of the High Republic era and promises to explore the dark side.

Leslye Headland brings a new @StarWars series to @DisneyPlus with The Acolyte. “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.

WHAT THIS MEANS

The Acolyte.

Sounds a little spooky. Sounds pretty mysterious. Definitely sounds like the dark side.

While it can't be said for certain, it sounds like the lead for this series could be a Sith. At this point in the timeline, the Sith are still in hiding and won't be making their presence known to the Jedi for another 200 years. It's possible that we could be seeing a new faction come into play, but with the dark side being specifically referenced the Sith seem like very likely candidates to be featured in the series.

The High Republic won't be introduced to us until January, so until then there's little information that could suggest how the Sith may be involved in this period's events. There's a good chance that the events of the series stray from the happenings of the galaxy at large so as to distance the characters from their Jedi foes, and in that case the show could more of a dark spiritual journey that expands Star Wars lore.

A mystery-thriller in Star Wars will always be welcomed with open arms, and the presumed focus on the dark side makes the show all the more intriguing. The Acolyte has a blank story slate with a few notable exceptions, making the potential for the series astronomical. The hope is that we won't have to wait too long until the show makes its Disney+ debut, but if it's a long ways off then all indicators suggest it will be worth the wait.