After three years, The High Republic comes to live-action. It is hard to believe that The Acolyte was announced almost four years ago during Disney Plus Day with only the information that it would take place during the last years of The High Republic. The announcement cleverly gave the series the freedom to not worry about the villains, the Nihil, who were the main antagonists of The High Republic novels and comics.

Described as a mystery/thriller from the Sith perspective, The Acolyte promises a unique and compelling narrative.

When a mysterious assassin murders a Jedi Master, a group of Jedi led by Jedi Master Sol investigates, leading them to his former Padawan.

The first two episodes deliver on that initial promise, offering a familiarity with the Star Wars universe yet introducing new characters and raising the stakes to new heights.

Leaning Into What Makes Star Wars Great

Star Wars is at its best when it is a pure space opera with lots of drama. The Empire Strikes Back focuses on the “love triangle” between Han, Luke, and Leia and the shocking reveal of Darth Vader as Luke’s father. Where Star Wars mainly was Sci/Fi and Fantasy action, The Empire Strikes Back made the franchise a family drama. The film franchise would later become The Skywalker Saga, telling the story of one family over three generations.

There is a reason why shows like Game of Thrones/House of Dragon and the recent X-Men 97 do well: they are melodramatic.

So, The Acolyte’s leaning into some soapy tropes makes sense. And a long-lost twin who is killing Jedi while the other twin falls under suspicion, and neither knows the other is alive, will do it. All this drama stems from an event that happened 16 years ago on Mae and Osha’s home planet of Brendok and a fire that was, supposedly, started by Mae.

The twin theory that made the social rounds before the premiere was confirmed early in “Lost/Found.” After we meet Mae (whose name had been revealed in promotions), we meet Osha (whose name had not been advertised). When two Jedi, Yord Fandar, and his Padawan, Tasi Lowa, question Osha, a former Jedi initiate, it becomes clear to the viewers that this is not the same person who killed Indara. But as Yord says, “that doesn’t matter” when the cantina owner identifies her. Thus, Osha finds herself on a prison transport with criminals planning an escape and a man with a parasite hugging his mouth.

During the conversation between Yord and Osha, there is a nice balance of action and dialogue to convey their relationship. Yord and Osha were friends when she was in the Order before he was knighted. Yord is also by the book but quick to go on the defense, reaching for his lightsaber when Osha grabs her pocket droid, PIP. Yord does not question whether Osha, who has not trained in years, could take down a Jedi Master; he has an eyewitness, one of the least reliable forms of evidence in any galaxy.

Then, there is the former Padawan and the current Padawan dynamic. Jecki, Sol’s current Padawan, questions Sol’s attachment to Osha but does not undermine him and ends up trusting Osha. These two would be more at odds in a lesser show, but true to the Jedi creed, no jealousy or doubt lies between Osha and Jecki. They trust Sol.

But it all adds to the drama that makes these first two episodes intriguing.

Duality Feeds Mystery

The episode titles feed into the duality of the story and characters as one could interpret who is lost and who is found, who is seeking revenge, and who wants justice.

Shifting the focus to the crime Osha supposedly committed—we are introduced to Mae, dressed in Disney-villain purple, as she makes her way to a cantina on Ueda to confront Jedi Master Indara. Mae attacks the patrons to get Indara to fight her (it is emphasized that Mae is not attacking first). Indara’s experience outmatches Mae’s, but Indara recognizes her before Mae gets the upper hand, killing the Jedi Master as she saves the cantina owner.

It harkens back to what the Grand Inquisitor said in Obi-Wan Kenobi, that the Jedi cannot help themselves and will always try to help to their detriment.

Mae exploits the Jedi’s weakness to commit both murders: throwing a knife at a civilian for Indara and appealing to Torbin’s guilt to get him to drink the poison Quimir provided. Conversely, Osha almost dies because she rescues the criminal with the parasite, who betrays her and takes the last escape pod.

However, this aspect of the Jedi also sheds light on why Master Torbin is punishing himself by meditating for ten years without speaking while waiting for Mae, who states that Torbin took the Barash Vow. The Barash Vow, mentioned a few times in canon but originating in Phase Two of The High Republic, can be taken by a Jedi as a form of repentance, similar to communion. Torbin takes the poison like communion, indicating that whatever these four Jedi did 16 years ago, it was horrible enough for Torbin to commit suicide rather than confess his crimes to the Jedi Council.

Torbin’s act places the focus back on Sol and makes us question his sincerity. The stakes are established with his attachment to Osha (it is clear that they see each other as father and daughter). So, if Sol is hiding something from Osha about what happened on Brendok, it will be like losing her all over again. There are hints that he was at least complicit in hiding that Osha was a twin since that information was not in her file.

Sol is observant, recognizing that Mae is purposely not attacking him with a weapon, questioning her (like Indara) while dodging her attacks. If Torbin knew Mae was alive, how does Sol not know? Sol might be dealing with a balancing act of remorse and resolve to make things right.

A Show for Newbies

It took a while, but we finally have a series that does not require prior Star Wars knowledge to feel the impact of character moments. Yes, The Mandalorian was enjoyed by many viewers. However, elements like the Darksaber, Bo-Katan, and Ahsoka were still introduced, and their presence would not have brought any emotional context if one had not watched The Clone Wars. They were just additional elements that needed explanation.

The Acolyte is the first live-action series where someone new to Star Wars could jump in without prior knowledge. The Skywalkers do not exist, and this is an era new to everyone except readers of The High Republic. Even for readers like myself, this is long after the events of the novels, so everyone is coming in cold. This is as close to a clean slate as possible for a franchise.

Whether that translates to viewership and more interest remains to be seen. Still, it is a welcome shift, and the benefit of introducing a new era in the past is that it can still lead to more familiar events.

But With Easter Eggs for The High Republic Readers

That is not to say there is nothing for readers of The High Republic or other Star Wars material. The Barash Vow was mentioned in the Darth Vader comics, but The High Republic miniseries The Blade revealed the origin. Barash Silvain was a Jedi who blamed herself for being deceived, which led to many deaths at a battle in Gansevor. She subsequently left the Order to commune with the Force.

Vernestra Rwoh is one of the lead characters in Phases One and Three of The High Republic. She was the youngest Jedi Knight, and her presence here suggests that Mirialans have a much longer lifespan than initially thought. While it takes away some suspense for High Republic fans, Rwoh is a good substitute for Yoda if the show chooses not to include the Jedi Grandmaster.

And a Top-Notch Production

From the lead actors to the music and production design, The Acolyte gives a cinematic experience that has only been achieved in episodes of Andor and a few in The Mandalorian. The Volume is still utilized, but there is also location filming, like Andor, which helps differentiate this era from the Prequel and Sequel films. The Jedi are all across the galaxy during this era, living amongst the Republic citizens, bringing comfort and skepticism.

Christopher Clarke Cowen, the fight choreographer who worked on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, brings similar dance/fight work to the Indara/Mae and Sol/Mae fights. Having two significant fights across two episodes and not having them be lightsaber battles is bold but effective. It will make the moment when there is a lightsaber battle that much more epic.

Amandla Stenberg has the difficult task of playing twins and proves capable of doing so with subtle posture differences and mannerisms. Lee Jung-jae impressively learned English to play Sol and is the most likable character, an empathetic Jedi Master who could rival (and exceed) Qui-Gon Jinn.

Charlie Bartlett plays the prick well as Yord, constantly questioning Sol’s decisions and letting his ambitions drive his judgments. Dafne Keen, as Jecki, shines the most with the least amount of time. Manny Jacinto is far from The Good Place, playing a guy who seems at ease with switching sides when convenient but is quite familiar with the Sith code. Quimir handles himself well against Mae’s attacks, so he likely can fight. He is a valuable resource, locating Kelnacca (who we briefly glimpsed, played by Joonas Suotamo).

In future episodes, We will see Carrie-Anne Moss and Dean-Charles Chapman as Indara and Torbin (flashbacks have been shown in the trailer). So far, the main cast is second only to Andor (Andor has better actors all around, including extras).

Michael Abels brings his horror-tinted melodies to Star Wars in a beautifully haunting score. Abels most famously scored all three Jordan Peele films, Get Out, Us, and NOPE.

Finally, the creature design puts The Acolyte on the level of the films and includes a Theelin-human hybrid in Jecki. We also have the first live-action Zygerrian with Lowa, who disappears after the scene on the Trade Federation ship. The effects could look better, but translations of species to live-action have been uneven (i.e., Grand Inquisitor in Obi-Wan Kenobi).

The Acolyte has presented a compelling mystery, if not common: Four people with a past secret that has come back to haunt them. Like Rian Johnson, Leslye Headland has a knack for turning those conventional stories on their heads. With six episodes left and things appearing to move quickly, there are probably many more mysteries to unfold. But The Acolyte is off to a great start.