The trailer for the new Star Wars series The Acolyte offers plenty of material for speculation. This is the first time a live-action project has explored this Age of the High Republic, which has so far been dealt with primarily in novels. During this era, the Jedi were at the height of their power. But it doesn’t take long until a red lightsaber appears.
In the final seconds of the trailer for The Acyolte, a mysterious figure faces off against several Jedi in a dark forest. The impressive lightsaber skills are reminiscent of a well-known villain: Palpatine, the future emperor. We were already able to marvel at his skills in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
Star Wars fans speculate: Does the red lightsaber in The Acolyte trailer belong to Palpatine?
Since the release of The Acolyte trailer, Star Wars fans have been speculating whether the series secretly about Palpatine’s backstory acts. Even before the moment with the red lightsaber, we see a mysterious figure in a dark robe standing on a rock, who could be the young Palpatine.
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We already experienced it two years ago in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, when an inconspicuous figure suddenly turned out to be a young Sauron. Star Wars could have one with The Acyolte try a similar twist. Before we know it, we could be following young Palpatine on his path to becoming Supreme Chancellor of the Republic.
The crux of the matter is: we’ve seen a lot of Palpatine in the past few years. The character appeared in the series The Bad Batch and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Since Star Wars 9: The Rise of Skywalker, the words “Palpatine” and “Return” are only applicable in a meme context. So The Acyolte wouldn’t be doing itself any favors with such a revelation.
In an interview with StarWars.com, series creator Leslye Headland suggests that The Acyolte one step further into the past goes back, where a completely different Sith may be lurking.
I was [bei The Acyolte] very interested in a story where the Jedi were at the height of their power – and by that I mean not The Phantom Menacebecause at this point there is a Sith Lord in the Senate that they don’t notice.
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Before Palpatine came Darth Plagueis: The Acyolte could go even deeper into the Star Wars mythology
“Have you ever heard of the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?” Palpatine asks Anakin Skywalker this question in Revenge of the Sith. Darth Plagueis was Palpatine’s master and could play a key role in The Acyolte, as a rumor suggested as early as August 2022. Bespin Bulletin summed it up.
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At that time, a leak made the rounds that there was a concept drawing for The Acyolte “a planet with snow-capped mountains and large cities with long, tentacle-like structures and bell-shaped roofs” shows. This planet could be… Scipio act that we already saw in The Clone Wars.
Scipio is that Muun homeworld
– and probably the most famous Muun in the Star Wars universe is Darth Plagueis. It is not confirmed whether Plagueis is really involved in The Acyolte. Even though the name has appeared in the rumor mill several times in connection with the project, there is still no official confirmation.
But it is precisely these speculations that are currently making The Acyolte so attractive. Headland has made it clear that she is not only very familiar with the old Expanded Universe, but also wants to integrate some elements into the story of The Acyolte. It’s also possible that they put it on Darth Tenebrousthe master of Darth Plagueis, as a secret mastermind in the background.
When does The Acolyte start on Disney+?
The Acolyte Season 1 premieres on June 4, 2024 its premiere on Disney+. There are two episodes to start with. The remaining six will then appear weekly.