Lucasfilm is now gearing up for the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Acolyte. The studio has been hard at work to hype up the new Disney+ series after being dead silent about it following its announcement in December 2020. But since its official trailer was released last month, several details about the show are now coming to light. And the latest, new character stills featuring the series’ major players are unveiled, along with additional details about their roles.
The new Star Wars: The Acolyte characters stills and details come from the June issue of Empire Magazine, which features the series’ cover story. The publication has been dropping new stills from the show as of late and now that that its latest issue is out, more never-before-seen previews have been circulating online.
It includes a still of Padawan Jecki Lon (Dafne Keen) and Jedi Knight Yord Fandar (Charlie Barnett). Despite the snow falling, the two are checking on something outdoors, and it looks like there’s a big threat coming their way with Yord staying alert by holding his yellow lightsaber. Talking about their roles, Keen revealed that Jecki is “much more competent” than Yord. Fans are about to see an interesting dynamic between them, especially that she calls him “a little bit useless.”
“But he’s a Knight, because he’s older,” she said. “So, there’s this really interesting dynamic of him being a little bit useless, and her being like, ‘You need to step your game up,’ which was really fun to play.”
There’s also a new shot of the fight between Jedi Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Mae (Amandla Stenberg) in the cantina. Though their battle has already been seen in the trailer, this one gives a much clearer look of that. Moss has nothing but good words for The Acolyte creator Leslye Headland, as she specifically knows what she’s doing.
“I felt that a few times in my career with some of the big things that I’ve done — Memento, The Matrix — where you’re talking to the filmmaker and you just go, ‘Oh, they totally get it.’ They know it so well that I trust them,” she revealed.
Talking about Headland, the next still features her behind-the-scenes work with Stenberg, seemingly instructing her of what to do next. The showrunner revealed that one of her character references for Mae was Gogo from Kill Bill and also thought about “Joan of Arc, Ethiopian tribes, Renaissance garb.”
“There was something very tough and very feminine about it at the same time,” she explained. “We wanted this character to feel both disciplined, and have a sense of freedom and an expressiveness to her.”
In another preview, Mae is seen hiding as she doesn’t want to be noticed. By the looks of it, this shot is from her scene with Indara, before their epic fight in the cantina ensues. Headland also revealed that The Acolyte will be focusing on female villains and will be a Sith-led story. That said, fans should look out for Mae’s mysterious character to know if she’s a friend or foe.
“I was driven to write a story that essentially was from the perspective of the bad guys,” Headland added. “I write that way with my other work. I am always attracted to amoral — or immoral — characters, and finding the humanity within the villains.”
If Mae isn’t mysterious enough, another enigmatic character fans are about to see in The Acolyte is Force Witch Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith). As witches are now taking the scene in the Star Wars universe, like Nightsisters of Dathomir, the viewers are about to see a new coven.
“They’re really trying to preserve their beliefs, and their powers, and their independence,” Turner-Smith said about her character’s group.
In addition, a new look at Jecki training in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant is revealed. It looks like she’s in the same room as seen in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, though with different aesthetics. Though The Acolyte takes place numerous years after Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the series may still show a connection between the two.
The publication has also released a widescreen shot of Mae looking at town from afar. As Empire puts it, she’s “gazing upon a world of shadowy secrets.” Mae is only known for playing the role of an assassin. However, she’s believed to be the former Padawan of Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) that will accompany him as he investigates the sinister Jedi killings in the Galaxy.
As she can’t give too much away, Stenberg only describes her character as “gritty, dangerous and excited.” “I literally am scared now,” she admitted.
Another behind-the-scenes look of Headland talking to Jung-jae is unveiled. The breakout star from the global hit K-drama, Squid Game, will now take the lead in The Acolyte. To prepare for his first-ever American production, the South Korean actor learned English for it.
There’s also a solo still of Sol. The Jedi Master seems to have different emotions as he goes to the outdoors. With the news of mysterious Jedi deaths, it looks like he’s about to begin his investigation. As Jung-jae teased, the series will be “more intriguing and gripping” due to its detective genre.
Yord uses his Force in the last The Acolyte still. By the looks of it, he’s either training or going against someone unseen. Barnett told Empire that his character would go on a trip to a Wookie planet in The Acolyte, but it won’t be Kashyyyk. With the appearance Jedi Wookie Master Kelnacca (Joonas Suotamo), his tease may have a connection to Chewbacca's look alike.
What is Star Wars: The Acolyte about?
The Acolyte will see the investigation of the mysterious Jedi killings in the Galaxy. Sol will do his best to find the culprit behind these sinister murders. But while he does so, he’s about to meet a dangerous warrior from his past. These two may have conflicts from the past, but they will start working together and will soon find themselves on a dark path full of evil forces far more dangerous than they thought.
You can read the synopsis below:
In The Acolyte , an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master against a dangerous warrior from his past. As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems….
The Acolyte is set to be released on June 4, 2024, on Disney+. Are you excited to see these characters on the small screen? In a couple of months, the show will finally premiere and all questions fans have about its mysterious story and characters will finally be answered. As Headland said, each episode will add more information about the series, though will still keep viewers guessing.
