“The Acolyte” takes place in the “High Republic” of Star Wars – that means

The Acolyte is the latest Star Wars series to launch on Disney Plus. Unlike previous series like Ahsoka (after Return of the Jedi) And Andor (Before A new hope), it is set in a unique and largely unexplored era of the Star Wars galaxy (at least in live action). Created by Leslye Headland, a self-professed huge Star Wars fan, and starring Lee Jung-jae, Amandla Stenberg and Carrie-Anne Moss, The Acolyte should be as beginner-friendly as possible.

Still, viewers may have a few questions ahead of the two-part series premiere, and we have the answers!

What is the High Republic?

Launched in January 2021 as a sub-franchise publishing initiative by Lucasfilm, the High Republic is told in a series of short stories, novels, and comics. Named after the era of galactic history in the universe that marks a relative cultural and political high point for the Republic in general and the Jedi in particular, the stories set in the High Republic Era take place between 500 and 100 years before the events of the nine films that make up the cinematic Skywalker Saga. For anyone familiar with the Old Republic Era thanks to the series of hugely popular video games set in the era, the High Republic Era falls squarely between that time and the time of the “main” films.

The stories typically deal with the conflict between the Jedi and the Nihil, a group of ruthless space pirates who use their secret knowledge of hyperspace travel to launch devastating attacks on the Republic. But one of the things that sets High Republic apart from similar period-specific publishing efforts is its broad scope. With stories told in all sorts of genres, from books for young readers to young adult novels to traditional adult novels, from comics to audio dramas, there are varying tones and flavors to suit a wide range of tastes. The Nihil are far from the only threat to the galaxy, which also includes the Dregnir—a species of carnivorous, sentient plants—as well as cults made up of other Force users who aren’t Jedi. The Jedi’s handling of the Nihil threat in an era of prosperity forms the narrative backbone of the sub-franchise, but even in the High Republic’s brief existence as a narrative initiative, the sheer volume and breadth of published stories provides many nooks and crannies to explore.

When does “The Acolyte” take place?

Image: Lucasfilm

The Acolyte represents the first foray into the High Republic Era on screen. It also marks the most recent point in the High Republic Era to date – the point in time that is closest to the previously established events of the films. In particular, The Acolyte takes place about 100 years before the rise of the Empire and thus towards the end of the era of the High Republic.

This point in the timeline is entirely intentional. According to the showrunner Leslye Headland“If Star Wars is about the underdog versus the institution, [in The Acolyte] the Jedi are the institution. I was so interested in a story where the Jedi were at the height of their power – and I don’t mean The Phantom Menacefor at this point there is a Sith Lord in the Senate that they are unaware of.” Headland also expresses a desire to find out “what went wrong” that led the Jedi Order from the heights of the High Republic to the stagnation and ignorance expressed in the prequel trilogy, in which the Jedi are duped into complicity in their own downfall by a threat hiding right under their collective noses.

Attitude The Acolyte at the end of the Jedi’s heyday is therefore crucial to this investigation. It allows Headland and her team to find the closest possible point chronologically to the prequels and draw the most direct line possible from the Jedi at their peak to the Jedi at their lowest point.

In this context, it is also worth noting that the Jedi of the High Republic are quite different in style from the Jedi of the prequel trilogy. Some of the differences are simply aesthetic; in addition to the “typical” look of simple robes not unlike those worn by wetland farmers and desert hermits, the Jedi of the High Republic also wear more magnificent robes in shimmering white and gold. Their lightsabers are more ornate (and occasionally more Whips like

But the differences go deeper. While the Jedi of the High Republic still teach about the dangers of bonding, they are less like the celibate monks of the prequel era. There are deep friendships among the Jedi and, in at least one case, even physical intimacy (which is still frowned upon, but no one has been expelled from the Jedi Order because of it). The Jedi of the High Republic also seem to have a deeper understanding of the Force, with some Jedi devoting themselves to exploring specific aspects or skills with the Force, such as battle meditation or the ability to strengthen the Force bonds within a group of Jedi. This can be seen in The Acolyte about Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss), a Jedi who is an expert in something not unlike Force-based kung fu.

All of this underscores the difference between the Jedi of the High Republic and the more famous Jedi of the Skywalker saga. This, in turn, underscores the question that Headland is keen to explore: What caused these differences in the first place?

What about the Sith? Where are they during the High Republic?

Image: Disney Plus/Lucasfilm

This answer is a bit more complicated. The Phantom MenaceJedi Council member Ki-Adi-Mundi (the cone-shaped Jedi) tells Qui-Gon Jinn that the Sith have been extinct for “a millennium.” This would mean that the Sith are not in any way The Acolytebecause it takes place only 100 years before Ki-Adi-Mundi’s declaration, i.e. within this millennium. But of course Ki-Adi-Mundi is incorrect. He’s wrong before he’s even said the words; the audience has already seen Qui-Gon fight Darth Maul in the sands of Tatooine, and the audience already knows that Darth Maul is a Sith, even if the Jedi don’t. And of course, the whole Sith thing is the “Rule of Two,” where a series of masters and apprentices run the whole Sith show, especially from the shadows.

So the door is certainly open for the Sith to appear. The Acolyte (as seems to be the case in the first two episodes), albeit in a subtle way (that would still get Ki-Adi-Mundi to make his false declaration and not be laughed out of the Council Chambers). Headland has compared the Sith in this era to those of a Velociraptor for the Jedi: “Like it’s something I’ve heard of, but not something you’d ever think you’d interact with.” Whether they’re the central antagonists and, if so, how they manage to maintain their status as extinct beings of myth and legend remains to be seen.

Is there anything else you would like to know?

Image: Lucasfilm

To be honest, not really. Everyone involved was very insistent that The Acolyte is not a series that requires preparation. It is intended for anyone who has even a superficial knowledge of Star Wars and wants to have fun with it.

Notable is the presence of Vernestra Rwoh, the only named member of the cast to have appeared in the High Republic so far. Vernestra, a teenage Jedi prodigy, has appeared several times throughout the series. But how The Acolyte‘s set in the High Republic timeline, but her appearance in the series doesn’t come until later in her own timeline, when she’s over 100 years old. While the name will sound familiar to High Republic readers, even they will have a lot to learn about her alongside newcomers.

Also everyone who has seen Return of the Jedi knows that Yoda will be over 900 years old when he dies, which means that he is very active during the High Republic era. However, it is not yet known whether he will be in The Acolyte.