The Acolyte Needs No Star Wars Duties

One of the biggest problems with Star Wars These days, it can often feel like a duty. You could watch Ahsoka without having seen Rebelsbut It would make a lot more sense if you did.. Andor works without seeing Thief One but is definitely strengthened by this. And all the other movies and shows take place immediately before, after, or during other stories we’ve seen elsewhere. Something more is always needed to fully understand and appreciate the next story.

It’s been a long time – hell, maybe even going back to 1977 – since Star Wars had a clean, simple and accessible entry point. A place that anyone can participate in without any prior knowledge and simply enjoy as Star Wars history. But that’s exactly what we get next week with The Acolyte.

On the surface, The Acolyte it seems to be more or less the same thing. It takes place 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace at the end of the High Republic, a period mainly explored in the written press. There are dozens of books and probably a hundred characters which were created for this era. It seems intimidating. But, even if The Acolyte takes place in and around the High Republic, no knowledge is required to enjoy the show.

“It’s a new entry point” Acolyte creator Leslye Headland told a group of Star Wars fan sites recently. “(A familiarity with The High Republic) would definitely enhance the show if you had the experience of immersing yourself in this magnificent world. But you certainly don’t need to have read anything or know any references to it.

After watching the first two episodes of the series, this openness is immediately apparent and appreciated. The story draws us in with new characters, new worlds, new stories, and we follow the journey. All you really need to know are the building blocks of Star Wars: Jedi, the Force, lightsabers, etc. If you know and love this stuff, you’ve done all the necessary preparation.

“We’re set a little bit apart, a little bit closer to the prequels than to the High Republic,” Headland continued. “So I hope we have enough references to the High Republic, but we don’t rely on them narratively to support our story. I would like to think that our story stands on its own.

And one Star Wars a story that stands on its own so that everyone can enjoy it is a very good thing indeed. The Acolyte debuts with his first two episodes on June 4 on Disney+.

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