Summary
- The Mandalorian was a fresh take on Star Wars without relying on legacy characters, setting the tone for new Star Wars stories.
- The Acolyte continues the trend by capturing originality and excitement in a new era 100 years before the prequel trilogy, with fresh characters.
- Star Wars finally feels new and exciting again with The Acolyte, bringing back the sense of adventure and novelty fans have been craving.
It’s almost been 5 years since The Mandalorian premiered as Star Wars’ first live-action TV show, and with Star Wars: The Acolyte, I finally feel like Star Wars is Star Wars again. As a child of the prequels, I had been waiting a long time for something like The Mandalorian, which felt like incredibly new yet also familiar Star Wars without being a direct offshoot of other Star Wars projects in the way the sequel trilogy was. Ever since, I’ve been wanting to experience that same feeling.
Aside from The Mandalorian season 2, however, I failed to find that feeling again. While Andor exceeded my expectations and easily took its place as the best of the Star Wars TV shows yet, its style was still different enough from the original Star Wars to leave me searching. While Star Wars animated projects such as Star Wars: The Bad Batch filled that void in some ways, live-action had yet to do so for me again – until The Acolyte came along. But what exactly is that feeling, and how did The Mandalorian and The Acolyte both capture it?
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Several exciting Star Wars TV shows are set to be released on Disney+ in the coming years from the realm of both live-action and animation.
The Mandalorian Season 1 Was Bold & Brand-New For Star Wars
It Took Inspiration from Star Wars, But Didn’t Rely on Familiar Stories & Characters
The Mandalorian season 1 arrived at a perfect time for Star Wars. The sequel trilogy was just about to conclude with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and fans were divided in their opinions about these brand-new movies. The most popular complaint had to do with this trilogy trying too hard to evoke the nostalgia of the original trilogy, amongst several others that mostly pertained to the characters. It was Star Wars, but it didn’t feel very much like new Star Wars.
When The Mandalorian came along, I truly felt like I was experiencing something new within the Star Wars galaxy for the first time. It had familiar settings, species, Easter eggs, and more, but it was still all so brand-new. There wasn’t a single legacy character in its cast, and the storyline was inspired by Boba Fett but didn’t hinge on him in any way. This bold and brand-new step into Star Wars is what truly captivated me, and that’s the feeling I started to chase for years to come.
The Mandalorian
4.0
The Mandalorian is set after the Empire’s fall and before the First Order’s emergence in the ever-growing Star Wars universe. The series follows the travails of a lone gunfighter named Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic. Acting as the first live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian has become incredibly popular on Disney+, partly due to Mando’s relationship with Grogu, which the internet dubbed “Baby Yoda” upon his introduction in season 1.
- Release Date
- November 12, 2019
- Seasons
- 3
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney+
The Acolyte Is Repeating That With Its Fresh Era
Everything is Brand-New Again
Now, 5 years later, The Acolyte has become the only Star Wars live-action project to recapture this same sentiment. Though it utilizes the High Republic era that was first established in the Star Wars: The High Republic books and comics, The Acolyte takes place 100 years after those events – and is the first live-action project to take place outside the Skywalker saga timeline. It’s refreshing to explore the Star Wars galaxy in an era we haven’t seen on-screen before.
Not only that, but it also takes after The Mandalorian’s cast of brand-new characters and faces, even if a few are quite familiar. Vernestra Rwoh is a well-established character in The High Republic books, but the other members of the main cast are completely brand-new characters created specifically for this TV show. Other cameos do happen, including Darth Plagueis and Yoda himself, but they don’t dominate the story whatsoever.
The Acolyte
3.5
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.
- Cast
- Amandla Stenberg , Lee Jung-jae , Joonas Suotamo , Charlie Barnett , Dafne Keen , Leah Brady , Manny Jacinto , Rebecca Henderson , Carrie-Anne Moss , Jodie Turner-Smith , Dean-Charles Chapman , Lauren Brady , Anthony J. Abraham , Thara Shöön , Danielle Xin Yao Waterman , Sienna Khiroya , Jeramiah Evans , Dan Milne , Thomas Coombes , Archie Singh Swali , Nick Court , Ed Kear , Jumayn Hunter , Scroobius Pip , Abigail Thorn , Margarita Levieva , Amy Tsang , Saskia Allen , Deborah Rosan , Tabitha Alege , Paul Bullion , Indra Ové , Derek Arnold , Lewis Young
- Character(s)
- Mae , Master Sol , Kelnacca , Yord Fandar , Jecki Lon , Little Mae , Qimir , Master Vernestra Rwoh , Master Indara , Mother Aniseya , Master Torbin , Padawan Torbin , Little Osha , Fillik , Tasi Lowa , Youngling , Restrained Convict , Convict , Olega Urchin , Olega Master , Olega Padawan , Scavenger , Ensign Eurus , Mother Koril , Ensign Rane , Scout Sarria , Ensign Shima , Elder Jaalyn , Master Lakshay , Master Holden , Master Ki-Adi-Mundi , Jedi Knight
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney+
- Writers
- Leslye Headland , Charmaine De Grate , Kor Adana
- Directors
- Leslye Headland , Alex Garcia Lopez
- Showrunner
- Leslye Headland
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Star Wars Finally Feels New & Exciting Again
The Acolyte Captures that Sense of Originality
After getting many live-action shows that have been based on previously established Star Wars characters and concepts, The Acolyte finally makes Star Wars feel as new and exciting as it did with Din Djarin, Grogu, and The Mandalorian. Though The Acolyte may not be perfect, as is the case with most Star Wars projects as a whole, it still accomplishes this incredible feat of originality. It captures the exciting spirit of Star Wars in creating a brand-new pocket inside the familiar galaxy.
Hopefully, Star Wars will give The Acolyte the chance to continue this by renewing it for season 2, though we have yet to hear about it. The danger it runs into is losing that touch of originality and newness as the show goes on, something that unfortunately happened to The Mandalorian the more it tied itself into the universe. Still, however, I love The Mandalorian regardless, and I know Star Wars has the potential to preserve this originality into The Acolyte season 2.