20 Biggest Retcons & Changes The Acolyte Made To Star Wars Canon

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte season 1.

Summary

• The Acolyte season 1 introduces new characters and retcons to the Star Wars canon.
• Significant changes include the addition of another Zygerrian Jedi, a redesigned Jedi Temple, and long-lived Mirialans.
• The show also explores the origins of Force-sensitive beings and reveals Darth Plagueis as part of the canon.

The Acolyte explored a new era of Star Wars and introduced a new cast of characters but still made significant changes and retcons to the official canon. While learning more about the history of the Star Wars universe can be incredibly rewarding for longtime viewers who keep up with every story, it can also become problematic when a new entry makes noticeable changes. Some retcons can be easily explained and add new context to old plotlines, while others seemingly contradict established lore and create questions to be answered later.

From new details about existing characters to entirely new concepts, The Acolyte season 1 has featured all kinds of additions to Star Wars canon. Most of these changes tie fairly well into the Star Wars prequel trilogy, but some remain unresolved and could be expanded on in a potential second season. 20 retcons were the most noticeable in The Acolyte and offered the most significant changes to the timeline.

20 The Acolyte Revealed Another Zygerrian Jedi

The Jedi were the ancient enemy of the Zygerrian slave empire

One of the first new Jedi introduced in The Acolyte episode 1 “Lost / Found” was Yord Fandar’s Zygerrian Padawan, Tasi Lowa. Having a Zygerrian in the Jedi Order is surprising, as Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 4 established that the Jedi once dismantled their slave empire and were still resented for it. Even so, Tasi Lowa is the third Zygerrian Jedi in Star Wars canon and the first to appear in a live-action project. Adding another Zygerrian Jedi suggests that there could be many more throughout the Order and implies that Zygerrian society isn’t unified against the Jedi.

19 The Jedi Temple & Coruscant Looked Different Before The Prequels

A slightly different design and an altered landscape

Every Star Wars movie and TV show has a different production design, and The Acolyte changed the Jedi Temple and its immediate surroundings on Coruscant. According to the official episode trivia gallery on the Star Wars website, “…the Jedi Temple looks slightly different from the prequel films as the skyline is shifting…” because “…elements are notably still under construction.” This implies that the Temple is undergoing a renovation that will lead to its eventual appearance in the prequel film, or that the surface of Coruscant was slightly lower in this area 100 years before the prequel trilogy.

18 Mirialans Are A Longer-Lived Race Than We Thought

Vernestra Rwoh is over 100 years old

Star Wars is no stranger to alien species with much longer lifespans than humans, and it seems Mirialans can be added to the list. Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh, a Mirialan who first appeared as a teenager in the High Republic books and comics, made her live-action debut in The Acolyte. Because the show is set 100 years after her initial appearance, Mirialans could live for hundreds of years.

17 Anakin Skywalker Wasn’t The First Being Created With The Force

Sol even implies that it was done before Osha and Mae

Anakin Skywalker was hailed as the prophesized Chosen One because Qui-Gon Jinn believed he was a vergence in the Force conceived by the midi-chlorians. While this was a huge deal for the Jedi, The Acolyte revealed that Mother Aniseya used a vergence on Brendok to create her twin daughters, Osha and Mae Aniseya, 100 years before Anakin was born. Jedi Master Sol even suggested to Mae that it had been done before them, telling her “In the history of the galaxy, very few have been that powerful.”

16 The Jedi Council Didn’t Always Have Absolute Authority In The Order

Other Jedi were willing to handle problems without consulting the Council

Star Wars has always had characters willing to defy the Jedi Council to do what they thought was right, but The Acolyte took this mentality to another level. The Jedi Council doesn’t seem to have as much authority over the order as they do in the prequel trilogy, with Vernestra Rwoh and other high-ranking Jedi Masters perfectly willing to keep important matters to themselves. Perhaps the Jedi Order was much less centralized, but once the Republic Senate had more oversight, the Council asserted more control to keep a firm hold on the Order.

15 Ki-Adi-Mundi Is Over 100 Years Old In The Phantom Menace

This makes his line about the Sith more surprising

One of the most surprising cameos in The Acolyte was Ki-Adi-Mundi, a Jedi Master who sat on the Council during the prequel trilogy. While no longer official canon, Ki-Adi-Mundi was generally assumed to be 60 years old in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, since this was his age in the Legends timeline. However, because The Acolyte takes place a century before the prequel trilogy, Ki-Adi-Mundi is well over 100 years old in canon. Being present when the Sith were nearly discovered makes it interesting that he is the one who claims they have been extinct for a millennium.

14 Qimir Brought Back Legends Force Powers

Even Palpatine might find him a challenge

Qimir’s proper Sith introduction in The Acolyte episodes 4 and 5 demonstrated his power and brought back Force abilities from the Legends timeline. Throughout the series, Qimir could control his levitation so well that he appeared to be flying, similar to Count Dooku in the Star Wars: Clone Wars 2D micro-series. He was also seemingly immune to stun beams, something characters like Revan and Corran Horn could do in Legends.

13 The Acolyte Brought Back Cortosis, A Massive Lightsaber Weakness

It can block lightsabers and make them short out

Another weapon Qimir had at his disposal was a helmet and gauntlet made from cortosis, a unique material that first appeared in Legends. Cortosis could temporarily short out lightsaber blades, making it perfect for enemies of the Jedi and the Sith. While cortosis has appeared in Star Wars canon before, Qimir used it more creatively and effectively than those who typically produce cortosis blades.

12 Sith Helmets Can Be Used To Prevent Jedi Telepathy

Sol could not read Qimir’s mind

One surprising aspect of Qimir’s cortosis helmet was its ability to block Jedi telepathy. He based its design on sensory deprivation helmets used to train Jedi younglings, which deprived the user of their senses and made them rely solely on the Force. However, Sol discovered that this went both ways, and he could not look into Qimir’s mind during their initial duel on Khofar.

11 The Acolyte Introduced A Treacherous New Sith Lightsaber

Keeping a secondary hilt inside the main one

Continuing the Star Wars tradition of introducing creative new lightsaber designs, The Acolyte gave Qimir a second, smaller blade that could detach from his main hilt. Characters like Asajj Ventress have previously wielded dual lightsabers that could combine into a double-bladed weapon, but Qimir’s is far more treacherous. His lightsaber looks like a single blade but can quickly become two, allowing him to surprise anyone he fights, which Jecki Lon learned when he killed her with three quick stabs.

10 The Sith Were Nearly Discovered Before The Phantom Menace

The Jedi believed the Sith had been extinct for 1,000 years

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace made it seem like there had been no trace of the Sith in 1,000 years, giving the Jedi no reason to suspect their return. However, The Acolyte showed just how close the Sith came to discovery 100 years earlier, with Qimir single-handedly slaughtering a whole group of Jedi before dropping the word “Sith.” While everyone who heard him say this is dead, on the dark side, or memory wiped, the Jedi are still on the Sith’s trail, leaving room for season 2 to continue exploring how they managed to keep themselves a secret.

9 The Forbidden Lightsaber Form Tràkata Is Now Star Wars Canon

Turning a lightsaber on and off in combat

While turning off one’s lightsaber seems unwise for combat, an entire lightsaber form was dedicated to it in Legends. Tràkata involved quickly turning a lightsaber off and back on, which Qimir uses multiple times in The Acolyte. Both Jedi and Sith tended to avoid Tràkata in Legends, with the former finding it dishonorable and the latter seeing it as a sign of weakness.

8 The Jedi Believe They Have Ways Of Detecting Force Vergences

Sol and the others were confident in their mission

The Star Wars prequel trilogy introduced a scientific method for Jedi to measure a person’s Force potential with midi-chlorians, and The Acolyte went a step further with Force vergences. Sol and the other Jedi went to Brendok to find a vergence in the Force, but rather than meditating or letting the Force guide them, they primarily used scientific equipment. They may have been starting with basic readings to understand the life on the planet, but maybe the Jedi believe they have developed technology that can detect a Force vergence.

7 Every Person’s Midi-Chlorian Symbiotes Are Unique

This explains why cloning them is so hard

Not only can the Jedi measure the number of midi-chlorians in a Force-sensitive, but they can also compare them with others. All beings are symbionts with their midi-chlorians, lifeforms working together for mutual advantage, and The Acolyte episode 7 revealed that these are unique to each person. The Jedi used this to determine that Osha and Mae must have been created through the Force, as normal twins would still have their own unique symbiotes.

6 The Force Can (Literally) Split One Person Into Two Bodies

A fascinating twist on the Force Dyad

The Acolyte offered an interesting variation on the Force Dyad introduced in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker by making Osha and Mae the same person. Mother Aniseya somehow used the Force vergence on Brendok to split one consciousness into two bodies, causing Osha and Mae to describe themselves as “Always one, but born as two.” It gives a whole new meaning to Kylo Ren’s speech about him and Rey being two beings that are one, albeit taking those words more literally.

5 Qimir Was Vernestra Rwoh’s Padawan

She may have given him the scar on his back

Qimir told Osha that his former master gave him the scar on his back, and The Acolyte season finale confirmed that it was Vernestra Rwoh. His scar is not the straight line one would expect from a standard lightsaber blade, meaning Vernestra likely used her lightwhip to attack him. The younger Vernestra Rwoh seen in the High Republic books and comics would never do something like this to a fellow Jedi without good reason, raising more questions about what happened in the 100-year time gap.

Qimir implies that he is older than he looks, meaning there is a small chance that he could be Vernestra Rwoh’s former Padawan, Imri Cantaros.

4 Vernestra Rwoh Is A Very Different Character In The Acolyte

She changed dramatically in the 100-year time gap

While Vernestra Rwoh was bound to have changed in the 100 years since the High Republic books, The Acolyte often doubles down on making her a different character. In The High Republic, Vernestra was utterly opposed to the idea of politics, making her role as a liaison between the Jedi and the Senate unexpected. She was also one to dive into the action, but in The Acolyte, she takes a backseat until later. Keeping secrets from the Jedi Council is something Vernestra did as a teenager, but there are currently no stories explaining the ways she changed before The Acolyte.

3 The Jedi Were Involved In a Major Cover-up

They could have learned the truth about the Sith 100 years earlier

The prequel era wasn’t the first time the Jedi kept secrets from the Senate, and The Acolyte season finale reveals one of their biggest cover-ups to date. Rather than reveal the whole truth about what happened, Vernestra Rwoh chose to pin the blame on Sol and hide that her former apprentice was alive and consumed by the dark side. The irony is how Vernestra criticizes Sol for using Osha and Mae to justify his mistakes despite her doing the same thing to protect the Jedi. Perhaps they would have discovered the Sith sooner if Vernestra had shared everything she knew.

2 The Jedi Lost Their Autonomy After The Acolyte

The murder investigation led to more Senate oversight

Despite Vernestra Rwoh hiding the full truth from the Senate, it wasn’t enough to stop them from believing the Jedi needed greater oversight. It is reasonable to assume that this eventually led to the Jedi Order having far less independence and serving the Senate directly, something Palpatine would take advantage of as chancellor. The Jedi Council may have had to assert more direct control of the Order to prevent any more incidents that would cause trouble with the Senate.

1 Darth Plagueis Has Returned To Star Wars Canon

Palpatine’s Sith Master is alive during The Acolyte

Without a doubt, the most shocking change to Star Wars canon was the return of Darth Plagueis the Wise. First mentioned in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Plagueis was Palpatine’s Sith Master and supposedly capable of creating life by influencing the midi-chlorians. The now Legends novel Star Wars: Darth Plagueis by James Luceno fleshed out the character’s history and made him one of the franchise’s most popular Sith Lords. Now that Plagueis has made his first appearance in canon, there’s no telling what other retcons The Acolyte will make in a potential season 2.

All episodes of The Acolyte are now streaming on Disney+.