The Acolyte (2024) and the Duplicity of Gatekeepers

For those blissfully unaware, the Star Wars fandom is NOTORIOUS for gatekeeping its films and TV shows. To them, a show is automatically terrible unless George Lucas or Dave Filoni made it. Even after two decades of demanding an Obi Wan Kenobi series, they still found a way to complain. So, is there any surprise when these so-called “fans” dumped on The Acolyte? Especially since it introduces an original story in the galaxy far, far away?

100 years before The Phantom Menace, a force wielder begins the completely unheard feat of assassinating Jedi. Master Sol (played by Lee Jung-Jae), his former apprentice Osha (played by Amandla Stenberg), his current apprentice Jecki Lon (played by Dafne Keen) and Master Yord Fandar (played by Charles Barnett) are tasked with the assassin’s capture. With each Jedi murdered, Sol and Osha’s past collide with the present. This ultimately brings out an evil from the shadows long thought to be extinct.

Gatekeepers and their toxicity really suck out the fun and creativity of this franchise. If there is some form of “woke” agenda within a Star Wars project (and they have not been subtle about it sometimes), fans outcry. And if there’s any TINY discrepancy in the canon, they explode into a blind rage like Anakin at the Jedi Temple in Revenge of the Sith. I myself, can admit when Star Wars has made a misstep or a questionable project within the universe. But I can still enjoy them for some reason, whether it be from a lightsaber duel or certain performances.

Now I want to clarify that The Acolyte does not break canon! It merely shows an unvisited time in the galaxy. Canon isn’t broken by stating that “there hasn’t been a Sith for over a millennia” in the first episode. Rather, it leans into the arrogance of the Jedi and how it led to their downfall by not even considering that their enemy might have returned. The Acolyte only proved that the Sith remained in the shadows patiently waiting to strike. So please, look into the line’s context before digging into the entire series and leave the rest of us in peace.

This isn’t to say that The Acolyte is devoid of problems. Since the show plays closer to a crime thriller, the first two episodes started off slow to set the stage. However, the show never established a form of consistency. The 3rd, 6th and 7th episodes brought it to a grinding halt. It felt like it tried to get to eight full episodes by holding the story hostage. Although Episode 6 emphasizes the deeper relationship between key characters, it still messes with the show’s pacing.

The writing and acting is occasionally hit-or-miss, especially whenever young Mae is present during flashbacks. She wasn’t bad per say, but her performance wasn’t aided by the weak material. While the overall writing was solid if not strong with the force, it was the weakest in the aforementioned three episodes. While Episode 7 allowed for some darker plot twists that felt earned, there was the concern of if another flashback episode was necessary. And some twists were obvious, such as the revelation of The Stranger’s identity and Sol’s dark side. However, both were in line with the show’s tone. While Sol killing Osha and Mae’s mother came out of nowhere, it was needed to explore his relationship with Osha. Despite these predictable twists, the series ended with justifiable character decisions that will shock the viewers and break their hearts.

Meanwhile, Episodes 4-6 and 8 gave us some of the strongest scenes in the show. By having less dialogue, they allowed the characters’ actions to speak their thoughts. Lee Jung-Jae, best known for Squid Games, absolutely crushes it as Sol. He maintains a calm, yet rebellious aura around him reminiscent of Qui-Gon Jinn. Yet he also echoes fear and regret as intentions to aid his former padawan lead to dark consequences. He’s easy to understand and hard to root against by simultaneously representing the best and worst of the Jedi.

Manny Jacinto was truly the dark horse of this series. He had us all fooled as the comedic Qimir, only to show his true colors as The Stranger. Both characters played by Jacinto demonstrate his acting range. His dark side persona never felt forced and showed us the emotional pain of most dark side users. The Stranger is not inherently evil. Rather, he’s a consequence of a past decision. He understands that he’s also a flawed character and doesn’t try to bury it like the Jedi do. His flawed nature allows him to genuinely empathize with Osha when she draws closer to the truth. This deepens his relationships with not just Osha and Mae, but even with Sol.

This leads to Amandla Stenberg’s dual performance as both Osha and Mae. There was some initial confusion between the characters as their personalities overlapped in certain episodes. But she managed to differentiate the two through her body language and fighting style. Osha walks and holds herself in a more relaxed manner compared to Mae who is more controlled and deliberate with each step. And Osha being the gentler twin while Mae being the aggressor makes sense, since Mae witnessed her mother’s death firsthand. I love how these two collided in the finale, further highlighting Stenberg’s acting.

It wouldn’t be much of a Jedi and Sith story without a lightsaber duel. The Acolyte dials up the brutality and originality to another level compared to past projects. This is apparent in Episode 5, when The Stranger unleashes his inner darkness against the Jedi. That episode also highlights Master Sol and Jecki’s skill compared to Jedi Masters who fell in mere minutes. We are also finally introduced to Cortosis: a metal that can temporarily short out a lightsaber. Why is this important? Because it capitalizes the Jedi’s over reliance on their lightsabers in combat. Finally, Episode 7 gave everyone a terrifying lightsaber-wielding Wookie Jedi absolutely decimating his opponents.

Despite the overall imperfect pacing and some writing hiccups, The Acolyte is far from a poor series. Lee Jung-Jae, Manny Jacinto and Amandla Stenberg brought out some powerful performances. Coupled with some of the most original lightsaber fights since the Prequels, fan service and entertaining cameos, The Acolyte is one of the most entertaining and intriguing Star Wars shows I’ve seen. And for those who continue to gatekeep Star Wars for being “woke”, just remember: Star Wars has always been woke under Lucas. Sit back and enjoy the content instead of hating it for not being what you want it to be.