5 Reasons You Need To Give THE ACOLYTE A Chance If You're A STAR WARS Fan

Much has been said about The Acolyte in recent weeks, but if you're a Star Wars fan, then there are some very good reasons why you should make the time to check out the franchise's latest Disney+ series.

By JoshWilding - Jun 28, 2024 01:06 PM EST

Filed Under: Star Wars

The Acolyte has been making headlines for weeks, though most of those have related to possible review-bombing and so-called continuity errors which somehow disrespect the wider Star Wars franchise.

Simply put, there's an awful lot of noise out there and it's overshadowed what's shaping up to be one of the better stories told by the Disney-owned Lucasfilm. While the next few weeks will be crucial in cementing the show's legacy, there are plenty of reasons you should give The Acolyte a chance.

In this feature, we take a deep dive into why The Acolyte is a must-watch for Star Wars fans, delving into what it does right and why many of the complaints you've heard aren't necessarily valid. Be warned that some spoilers do follow.

You can read through this piece by clicking on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.

5. It Expands On Existing Star Wars Lore In Important Ways

When we first learned that The Acolyte was set during the newly introduced High Republic era, it became hard to shake the feeling the series would be largely unimportant to the wider Star Wars franchise.

Instead, the opposite has been true. While we still don't know just how important The Stranger is to the Sith lineage, there's a very good chance he's the founder of the Knights of Ren and, beyond that, we're seeing how the Force can be wielded by more than just the Jedi.

That could be crucial for what plays out on Peridea in Ahsoka season 2. Equally as important is the fact The Acolyte is explaining much of what we saw in the prequel trilogy.

Even north of a hundred years before The Phantom Menace, we see a Jedi Order desperate to avoid scandal and eager to stop anyone else from using the Force. It's no wonder then that Emperor Palpatine so easily managed to end them in Revenge of the Sith and this series provides vital context even without a big-name character like Darth Plagueis taking centre stage.

4. It's Also Something New For Star Wars

The Star Wars sequel trilogy is rightly criticised for playing it too safe. The Force Awakens was a retread of A New Hope and the Resistance battling the First Order was just the Rebel Alliance versus the Empire all over again.

Hell, The Rise of Skywalker even brought back Emperor Palpatine!

Other Star Wars movies and TV shows released by Disney have stuck to that post-Return of the Jedi period or familiar spaces like the years between Episode III and Episode IV. The Acolyte, in contrast, dares to do something new by exploring a time which hasn't been shown on screen before.

It's a refreshing change of pace and one which has introduced new characters (without familiar names), planets, and weapons. If you want something new from this franchise, then The Acolyte is most definitely for you.

3. It's Not As Bad As The "Reviews" Would Have You Believe

Is The Acolyte being review-bombed? That remains up for debate, but there's simply no denying that there's an unusually large number of negative reviews hitting websites like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes.

There are plenty of fans with legitimate grievances. Then, there are the prolific YouTubers who make a living from telling a certain subsection of "fans" what they want to hear. Adding to that are the people who see a series without a white male lead and immediately cry "woke," making it their mission in life to expose the mainstream media for daring to feature people not like them (basement dwellers).

Many of the complaints just don't add up. The Acolyte hasn't broken canon; it's barely contradicted the Expanded Universe, a wave of storytelling which meant nothing to George Lucas (he hated Mara Jade, folks) and was scrapped years ago.

Perhaps the most eye-roll-worthy moan is how "bad" the writing is, as if the Star Wars franchise has ever been anything more than hokey, silly sci-fi. It's true The Acolyte isn't Lucasfilm's strongest effort but it's leaps and bounds ahead of The Book of Boba Fett, for example.

2. The Action Is Top-Notch

Ahsoka was criticised for lacklustre lightsaber battles and fight choreography, a harsh assessment of what we felt were some pretty solid action scenes. However, if those were lacking for you, then The Acolyte more than makes up for it.

Right from that first battle between Mae and Master Indara, this Disney+ series has been firing on all cylinders since the start. Some can cry and whinge about fire in space (because we've never seen that in Star Wars before), but they're overlooking some of the franchise's best fight scenes.

This week's fifth episode delivered perhaps the greatest lightsaber duel since the prequels, with The Master/The Stranger decimating the Jedi who dared face him. He even made use of Cortosis, a lightsaber-nullifying material pulled from the Expanded Universe Headland supposedly hates so much.

With three episodes left, we're hoping the best is yet to come on this front.

1. The Best Villain Since Darth Vader?

Well, not quite, but The Master/The Stranger is still one of the more compelling baddies we've spent time with in the Disney-owned era of Star Wars.

Mysterious, imposing, and most importantly, formidable, he's no knock-off Darth Vader (sorry, Kylo Ren) and doesn't feel like cannon fodder for The Acolyte's heroes. Whether he'll end up being someone important to the wider franchise is up for debate, but we're loving spending time with him.

Manny Jacinto's switch from the bumbling Qimir to "Darth Teeth" was a blast to watch and this is a character we're eager to see more of. It's unfortunate that there are no plans to explore his past, though we're sure novels and comic books can be used to fill in any gaps.

Star Wars is a franchise that's always been defined by its villains and this series has a very good one. In the weeks ahead, he may well be cemented as a great one...

THE ACOLYTE Showrunner Talks Kylo Ren Easter Egg, Original Plans For The Stranger, Cortosis, & More - SPOILERS

Recommended For You:

THE ACOLYTE Star Amandla Stenberg On Episode 5's "Twin Twist" And What's Next For Mae And Osha - SPOILERS

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

86 Comments

1 2 3

FireandBlood - 6/28/2024, 1:07 PM

The villain is cool, in a Darth Maul kind of way. But he doesn’t hold a candle to Vader, or even Kylo.

Gabimaru - 6/28/2024, 1:32 PM

@FireandBlood -
*trying not to burst out of laughing by the headline of this article.

McMurdo - 6/28/2024, 5:31 PM

@FireandBlood - Darth maul was cool. This guy is just a guy in a long list of guys.

Turklander - 6/28/2024, 1:08 PM

Thw title of the article is pretty pretentious and is outrage bait but I just know annoying people in the comments are gonna say The Acolyte is the worst thing ever and killed Star Wars or some shit

SATW42 - 6/28/2024, 3:31 PM

@Brondern - I don't really see how it's outrage bait in the least. It's literally saying "Here's 5 reasons why you should try this show if you're a Star Wars fan". It's not saying you aren't one if you don't try it, or that you HAVE to like it if you're a star Wars fan.

WakandaTech - 6/28/2024, 1:15 PM

Is not as bad as you think it is

It's all in your imagination

Kathleen Kennedy has giving us an amazing Star Wars show

lol

Oberlin4Prez - 6/28/2024, 1:15 PM

A quick listicle response:

5. It’s really not.
4. It’s really not if you’re a fan that’s watched anything more than the mainline movies.
3. It’s worse (from a story perspective)
2. Probably the best Disney has had a hand in.
1. Lol, ok Jan.

Izaizaiza - 6/28/2024, 1:15 PM

I would say that the acolyte is clearly better than episodes 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9, as well as the book of boba Fett. All in all, it's a solid show, and I appreciate that. That pretty much every character in it is presented in a gray area. There are almost no clear, good or bad guys. I also appreciate that, while existing in the Star Wars universe, it has very little to do with any of the already established characters. That kind of universe. Expanding storytelling for Star Wars is something I've wanted for a long time

TrentCrimm - 6/28/2024, 2:34 PM

@Izaizaiza -
I'd give it a similar assessment as you did. It's not the best Star Wars stuff, but it's not even close to being the worst.

My biggest criticism would be the plot moves along pretty slowly and in an uninteresting way. The characters so far have been good, and the story is interesting enough, I'm really liking seeing the Jedi exist in more of a grey area, it's like seeing when a Jedi Knight was more of an actual knight.

Izaizaiza - 6/28/2024, 4:26 PM

@TrentCrimm - Yeah, I agree with that as well. There are some times that I'm really into what's happening with one group of characters and they kind of abruptly switch to the others. The pacing can be a bit jarring

McMurdo - 6/28/2024, 5:37 PM

@Izaizaiza - nah I'd watch Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones all day over this because despite the awful dialogue and writing, there are things a real SW fan can appreciate in both those films. There is no Podracing scene here, no Yoda vs Dooku or Clone Wars battle, no Colosseum, no detective Obi Wan or the Kimono stuff with Jango Fett and Obi Wan. The best episodes are episodes 1 and 2 of the acolyte where you get the idea there might actually be a compelling mystery thriller here but then episodes 3 and 4 destroy all that good will, and then ep 5 2 characters with quite literally zero characterization get killed and we are supposed to feel something. The best part of this episode is when it starts, Sol is on vacation somewhere whilst all the Jedi gets slaughtered conveniently with him no where to be found and Jekki is on the floor taking a nap. Because screenwriting.

Izaizaiza - 6/28/2024, 6:32 PM

@McMurdo - Well, we have to disagree there. Not only do I think this show is objectively better written and directed than the phantom menace and attack the clones, I feel like those movies shat on Star Wars lore far worse. The introduction of midi-chlorians forever made the idea of the force dumber, and the horrible casting a. Hayden Christensen is Anakin is something that can never be forgiven. To have try to believe this guy, who isn't just a bad actor, but who also seems as threatening as a spoiled Rich fraternity boy whose mommy forgot to send him his weekly allowance... To have us believe that this guy will become one of the greatest And most intimidating film villains of all time was an insult to fans everywhere. Those two movies are trash, where is the acolyte is merely mediocre/good.

I did enjoy the Yoda Count Dooku fight, though 🤔

McMurdo - 6/28/2024, 6:58 PM

@Izaizaiza - see id argue Acolyte is just as bad from the screenplay perspective because of the threads/witches can create force babies immaculately shtick....which is literally as bad if not worse than midichlorians (which you are 100 % correct was a miserable biological abortion of an attempt at giving the Force some explanation for measuring power that it never needed"). I don't disagree on Hayden btw. But I do believe the writing was far worse than how he read those lines, personally. Not saying he's a great actor but post-Ahsoka, I think it's a bit more clear he was less of the issue than in comparison to his dialogue.

I genuinely think the writing of the Acolyte has been filled with nothing but nonsensical events and explanations and motivational flip flopping since episode 3. The pilot and EP 2 were quite solid. I agree with your problems with prequels....but I think they are far and away the lesser of evils for lack of a better term. We can ignore midichlorians (Disney has).... Pretty hard to ignore right now that Anakins birth and Chosen One prophecy is no longer special.

Imdewback - 6/29/2024, 9:13 AM

@TrentCrimm - I agree with what you said, I was hoping for something a little more dark but I will take it. Episode 5 was the best one so far, great lightsaber duels with fast action loved it! If I get at least 1 or 2 episodes like that each series im thrilled. im older and remember the dark days when we only had the movies to wait for .
Give me more.

TrentCrimm - 6/29/2024, 9:31 AM

@Imdewback -

All I'll say after episode 5 is Jecki is a f**king badass.
I'd say that was my favorite episode so far as well.

Itwasme - 6/28/2024, 1:17 PM

I still find so many of the complaints odd. Not saying it's the best thing ever, but certainly not the worst and seems to fit right in with what one would expect from Star Wars.

FireandBlood - 6/28/2024, 1:21 PM

@Itwasme - Acolyte haters be like

McMurdo - 6/28/2024, 5:39 PM

@Itwasme - I still find it odd that you find complaints about bad writing odd.

Itwasme - 6/28/2024, 8:38 PM

@McMurdo - yes... because "scruffy looking perfect herder" is Oscar worthy. Star Wars has been riddled with campy and bad writing from the beginning. This is no worse than the prequels you seem to be gushing over. You don't think those had bad writing?

TheNewYorker - 6/28/2024, 1:18 PM

Cool villain, for the 5minutes we get him.
Handful of really cool fight scenes.
That’s about it.

Oberlin4Prez - 6/28/2024, 1:23 PM

The funny thing about all of the dialogue around Disney Star Wars is that “the fans aren’t watching”. And sure there are doubtless many OG fans that have given up hope of having consistently good Star Wars content from Disney at this point, but the fact of the matter is, most of the viewers for these shows is likely still mostly OG fans who are just so hoping for something good that they tune in no matter what. Because the reality is the core fan base of any franchise is maybe a few million people, which is why all these shows, Star Wars/Marvel are so poor in the overall rating as time goes on because the normies don’t give a crap about a six -eight hour slog fest.

mpk1988 - 6/28/2024, 1:27 PM

I usually stay away from the abuse Josh... But sheesh... Maybe you deserve it..

Such a steaming pike of garbage. Your articles are starting to reek even more than the shit they defend

Shivermetimbers - 6/28/2024, 1:41 PM

@mpk1988 - Starting to think he gets a cut on the profits for this show with how much he is shilling for it. How many Acolyte articles has he written?

TheFinestSmack - 6/28/2024, 4:09 PM

@Shivermetimbers - You're only now just starting to think he gets a cut of profits???

Shivermetimbers - 6/28/2024, 4:40 PM

@TheFinestSmack - I could chalk it up to him being a shameless fan before and try to ignore the signs, but at this point its pretty obvious. I supposed I should have said, "he's definitely getting a cut..."

Saintsinnister - 6/28/2024, 1:30 PM

I’m not the type to hate on something for being woke. I didn’t even think the plot holes in Obi Wan were that bad. But the Acolyte is a bastardized Star Wars with shit characters and a Swiss cheese plot. I couldn’t watch after that first episode. I have been watching summaries of the rest of the episodes, I’m happy I never watched them. Even if 5 is good, I won’t watch it. Good for them for trying new stuff, including a diverse cast and all the other bull shit you listed. But to pretend that this show is good and that fans have just convinced themselves that it’s not is ridiculous. THE SHOW SUCKS.

Itwasme - 6/28/2024, 1:41 PM

@Saintsinnister - so you don't watch the show, but think it's not good?

Can you please let us all know what's woke about it? For those of us watching the show we'd like to know since it's not readily apparent.

Saintsinnister - 6/28/2024, 3:16 PM

@Itwasme - Read my comment again, I said that I gave it a shot and decided to just stick to the various summaries online afterwards. I know what’s going on. The fact that in the first episode not one male is white and every other male is a lame excuse for a character is pretty woke. Like there’s a whole lot of white dudes later on in the canon of Star Wars, where did they come from? Did England invade Star Wars too?

But that’s not the reason I quit watching, it’s because the story sucked and the main characters were not interesting to me. Myself and a bunch of other fans don’t like the show for various reasons, but you people keep telling us to watch it anyway. I’m not playing the wait and see if it gets better game with this turd, but I will watch The critical Drinker make fun of it every week.

Itwasme - 6/28/2024, 3:25 PM

@Saintsinnister - there's tons of dudes in this show. What are you on about?

Saintsinnister - 6/28/2024, 3:46 PM

@Itwasme - Oh I see now you’re a special kind of stupid. You pick out words and leave the words before them out. Where exactly did I say that the show didn’t have dudes in it?🥴 Stupidest response to a legitimate point I have ever seen. Go watch your show again, they can use the views

FireandBlood - 6/28/2024, 3:52 PM

@Saintsinnister - That’s funny though, isn’t it? Because you, yourself, admit that Star Wars was full of white males. Predominantly, even. What was it then, if now it’s “woke” they don’t predominantly make up the cast? Normal? 🤔

FireandBlood - 6/28/2024, 3:52 PM

@Itwasme - It’s “woke” because there aren’t enough white males, is what he’s saying.

Saintsinnister - 6/28/2024, 4:17 PM

@FireandBlood - Things get woke when you go out of your way to exclude people based off skin color and gender to pander to an audience when it doesn’t necessarily reflect the IP the series is based on. Of course you guys harp on the woke bs when I already explained that isn’t even the reason I gave up on it. It’s an obvious observation. If in every other Movie and Series they have a mix of characters but still mostly white males than yes, when something comes out with none it’s glaringly obvious. It would be different if it was any good but it’s not

Itwasme - 6/28/2024, 5:24 PM

@Saintsinnister - doesnt feel out of the way at all, so again, I'm not sure what you're talking about.

McMurdo - 6/28/2024, 5:47 PM

@Saintsinnister - this is an awful series, but it has nothing to do with a lack of white men. Sol isn't dark skinned, he's a light skinned Asian. If you need a Caucasian in your content to be able to not be fragile then you're going to not enjoy a ton of great content. Like I can't picture you ever watching Memories of Murder or any South Korean thriller or horror film, or really any foreign language content period if you can't handle not having a white dude in it. This is a truly bad series, but the white thing is the least of its issues.

McMurdo - 6/28/2024, 5:49 PM

@FireandBlood - which is preposterous because nu-woke has nothing to do with race and people like him devalue the term. It's become a catch all for morons to scream at the rooftops any time they don't see their skin color well represented.

Saintsinnister - 6/28/2024, 7:14 PM

@McMurdo - You’re projecting a bunch of bullshit ideology on me I don’t have anything to do with. I already said that the wokeness isn’t even why it sucks. You lames just read what you want and lump everyone into some simple category because you want to feel superior. Read my comments again. I love all sorts of genres of movies and don’t need white people in them to feel included. I don’t know if we can say that about the people Disney is pandering to though. It’s pathetic and blatantly obvious

McMurdo - 6/28/2024, 7:28 PM

@Saintsinnister - your quote-

"The fact that in the first episode not one male is white and every other male is a lame excuse for a character is pretty woke."

Actually you are projecting that I am projecting.

Saintsinnister - 6/28/2024, 8:06 PM

@McMurdo - Yeah I said that. And you turned it into this
“If you need a Caucasian in your content to be able to not be fragile then you're going to not enjoy a ton of great content. Like I can't picture you ever watching Memories of Murder or any South Korean thriller.”

You can’t picture me at all because you don’t know me. You base a whole projection of an imbecile in your head off of one observation I made and only point out because I pressed on the topic. They asked what I saw was woke, and I responded. Watch the episode and tell me I’m wrong

McMurdo - 6/28/2024, 8:21 PM

@Saintsinnister - I'm not attempting to know you I'm simply articulating that you do not understand what the term woke means today based on your comment above. I have no problem with granting you that you are okay watching movies without white people in them. I will take your word for it.

1 2 3

Please log in to post comments.

Don't have an account?
Please Register.

Related Headlines

Star Wars

THE ACOLYTE Showrunner Talks Kylo Ren Easter Egg, Original Plans For The Stranger, Cortosis, & More - SPOILERS

JoshWilding

6 mins ago

Book of Boba Fett

THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT Star Temuera Morrison Says He's Still Pushing For Lucasfilm To Make Season 2

JoshWilding

1 day ago

Star Wars

THE ACOLYTE Star Amandla Stenberg On Episode 5's "Twin Twist" And What's Next For Mae And Osha - SPOILERS

MarkCassidy

3 days ago

Related Headlines

Star Wars

THE ACOLYTE Showrunner Talks Kylo Ren Easter Egg, Original Plans For The Stranger, Cortosis, & More - SPOILERS

JoshWilding

6 mins ago

Book of Boba Fett

THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT Star Temuera Morrison Says He's Still Pushing For Lucasfilm To Make Season 2

JoshWilding

1 day ago

Star Wars

THE ACOLYTE Star Amandla Stenberg On Episode 5's "Twin Twist" And What's Next For Mae And Osha - SPOILERS

MarkCassidy

3 days ago

Star Wars