Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Acolyte episode 1.
Summary
The newestStar Warsseries,The Acolyte, has introduced the generalStar Warsaudience to theHigh Republic, an era never-before-seen in live action – and with it, a lie from the originalStar Warstrilogy. This era was considered to be an age of peace and justice, with the galaxy firmly under the reign of theGalactic Republic, the same government seen later on in the prequel trilogy andStar Wars:The Clone Wars. This era of peace, however, was not exactly as peaceful as some have led others to believe.
In the beginning ofThe Acolyteepisode 1, several lines of blue text appear over a field of stars, akin to the “A long time ago in a galaxy far,far away.” This information acts similarly to the opening text crawls as seen inStar Warsmovies, and is very much like the opening toSolo: A Star Wars Story. In this text,the Republic is described as having not seen war for generations, and this is similar to how Obi-Wan describes the Republic inA New Hope, as a golden age of peace - but this is technically a lie.
When Is The Acolyte Set In The Star Wars Timeline?
The Acolyte will introduce viewers to a whole new part of the Star Wars timeline - but how does this next Disney+ TV show fit with the Skywalker saga?
The High Republic Has Revealed A Time Conflict Blazed Across The Galaxy
The Nihil Fought The Jedi Order & Republic
The High Republic era was first explored in 2021, inThe High Republicbooks and comics, which take place 100 years beforeThe Acolyte. A majority of those books actually document a semi-large scale conflict happening in the galaxy. The Jedi Order & Republic are up againstthe Nihil– a group of pirate marauders bent on destroying the Jedi out of a generations-long need for revenge spurred on by their leader, Marchion Ro.
This conflict flared up over the course of over 4 years, with the Jedi and local defense forces of Republic planets up against a whole fleet of Nihil ships. The Nihil generally operated in a less formal sense, giving authors some room to justify still calling it an era without “war,“but it still feels just a little bit hollow to describe the High Republic as a completely peaceful era. At one point, the Nihil even carved out their own part of the galaxy, sectioning off countless planets and their inhabitants before being defeated by the Jedi.
The Acolyte Repeats The Oldest Jedi Lie
The Republic’s Era Of Peace
Through repeating the emphasis on there being no “war” for generations,The Acolytehas both reinforced a Jedi lie and brought up the question of what “peace” can actually meanin the hugeStar Warsgalaxy.The High Republicbooks confirm that there have been many smaller conflicts over the centuries, just nothing on the scale of the Clone Wars. Thus, overall “peace” to them means that the entire Republic was not at war by the time ofThe Acolyte- and besides, without conflict, the Jedi would not be the Republic’s “guardians of peace and justice” as Obi-Wan describes them.
It’s a truism that the victors write the history books. Throughout the history of the Old Republic, the Jedi are the ones who triumph time and again - meaning they get to present themselves as successful.The Acolytelooks set to reveal a more nuanced truth, and perhaps even to tell a story the Jedi deliberately erased - which may explain why the Jedi didn’t know about the Sith in the prequels. It would be tremendously ironic if the Jedi proved to be victims of their own hubris.
Should Obi-Wan’s Words Be Taken Literally?
He Can Be Forgiven For Being Nostalgic
Obi-Wan doesn’t have a great reputation for honesty - so many of the truths he portrayed are “from a certain point of view,” after all. But to be fair, in this case,he’s probably looking at the past through the eyes of nostalgia. He can be forgiven for remembering the time before the Empire as a golden age; the flaws of the prequel Jedi Order alone suggest he wasn’t really a reliable historian when he was talking to Luke inA New Hope.
It’s interesting seeingThe Acolyterepeat this line, though. It suggests the introductory text is secretly from the Jedi point of view, presenting history as the Order would like it to be written. Showrunner Leslye Headland is known for writing plots that unravel over time, like layers of an onion, so it’s reasonable to assume the truth will gradually be revealed: that the time before the prequels was not the golden age the Jedi claim it to be.
The Acolyteepisodes 1 and 2 are now available to stream on Disney+.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
