Most of the Star Wars series released on Disney Plus have sent audiences to eras they are familiar with, from the peak of the Galactic Empire's reign to the rise of the New Republic in the years following Return of the Jedi. The Acolyte, however, will take viewers to a new era of Star Wars and the second trailer further teases the dark force looking to bring about the Jedi Order's end.
The second trailer provides a greater look at the Jedi Order during the High Republic Era, which has been described as the peak period for the Republic, itself, and the Jedi Order. One Jedi's death upends this apparent prosperity among the order as part of a larger conspiracy, with the former Jedi Padawan-turned-warrior Mae, portrayed by Amandla Stenberg, seemingly at the center of it.
As dangerous as Mae is, it is the mysterious force user at the end who may be the biggest threat in Star Wars' new Disney Plus series. It is not clear if the character is a Sith or a different type of Dark Side user, but they are clearly powerful enough to take on multiple Jedi with seemingly no concern.
The trailer also gives a greater look at the Star Wars universe during the High Republic Era and how it, visually, stands out from the eras already seen on film or television.
While the general Star Wars aesthetic is still there, the universe has much less of the “modernized” or “industrialized” looks associated with the prequel, original, or sequel trilogies. It, instead, has a more artistic aesthetic that feels like Star Wars' take on periods such as the Renaissance, which would be fitting inspiration for a period such as the High Republic era.
Lucasfilm, otherwise, has worked to maintain a level of secrecy around the series and what implications it could have on the larger Star Wars universe.
The Galactic Golden Age
The High Republic era has been a focal point for Lucasfilm since 2021, when the studio began a multimedia initiative to introduce audiences to this new period in the Disney-owned Star Wars canon. Various books and comics were released while bigger projects, such as The Acolyte and the game Star Wars Eclipse, were announced that would give viewers a chance to see this period brought to life on screen.
The period, itself, is considered a golden age for the Republic and Jedi Order as the former began to push out into the Galactic Frontier with the Jedi at the forefront. New advances in hyperspace travel would open the door for new worlds to be explored, colonized, and mined for their rare materials across the Outer Rim while the gargantuan Starlight Beacon space station served as the connection from the frontier back to the Republic's core worlds.
It wasn't without conflict, though, as the Republic and Jedi would soon find a major adversary in the Nihil.
The Nihil were a group of marauders opposed to the expansion and was able to combat the Republic and Jedi thanks to mysterious hyperspace routes only accessible to the Nihil. The Nihil's greatest victory came when it was able to destroy Starlight Beacon, effectively marking the beginning of the end for the High Republic era.
The Acolyte premieres on Disney Plus on June 4, 2024.
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