Many fans wonder if Episode 9 of The Acolyte will air and, if so, when.
The Acolyte Season 1 was always marketed as having eight episodes. Though, from various interviews, showrunner Leslye Headland made it clear that she hopes to keep telling this story.
One example is how Headland revealed that Manny Jacinto's Sith was initially meant to be a tease toward a larger role in a future season. Still, she reworked the Season 1 story to include more of the character.
While Vernestra Rwoh is the only character from the High Republic books to appear onscreen, the showrunner mentioned that more could appear if the show continued.
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When Will The Acolyte Episode 9 Air?
The Acolyte's freshman run is complete, so if an Episode 9 is released, it would be part of Season 2. However, as of writing, no Season 2 has been confirmed.
If Season 2 is greenlit, fans probably shouldn't expect Episode 9 until 2026 at the earliest, as the production cycle for Star Wars projects tends to have a lengthy turnaround. While a 2025 debut is possible, it would need to be renewed within weeks for production to start in time to get the show out by late next year.
For comparison, Ahsoka's Season 1 started production in May 2022 but didn't premiere until August 2023.
The possibility of a Season 2 for The Acolyte doesn't look strong.
Luminate, a prominent data analytics company, reported unpromising trends for The Acolyte's. Since Episode 1, trends have been going down dramatically. Within its first 12 weeks, the series didn't even reach 1.5 billion minutes viewed.
The Mandalorian Season 3 had almost 6.5 billion minutes viewed, The Book of Boba Fett breached 6 billion, Obi-Wan Kenobi was just over 5 billion, Andor Season 1 sat at over 4 billion, and Ahsoka came to rest just under that. The difference is sizable.
It also doesn't help that the critical reception of The Acolyte has been mixed.
One positive spin is that its initial premiere was fairly solid, with its numbers even bettering those of Percy Jackson and the Olympians in its first two days (2.94 million compared to 2.49 million).
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What Would The Acolyte Season 2 Look Like?
On a narrative level, The Acolyte warrants a Season 2.
The new episode left a handful of narrative plot threads open for further exploration and offered little closure.
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for the season finale of The Acolyte.
Qimir is still out there with his new Sith apprentice, Osha, who bled her new red lightsaber kyber crystal earlier in the episode. As for her sister Mae, she's stuck with Vernestra, who has much explaining to do, seeing as she's Qimir's former master.
There were even two massive Easter eggs that promised big storylines in the future, including the (probable) first onscreen appearance of Darth Plagueis and the return of Yoda.
A Season 2 would guarantee an even deeper dive into the story of the Sith, which could bring back huge Star Wars Legends characters into the mix, such as Darth Revan or Nilhius.
Leaving The Acolyte without a continuation adds to the massive holes in Star Wars continuity that are begging to be filled.
The Acolyte is streaming on Disney+.
Read more about The Acolyte on The Direct:
The Acolyte: What Is The Power of Two In Star Wars? Qimir's Desire Explained
The Acolyte Just Teased Sol's Dark Secret
The Acolyte DP Reveals Why the New Sith Debut Was 'Extremely Difficult' (Exclusive)
